94 EG6 Civic VTi, from glory days to derelict...for now!
Discussion
Evening. I've written up the history of a few of my cars (read: waffled on for hours) in here now, and quite enjoyed doing it, so thought I'd do one for my EG6, despite nothing having happened with it for a while now. There will be a very in depth restoration when I have a garage (currently saving for a build) to fully strip it down in. Nothing is happening with it, but I had quite a busy few years with this car, driving it 35,000 miles in 3 years while avoiding driving it in winter whenever possible, so thought I'd enjoy writing its history up and bringing back some memories. It'll also be nice to have the whole story in one place for my own reference once I've restored it. It's still the most miles I've done in any car. I intend on doing a full restoration, I'll never be truly happy with it if it has the odd bit of loose trim, or bubble of rust here and there, I want it right.
This is going to be a properly long post, I'll warn you now! I'll do it in a few parts as I tend to waffle quite a bit and go into way more detail than necessary, so if you're not bored to tears by the end of this post, check back in a few days when I've hopefully gotten it up to date.
As a kid I spent every spare minute on games like Gran Turismo 3 & 4, Need for Speed Underground 2 etc. I was at a very impressionable age when these games were current, in the mid 2000s, and had been utterly obsessed with cars, especially Subarus, since I was about 5, so it was only natural that my interests would expand to other Japanese cars. Little did I know, the true Golden Age of Japanese cars was already over by that point. The stuff produced between the mid 80s and early 2000s are my absolute favourite cars as a general rule, don't know what it is about them, but there's definitely something. The EG Civic is very strongly associated with that era, it was in all the Gran Turismo games, and when 11-year-old me was Googling things like "japanese street racing" the EG and EK generation Civics were popping up all the time. I remember at some point in my mid teens, wanting a Tahitian Green (turquoise) EG hatch as my first car.
Fast forward a few years and it was time to get my first car, I wanted something Japanese obviously, but all the cool stuff was hideously expensive to insure, although cheap to buy at the time. Long story short, I ended up going halves with my old man on a 6N Polo. Long story short, made plans to slam it, respray etc but my heart wasn't in it as I'm just not into VWs as much as Japanese stuff. Decided to look into something Japanese again, my mate let me know you could get a 1.4 version of the EK, and low powered 1.5 versions of the EG, this was very good news as there are very few visual differences between the lower models and the top spec VTi, so it doesn't take much to make them look cool. I wanted a car to keep forever, and my research confirmed that basically anything that you can do to a VTi or Type-R can be done to a 1.4 with the same amount of work, so this was ideal as a keeper.
Just before my test I finally found a 1.4 manual, in the right colour (Supersonic Blue) with low miles, minimal rust and that I could just about afford.
Thing was my absolute pride and joy. Ended up making it look like this:
When I turned 19, my insurance dropped enough to look into something quicker, so I took the Civic off the road, intending on an engine swap, and ended up in this:
When I found the issues with it, and knowing I'd struggle to fix it on an apprentice wage, I decided to take this off the road as well, buy a shed to run around in over winter but still have some fun while fixing the Accord up.
Ended up with a £195 EK3, which I molested slightly:
Hilarious car to own, and the idea was to spend nothing on it other than putting fuel in it. (and the roller paint job!) It actually looked pretty cool, it was slammed and I put an old set of Rota Grids on it off my blue EJ9.
Then one night I took it down a farm track at approximately the motorway speed limit, and snapped two of the wheel studs. Got a hub from the scrapyard to repair it, but before I had chance to actually fix it, a genuine EG6 VTi turned up for sale on Facebook, for something like £900, with a few mods, in Tahitian Green Pearl. I had to have it. I didn't have £900, so I negotiated with the seller to remove some of the mods, put the standard wheels back on (which would now be worth £3-400) and I'd take it for something like £600 IIRC. Arranged insurance, booked a day off work ad arranged a lift etc.
I did have some other photos of it but I've lost them, this is the only one I can find:
I seem to remember it had an EK9 head and cams too, very tasty and now very valuable. I was due to pick it up on a Friday, and messaged the seller on the Wednesday or Thursday to ask for his postcode, when he messaged back saying he'd sold it! Annoyed was a massive understatement! A car I'd always loved, in the right colour, a genuine VTi rather than a conversion, just about affordable on my apprentice wage, and it had been snatched from under my nose! I'd actually sold the Rotas to help pay for it, and was in the process of stripping the NATO green EK to scrap it and get it out of my parents way. When the lads came to pick the wheels up, I told them about the nightmare with the EG6, and casually mentioned that I was now after one. I wanted a VTi or SiR (SiR is the Japanese equivalent of a VTi, usually slightly higher spec but essentially the same) rather than a conversion. As fate would have it, one of the lads that came to pick up the wheels said he had an EG6 VTi that he'd be selling soon. Result. Went to view it a few days later. It was parked under a cover on a grass verge in a housing estate somewhere in West Yorkshire (Batley IIRC). Had been off the road for approx 3 years, front and rear bumpers and lights were missing, the cam cover was a piece of cardboard as the actual cover was being repainted in the original black wrinkle finish. I noticed there was at least some filler in the rear arches as the factory spot welds on the arch lip were not visible. Either way, I wanted it, due to it being a proper VTi, having half decent paint (fresh respray) and in general, just being excited and impulsive
Seller wanted £2200, I offered £1800 and we met in the middle at £2000. I learned my lesson with the d
head selling the Tahitian Green one, so insisted on giving the seller a deposit. Had £60 on me, so that was the deposit
My mate who was with me, was after a DC2 Integra at the time, and was offered a fully working, and very tidy, 96 spec JDM for £3600 by one of the seller's family members! If anyone ever comes up with a working time machine, I know where I'm going!
