Mickey’s RWD Turbo Civic

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There is no shortage of K-swap Civics. A lot of them have been turbocharged, but almost all of them have retained their front-wheel-drive driveline configuration. This is where Mickey’s Civic stands out from the crowd with its North-South mounted engine powering the rear wheels.

The way it should’ve been from the start

For those who don’t know, Mickey Andrade is the main content producer at the popular YouTube channel THROTL. Mickey, a self-professed EK Civic fanboi, always thought the car should have come out of the Honda factory in RWD configuration. So when the opportunity to build one came in the form of an unfinished project car, he dived right into it.

“We called the car the FREK because in the Japanese automotive naming convention FR stands for Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive. And the car is an EK hence the FREK”

K-swap with a difference

The first order of business was to remove the tired, factory B-series engine and replace it with a Honda K20A2. Originally powering an Acura RSX Type S, the engine was transplanted into the Civic and installed sideways, ie North-South. It was then mated to a transmission sourced from an S2000 AP1.

Being completely stock inside, the K20 needed a bit of help to achieve the desired power output (500hp). This came in the form of a Garret G25-550 turbocharger with a Turbosmart 45mm wastegate, custom 12”x18” V-Mount Garrett Intercooler and Deatschwerks 1500cc fuel injectors.

“We opted for the K20 instead of K24 simply because they rev higher. Basically we substituted displacement for RPM.”

A K-Power Intake Manifold with Bosch Drive by Wire throttle body completed the intake side of the engine and worked perfectly with the new engine orientation. TracTuff supplied the custom radiator with a 16″ fan, thermostat housing, swirl pot, bubbler tank and most of the water/oil adaptor fittings.

Power to the rear

The most interesting part of the car is obviously its drivetrain. The S2000 transmission is bolted to the engine using a JSP Fab K2F Transmission Adaptor. Oceanside Driveline custom driveshaft moves the power back to an S2000 AP1 differential.

The diff itself sits on Hasport urethane mounts and powers the wheels via Driveshaft Shop axles. The clutch is an ACT Sprung Racing Clutch with Clutch Masters K2F flywheel. The car’s floor pan tunnel has been raised 8″ to accommodate all the mods.

“I’m not a race car driver but I love going fast, and this car is a perfect track car for me. It’s quick, reliable and loads of fun. I absolutely love it!”

Power to the ground

The suspension setup consists of Skunk2 Pro Coilovers, JSP Fab custom front knuckles and tie rod ends, Progress rear sway bar and end links. The front tension rod, sway bar and end links have been sourced from a Toyota AE86.

The wheels are by Motegi MR146 SS6 in Hyper Silver shod with Falken Tires Azenis RT-660 205/50/15 at the front and 225/50/15 at the back. Stopping the Civic are Wilwood Forged SuperLite brakes. Wilwood are also responsible for billet firewall mounts and billet reservoirs.

Safety first

Inside, a KL Fab 6-point roll cage keeps Mickey safe should something go awry with Sparco QRT-K Kevlar seats and Sparco 4-point, 3” racing harnesses providing a perfect blend of safety and comfort.

All under control

Controlling the engine is a Haltech Elite 2500 installed using a RyWire MilSpec harness. Supplementing the Elite is an O2 Wideband Controller, a full set of sensors and an iC-7 digital display housed in a Mako Motorsports custom panel. The Civic has been expertly tuned by Shawn Christianson.