Of all the capabilities instilled in the human mind, creativity is perhaps the most potent. Remember those little building block sets that you had as a kid? With just a few snaps of multi-colored plastic bricks, you could create a replica house, car, plane or knife. That is, if your mind was that sick when you were a kid.
Demented antics aside, those made-in-China toys were brilliant for one reason and one reason alone; that they let you make whatever the hell you wanted. The ability to pick up a handful of blocks and create something that only you could see as real is a lesson learned early in life.
But early life lessons only get stronger and built upon as one gets older. Take the Honda camp for example. By digging through the deep storage bin of Honda engineering, you can build a car limited only by your imagination. With a little bit of monkey grease, you can have a Honda Accord with a Prelude engine, a Civic with a RSX Type-S motor or a CR-V with the heart of an Integra Type R. Try doing that with little pieces of plastic.
When Eric So of Fairfax, Va., went looking for a new project car, he knew it had to be a Honda. The perfect combination of aftermarket support, crossover interchangeability and low-buck performance existed only in the realm of the H badge. The search began and soon ended with the purchase of this 1992 Honda Civic hatchback.
Produced from 1992-1995, the EG-chassis code Honda Civic is regarded quite highly for its combination of low weight and structural rigidity. The only problem with many older front-drive Honda platforms is the powerplant, or to be more precise, the lack of power. In peak running form, a stock D15 1.5L motor out of a Civic DX makes only 102hp and a barely felt 98 lb-ft of torque. Not exactly what you'd call a neck-snapping power monster.
So's solution to his Civics lack of propulsion was to pull the D15 motor and replace it with a B18C1 engine out of a 1996 Integra GSR. Held in place by rock solid Hasport billet aluminum engine mounts, the GSR engine was then boosted with the aid of an inlinePro turbocharger kit.
Skipping the urge to even try his hand at naturally aspirated tuning, So kept the GSR internally stock, right down to the camshafts and valve springs. The only time the cylinder head was ever removed from the car was to install the inlinePro 3mm head gasket. Based around a T3/T4 hybrid turbocharger, the inlinePro kit uses a stainless-steel exhaust manifold with a fitting for a TIAL 38mm external wastegate. Blowing out of a custom 2.5-inch downpipe, the scorching hot exhaust gases flow through an inlinePro 3-inch exhaust system.
To cool the heated and boosted air charge, a Precision TE front-mount intercooler was used, with polished inlinePro hard piping and a fitting for a GReddy Type-S blow-off valve. With the addition of boost, there was no way that a dinky DX fuel system was going to keep up. So uses a Walbro 255lph in-tank fuel pump, which feeds an inlinePro fuel rail using Russell -6AN stainless braided lines. A Russell aluminum fuel filter keeps the octane'd juice pure before entering the RC Engineering 550cc/min fuel injectors. Hondata's S200 system and GM 3-bar MAP sensor, a combination proven on hundreds of boost-fed Hondas, handles the engine management for this EG hatch.
As a member of East Coast-based Team Emotion, So sunk a major portion of his time in installing polished and chrome-dipped engine dress-up parts. Built to dominate local area shows, this 320 wheel hp EG is clean and tidy, both inside and out. Complementing an engine bay that is reflective enough to pick your teeth with, the exterior was carefully assembled using brand new factory components and simple aftermarket upgrades.
As with any fourteen-year old project car, a bit of damage was present on So's baby. New fenders, doors and rubber trim were ordered before installing a full C-West bodykit. Covered in a custom mixed Dupont Chromomax Pewter paint scheme, the Civic's body was accented with a VIS Racing carbon hood and a Spoon Sports carbon-fiber rear "duckbill" spoiler. From the space shuttle to your own ride, carbon fiber is the name of the game.
Dropped on a set of 17x8 Volk Racing LE28N wheels wrapped in 205/40/17 Dunlop FM901 rubber, this Civic looks the part as one of Virginia's strongest show cars. From behind the golden spokes and polished lip peeks the green hue of the TEIN Super Street coilover suspension. The tiny, faded stock DX braking system was also dumped, replaced with a Brembo Gran Turismo front brake kit and a rear Integra GSR disc brake conversion. Along with the SSR rear lower control arms, the suspension setup has transformed the capability of this Civic, which was originally built by Honda as a fuel-efficient commuter.
Continuing his never-ending procession of upgrades, So attacked the interior of his EG. The first thing to go was the stock dashboard, replaced with a 1997 Integra Type-R piece, complete with JDM passenger airbag block-off plate. The stock EG door panels had to be custom modified because of the Integra dashboard's shape, providing a good opportunity to add in some new upholstery and a JDM mirror switch. Adding to the OE Honda Type R feel are rear Integra Type-R seats, center armrest and a set of JDM red Recaro seats.
Reminiscent of Honda's legendary performance models, So's interior ups the ante with a host of electronic modifications. Defi-Link Meter BF gauges light up the a-pillar, with the Defi-Link Control Unit II resting right below a custom fabricated Ignited Performance switch panel. The stock stereo was replaced with an Alpine CVA-1005 flip-out LCD head unit, which pumps volt after volt into Bazooka Audio amplifiers and subwoofers.
Honda's automobile product lineup, ranging from the Civic to the Integra, remains one of the most interchangeable lineups in history. Mix and match parts or just plain dig through the Honda OEM bin, anything is possible. Literally taking that philosophy to heart, Eric So has turned loose every nut and bolt on this Honda Civic.
Trust us, we went through every single image that photographer Andy Bui sent us and there aren't too many original 1992 DX pieces remaining on this Honda. With almost every panel, bolt and brace replaced or upgraded, So has built himself the Civic of his imagination, assembled the way he saw it in his mind. Forget plastic building blocks; that shit is for kids anyways.
Hot BoxDunlop TiresDunloptires.Com
GlosserTheglosser.Com
Ignited PerformanceIgnitedperformance.Com
Shining MonkeyShiningmonkey.Com
Competition GrafixCompetitiongrafix.Com
Behind the BuildHead to the message boards at www.importtuner.com to chat about this feature VEHICLE
Name. Eric So
Age. Twenty five
Hometown. Fairfax, Va
Occupation. It
Hobbies. cars and making money
Build Time. three months
Feedback. turboeg6@gmail.com
Feedback. "I wanted to build a one of a kind car with outstanding performance."