writer: Eric J. Leech
This Honda Civic Is Anything But Sedate."I was 5 when my dad drove the car into the driveway. All I can really remember about it was saying, 'Cool'," remi-nisces Ryan Smith about this '92 Civic CX, back when his dad first drove it home from the dealership. Keep in mind, this was back when the phrase "no replacement for displacement" was still very relevant. Now we know that a Garrett turbocharger can change that rule with just the turn of a few veritable bolts on any modern sport compact platform. Ryan realized the car's true potential when a skiing accident left his leg in a cast and his eyes buried in tuner magazines.
Ryan began to plot the resurrection of the family hatch well before he could legally drive it. When the time came for him to take over the EG's well-worn reins, his plan of attack was inclusive and concise. He began his quest with some much-needed body restoration, and didn't stop until he found himself with a 568whp fire-breathing dragon, puffing 34 psi through an appropriately sized GT35R turbo.
With an off-the-shelf A'PEXi turbo kit, 3-inch exhaust and homemade boost controller, the internally stock D15 in Ryan's EG churned out 260 whp for the daily commute-enough to earn low 13-second timeslips and due respect on the street. Add in some weight reduction, a pair of K-Sport lower control arms, and custom-valved Progress drag coilovers, and the Honda was able to see 11.9 seconds at 112 mph, prompting Ryan to make the leap from ass-kicking street car to say uncle, who's-your-daddy quick 16 dragger.
The Civic's OG block was stretched to its limit by this point; all were amazed it lasted along as it had, and agreed not to push it any further. Not feeling the four-figure replacement costs of Honda's B-series powerplants, Ryan elected to retain the single-slammer configuration. A call was put in to RLZ Engineering and after a few short weeks, a D16Z6 was sourced and built as per Ryan's specifications. Darton MID sleeves, Pauter rods, custom 76mm Wiseco pistons, and knife-edged crank were added to hold the power a ported and polished head, supporting a Zex cam, springs, retainers, Ferrea 1mm oversized valves, and Crower adjustable cam gear allows the combination to make.
Supplying the bulletproof D-series with a cool, consistent flow of pressurized air is a custom Garrett GT3567R turbo fed by a custom top-mount manifold, blowing through a Garrett intercooler with custom aluminum piping, FAST 85mm throttle body, and Golden Eagle intake manifold. Excess airflow is managed by a TiAL Sport 44mm wastegate and blow-off valve, and custom 4-inch stainless down pipe. Fire-dowsing quantities of 116-octane gas (that's a lot) are introduced via Precision 1,000mm injectors, fed by an Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, and fuel filter (necessitating the use of -10 AN feed and -8 AN return lines), flowing through a BDL Industries rail.
But power production is only part of the recipe of a winning drag car. Power must be consistently delegated to the wheels to put it in fastest possible motion and, to this extent, Ryan was sure to reinforce his EG's most well-documented weak point, the driveline. "D-series trannies just don't cut it," he explains. "They can't hold the power, and the shift for sh*t." A D- to B-series swap kit allows for the use of a GSR transmission, fortified with a Quaife limited-slip differential, QuarterMaster twin-disc clutch, and lightweight flywheel. Stage 5 axles from the Drive Shaft Shop effectively funnel all 586 whp to the 13-inch Weld Import Magnums and Mickey Thompson 24.5x8.5x13 slicks, which are held in place by lead-filled Full Race traction bars and a full Energy Suspension bushing kit.