A few months back, I sourced the first component needed… an engine.
K24A2: 2004 Acura TSX
Actually, I was quite lucky finding this particular engine. Most ‘Frankenstein’ hybrid engines (K24 long block with a K20 head) require two separate purchases, but the Acura TSX (2004-06) came factory with the desired combination… Long Block with iVTEC Head (so no need to get the K20 head).
Engine Cost: $1,800. It may not look pretty, but considering nearly all the internals will be replaced, the only things I really wanted were the block and the head. Most everything else goes in the garbage.
Build Strategy: I have a few options here. NA or SC’d. Also, I could also de-stroke the engine to where it will rev to 12.5Krpm, but at the expense of more frequent rebuilds.
Some may be asking… why K24 vs. K20? The simple answer, personal preference. At 1600 lbs, I didn’t want to take the fun out of driving the car by adding too much power, so I settled on a performance goal of around 275-280whp. Fun… but not insane.
I also didn’t want an engine that was so tweaked, I only got 5K miles out of it. My priority was longevity and reliability. Since I prefer a NA aspirated engine, a NA K20 would really only give me a few HP more than my VHPD. Considering the expense involved in the conversion, I want a little more for my money. A performance built K24 will easily meet that goal.
