Power Pages: 1993 Honda Civic Si

Without a question, Honda has dominated the import performance movement from day one. Within the Honda camp, the most heavily modified marque is the 1992-'95 Honda Civic hatchback. Whether at the racetrack or on the show circuit, there are more Civic hatchbacks competing than any other vehicle. It is no surprise; there were nearly a million-and-a-half hatchbacks that made their way to U.S. shores in the four years they were imported. Combined with the abundance of aftermarket components and competitively priced base platforms, the Civic has become a great starter vehicle for many.

Due to the Civic's popularity, finding a stock hatch might not be as easy as one thinks it may be. For our "Power Pages" testing, we looked high and low for a stock beater to add some performance upgrades. Our close-to-stock tester was only modified with a set of RH Evolution CP8 aluminum and Nitto rubber. The four by four stance was due to the stock springs and can easily be taken care of with a set of performance lowering coils.

The Engine
Although the D16 engine might only sport an SOHC design, the engine still pumps some pretty decent numbers. Off the showroom floor, the SOHC VTEC engine pumped 125 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque to the flywheel. Unlike the DOHC VTEC big brother, the SOHC version only sports the VTEC effect on the intake side, with it coming into play at 5500 rpm. The D16 engine survived a rather long production run up until the 2000 Civic EX, which makes finding factory replacement parts an easy task. Aftermarket performance components available for the engine range from a plethora of intake systems to several 50-state-legal forced induction kits.

Performance Components
In 1999, GReddy released the Power Extreme exhaust system for enthusiasts who demand performance. The canister section of the exhaust system is constructed from stainless steel and features a straight-through design for increased flow.

Intake systems have come a long way since the early days of adding a cone filter at the end of the factory rubber boot. Today, we see dozens of complete intake systems utilizing mandrel-bent aluminum piping and low-restriction filters. The Injen Technology Cold Air Intake system is a prime example of intake technology. The Injen intake system utilizes mandrel-bent aluminum piping and low-restriction filter, which increases airflow into the intake manifold. By drawing cold air away from the engine compartment, more power can be made when combined with the right amount of fuel.

Last on the list of power modifications is the APEXi performance header. Unlike the factory header system, which is four-into-one, the APEXi unit incorporates a four-into-two-into-one design for increased exhaust flow. The proven design not only increases bottom-end grunt, but also top-end pull. All-polished, stainless-steel construction makes for a show-quality finish with added performance enhancements.

Dyno Testing
Our tester had over 165,000 miles on the odometer, so we were skeptical of how much power it would be able to muster. To our surprise, the D16 engine still had plenty of life in it, pounding 110.0 hp and 95.2 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. It just proves that with proper maintenance, a high-mileage engine can still make power without any complications.

Installation of the exhaust system was very straightforward. After letting the vehicle cool, we sprayed the nuts and bolts with WD-40 to ease removal and as well as prevent anything from stripping. With the GReddy exhaust installed, we moved to the dyno. The increased airflow proved beneficial; power rating was pushed to 112.6 hp and 96.8 lb-ft of torque.

Second on the list to be installed was the cold-air intake system by Injen Technology. The intake was also very straightforward; it took less than 10 minutes to install. The only hard part was removing the factory air reservoir box located in the fender well. Back to the dyno. We were able to see improvement throughout the entire powerband with a peak gain of 3.0 horses. The largest increase in power came at 5000 rpm with a jump of 6.2 horses. Peak power now checked in at 115.6 hp and 99.0 lb-ft of torque.

The last power improvement came by the way of a performance header. The header took the longest of the three to install, due to the ample cool down time needed before removal. Again, we sprayed the nuts and bolts with WD-40 for easier removal. (To prevent any grease marks from showing on the header, we wiped it down before starting the vehicle. A good glass cleaner solution should be able to degrease the header sufficiently.) The tri-Y header system did its job and increased the power output of the D16 engine throughout the powerband. Final peak power output now registers at 117.8 hp and torque checks in at 99.8 lb-ft.

Conclusion
Proven performance has always been the motto of "Power Pages." We don't go by the seat-of-the-pants feel. It comes down this: Did it or did it not make power on the dyno? Our power enhancements on the D16 engine made it pass with flying colors. Our tester came in with 110.0 horses and left with 117.8 horses--an improvement of 7.8 horsepower with three simple bolt-ons. What more can you ask for?