Alrighty then-as you can tell by the photos, we just jumped right in and started to rip shit out. While Honda purists might loathe the transformation that has been effected on our EK chassis Civic, we say the wide-body look is exactly what our little green egg dictated. I don't care how partial you are to '96 to 2001 Civics, the truth is, they look like those cartoon scrubbing bubbles that you use to clean off filthy shower mildew. Anyway, we wanted something to make the car a bit more distinctive and less like a modified Ford Focus.
The kit we're using is a pieced-together ensemble from Wings West. The company's GS-R widebody kit has nothing to do with converting the Civic into an Integra GS-R; I don't, however, know where the name comes from, but that's not important. What is important is if you want to follow along and build your own replica, you'll have to know exactly what we did.
First, the front bumper was produced by the boys at Wings West in a polyurethane mold. This was done to increase pliability and to protect the bumper from minor driveway and curb scrapes. Those of you who daily-drive your fiberglass bumpers probably know too well how a small chip in your fiberglass bumper can turn your freshly painted car into a duct-taped monster.
The fender flares and rear bumper-because they were obtained in a hurry-were molded from fiberglass; normally, Wings West likes to use polyurethane for strength, durability and some weight savings. The standard issue flares are attached to the car with screws and tape. However, a little bit of creative freedom from the Jacie at San Diego Collision Specialist (SDCS) resulted in the flares being expertly molded into the car for that "seamless" look designers and engineers love. The skirts were given the same treatment to add a semblance of permanence and to show off the brilliant handiwork of the SDCS crew. Additionally, since the Tuner Series front bumper wasn't intended for widebody construction, SDCS modified that piece as well. As you can see, it turned out better than we could ever have hoped for. The door moldings and antenna hole were shaved and filled, and the entire car was resprayed with the factory green pearl color to maintain cartoon-replica fidelity. The Type R rear wing, also sourced from Wings West, completes the hard-body transformation.
Suspension components were upgraded, starting with A'PEXi WS coilovers. These units are an integrated piece that match a threaded shock body with lowering springs and a fully adjustable design, and are aimed at cars that are actually driven on real streets with real bumps and potholes.
Keeping all the sheetmetal and Bondo in place is the job of the Skunk2 stabilizer bars in front tower, rear tower and rear lower arm configurations. These help stiffen up the chassis (especially important when factory sheetmetal is modified or suspension geometry is changed) and keep the car in its intended alignment under spirited driving conditions.
The brakes were upgraded to PowerSlot cross-drilled rotors and PowerSlot brake pads in the front and absolutely nothing for the rear. We know what you're thinking-the factory rotor/drum combo looks so small! Well, we were toying around with the idea for a big brake kit and/or a JDM-spec rear conversion "how-to;" keep your eyes peeled in case we do either of the two.
Retaining the look of the factory headlights was no small task. While there is a JDM black-housing headlight available, we wanted to do something different. So, we threw on a carbon-fiber-look projector headlight from American Products Co. (APC). Rear lights stayed OEM DX-licious.