Burnt AP1 Gets 4G63, Goes Drag Racing
Would you put a Mitsubishi Engine in your S2000? What if it could lift the front wheels? Read more inside.
Why Drag an S2000?
Car shows are popular for a reason. They're an accessible entry into the hobby, they don't require gobs of cash to start out, you're not likely to get hurt at one, and it's tough, but not impossible, to break your car driving it through a parking lot. Another aspect of car shows is fantasy. Look at stanced imports with nutso tires and brakes that cost more than 4 years at community college and you can just imagine what they'd do on the track, or what you'd do if you got behind the wheel. It's like a video game, except it's 3D. Drag racing, on the other hand, can blow up your pride and joy in front of all your friends. Imagination is a powerful force, but it's only one of the ingredients it takes to beat the clock.
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Why You Mad?
Sometimes it takes a 6-bolt Mitsubishi 4G63. Before you blow a gasket over The Case of the Wasted F20C, hear owner Tercio Botelho out: “After grenading the transmission in my [Eagle] Talon, I was undecided as to whether I wanted to build another transmission or giving up. I soon came across this ‘01 Honda S2000, which had been totaled by a fire — the whole front end was completely ruined. The engine bay looked as if someone used it as a charcoal grill — nothing was left of the engine and harness, the fenders were half gone and the bumper and headlights were completely gone." The world loves a phoenix rising from the ashes story. The car you see here literally was ashes.
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Why Use a Mits?
Tercio would need a little help from his friends to make his imagination a reality, and luckily for him, he counts the folks at Infamous Performance as friends. Having already stuck a 4G63 into a BMW 3-series in the past, with happy results, he chose to go the same route with his crispy S2000. Tercio explains, “I talked to my team about using a 4G63 in our S2K since it hadn’t been done yet, and it wouldn’t cost much since I had 80 percent of the parts already.” Infamous got down to business, designing their own engine and tranny mounts, and custom-fabricating a complete exhaust system. They chose a common but effective BorgWarner S368 68mm single-scroll turbo to create the ample power they were in search of.
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Why Spend Money?
Tercio chose a 2-speed GM Powerglide, with an adapter plate made by racing fabricator Bill Hincher, to transmit power from the 4G63. A 9-inch Ford rear end was the logical choice for the strip, and after selling the factory Honda differential to another needy enthusiast, Tercio scored a 9-inch for zero dollars. Tercio explains: “I looked around a bit on various message forums and couldn’t find anything fitting my dimensions, until, luckily, a friend of mine told me he had an old one on the back of his garage from one of his father’s old trucks. He said I could have it — what a friend!” Of course, it takes more than a truck differential to go racing, so Tercio installed a Competition Engineering 4-link traction bar kit, Strange Engineering coilovers, Wilwood brakes, and Mickey Thomson slicks over Weld Magnum III Wheels to make sure his S2000 was planted all the way down the track.
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Why Take Chances With Your Health?
With the drivetrain and suspension sorted, Tercio and Infamous turned their attention to the interior. After tearing out everything they didn't need, they decided to build their own roll cage. "I went out and bought a pipe bender, an NHRA rules and regulations book, and a bunch of chromoly pipe. After a week of reading and practicing bends, we started with the cage; after a few late nights and weekends, the cage was done,” Tercio relates. Not bad for a first try.
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Why, Indeed.
That only left one thing: the exterior. Tercio, a body man by trade, whipped up the custom hue of green you see here. He left the body and hardtop stock, save for the front bumper and front fenders, which he modified to flow the extra air needed for the strip. Which reminds us, there was one thing left after the exterior: the dragstrip! If you still can't imagine going with a non-Honda engine in your S2000, maybe you'd make an exception if you found yourself with a spare Eagle Talon engine lying around, and friends who could help you run the quarter mile in 8.718 seconds at 159.29 mph. Not only did this phoenix rise from the ashes, it literally left the ground—about 3 inches.
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