Old School v. New School: Battle Of The Civics!
Watch the faceoff between a supercharged B-series in an EG and a turbo K-series in an RWD EK. Who is your money on?
What better way to begin the week than an exciting battle between two of the most popular generations of Civic. Featuring the EG and EK, we find a perfect contrast between two things so similar, yet so different at the same time.
Thanks to Hoonigan‘s This v. That series on YouTube, we get to see two unique Civic builds show their stuff on the race track.
However, this battle is also for pride and to prove a point of frequent debate: which is the better chassis and which bears the superior Honda engine?
In order to answer this question properly, we must dive into a couple of details about the respective competition to understand what we are working with.
The New School
We’ll begin with the newer of the two Civics, owned by Throtl founder, Mickey Andrade. This 1999 Honda Civic DX when purchased was “an absolute beater”.
Although it had a running B-series, it was in poor overall condition. Thus, Andrade decide to begin a project he had been dreaming about since a decade prior.
That idea was to make a RWD Civic, while keeping the components “as Honda as possible.” Thus, all the pieces required to make this swap possible are all Honda, with some minor exceptions.
Due to his longstanding experience with race cars, Andrade also prioritized serviceability of the swap and ease of access in case of issues.
A Dream Realized: The Rear Drive Civic
With performance as the primary focus, this EK is absolutely littered with carbon fiber both inside and out. This allows the upgraded K20A2 from an RSX Type S to push harder than ever before.
Although the K-series is on stock internals, it is boosted by a Garrett 3171R turbo through a Loveland Racing manifold, making about 350 HP.
To further prove the quality of this build, the S2000 transmission perfectly lines up with the stock transmission tunnel opening and somehow still has functional A/C.
The floor has also been cut out and reinforced with added access panels for the differential from above for servicing. The Mugen Gen1 rear strut bar also functions as a battery tie-down.
With a damp track surface, will the 200 TW 225 Falken RT66 be enough to keep this boosted Civic on the road against stiff competition?
The Old School
If you didn’t catch our previous highlight post on this specific build, feel free to check it out here. We will still go over some details here about Roger‘s beautiful EG hatch.
Compared to Andrade’s EK with its revolutionary drivetrain configuration and newer engine, this 1994 Si EG is a very different beast.
Featuring a classic Lexus Desert Sage Green Metallic paint color, this Civic takes a more traditional approach while maintaining a high level of quality.
Found in the engine bay of this beauty is a B18C1 engine from a GS-R Integra, featuring a discontinued early 2000s supercharger kit for an Integra.
Classic Style, Perfect Execution
Although not featuring nearly as much carbon fiber as the EK, this EG still comes in 300 pounds lighter than its competition.
With built internals, water-to-air cooling, and E85 fuel, this little B-series boasts a serious 400 WHP to the front wheels.
Will the M-Factory LSD and 205 Micky Thompsons be enough to keep him on track? With damp conditions, the slicks may provide more risk than reward.
In traditional This v. That fashion, the first race is always a heads-up race to 1,000 ft. Who is your money on?
The Results of a Best of 3 Race
In the first race, both Civis seem to be quite evenly matched off the line with the EG taking a small lead in 1st gear.
In second gear, the EK struggled to stay in a straight line, fighting traction all the way into 3rd. By the 1,000 ft, the EK had a solid two-car lead.
We would later discover that the EG’s supercharger belt slipped off as he shifted into second, losing all boost.
As we head into the second race, we hope for no mechanical issues as they decide to run it straight up again from 1,000 ft.
The Run Back
This was the cleanest of all of the races. Both cars got a good launch off the line again without jumps and the EG ran consistently to the finish this time.
However, this time it would be Andrade who claimed he misshifted 3rd during the run, causing him to lose time.
Thus, both teams decided to bet it all on one final 1,500 ft heads-up race to seal the deal.
Yet again, both cars got equal launches off the line. However, Andrare’s car would turn off shortly after the launch and lose all power and lose the race again to a power failure.
With that, the winner was decided. It looks like the EG showed that newer doesn’t necessarily always mean better.
Respect Your Elders?
To finish off the video, a bonus race was had from a 30 roll to 1,000 ft just to see what would happen. To no surprise, the Civics start evenly matched.
However, as Andrade shifts into second, you can clearly hear the car struggle to shift and the car loses power again.
While the RWD Civic may have not had the best success on the race track this time around, she sure still does do some amazing donuts at the end of the video.
You’d never think you’d get to see an EK rotating around in perfect circles yet here we are. Who was your choice to win this matchup?
Let us know by joining the discussion here at Honda-Tech!
Photos: YouTube
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