If you've been around the Honda scene for very long, chances are you've heard of Pacman, read some of his posts on popular forums like k20a.org and followed some of his groundbreaking swaps that include the first-ever K20 CRX (his brother's car) and the second-ever EK with a K-swap. That's because Marouj "Pacman" Moradian is the very definition of O.G., having started down the Honda path back in 1994 after trading in his rotary-powered Mazda RX-2 for an EG Civic. Sixteen years later and countless Honda lessons learned along the way, Pacman has packed everything he knows about his favorite brand into this next-level, street-style EG dragster to pursue the lofty goal of 1,000 hp.
Pacman's love of cars started long before he discovered the wonders of VTEC, his grandfather having been a serious car nut and inspiring a similar passion in a young Marouj before they moved from Iran to America in 1987. Of course, Pacman couldn't start to play with cars in earnest until he was of legal driving age, so it wasn't until 1993 that he bought his RX-2 and a year later acquired his first Honda. "When I bought my first Civic, I knew I wanted to do something different with it. So I bought a '94 Honda Prelude Type-S engine from a JDM importer and transplanted it in. That's when I met Dr. Charles [now of Skunk2 fame], who helped me with the swap. This is when I really started to get into drag racing and fully developed my love for Hondas."
Wheels, Tires & Brakes
Street: Racing Hart CPF 15x7.5 wheels, Falken Azenis 205/50-15 tir
Pacman's new ride, one that's been seven years in the making, is all about dedication. When his grandfather passed away in 2003, Pacman decided to build something new that he could dedicate to his memory and would push the boundaries of what's possible with a street-built Honda, something that would prove hard work and dedication are the keys to achieving your dreams. Pacman got started on this epic journey by picking up a '93 VX hatch and then doing plenty of homework.
"The first person I contacted was Christopher, aka Chinky, from Brightside Performance. Then I contacted Will from Hybrid-Racing, who designed and built the engine mounts, wiring harness and shifter kit for the project and also helped me generate a superior contact list for the rest of the build," Pacman says.
Suspension & Chassis
Tein SRC coilovers, SPC upper & lower control arms, Comptech sway ba
The question you may be asking yourself at this point is, What's so next level about picking up an EG and calling a few friends for help? At first glance, that does seem pretty straightforward, but to build a street machine designed to achieve 1,000 hp involves a lot more than a case of beer, an extra large pizza and a few buddies with wrenches. To achieve something this big, you need to the best of the best in the industry to bust out their thinking caps and bring their A-game to the party.
Starting with a '03 TSX K24A2 block, Pacman shipped it to one of the top dogs in Honda engine building, Sean at ERL Performance. Building a block capable of reliably handling 40+ psi of boost pressure meant sleeving it and stuffing it full of some of the stoutest internals money can buy. Pacman's K24 is built around a Brian Crower 102mm billet stroker crankshaft that increases displacement to 2.6 liters and is linked to custom 89mm 11.2:1 CP pistons with lateral gas ports and custom Manley Turbo Tuff rods with custom ARP L19 rod bolts. Sean also equipped the block with half-inch oversized head studs to ensure head gasket integrity at the extreme boost levels this K24 would regularly experience. Ensuring proper oil supply and reducing wet sump windage losses is a Peterson Fluids dry sump system with a custom Moroso oil pan.
-
Interior
Custom rollcage by Full-Race, Sparco steering wheel, NRG quick release hub, Kirk
-
Exterior
Custom hood w/ turbo inlet, GPRAuto Spoon-style spoiler, body & paint by Cali St
-
By David Pratte
Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!