i have a 2001 Acura CL Type-S (auto & j32a2) and am trying to rebuild it, it's my project. But what I'm looking to do is a engine swap i want to put a j35 with a 6 speed transmission (manuel), lower it, and change the e brake from a foot to hand. but what i am asking is,
1. will the j35 fit
2. good adjustable coilovers for a 1", 1.5", nd 2" drop
3. what other year honda's and acura's are compatable with it (interior & exterior)
4. can i get a tranny for another honda or acura
5. what rim should i put on
6. do they make turbos for the j35
open to opinions

 

1. Yes
2. Google
3. No
4. Yes
5. Google
6. Lol

If you're planning on doing it yourself, you will fail.

 

Have you done any research? Ever?

 

I love this

 

Woof The sheer amount of time and money for such an undertaking makes me throw up in my mouth a little. I'm not the resident expert in retrofitting but here's what you're up against:

1. Yes, any J-series will fit. They're all about the same "size" on the outside. However, you're looking at:
a. Differences in motor mounts, which are subtle but may require some fabrication work with your chassis or subframe.
b. ECU update. If you get a new engine that isn't from your original car generation, you'll need to get the appropriate ECU with it. Along with that would come issues with how the new ECU would interface with all the cars older systems. I'm also not a tuner but this is a big issue that would need a far bit of work done.
c. Transmission fitment with your current half-shafts and again, mounts. Also, it will be a bit of a task to find a J-series mated to a 6MT. They're not exactly common.

2. Sure. Coilovers are available for just about any car. There are several vendors here an the board that can help.
3. The TL of the same years as your CL (2001-2003) will be compatible with some items but not with all. Naturally, all other generations of cars have completely different interiors and will not be compatible with much of anything else when you're talking about trim or interior pieces. In other words, moving the brake from the floor to the center console is going to be 100% fabrication. You could probably pull the e-brake system from a 3G TL for the mechanics and use the existing cabling from the current pedal e-brake but mounting and adjusting would be custom as would any interior trim around it.
4. Yep. But see #1. The dimensions are not the problem. It's fitment and bolting it on that's the problem. Along with the ECU.
5. The CL has a 5x114.5mm bolt pattern. There are many aftermarket and Honda/Acura rims that will fit this.
6. No bolt on turbo that I'm aware of for the J-V6. All the turbos I've seen here have been custom fabricated, usually with built internals, running anywhere from $6000-$10000 for the complete job (parts, labor, internals, tune). There are a lot better uses for that much money than pouring it into a 16 year old car.

So for 2 and 5, go for it. Nothing wrong with throwing some coils and rims on there. Engine wise? I wouldn't mess with it. But if the hardware is shot, you could look into replacing it with an engine/transmission from the same generation of TL or CL (CL if you go 6MT since the TL didn't have the option).

 

I'm sorry, but when people come on here and ask these questions there's pretty much a 99.99% chance they'll never go through with it. If we had 1 turbo CL for every 100 people that claimed they were going to do it, there would be a couple hundred turbo CLs running around instead of less than 5.

For the amount of money you'll spend converting it to a manual, you can just go out and buy a manual CL-S instead. Why waste the time, money, and energy doing the conversion.

Even if you did all the things outlined, you're still going to be driving a +16 year old car with FWD that won't be able to do much with all that power. Enjoy smoking tires and going nowhere. It's just not worth it.

 

^I kinda like sleepers!
my TL isnt as old as the CL's but I plan to turbo mine, later later.
to me, it's super cool for a 10-15 year old car that can gap modern v8's!


think of the vanity plates; CLEEPER! lol

 

Nothing like being the "We race from a 20mph roll." guy.

I owned a supercharged SHO that pushed a bit over 400HP. The sleeper part is fun but even with every performance part including a turbo the CL still doesn't do much by modern standards. There are plenty of 350+ HP V6s out there these days. Heck, there are 4 cylinder turbos making 300HP or more.

It's a lot of money to throw into an old car just to have the guy in a lil 4-cylinder Focus RS blow your doors off.

Not sure what modern V8s you're referring to but most are going to far outperform even a topped out turbo'd CL-S. Plus they're almost always connected to right wheel drive, so they'll take them from a light every time.