Then came the wait for the remaining bits to be finished and refitted. There was quite a bit of communication between me and him, and quite a few delays. He had some family stuff to sort IIRC, plus I assume he was just too busy. I did start to wonder if I'd ever see it again, and was glad I'd only committed £60! In the end the seller was great and stuck to his word, it just took ages
Received the odd photo update here and there:
I viewed it in November 2013. The following January, I finally received this photo, along with word that it was booked in for an MOT and would be ready for collection that Saturday. The excitement at this point was unreal, especially after all that waiting and all those delays!
Collection day rolled around, and we set off for Batley. My mate and I had a huge day planned, more on that later though. Arrived late morning, the car still needed some bits fitting, mostly interior trim IIRC. Eventually it was finished, and we followed the seller to a local parts shop to get some reg plates made.
Hands were shaken, cash was swapped for keys and we set off back to Cheshire. Car behaved faultlessly despite some heavy rain and it having been off the road for a few years until the day before.
Arrived home:
After a quick bite to eat and drink, we had to do the (much longer) second leg of the journey, as my mate had arranged to pick something up from Somerset. It must've been getting on for 3 or 4pm by the time we left. He dropped his 206 off at home and jumped in the EG6 with me, we picked up another mate and headed for Somerset.
On the way back, mate having picked up a DC2 Integra! (I actually ended up owning this for a bit a few years later, but sold it and it was broken for parts
)
Gear linkage fell apart 20 minutes into the return journey!
Eventually got back, not sure what time but Google maps is saying nearly 4 hours each way today!
So, what exactly had I bought? The EG Civic is, to me, one of the most important, coolest cars to come out of Japan in the 90s. They were available in various trim levels, from the base spec 1.3 DX with a 75bhp carb engine to the VTi with the legendary B16A2 lump. Between them, there was a 1.5 LSi (D15 - single cam, 90bhp) which seems by far the most common in the UK. There was a 1.5 VEi with a trick VTEC-E system designed for ultimate economy, I believe these were more powerful than the LSi too. The one below the VTi was the ESi, which came with a single cam 1.6 VTEC with 125bhp I believe. The chassis codes start at EG3 for the 1.3 and go to EG6 for the VTi/SiR.
They all came with fully independent suspension, even the base models, which is very good for people modifying them as basically any EG part fits any EG.
Think that's complicated? Don't even look into the Japanese versions Their VTi equivalent is the SiR which comes with the B16A. They also got a model badged VTi but it was an EG4 chassis code, with a VTEC single cam 1.5 producing more power than the UK second from top ESi!
Mine is a UK supplied VTi, so has the B16A2 DOHC VTEC fitted, which produces approx 160bhp and revs to 8300rpm.
I wanted a VTi/SiR for several reasons. One being that it's always cool to have the top model, it's a bit vain and possibly snobby, but I like the fact that it's a proper factory car and I don't have to tell people it's an LSi with a swap (not that there's anything wrong with having a swapped example). I was 19 when I got it, so insuring an engine swapped example would've been a minefield. The VTi also comes with rear discs, and a very cool flat folding rear interior with a massive storage box in the boot floor.
The real talking point of these cars:
It had some overspray settled on it from it spending a lot of time stored in a bodyshop, so I got my detailer mate to spend a day going over it. It came back looking great!
Really loved how it looked, all standard but without the front plate, just nice lines. Unfortunately Plod didn't share that view so told me I'd get a fine if I hadn't put it on by the time he next saw me.
Obviously, a 19 year old with his first hot Civic isn't gonna leave it standard, so here we go....
Fitted the MeisterR Zeta R coilovers off my blue EJ9 first car. They may already be fitted in some of the above photos, actually, as it does look pretty low in some of them.
Started looking for some wheels, after nearly buying a few different sets I settled on looking for a set of Volk/Rays GR-Ns. They're a very rare wheel, and suited the 90s JDM street racer aesthetic that I'm obsessed with.
After a surprisingly short search, I found a set on Facebook for £300, in need of a refurb but that was fine as they were exactly what I wanted and in the right size/fitment/offset.
Definitely in need of a refurb!
After a bit of time with a file, a definite improvement:
Tried one on the car to check the offset would work:
Tidied up the kerb marks on them all with a file
Then took them to get blasted, sadly this meant the original Volk production stickers on the insides were obliterated. Shame as they were still legible and had the production date printed, IIRC it was some time in '93.
Then it was time to paint them:
I think I remember the colour being Ford Olympic Gold. Either way, I used Halfords rattlecans. Came out very well considering!
These wheels come from the factory with a polished lip and they look much better for it, so I DIY'd it!
I've since been informed that it's actually illegal to use this polishing technique on a lathe, but it seemed pretty safe at the time to use the car as a lathe With an LSD it'd be a lot sketchier.
I'd say I did a pretty nice job on them considering I had zero prior experience and did it all at home (other than shot blasting) with cheap products.
First night with the wheels on:
Really love how it looked at this stage!
That'll do for tonight as I've spent hours and it's getting late, but over the next few days I'll try and bring the story up to the present day.
Thanks for reading if you got this far before dozing off!
This is going to be a properly long post, I'll warn you now! I'll do it in a few parts as I tend to waffle quite a bit and go into way more detail than necessary, so if you're not bored to tears by the end of this post, check back in a few days when I've hopefully gotten it up to date.
As a kid I spent every spare minute on games like Gran Turismo 3 & 4, Need for Speed Underground 2 etc. I was at a very impressionable age when these games were current, in the mid 2000s, and had been utterly obsessed with cars, especially Subarus, since I was about 5, so it was only natural that my interests would expand to other Japanese cars. Little did I know, the true Golden Age of Japanese cars was already over by that point. The stuff produced between the mid 80s and early 2000s are my absolute favourite cars as a general rule, don't know what it is about them, but there's definitely something. The EG Civic is very strongly associated with that era, it was in all the Gran Turismo games, and when 11-year-old me was Googling things like "japanese street racing" the EG and EK generation Civics were popping up all the time. I remember at some point in my mid teens, wanting a Tahitian Green (turquoise) EG hatch as my first car.
