My Civic Duty
From Mod Mania
When looking for my first car I was fortunate enough not to get a “hand down” from relatives, so the race was on to collect funds and find my car before that happened. I chose a Honda civic because of its efficiency, reliability and status. I was lucky enough to come across a 96 Honda Civic hatchback (EK1 chassis) which had a few mild mods and a car my mum was happy with (even though I was using my own $$$). The seller had commitments overseas and was selling his beloved civic with a heavy heart. His passions for the car eventually rubbed off on me and I was determined to continue building the car to a respectable state, keeping it clean and not trying to spoil the factory body lines with alien body kits and giving the car 10mm ground clearance. The style I was going for is called JDM style. JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) means Japanese branded products found in Japan such as cars and parts. A JDM style car will only use parts available and made in Japan. JDM equipped cars are tuned to the regulations in Japan, which is de-tuned when exported to countries to comply with stricter emission standards or in some cases the car won’t be allowed in the country. A JDM engines is a rarity and are like trophies to a JDM car builder because of its higher HP (horsepower) output and quicker throttle response, which provides the perfect platform for creating more power. Other JDM parts would include interior, exterior panels and parts like suspension and steering wheel, which are compatible with models in the same range.
JDM cars have been historically limited by a "Gentlemen's agreement" manufacturers to 280 PS (Horsepower) and a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph), mostly due to safety concerns. The horsepower limit was lifted in 2004. However, the speed limit of 180 km/h remains in effect. Many JDM sports cars have speedometers that only go up to 180 km/h, even though the car would be capable of much higher speeds if not for the built-in limiter. Some cars, such as the Nissan GT-R ,detect via GPS whether the car is on a Japanese race track. If so, the speed limiter is disabled.
The first thing I did when got my car was I bought a Haynes Workshop manual which contains complete tear down and rebuild of the whole car, very handy when because I like doing everything myself. Then that was followed by close to a 10 hour session on the internet, searching for upgrade parts (mainly eBay), history, and joining few forums, basically anything and everything. From my research I found out my 96 civic is the 6th generation of model of eight which started production in 1973. The civic is the second longest running nameplate in the world after the Toyota corolla which is first started in 1968. Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, the civics later variations have become known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Type R 97’ 00’ models and Civic Si( which was only released in the States). The 6th generation Civic was introduced in 1996. It was a leader in it class with better handling, along with the 4th and 5th generations, it also featured front and rear double wishbone suspension and had advanced four wheel independent suspension inspired by Honda's racing research. However, the 6th generation was slightly heavier than it past two predecessors which affected its power to weight ratio.
Then came alone JDM Civic Type R which is my main inspiration for JDM car build. The first Honda ever to have a type R badge. The suffix ‘R’ in Type R means “Racing” and it was built with racing in mind. It featured 185 hp (138 kW) at around 8200 rpm (revolutions per. minute), very high revving which Honda are renown. The type R was only available as a Hatchback and 5 speed manual equipped with a torque sensitive helical LSD( Limited Slip Differential). The model was equipped with a very powerful 1.6 Litre DOHC B-series VTEC engine (B16B), which is a destroked version of the Integra Type-R B18C VTEC. The EK9 which is the chassis designation was very special as it was essentially based on the JDM EK4 SiR but taken out of the production line and given additional reinforcement to the chassis and body shell. Weight was also meticulously removed to create a light weight race car feel, some would say similar to a go-kart. Other improvements over the EK4 were bigger brakes, quicker steering ratio, specially tuned suspension which were stiffer and lower for a better centre of gravity and better handling. The quality was also found in the interior with renowned Italian Brands Recaro and Momo supplying red racing sets and steering wheels, titanium shift knob, front lip spoiler and rear wing were added to keep the car down at high speeds, and a hand built engine that embodied the true racing spirit of Honda. The B16B engine featured a hand ported cylinder head, lighter flywheel, redesigned cam profiles, high compression pistons and balanced crankshaft.
With massive amounts of genuine aftermarket and imitation parts on the market, produced locally and overseas my options were endless. With some parts interchangeable with others Honda models not just the civic. When it came to selecting upgrade parts I had to make my first major decision, should I choose genuine aftermarket parts which work and is very expensive or go with imitation found on eBay and forums. The pros and cons were apparent for both categories, but it all came down to how far I wanted to take my modifications. So I in my quest for answers I logged into a local forum for advice Ozhonda.com. Which is setup so a community of people who share the same interest can discuss topics they have on there mind or share their wisdom with everyone. Reading past discussions on queries I found mixed reactions people, there were those who wanted their car to be pure and only use genuine trusted brands and their were people who think imitation brands work just as well. It was quiet a division but everyone got alone. So my decision was to use both genuine where needed but imitation to save money. I relied a lot on eBay to find parts because there were massive amounts of parts at reasonable prices. But with eBay its buyer beware, so I was always hesitant to commit. Having a credit card is quiet dangerous thing to have when on eBay, that’s why I connected it to my bank account to stop me from over buying. Crisis avoided.
Other words which became part of my vocabulary was N/A and VTEC. N/A meaning naturally aspirated and VTEC (Variable timing and electronic control). All true Honda fanatics will believe that VTEC is the best thing since sliced bread. And will never cheapen their car by installing a turbo, therefore keeping it N/A.
VTEC (Variable timing and electronic control) is an electronic and mechanical system in some Honda engines that allows the engine to effectively have multiple camshafts. As the engine moves into different rpm ranges, the engine's computer can activate alternate lobes on the camshaft and change the cam's timing. In this way, the engine gets the best features of low-speed and high-speed camshafts in the same engine. http://www.howstuffworks.com/question229.htm
Currently I haven’t been able to modify my car due lack of funds and time, but everyday I’m not modifying my 96 civic I’m planning and researching for my next part to go on, so I can be closer to attain my vision of the perfect JDM ride. I’ve discussions with old car builders and most of them say don’t waste money on parts which give your car little to no power, just get a car that already has power under the bonnet and have fun. During the process of modding I learnt and grown a lot. Patience would be a lesson I learnt during this process, and the knowledge about how engines works and how to create power. I also gained knowledge through forums and searches which will be invaluable for years to come. This would be one of the reason for modding beside the obvious (Having the Baddest car on the road ; ) ) making new friends and getting out in the community to share and grow. Together trying to keep the scene alive and kicking. My civic duty. Peace out. My Whip!!
By Bao Pham aka BaoWow
Reference
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Domestic_Market
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Civic_Type_R
http://www.mycivictype-r.co.uk/ek9-civic-type-r-specifications.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTEC
