Hondas are incredible machines and have built up a solid reputation over the years for being, reliable, quick, and a lot of fun to drive. But one question that keeps popping up is can you make a Honda fast?
The answer is absolutely yes, you can make a Honda fast. You can very easily increase the horsepower of a Honda by installing aftermarket bolt-on upgrades such as a turbo kit, induction kit, aftermarket exhaust header, and high lift camshafts. Couple these with getting the ECU remapped and you will achieve the maximum performance from a Honda.
Hondas are one of the most popular tuner cars in the world and this is largely because they are remarkably easy to achieve big BHP out of such a small motor.
Back in 1985, a group of engineers in Japan asked “can you make a Honda fast”? This got everyone thinking and eventually in 1989 the Honda Integra was released sporting a 1.6 L DOHC VTEC engine.
When Honda first released the VTEC engine back in 1989 it received praise from all over the world for being the first engine with the ability to vary the valve timing of the intake and exhaust valves mechanically without any intervention from computers or upgrades.
Since then, car enthusiasts all over the globe have been tuning and modifying Hondas to achieve ridiculous amounts of horsepower and torque with little expense and still holding their badge of reliability to a certain extent.
When it comes to the cost of making a Honda fast, most parts are very reasonably priced considering the massive amounts of horsepower there is to be gained from using them. When your buying aftermarket parts it can be very tempting to cheap out and buy the cheapest parts you can find, but that’s the wrong way to look at it.
You should always aim to buy your aftermarket Honda upgrades from a reputable dealer who will stand over the parts in case you run into any problems along the way, such as parts not fitting where they should (very common). Here is an article iv written going through 8 Effective Tips to Make a Honda Fast which walks you through each step of the process detailing exactly what you need and why.
The downside to increasing the performance of your engine is that you run the risk of potentially doing damage to your engine. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common one I have seen is due to parts being installed that are not necessarily compatible with one and other.
What I mean by this is for example, if you’re installing a 2.5-inch exhaust header you must be sure to use the same size de-cat and cat-back exhaust system to keep the flow of exhaust gasses consistent, and not create pressure points inside the exhaust system causing unwanted amounts of back pressure and exhaust blow.
Another common problem when making a Honda fast is that people make them too fast without following the correct procedures. This means that you cannot simply install a turbo kit and expect to get in and drive away problem free.
Minor upgrades such as exhaust headers and simple bolt-ons are fine to just bolt on and drive away, even doe without tuning the ECU you will not see much difference performance-wise from your engine.
But when it comes to components such as turbos, superchargers, etc, which will dramatically change the combustion cycle of the engine you are generally advised to rebuild the motor using oversized pistons, thicker liners, and upgraded valve springs.
This will greatly increase the life of your engine because it will help the motor deal with the increased load it will be subjected to. Before you consider installing a turbo I would strongly advise you to read this article to give you a solid knowledge of how a turbo works along with the pros and cons of turbocharging your engine.
If you are still wondering can you make a Honda fast, here is some proof to put your mind at ease, I hope you enjoy it.
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