Fast forward a few years and it was time to get my first car, I wanted something Japanese obviously, but all the cool stuff was hideously expensive to insure, although cheap to buy at the time. Long story short, I ended up going halves with my old man on a 6N Polo. Long story short, made plans to slam it, respray etc but my heart wasn't in it as I'm just not into VWs as much as Japanese stuff. Decided to look into something Japanese again, my mate let me know you could get a 1.4 version of the EK, and low powered 1.5 versions of the EG, this was very good news as there are very few visual differences between the lower models and the top spec VTi, so it doesn't take much to make them look cool. I wanted a car to keep forever, and my research confirmed that basically anything that you can do to a VTi or Type-R can be done to a 1.4 with the same amount of work, so this was ideal as a keeper.
Just before my test I finally found a 1.4 manual, in the right colour (Supersonic Blue) with low miles, minimal rust and that I could just about afford.
Thing was my absolute pride and joy. Ended up making it look like this:
When I turned 19, my insurance dropped enough to look into something quicker, so I took the Civic off the road, intending on an engine swap, and ended up in this:
When I found the issues with it, and knowing I'd struggle to fix it on an apprentice wage, I decided to take this off the road as well, buy a shed to run around in over winter but still have some fun while fixing the Accord up.
Ended up with a £195 EK3, which I molested slightly:
Hilarious car to own, and the idea was to spend nothing on it other than putting fuel in it. (and the roller paint job!) It actually looked pretty cool, it was slammed and I put an old set of Rota Grids on it off my blue EJ9.
Then one night I took it down a farm track at approximately the motorway speed limit, and snapped two of the wheel studs. Got a hub from the scrapyard to repair it, but before I had chance to actually fix it, a genuine EG6 VTi turned up for sale on Facebook, for something like £900, with a few mods, in Tahitian Green Pearl. I had to have it. I didn't have £900, so I negotiated with the seller to remove some of the mods, put the standard wheels back on (which would now be worth £3-400) and I'd take it for something like £600 IIRC. Arranged insurance, booked a day off work ad arranged a lift etc.
I did have some other photos of it but I've lost them, this is the only one I can find:
I seem to remember it had an EK9 head and cams too, very tasty and now very valuable. I was due to pick it up on a Friday, and messaged the seller on the Wednesday or Thursday to ask for his postcode, when he messaged back saying he'd sold it! Annoyed was a massive understatement! A car I'd always loved, in the right colour, a genuine VTi rather than a conversion, just about affordable on my apprentice wage, and it had been snatched from under my nose! I'd actually sold the Rotas to help pay for it, and was in the process of stripping the NATO green EK to scrap it and get it out of my parents way. When the lads came to pick the wheels up, I told them about the nightmare with the EG6, and casually mentioned that I was now after one. I wanted a VTi or SiR (SiR is the Japanese equivalent of a VTi, usually slightly higher spec but essentially the same) rather than a conversion. As fate would have it, one of the lads that came to pick up the wheels said he had an EG6 VTi that he'd be selling soon. Result. Went to view it a few days later. It was parked under a cover on a grass verge in a housing estate somewhere in West Yorkshire (Batley IIRC). Had been off the road for approx 3 years, front and rear bumpers and lights were missing, the cam cover was a piece of cardboard as the actual cover was being repainted in the original black wrinkle finish. I noticed there was at least some filler in the rear arches as the factory spot welds on the arch lip were not visible. Either way, I wanted it, due to it being a proper VTi, having half decent paint (fresh respray) and in general, just being excited and impulsive
Seller wanted £2200, I offered £1800 and we met in the middle at £2000. I learned my lesson with the dhead selling the Tahitian Green one, so insisted on giving the seller a deposit. Had £60 on me, so that was the deposit My mate who was with me, was after a DC2 Integra at the time, and was offered a fully working, and very tidy, 96 spec JDM for £3600 by one of the seller's family members! If anyone ever comes up with a working time machine, I know where I'm going!
Then came the wait for the remaining bits to be finished and refitted. There was quite a bit of communication between me and him, and quite a few delays. He had some family stuff to sort IIRC, plus I assume he was just too busy. I did start to wonder if I'd ever see it again, and was glad I'd only committed £60! In the end the seller was great and stuck to his word, it just took ages
Received the odd photo update here and there:
I viewed it in November 2013. The following January, I finally received this photo, along with word that it was booked in for an MOT and would be ready for collection that Saturday. The excitement at this point was unreal, especially after all that waiting and all those delays!
Collection day rolled around, and we set off for Batley. My mate and I had a huge day planned, more on that later though. Arrived late morning, the car still needed some bits fitting, mostly interior trim IIRC. Eventually it was finished, and we followed the seller to a local parts shop to get some reg plates made.
Hands were shaken, cash was swapped for keys and we set off back to Cheshire. Car behaved faultlessly despite some heavy rain and it having been off the road for a few years until the day before.
Arrived home:
After a quick bite to eat and drink, we had to do the (much longer) second leg of the journey, as my mate had arranged to pick something up from Somerset. It must've been getting on for 3 or 4pm by the time we left. He dropped his 206 off at home and jumped in the EG6 with me, we picked up another mate and headed for Somerset.
On the way back, mate having picked up a DC2 Integra! (I actually ended up owning this for a bit a few years later, but sold it and it was broken for parts
)Gear linkage fell apart 20 minutes into the return journey!
Eventually got back, not sure what time but Google maps is saying nearly 4 hours each way today!
