The phrase "droppin' dimes" was popular during the heydays of mobsters, when ratting fellow gangsters out to the Feds was an increasingly fashionable trend, especially among those who didn't want to get raped in jail. It referred to the act of actually dropping a dime into the public payphone, which is what it cost to make a call back then. The phrase eventually manifested from its origins of snitching to the more positive example of enlightening; providing an assist, if you will, especially about things that everyone needs to know. Enter Fred Chapman and his '96 EK Honda Civic hatchback, this year's foremost Droppin' Dimes candidate.
The EK Civic has been a mainstay in the tuning culture since it debuted in 1996. Since then, almost every conceivable act of modification has been done to it, from Lamborghini-inspired doors to Toyota Supra taillights to hydraulic springs. It's endured various engine swaps from other Honda engines and beyond, and it's experienced all types of racing, from Super Lap Battles and drag racing to Gymkhana and autocrossing. It has become the proverbial whore walking the proverbial streets that is the aftermarket industry; choked out and pimped, slapped into tuning hell and back. So when an EK Civic manages to turn the heads of media professionals and seasoned tuners more than 10 years after it released, it's worth a detailed look. It's like finding an Indian head one-cent in a sea of Abraham Lincoln pennies.
"My wife Julie bought me this EK as a Valentine's Day gift in 2006," Fred explains, "I got started modifying as soon as I got it and finished the build a year and six months later." His first major change was the installation of a K20-A2 motor built by RedZone Peformance in Fremont, California. This once rare engine swap was a first for Fred, who was more familiar with swapping in B-series engines. He experienced problems like the cutting of the shifter tunnel, to the removal of the stock steering rack, to the search of the correct mount kit and, subsequently, finding the right hardware for it.
But since he's a certified Honda technician, these were all minor problems against the overall setback of the needless time consumption required to finish the swap. Once it was dropped into the engine bay, Fred and RedZone installed a set of Skunk2 Stage II camshafts and adjustable cam gears, which help move air and fuel through the combustion chambers, sucking in air from the RedZone 70mm port-matched intake manifold and spitting them out to the Six Sigma 4-to-1 headers. The fuel is transferred throughout the system by a Walbro fuel pump, Golden Eagle fuel rail, 410cc OEM injectors, and regulated by an Aeromotive fuel regulator. This collection of parts is managed by a Hondata K-Pro EMS with a Mugen ECU race mount, which is modified with a smoked ECU cover. The JDM parts headlining the engine bay include a Carbing cooling plate, coolant overflow tank and oil catch can with a K&N breather filter. Naturally, none of these parts, nor the engine for that matter, would stay put in the bay if it wasn't for the Hasport v2 EK mount kit, helping the motor ride out smoothly using all of its estimated 240 horsepower.
The most impressive feature under the hood is its attention to detail. Each visible bolt was switched with polished chrome replacements and custom colored washers, while the valve cover is custom powder coated a Candy Blue by West Coast Powder Coating. Stainless steel lines shine beautifully throughout the engine, connecting at one point to a Koyo aluminum radiator core with Cusco radiator cap. But it's really the outside of the car that represents how well the engine is tuned. Forgoing the typical hanging passenger-side exhaust system, Fred and RedZone custom made a center-exit dual-exhaust system, going straight through his rear bumper. This one-off setup features Blox mini mufflers situated under the custom battery bracket, which was also relocated in the rear bumper.