The CD player had given up. It was replaced with a Pioneer unit that also controls my iPod. It sends plenty of power to the two remaining door speakers, while a powered 10-inch Bazooka tube provides a vintage boom, but also comes out easily for the track days that are coming up. And speaking of track days, I couldn't get my knee under the stock steering wheel, making it impossible to heel-and-toe. A small-diameter Sparco wheel and spacer fixed that. The final interior touches were some carbon fiber wing endplates trimmed down and bolted to the door panels to fill the old holes. And some $10 Hawaiian-patterned seat covers keep the torn seats from leaving foam everywhere.
The goal is to build a classic street Civic that can hold its own on the track. I intend to put a disproportionate amount of time and money into aesthetics. People laugh when I say EFs are better-looking than the later EG and EK-chassis Civics. I want to show people what they were like back when they were still new. This will also help sucker engineering editors into thinking it's a show car. The suspension will be close to an all-out racing set-up. The gem of this era of Civics is its suspension and I want to show off what it can do.
With a target lap time of 2:06, things shouldn't need to get too crazy under the hood. Bolting big power onto old Hondas is too easy anyway. I'll bet more Civics are laying down 300-plus wheel-hp than NSXs right now (ooh, undocumented stats and a dig on NSXs-that'll piss off Chen twice). Project Backmarker Civic needs to stay smog legal, since it will be driven on the street, and having it impounded and crushed would suck ass.
It should be able to hit the target time using a single-cam motor, but if it has to get an engine swap, this Civic's gonna blow Chen's chunk of polished aluminum right off the track.
| | Project NSX | Project Civic | Difference |
| Year | 1991 | 1988 | 3 years |
| Purchase price | $20,000 | $500 | $19,500 |
| Weight | 2920lb | 2160lb | 760 lb |
| Peak wheel-hp | 255 | 82 | 173 |
| Peak torque (lb-ft) | 194 | 85 | 109 |
| Car show score | 6/100 | 6/100 | 0 |
| Die-roll target lap time | 2:10 | 2:06 | 4 seconds |
Show Car Weigh-In
Exterior
Both have horrible exteriors. The paint on each car is fading and oxidized, with the NSX having the worst of it. Also, the ultra-discolored carbon hood on the NSX looks like ass and should be shipped to the junkyard. The Acura's missing windshield wipers, rear reflector emblem, fading windshield and numerous bird droppings mark it down.Advantage: Civic
Interior
The NSX's interior is torn and the labels are peeling off. There's no dash cover panel under the steering column and, even with the Momo steering wheel and Mugen shift knob. The Civic's interior is in great condition for its age, with no sign of serious abuse. It sports a Sparco steering wheel, an old-school stereo system with a Bazooka tube, carbon fiber interior pieces, Acura mats and a GSR shift knob, which, along with Hawaiian-themed seat covers, give it the nod.Advantage: Civic
Engine/Performance
The NSX comes out fighting with an HKS Power Flow air intake, along with a Mugen oil cap and coolant tank cover. The Civic is super-stock. By a slight margin, the NSX takes the honors when considering its other performance goodies.Advantage: NSX
Wheels/Tires/Suspension
The Civic rolls on 13-inch stocker wheels. They're real puny yet, again, in decent condition. The NSX has beat-up, aftermarket three-piece wheels with higher-performance tires. Along with its TEIN RA suspension, this NSX aspires to be more.Advantage: NSX
Final Verdict: dead crappy even