So, what exactly had I bought? The EG Civic is, to me, one of the most important, coolest cars to come out of Japan in the 90s. They were available in various trim levels, from the base spec 1.3 DX with a 75bhp carb engine to the VTi with the legendary B16A2 lump. Between them, there was a 1.5 LSi (D15 - single cam, 90bhp) which seems by far the most common in the UK. There was a 1.5 VEi with a trick VTEC-E system designed for ultimate economy, I believe these were more powerful than the LSi too. The one below the VTi was the ESi, which came with a single cam 1.6 VTEC with 125bhp I believe. The chassis codes start at EG3 for the 1.3 and go to EG6 for the VTi/SiR.
They all came with fully independent suspension, even the base models, which is very good for people modifying them as basically any EG part fits any EG.
Think that's complicated? Don't even look into the Japanese versions
Their VTi equivalent is the SiR which comes with the B16A. They also got a model badged VTi but it was an EG4 chassis code, with a VTEC single cam 1.5 producing more power than the UK second from top ESi! Mine is a UK supplied VTi, so has the B16A2 DOHC VTEC fitted, which produces approx 160bhp and revs to 8300rpm.
I wanted a VTi/SiR for several reasons. One being that it's always cool to have the top model, it's a bit vain and possibly snobby, but I like the fact that it's a proper factory car and I don't have to tell people it's an LSi with a swap (not that there's anything wrong with having a swapped example). I was 19 when I got it, so insuring an engine swapped example would've been a minefield. The VTi also comes with rear discs, and a very cool flat folding rear interior with a massive storage box in the boot floor.
The real talking point of these cars:
It had some overspray settled on it from it spending a lot of time stored in a bodyshop, so I got my detailer mate to spend a day going over it. It came back looking great!
Really loved how it looked, all standard but without the front plate, just nice lines. Unfortunately Plod didn't share that view so told me I'd get a fine if I hadn't put it on by the time he next saw me.
Obviously, a 19 year old with his first hot Civic isn't gonna leave it standard, so here we go....
Fitted the MeisterR Zeta R coilovers off my blue EJ9 first car. They may already be fitted in some of the above photos, actually, as it does look pretty low in some of them.
Started looking for some wheels, after nearly buying a few different sets I settled on looking for a set of Volk/Rays GR-Ns. They're a very rare wheel, and suited the 90s JDM street racer aesthetic that I'm obsessed with.
After a surprisingly short search, I found a set on Facebook for £300, in need of a refurb but that was fine as they were exactly what I wanted and in the right size/fitment/offset.
Definitely in need of a refurb!
After a bit of time with a file, a definite improvement:
Tried one on the car to check the offset would work:
Tidied up the kerb marks on them all with a file
Then took them to get blasted, sadly this meant the original Volk production stickers on the insides were obliterated. Shame as they were still legible and had the production date printed, IIRC it was some time in '93.
Then it was time to paint them:
I think I remember the colour being Ford Olympic Gold. Either way, I used Halfords rattlecans. Came out very well considering!
These wheels come from the factory with a polished lip and they look much better for it, so I DIY'd it!
I've since been informed that it's actually illegal to use this polishing technique on a lathe, but it seemed pretty safe at the time to use the car as a lathe
With an LSD it'd be a lot sketchier.I'd say I did a pretty nice job on them considering I had zero prior experience and did it all at home (other than shot blasting) with cheap products.
First night with the wheels on:
Really love how it looked at this stage!
That'll do for tonight as I've spent hours and it's getting late, but over the next few days I'll try and bring the story up to the present day.
Thanks for reading if you got this far before dozing off!
trails said:
Lovely looking car. Great save on the wheels too, cant go wrong with red and gold/bronze wheels.
Cheers, it really was a looker all those years ago! d_a_n1979 said:
Awesome cars
I had an SiR-S in 08/09 if I remember correctly, loved it, then stupidly sold it
It had 32k miles in it when I bought it, did a bit to it & then decided I wanted an ATR
Bloody hell, that's absolutely beautiful! An EG6 on that mileage/condition nowadays would likely be worth in the region of £10k! I think the previous owner of mine wanted it to look a bit like an SiR so that's why it has the grey side strips, SiR spoiler, JDM bootlid etc. When I get around to restoring it, I want it to be somewhere between VTi and SiR, using the best bits of both but not necessarily original. I had an SiR-S in 08/09 if I remember correctly, loved it, then stupidly sold it
It had 32k miles in it when I bought it, did a bit to it & then decided I wanted an ATR
ATRs are brilliant to be fair, shame you couldn't have had both! Do you know what the reg of the Civic was? Be good to see if it's still around.
Jaaack said:
Bloody hell, that's absolutely beautiful! An EG6 on that mileage/condition nowadays would likely be worth in the region of £10k! I think the previous owner of mine wanted it to look a bit like an SiR so that's why it has the grey side strips, SiR spoiler, JDM bootlid etc. When I get around to restoring it, I want it to be somewhere between VTi and SiR, using the best bits of both but not necessarily original.
ATRs are brilliant to be fair, shame you couldn't have had both! Do you know what the reg of the Civic was? Be good to see if it's still around.
Yeah; it was a great little car, but therein lies the issue, it was too small. Outgrew it very quickly with all the powerlifting competing I was doing at the time; hence the move to the ATR (which lasted all of 4 months as couldn't get on with the rawness); ended up buying an MG ZT V6 190 that was an MG Rover dealer managers car and I got hooked onto big saloons after that ATRs are brilliant to be fair, shame you couldn't have had both! Do you know what the reg of the Civic was? Be good to see if it's still around.
