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Blackdragon Racing’s K20-Powered Starlet

Published in engineswapdepot.com

Ben Herron from Blackdragon Racing in New Zealand built his 1984 Toyota Starlet (KP61) for touring car racing. Ben spent many hours developing the car and detailed the progress in the build thread.

1984 Toyota Starlet KP61 with a Honda K20 inline-four at the track

1984 Toyota Starlet KP61 with a Honda K20 inline-four at the track

Ben acquired the Starlet with Toyota 3S-GE BEAMS inline-four. Eventually Ben wanted to go in a different direction for the power plant. The requirements for the next engine needed large aftermarket support, easier to find cores, and weigh less.

Toyota 3S-GE Beams inline-four in a Toyota Starlet

Honda K20 inline-four in a Toyota Starlet

Ben settled on the ubiquitous Honda K20A inline-four. He upgraded the 2.0-liter motor with a Skunk 2 Ultra Street intake manifold, Skunk 2 74 mm throttle body, Clockwise Motion FD2 baffle in oil pan, Davies Craig EWP 115 electric water pump, and ported Type S oil pump. Ben removed the power steering pump and AC compressor.

Honda K20 inline-four in a Toyota Starlet engine bay

Honda K20 inline-four going into a Toyota Starlet

Skunk 2 intake manifold on a Honda K20

Skunk 2 intake manifold for a Honda K20

Exhaust is routed through a JPW Performance 4-2-1 exhaust header and Adrenaline R muffler. Fuel is fed by FIC 770 cc injectors from a FITech HyperFuel G-Surge tank. The K20A runs on a Link G4X XtremeX ECU using a custom wiring harness. It produces 206 hp (151 kW) at 8250 rpm and 167 lb-ft (226 Nm) at 5300 rpm.

S2000 six-speed manual transmission and exhaust on a Toyota Starlet

Honda K20 exhaust manifold

Ben installed a JSP Fab K2F adapter plate, Clutchmasters K2F flywheel, Action Clutch S2000 clutch and pressure plate in front of a Honda S2000 AP1 six-speed manual transmission. From there power is sent by a custom Driveshaft Shop carbon fiber driveshaft to an AE86 rear end moved 50 mm rearward.

Honda K20 motor and S2000 six-speed manual transmission with a JSP adapter plate

custom carbon fiber driveshaft connecting a S2000 manual transmission and AE86 rear end

Toyota AE86 rear end

Ben extended the Starlet’s wheelbase (1300 mm) to 1400 mm which is same as a Toyota AE86. The car’s suspension received a left-hand drive Starlet steering rack, AE86 hubs, and MCA Red series coilovers. The rear suspension is a 3-link with a Watt’s link.

MCA Red series coilover

AE86 rear end in a Toyota Starlet

Braking is handled by AP Racing four-piston CP4567 calipers with 267×25.4 mm rotors in front and AP Racing 4 Piston CP4567 calipers with 258×21 mm rotors in back. Ben added custom cooling ducts to reduce braking temperatures. The Starlet rides on Revolution 13×8-inch wheels with Michelin F3/F4 S412 (20/54-13) tires.

MCA Red series coilover and AP Racing rear brakes

custom cooling duck for a AP Racing brakes on a Toyota Starlet

AP Racing four-piston caliper on a Toyota Starlet

The Starlet weighs 825 kg (1818 lb) with a full tank of fuel and has a 52/48 bias. You can read more about the car’s progress in the build thread or watch Ben’s racing on his Blackdragon Racing channel.

1984 Toyota Starlet KP61 with a Honda K20 inline-four at the track

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