The Civic Hatch might be an obvious starting point for many tuners, but its appeal is usually fleeting. Not to Jeff Blumenfeld, though, he saw the ubiquitous 3-door as a quick and easy ticket to achieving his speed objectives.
Propulsion
JE 81.5mm pistons with ProSeal rings and Carillo rods stand up to boost pressure inside a bored and sleeved B16A block, assembled by John Spindler Machine in Westminster, Md. Providing power to this mix is a Garrett T67 turbo, suspended by a Neukin Ramhorn manifold and blowing through custom piping that leads to a Precision intercooler and ultimately an Edelbrock Victor X manifold. A Tial 38mm wastegate and Blitz SBC boost controller regulate boost build, while a Greddy blow-off valve expels what's not needed during throttle let-off, and a Neukin downpipe directs waste through the custom-made Epic Tuning exhaust. A Nitrous Express direct-port system provides additional power, but has not yet been tuned for use.
A 5-speed S80 transmission from a GSR transfers power to the wheels, with the help of an ACT 4-puck / Max Extreme clutch combo and Pro-Lite flywheel.
Evidence: Jeff's Civic makes 463 wheel hp at 19psi on pump gas.
Rims & Rubber
After many different lightweight wheel/tire combos, Jeff decided that a set of bronze 15x7 Volk Racing TE37's with Advan A032R tires would be best to save weight, provide positive traction, and deliver some JDM style. On the track, Jeff uses 13-inch Lenso wheels with Hoosier slicks up front, and skinnies in the rear.
Stance Omnipower race coilovers are used at all four corners for consistent launches, while a 6-point chromoly cage and Eibach front sway bar stiffen up the chassis for more enjoyable street driving. Omnipower lower control arms and a rear sub-frame brace by ASR further facilitate chassis rigidity.
Resistance
Stopping isn't much of an interest, but nevertheless a priority for a street-driven car. Jeff relies upon the Fastbrakes 11-inch drilled and slotted rotors, rebuilt ITS calipers, and Hawk HPS pads, front and rear, to provide enhanced stopping power. Not wanting to mess with a good thing, Jeff trusts that OEM Honda DOT 3 brake fluid can do the best possible job of engaging the system.
Fashion
Outside: Being the perfectionist that he is, Jeff had the entire car stripped prior to bodywork and paint by Phil Denhardt of VP Auto Collision in Bel Air, Md. After reassembly, Civic Type-R fenders, headlights, rear lip, and mirrors were added to maintain a clean, OEM look, while a Seibon front lip, Composites Fab hood, and VIS duckbill wing all add carbon fiber flair. Honda JDM Access window visors vent the interior during Mother Nature's tantrums.
In spite of the myriad of tunable sport compacts available to consumers these days, it's interesting that in the minds of many the paragon platform of our sub-culture is and has always been the Civic. Over the model's decades of existence, OE's have released countless offerings capable of demolishing the econobox performance-wise with far less modification. Still, the platform remains representative of arguably the most defining principle of our people: that a car designed to accomplish much, the least of which is performance, can be transformed into a machine capable of competing with, and besting, some of the most thorough examples of conventional sports cars.
We know how to do a little with a lot, and nowhere is this more evident than in the scores of built Civics across the globe.
While the Civic may have been the poster vehicle of the scene for a long time, the current general progression among tuners seems to be away from the once sought-after compact. It's true: most Hondas are a great platform on which to learn the proper way to wrench. And given the incredible amount of aftermarket support for the various possible chassis and engine combos, accomplishing great things with a Civic is an entirely feasible goal for most. But after having learned a thing or two about sport compacts and how to tune them, a lot of us are lured away from the big H by the bells and whistles offered by other manufacturers and makes.
The trend is a familiar one for Jeffrey Blumenfeld of Baltimore, Md. Despite starting out with a Honda, he chose to try his luck in other vehicles. In the end, though, he ultimately decided his tuning goals would be best accomplished by returning to his first love-kind of.
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