Think I bought the EG6 SiR-S from a lad from Darlington way; had it around 12 months and did all sorts to it (Tein coilovers, Buddyclub alloys/Toyo T1R tyres, strut braces front/rear, lower front H brace, AEM V2 intake, OEM exhaust but decatted, Sabelt steering wheel etc)
Superb B road hooning machine
Don't think it's alive any longer though, could be wrong
We purchased a JDM SiR-II in the early 2000's just to put the engine and gearbox in a Mini. These are I believe 170BHP and only weigh 1050KG and I think we paid £1300 for it.
I suspect that car would be pretty desirable today, although it was starting to get ropey when we stripped it.
The engine had done 100k miles and all we did was change the cambelt, put a baffled sump on it and ran a DTA engine management. It was then raced for a couple of seasons bounced off the (raised) rev limiter every gear change and didn't miss a beat.
The only modification was a quaife set of gears and a gripper diff, nothing was done to the engine.
It was racing against cars with fully forged Vauxhall C20XE engines, not bad for a standard road engine.
I suspect that car would be pretty desirable today, although it was starting to get ropey when we stripped it.
The engine had done 100k miles and all we did was change the cambelt, put a baffled sump on it and ran a DTA engine management. It was then raced for a couple of seasons bounced off the (raised) rev limiter every gear change and didn't miss a beat.
The only modification was a quaife set of gears and a gripper diff, nothing was done to the engine.
It was racing against cars with fully forged Vauxhall C20XE engines, not bad for a standard road engine.
d_a_n1979 said:
Think I bought the EG6 SiR-S from a lad from Darlington way; had it around 12 months and did all sorts to it (Tein coilovers, Buddyclub alloys/Toyo T1R tyres, strut braces front/rear, lower front H brace, AEM V2 intake, OEM exhaust but decatted, Sabelt steering wheel etc)
Superb B road hooning machine
Don't think it's alive any longer though, could be wrong
Well bugger me, you'll be pleased to know it's taxed until May next year, and has a current (Covid extended) MOT! Just did a check, it's now showing over 100k so gets used well, but has only ever had one MOT advisory in its life, so it's either very well cared for, or gets friendly testers! Superb B road hooning machine
Don't think it's alive any longer though, could be wrong
Joey Deacon said:
We purchased a JDM SiR-II in the early 2000's just to put the engine and gearbox in a Mini. These are I believe 170BHP and only weigh 1050KG and I think we paid £1300 for it.
I suspect that car would be pretty desirable today, although it was starting to get ropey when we stripped it.
The engine had done 100k miles and all we did was change the cambelt, put a baffled sump on it and ran a DTA engine management. It was then raced for a couple of seasons bounced off the (raised) rev limiter every gear change and didn't miss a beat.
The only modification was a quaife set of gears and a gripper diff, nothing was done to the engine.
It was racing against cars with fully forged Vauxhall C20XE engines, not bad for a standard road engine.
Bloody sacrilege! I suspect that car would be pretty desirable today, although it was starting to get ropey when we stripped it.
The engine had done 100k miles and all we did was change the cambelt, put a baffled sump on it and ran a DTA engine management. It was then raced for a couple of seasons bounced off the (raised) rev limiter every gear change and didn't miss a beat.
The only modification was a quaife set of gears and a gripper diff, nothing was done to the engine.
It was racing against cars with fully forged Vauxhall C20XE engines, not bad for a standard road engine.
It amazes me that they were once cheap enough to be used as engine donors, they now start at £3-4k for an example needing a fair bit of work. Although, at least yours was rough. The reason they're so rare is the American culture of pointlessly RHD converting their cars, resulting in so many 90s classics being cut in half when they were cheap in the mid 2000s. These were often minter than mint examples.
They're a cracking engine aren't they. As stated, I was 19 when I first got it, and it got driven exactly how you'd expect. Oil usage was low, it only ever let out a puff of smoke under a very particular circumstance (overrun at high RPM, it'd let out a brief puff when you first got back on the throttle.) I haven't done anything to the engine of mine, but did do a lot of handling mods which I'll cover in the next update. They're insanely well put together, and other than minor electrical issues there really aren't any common faults or failures. There aren't many NA engines with 100bhp/litre, even today. Especially in a normal hatchback!
therealsamdailly said:
that, is fantastic
Thanks! Certainly a weird feeling driving along a seabed. I was extremely careful and stayed below walking pace to avoid any sand or salt getting into the arches!Jaaack said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Think I bought the EG6 SiR-S from a lad from Darlington way; had it around 12 months and did all sorts to it (Tein coilovers, Buddyclub alloys/Toyo T1R tyres, strut braces front/rear, lower front H brace, AEM V2 intake, OEM exhaust but decatted, Sabelt steering wheel etc)
Superb B road hooning machine
Don't think it's alive any longer though, could be wrong
Well bugger me, you'll be pleased to know it's taxed until May next year, and has a current (Covid extended) MOT! Just did a check, it's now showing over 100k so gets used well, but has only ever had one MOT advisory in its life, so it's either very well cared for, or gets friendly testers! Superb B road hooning machine
Don't think it's alive any longer though, could be wrong
Really good to hear it's still alive, still very low miles for the car seeing as it was a 1993 model; 100k in 27 years, not even run in yet
I'll have to have a nosey at the MOT history on it
So then, part 2!
Few more photos from just after I put the Volks on. Ainsdale Beach btw, near Southport. One of my favourite places!
Obligatory old Jap cars with cherry blossom tree photo:
Japfest:
Went for a dyno session to see how healthy it was:
Seem to remember it made a pretty disappointing 146bhp, down from what should've been 158. It certainly felt as fast as it should at the time, so I don't know what was going on. The DTM style backbox it came with probably wasn't helping too much.
A friend advertised this seat, sadly only the one, but I had to have it. Very cool pattern, plus it's the same Recaro you find in cars such as the ATR, Evo 5/6 and some hot Renaults. I was told that there were only a handful made, including a set for a Porsche concept car. I'm not sure how accurate that is, as I've seen a couple of sets for sale over the years, mainly in Asian countries like Thailand. They go for huge money, well over a grand. I think I paid £150. There were also some made for a limited edition Impreza of some kind too, identical but with the Prodrive logo embroidered on. Mine also weirdly has a switch and electric motor to adjust the height, which maybe supports the Porsche theory? They're known as Recaro SP-JJ Crayolas.
Bought a DC2 Integra Recaro rail and bolted it in.
Cheap fake Skunk2 spark plug cover. Actually looked really cool and was nicely made.
Clutch decided it didn't want to have any friction material on it any more, so ordered a new Exedy "OEM replacement" clutch, Fidanza 3.6kg flywheel and associated bits. The flywheel made a really nice improvement, made the engine quite a bit more responsive and torquey feeling at low RPM, along with making it easier to get a perfectly smooth, fast gearchange wether going up or down the box.
As previously mentioned, all EG6s came with a fold-flat rear interior which looks really nice and tidy when folded, and gives quite an airy feel to a small cabin. Some lower spec models also came with it, but only in Japan of course.
It can also be used as a bed, although I don't think I'd be up for it these days. Alcohol at overnight car shows definitely helped make it more comfortable!
Had a bit of assistance from some mates to do the US style side markers. This uses a brake bulb and holder in the indicator lens, wired to illuminate slightly with the sidelights and flash brightly when indicating. Really nice little touch, always think it looks great.
Bumped into this super low mileage ESi and thought it would be rude not to take a couple of photos.
By chance, a couple of years later I saw the owner again and he offered to sell it to me, so I ended up owning that for a bit too!
Went out with a few mates for some photos of the cars, these are a couple of my favourites.
Somehow got it to lift a wheel in a car park
That pretty much covers 2014, so onto 2015 next.....
Few more photos from just after I put the Volks on. Ainsdale Beach btw, near Southport. One of my favourite places!
Obligatory old Jap cars with cherry blossom tree photo:
Japfest:
Went for a dyno session to see how healthy it was:
Seem to remember it made a pretty disappointing 146bhp, down from what should've been 158. It certainly felt as fast as it should at the time, so I don't know what was going on. The DTM style backbox it came with probably wasn't helping too much.
A friend advertised this seat, sadly only the one, but I had to have it. Very cool pattern, plus it's the same Recaro you find in cars such as the ATR, Evo 5/6 and some hot Renaults. I was told that there were only a handful made, including a set for a Porsche concept car. I'm not sure how accurate that is, as I've seen a couple of sets for sale over the years, mainly in Asian countries like Thailand. They go for huge money, well over a grand. I think I paid £150. There were also some made for a limited edition Impreza of some kind too, identical but with the Prodrive logo embroidered on. Mine also weirdly has a switch and electric motor to adjust the height, which maybe supports the Porsche theory? They're known as Recaro SP-JJ Crayolas.
Bought a DC2 Integra Recaro rail and bolted it in.
Cheap fake Skunk2 spark plug cover. Actually looked really cool and was nicely made.
Clutch decided it didn't want to have any friction material on it any more, so ordered a new Exedy "OEM replacement" clutch, Fidanza 3.6kg flywheel and associated bits. The flywheel made a really nice improvement, made the engine quite a bit more responsive and torquey feeling at low RPM, along with making it easier to get a perfectly smooth, fast gearchange wether going up or down the box.
As previously mentioned, all EG6s came with a fold-flat rear interior which looks really nice and tidy when folded, and gives quite an airy feel to a small cabin. Some lower spec models also came with it, but only in Japan of course.
It can also be used as a bed, although I don't think I'd be up for it these days. Alcohol at overnight car shows definitely helped make it more comfortable!
Had a bit of assistance from some mates to do the US style side markers. This uses a brake bulb and holder in the indicator lens, wired to illuminate slightly with the sidelights and flash brightly when indicating. Really nice little touch, always think it looks great.
Bumped into this super low mileage ESi and thought it would be rude not to take a couple of photos.
By chance, a couple of years later I saw the owner again and he offered to sell it to me, so I ended up owning that for a bit too!
Went out with a few mates for some photos of the cars, these are a couple of my favourites.
Somehow got it to lift a wheel in a car park
That pretty much covers 2014, so onto 2015 next.....
2015, part 1 of.... 1, or 2, or 3, depending on how long it takes to type out!
By the end of 2014 it was showing its age in the way it handled, rear end was very floaty and it didn't feel very secure on the road at all. It was also running too much camber due to the ride height, so wanted to correct that.
DC2 Integra subframe, steering rack, anti roll bars etc bought. I think I got these in 2014 actually in preparation.
Parked it here over the winter to keep the salt off it.
Got it off the gravel and cleaned it up, then prepared to give the chassis a full refresh.
Had the Integra subframe blasted and painted by a mate:
I'd got him to blast everything else too after I'd had the nightmare of removing the old bushes - rear trailing arms, front forks, both ARBs, front wishbones etc
I painted everything, except the subframe which was already done by aforementioned mate.
Parts started arriving:
Lots of effort for stuff that wasn't to be seen!
Baffled sump to eliminate oil starvation during hard cornering:
New shafts:
DC2 rear ARB is significantly thicker than the EG6 one.
Quite a selection of parts ready to go on!
All the DC2 bits were refurbed, polybushed and painted. Skunk2 adjustable front upper wishbones. Blackworks rear toe arms. SuperGT rear subframe brace (cheap ebay part, but not a moving part, and required when fitting a thick rear ARB to an EG6 to stop the rear subframe from ripping itself out) And finally, a 2.5" straight through system with no cat, and an Apexi N1 end can. More on that later....
