Reliability, availability and affordability are three words that can be used to describe the majority of Honda vehicles and motors.
As a result, Honda vehicles can be found in nearly every motorsport arena, and Honda motors can be found far beyond vehicles with an ‘H’ or ‘A’ on the hood. B-series motors in Minis, F-series motors in AE86 Corollas and K-series motors in, well, Ks have started to show up damn near everywhere.
It pains me to admit that while walking through the Las Vegas Convention Center, I didn’t give this car much more than a cursory glance. I took the quick snap below to capture the livery and Volk wheels, but didn’t peek under the open decklid.
When Keiron flipped me this photo set a few days ago I don’t think I could have kicked myself harder for not taking the time to give the car a proper inspection. I love outside of the box motor swaps, and a K20 in a Porsche 930 is most certainly outside of the box.
Like so many children of the mid ’80s and early ’90s, the Porsche 911 was a poster car for Scott Girondo. After years of modifying a variety of imports — mostly but not exclusively Hondas — the 930 would have remained nothing more than a poster car had it not been for one late night on Craigslist, where he found a V8 swapped example up for grabs.
With its original power plant long since gone, and much of its on paper value gone with it, Scott was able to pick up the car for a relative steal.
The V8 swap was a backyard job, with a lot left to be desired, but at the end of the day the car was still a Porsche. Black, and a little beat up, but still a Porsche.
Unfortunately the same night he brought the car home was the same night it decided to stop living as a Chevrolet / Porsche hybrid. A melted rat’s nest of an engine chassis harness proved to be the weakest link, but as an import guy at heart, Scott ultimately saw no point in repairing the harness and retaining the GM power plant.
Scott completed the swap for the first time two years ago. At the time, he had limited knowledge of K motors, and next to no knowledge of Porsches in general. But, as the saying goes: ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’.
Working with a limited tool set Scott not only completed the K swap, but he added a Garret GTX 3076 to the engine bay as well.
Version one of the car showed lots of promise, but it also had a few areas Scott wanted to tighten up. When the opportunity to bring the car to SEMA became a reality, he used this as an excuse to tear the car apart and fix the minor faults.
The first thing Scott addressed was the angle of the motor. In its previous iteration, the custom adapter plate resulted in the motor sitting fairly straight vertically. This resulted in a few packaging compromises including a turbo that was too close to the intercooler.
Now, the motor sits at an angle closer to how it would in a Honda engine bay, alleviating several clearance issues. Version 2.0 retains the GTX 3076 using Vibrant universal piping and HD clamps to plumb the system. Scott then placed a hefty order with K-Tuned that included an intake manifold, throttle body and fuel rail.
In the second revision, the K20 was cracked open to install Wiseco pistons, Eagle Rods and Prayoonto cams.
In the handling department, Scott converted from torsion bar front suspension to coilovers using a GT3 subframe kit from Elephant Racing. The addition of Elephant Racing ASP rear arms means the car can now run coilovers at all four corners.
Scott rounded out his suspension upgrades with 935 sway bars, Rennline upper strut supports, Rebel Racing rear shock tower supports and Elephant Racing polybronze bearings.
The wheel and tire package currently consists of RAYS Volk Racing TE37V wheels measuring 18×9.5-inches up front and 18×12-inches in the rear. Wrapped in 235 and 305-section Toyo Proxes R888s, the bronze wheels sit over Porsche 996 calipers. Two-piece Rebel Racing discs can be found up front with 930 rotors in the rear.
On the exterior, a GT Racing front bumper transforms the front end, and a modified 930 rear deck lid props up a 993 RS wing. Scott’s import roots come through with a Q45 headlight retro fit and Craft Square GT S2000 mirrors.
Scott’s plans for the car are to shake down Version 2.0 for a few hundred miles before taking it to the track this spring.
Obviously, we had to ask Scott what a turbo Honda powered Porsche drives like and his answer was simply that “it takes a little getting used to”.
Not sure about you, but I’d love the chance to get used to it.
Dave Thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom