Mike98Neon

Okay, let's run off of your logic, addict. Those plastic covers, what do they do? Dress up the engine bay? Make it look pretty? The intake manifold does nothing but direct filtered air (preferably cool air) into the combustion chamber. It doesn't have to be an alloy. Although one thing does puzzle me about most FWD traverse mounted I4's. Why is the exhaust manifold in the front of the engine? When someone does an upgrade to an engine, the idea is to make the engine work less to expel exhaust gasses right? So with the design of (I think) all Honda fwd traverse mounted engines, the exhaust manifold comes out of the front of the engine and then goes underneath the block. This is (IMAO) a poor design. I then saw Tom Fujitas Civic with a tube frame and oh look, they mounted the engine longitude. That's not how they come from the factory (mount wise) I wonder how that made the transmission work, or did that have to be custom made too? Now look at the Scott Mohler car that is now using a stock 3 speed neon automatic transmission with nothing changed but a high stall torque converter. Oh that's right, Honda people don't like the word torque. It's something they don't know and understand. It's also something that most Hondas don't have (e.g. Civic Si 160hp and 111 ft. lbs. torque) If anyone can spin a motor fast enough, the hp numbers can be manipulated. Torque is the best determination of how well an engine performs overall. For example. A Ford powerstroke V8 diesel has higher a higher horsepower rating than a Dodge Cummins I6 diesel. Why? The powerstroke spins faster and has a larger displacement 7.3l to 5.9l But when you look on the road to see whats actually pulling more. It's Cummins I6's Why? Better delivery of torque. If you say this example doesn't apply to the compact segment, I'm sorry, you're truly mistaken. Torque (don't forget traction) is what gets you out of the hole in a launch. 90% of most races in a professional setting are lost and won in the first 330 feet.