May Car of the month

Getting the ball rolling at last...

Matu Photography and JDMImport have teamed up to bring you some very sexy cabbies over the next months.

To Start things off I hooked up with a good friend of mine, Brett/Fujikoma, and his JDM import EG6. A very unique car to us South Africans as we never had the pleasure of having this model in circulation.

Anyways people, let get cracking, hope you enjoy this feature!!!!

Owner: Brett Miller

Article by: JDM Import - http://www.jdmimport.co.za/

Photographer: Matu Photography - http://www.matuphotography.com/

 

JI: Brett, good meeting up, let's start at the beginning - why the EG6?

BM: I was looking for another car when it came up for sale on one of the local forums. I was not specifically looking for an EG hatch as they are extremely rare. I was actually looking for a neat EK or CRX as an alternative to the 4th gen Prelude I had at the time. Luckily I was able to make a deal with the owner.

JI: What a find, you are definitely lucky to have found one up for grabs. Tell us a bit more about the OEM spec?

BM: The EG Civic hatchback was manufactured between 1992 and 1995. There were multiple variants available for Japan, Europe and Asia. This is a genuine SIR with rear disc brakes, power sunroof, ABS and DOHC VTEC B series motor.

JI: Doesn't get more JDM than that!

BM: No it doesn't :-) The combination of availability, lightweight, low center of gravity and an excellent suspension setup means this particular model is highly tunable and has made the car extremely popular worldwide to tuners and racers.The relative rarity of this car in South Africa is one aspect that brings satisfaction from owning it. Availability of body parts and trim is an issue usually requiring import from Japan or the USA, even for second hand items. The large selection of after market parts means that modifying it for performance is no more expensive than any other local Honda's, particularly with the B series parts being mostly interchangeable.

 

JI: What sort of modifications have you carried out? Surely this thing's not stock anymore (hopeful)

BM: Most changes are to the suspension, brakes and transmission. It may not look like it due to color and window tint, but the exterior is stock apart from a front lip. The interior is completely stock apart from some a subtle gauge install and a short shift kit.

JI: You're holding out on us here, come on spill it.

BM: Oh all right (laughs) we've fitted a turbo B18 motor to it. Let's say - it moves.

 

JI: That's more like it. Tell me, just how easy is your ride to live with on a day to day basis?

BM: The build is nicely balanced, boost is predictable and linear. The clutch is relatively light so driving it in start/stop traffic is not a chore. It could be described as a bit noisy at speed but that adds to the enjoyment factor of the car for me. As with most Honda's the handling is awesome, the upgrades just make it so much better. There is no air con or heater due to the turbo install so driving in rain needs care, both due to fog build up on the windscreen and boost coming in on a wet road. There is no boost controller at present.

JI: Sounds like she's a handful in the wet! So have you entered any races? competitions?

BM: None, I don't even have any sound installed and none planned. There are issues with the paint and bodywork that may not be apparent. The build is an evolution and still in progress, maybe one day, but its not an important factor to me. I do try and support the scene in South Africa by attending and bringing the car to various socials and dyno days. As a lot of people may tell you I very often won't even race the car when at the drag strip.

JI: Have to agree there, you build a project car for your own personal enjoyment not to race at every stop light. So who helped you get the vehicle to this point? Who was involved?

BM: Numerous people have helped out actually. Most importantly is Jakes at JDM Tuning, for his advice and the quality of the motor build, servicing and installation of all the parts with Ross from RBTS carrying out the dyno tuning - without them the car would just not be as reliable as it has been.

Toyama Racing Spirit, Import Parts and JDMWorx have all supplied imported parts for the project. Last but not least - numerous individuals on the local Honda forums have supplied second hand and hard to find parts. I don't even want to try and list them in case I forget anyone.

It may surprise people to know just how many parts are second hand; brakes, radiator, the limited slip diff, rods, throttle body, intake manifold, rear camber arms, the list goes on.

JI: So where to from here? New project? Continuing with the build?

BM: Give up my EG? Never (laughs) I'd actually like to get the car to a "show 'n shine" state by sorting out all the bodywork and paint issues. Sorting out the legacy of previous mods, wiring etc. Some more after-market exterior parts but no body kits or crazy front bumpers. Maybe a carbon bonnet and rear spoiler - but I want to keep the essence of the stock look.

The real dream is more power. A sleeved block and a quicker spooling, more efficient, turbo. Upgrading the cooling and fueling systems for reliability. Interior wise a nice set of reclining bucket seats, genuine ones, no copies. Maybe some sound, but that's at the bottom of the list.

JI: Sounds great! We look forward to seeing the results. Thank you for your time Brett, we are proud to have you as our first interview for "JI Ride of the Month".

BM: It's my pleasure! I'll keep you guys posted on progress ;-)

  

The mod list

Engine

B18B block with B16A head

Crower turbo camshafts (63402-T's)

AEM Adjustable cam gears

Skunk2 Intake Manifold

Precision 850cc injectors

Dicktator engine management

Custom exhaust system

XSPower T3/T4 Turbo @ .7bar

XSPower intercooler setup

Turbonetics Raptor BOV

Turbonetics Wastegate

Competition Clutch Stage 2

Fluidyne Radiator

Brakes / Suspension / Chassis

Skunk2 Pro S Coilovers

D1 Racing Lug nuts

Skunk2 Front Camber Kit

Blox Racing Rear Camber Kit

Blox Racing Rear Control Arms

Powerbrake Rotors (unspecified model)

DC2 Integra Type R Calipers

K-Tuned traction bars

ASR Subframe

Wheels

OZ Super Legerra or Nippon Racing F2's (depending on track or show)

Khumo or BCT tyre compounds (depending on track or show)

Interior

Stock OEM

SIR Stock OEM Seats

Skunk2 Racing Shift Knob

PLX Devices, EGT, Boost, Water Temp Indicators

Exterior

OEM SIR Front Bumper

OEM SIR Rear Bumper

Mugen Front Bumper Lip

Stock side skirts, bonnet and spoiler

Custom Honda Flint Black respray

The figures

Power 207 at the wheels (7500 rpm, 0.7 bar).

Torque Not disclosed.