Old EG6 vs refreshed DC2, much nicer!
Wasn't all plain sailing, in fact there wasn't much plain sailing in the reassembly but we'll get onto that later. A captive nut failed on one of the rear toe arm adjusters so it ended up getting a bit butchered in order to remove it. I did get this section repaired but in the future resto I'll probably look at getting this section cut out from a scrap car and welded in to look original.
Discs and calipers were renewed, this was just the initial bolt back together to get it back on the road.
Looks good, doesn't it? Unfortunately I got veeeery familiar with this view. I hadn't noticed that one of the steel power steering lines on top of the subframe was rotten, so after a few seconds of running, it ruptured. Being on top of the subframe and not underneath, I'm sure you can work out what had to happen. Yep, subframe off! By this point I was aiming to get it on the road and take it to Mimms, a big event in the Honda scene, marking the start of the Jap car show season. It being only a few days away, I enlisted the help of several very good mates and we ended up pissing around underneath it until something stupid like 3am on the morning of the MOT.
Finally out of the garage and on 4 wheels.
Tyres on the Volks were dead, so had to drive around like this for a while until I got an alignment and new tyres.
Quite a potato cannon, isn't it?
J's Racing C-pillar brace. Not too sure how much function it provides but it's very cool looking, provides a good camera mount and appeals to the JDM brand snob in me!
Back on the dyno after fitting the A'pexi exhaust, Tegiwa carbon intake and DC2 Type-R exhaust manifold. 162bhp, which I was pretty happy with, 4bhp above standard with very minor breathing mods, and something like 115k miles.
Took it on a few track sessions at Three Sisters in Wigan, as there was a Nurburgring trip coming up and I'd never driven on a tarmac track (I used to race a Mini in Autograss, but that's as far as my experience as a racing driver has gone so far )
This was huge fun, and the small, tight track suits Civics very well.
As demonstrated below, the handling was very lively! I definitely roll my eyes when people dismiss FWD cars as boring and understeery. A well sorted one just isn't.
The sessions at Three Sisters showed that the cooling system wasn't efficient enough as the temperature gauge would creep up. To be fair, it was a 21 year old rad, and Three Sisters is done at fairly low speeds so not much airflow but high RPM.
Skunk2 alloy rad sorted that out nicely.
AD08Rs and a laser alignment
Birthday was coming up so I treated myself to these:
Denji headlights supplied by 6two1. Always been a big fan of these lights, they're nothing like the crappy ebay efforts. They look like they could be a factory option.
I think I prefer the chrome housing versions now rather than black, looks even more OEM, so I may grab a set in the future.
Off to the Nurburgring!
That was a big tick in the list of things I wanted to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbolAFU2zF8
Video of my second lap above. I don't think 9:54 is too bad for a 160bhp car with two big lads on board! Especially as it was my second ever lap! Unfortunately on my third, I experienced a clutch failure around halfway round. It engaged fine, but wouldn't disengage so I had to stall it if I needed to stop, and start in gear, and clutchlessly change every gear. Not great when you're in the middle of Germany! However it drove fine once moving and in the desired gear.
On the return journey, phone stuck to side window recording
And an hour later, in the middle of Antwerp....
To be continued......
By the end of 2014 it was showing its age in the way it handled, rear end was very floaty and it didn't feel very secure on the road at all. It was also running too much camber due to the ride height, so wanted to correct that.
DC2 Integra subframe, steering rack, anti roll bars etc bought. I think I got these in 2014 actually in preparation.
Parked it here over the winter to keep the salt off it.
Got it off the gravel and cleaned it up, then prepared to give the chassis a full refresh.
Had the Integra subframe blasted and painted by a mate:
I'd got him to blast everything else too after I'd had the nightmare of removing the old bushes - rear trailing arms, front forks, both ARBs, front wishbones etc
I painted everything, except the subframe which was already done by aforementioned mate.
Parts started arriving:
Lots of effort for stuff that wasn't to be seen!
Baffled sump to eliminate oil starvation during hard cornering:
New shafts:
DC2 rear ARB is significantly thicker than the EG6 one.
Quite a selection of parts ready to go on!
All the DC2 bits were refurbed, polybushed and painted. Skunk2 adjustable front upper wishbones. Blackworks rear toe arms. SuperGT rear subframe brace (cheap ebay part, but not a moving part, and required when fitting a thick rear ARB to an EG6 to stop the rear subframe from ripping itself out) And finally, a 2.5" straight through system with no cat, and an Apexi N1 end can. More on that later....
Old EG6 vs refreshed DC2, much nicer!
Wasn't all plain sailing, in fact there wasn't much plain sailing in the reassembly but we'll get onto that later. A captive nut failed on one of the rear toe arm adjusters so it ended up getting a bit butchered in order to remove it. I did get this section repaired but in the future resto I'll probably look at getting this section cut out from a scrap car and welded in to look original.
Discs and calipers were renewed, this was just the initial bolt back together to get it back on the road.
Looks good, doesn't it? Unfortunately I got veeeery familiar with this view. I hadn't noticed that one of the steel power steering lines on top of the subframe was rotten, so after a few seconds of running, it ruptured. Being on top of the subframe and not underneath, I'm sure you can work out what had to happen. Yep, subframe off! By this point I was aiming to get it on the road and take it to Mimms, a big event in the Honda scene, marking the start of the Jap car show season. It being only a few days away, I enlisted the help of several very good mates and we ended up pissing around underneath it until something stupid like 3am on the morning of the MOT.
Finally out of the garage and on 4 wheels.
Tyres on the Volks were dead, so had to drive around like this for a while until I got an alignment and new tyres.
Quite a potato cannon, isn't it?
J's Racing C-pillar brace. Not too sure how much function it provides but it's very cool looking, provides a good camera mount and appeals to the JDM brand snob in me!
Back on the dyno after fitting the A'pexi exhaust, Tegiwa carbon intake and DC2 Type-R exhaust manifold. 162bhp, which I was pretty happy with, 4bhp above standard with very minor breathing mods, and something like 115k miles.
Took it on a few track sessions at Three Sisters in Wigan, as there was a Nurburgring trip coming up and I'd never driven on a tarmac track (I used to race a Mini in Autograss, but that's as far as my experience as a racing driver has gone so far
)This was huge fun, and the small, tight track suits Civics very well.
As demonstrated below, the handling was very lively! I definitely roll my eyes when people dismiss FWD cars as boring and understeery. A well sorted one just isn't.
The sessions at Three Sisters showed that the cooling system wasn't efficient enough as the temperature gauge would creep up. To be fair, it was a 21 year old rad, and Three Sisters is done at fairly low speeds so not much airflow but high RPM.
Skunk2 alloy rad sorted that out nicely.
AD08Rs and a laser alignment
Birthday was coming up so I treated myself to these:
Denji headlights supplied by 6two1. Always been a big fan of these lights, they're nothing like the crappy ebay efforts. They look like they could be a factory option.
I think I prefer the chrome housing versions now rather than black, looks even more OEM, so I may grab a set in the future.
Off to the Nurburgring!
That was a big tick in the list of things I wanted to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbolAFU2zF8
Video of my second lap above. I don't think 9:54 is too bad for a 160bhp car with two big lads on board! Especially as it was my second ever lap! Unfortunately on my third, I experienced a clutch failure around halfway round. It engaged fine, but wouldn't disengage so I had to stall it if I needed to stop, and start in gear, and clutchlessly change every gear. Not great when you're in the middle of Germany! However it drove fine once moving and in the desired gear.
On the return journey, phone stuck to side window recording
And an hour later, in the middle of Antwerp....
To be continued......
Edited by Jaaack on Thursday 20th August 23:30
Never owned anything Japanese but have a bit of a thing for for this sort of thing. A mate had a base model way back in 99 (on 17" Venoms!) but always liked the VTi. Such a cool little car. Great thread too, love this level of anorakness and attention to detail. Well written too. Keep up the good work.
Ah this takes me back especially the interior both myself and my brother had uk spec VTI,s EG6 civics back in the day and that engine with just an induction kit sounds immense, I had heard the teg subframe And rack was a massive improvement but for me I don’t get the purple and yellow components on a red car .
Glad too see you finally seen sense with the reg plate on the front , so the trip back from the ring going to guess bottom end or cambelt has let go ?
Glad too see you finally seen sense with the reg plate on the front , so the trip back from the ring going to guess bottom end or cambelt has let go ?
Rubins4 said:
Former LSi owner here. Absolutely loved it. Shame it rotted out, but the engine and box seemed to get better and better with age! That car gave me the affinity I have for Honda today.
I forgot what a good looking car they are. Haven't seen one on the road in ages.
Yep, the mechanical bits of these cars, in particular the engines, are amazingly tough. Shame the bodies weren't built with as much longevity in mind, then again not many cars were in those days. I've not seen one for a very long time, the last one I saw outside of meets/shows I ended up buying I forgot what a good looking car they are. Haven't seen one on the road in ages.
Davie said:
Never owned anything Japanese but have a bit of a thing for for this sort of thing. A mate had a base model way back in 99 (on 17" Venoms!) but always liked the VTi. Such a cool little car. Great thread too, love this level of anorakness and attention to detail. Well written too. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the positivity Yeah I'm blessed (cursed) with extreme anorakage on stuff like this, and quite a lot of waffleage Nice to see people are enjoying reading it though, I've been enjoying writing it all up and bringing back some good memories. Unfortunately the thread will take a bit of a turn in the next update as the car's story goes downhill a bit. I'll try and get it typed up later this afternoon.RazerSauber said:
Great thread so far, keep it up!
Thanks V1nce Fox said:
bril thread OP, always liked these.
Cheers TheJimi said:
Agreed, great thread - I'm a huge fan of EG Civic, and the B16 is one of my favourite engines.
Thanks - me too! For me the 90s stuff is just a bit more up my street than the more modern stuff (EP3 onwards) That said, I wouldn't mind owning an EP3 or DC5! The B16 deserves a place on any list of all time great engines - they give fantastic performance and don't need to be treated any differently than any other normal engine, just keep the oil topped up! Some engines have a feel about them that makes them feel like high RPM is asking a lot of them/damaging them. The B16 couldn't be further from this, they feel like they could sit on the limiter all day every day with no drama.Fuzzy69r said:
Ah this takes me back especially the interior both myself and my brother had uk spec VTI,s EG6 civics back in the day and that engine with just an induction kit sounds immense, I had heard the teg subframe And rack was a massive improvement but for me I don’t get the purple and yellow components on a red car .
Glad too see you finally seen sense with the reg plate on the front , so the trip back from the ring going to guess bottom end or cambelt has let go ?
Nice, don't suppose you have any photos of yours and your brother's VTis? They are a properly good sounding engine with an intake on - I have an Aerodeck VTi-S too with the B18C4, it came with a cheap cone filter fitted and it sounds incredible.Glad too see you finally seen sense with the reg plate on the front , so the trip back from the ring going to guess bottom end or cambelt has let go ?
The purple and yellow was for no other reason than I liked them
I wasn't really considering the car as a whole, I was treating the underside as a totally different project I suppose. Besides, most of it isn't visible. The purple SuperGT brace was because it was the best colour it came in, it was required to fit the DC2 ARBs.You'll have to stay tuned for the failure on the way back from the Ring, I can't remember what exactly it was that failed but it was electrical.
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