Sol’s EK9 Circuit Build… Part 1
Today we’re back with a quick update on Sol’s EK9 build. Having previously built several cars, Sol is no stranger to the process, however this project is on a high priority list to be completed. The main reason for this is so he can get in as much seat time as possible to aid with testing the suspension components and to ensure everything else flows with the circuit. No stranger to the Bushy Park circuit, Sol already had an idea of the type of setup he was looking into. He focused his efforts towards fast tracking the preparation of the EK9 shell to have it sent off to Y-Esuf Auto Clinic so the guys can wrap up the bodywork and begin the paint process.
With that plan in mind, we’ll be taking a look at the car as it went through the final stages of body work after the shell had been fully fitted with the roll cage from Custom Cages; we also take a look at some parts as they started to arrive. And I know from the previous post you guys have been wanting to get some info on the motor set up, so I have included the entire engine build in this post as well. I hope you guys enjoy!!
For those who may be viewing this build for the first time, I’ve provided the link to the previous post below:-
Sol’s EK9 Circuit Build… Introduction
With the estimated goal rapidly approaching, the EK9 was placed on a rotisserie and sent to Y-Esuf Auto Clinic…
The underside of the Civic was prepared and blown in a gray hue before arrival as to speed up the process…
Having the car dedicated to being a race car, there really is no need for a full exhaust. The floor was reworked and a tunnel cut to have the exhaust make a left turn after the header and exit on what was previously the passenger side…
Full view of the prepared underside…
Taking a closer look moving towards the rear of the car you can see where the floor was cut to accommodate for the fuel cell…
In the previous post I mentioned about the common disease when it comes to hatches, the rusted roof, which has since been repaired…
A full view of the shell which has been rotated 90° via the rotisserie…
At the front you can see where the gusseted A pillar ties into the dash bar; which has been modified to use a composite OEM styled dash. This will be revealed in the upcoming posts after the paint phase is completed…
A view of the interior fabrication work outside of the cage…
Pictured is the custom battery tray along with the exhaust tunnel to accommodate a side exit system…
Seating positioning is very important and quite some time was spent on determining the optimal seating point. More of this will be visible as we move forward with the build…
For those who may have doubts, this is in fact a legit CTR…
Even though the Hasport K swap mount bracket was bolted in place, a few welds were thrown down to fully secure it…
A final look at the hood and side skirts before the colour change…
With all that was currently going on over at Y-Esuf Auto Clinic a few goodies for the build started to arrive…
PCI seat bracket…
A host of Vibrant Performance AN fittings and hoses arrived…
Lets not forget about the Hasport EKK2 billet engine mounts…
In an effort to save time where the wiring was concerned a Wireworx EK conversion harness along with an engine harness were purchased…
Sol will be using DC2 Type R rear brake calipers with braided lines from a previous Civic build…
Meanwhile back at Y-Esuf Auto Clinic, some progress was made on the EK9…
The gutted tailgate after it received a fresh coat of white…
A look at the doors which too were also gutted of any unwanted metal…
A glimpse of the shell on the rotisserie…
A few shots of the work in progress…
After the paint process was completed with some of the masking removed…
The front end was fully treated to a metallic silver hue…
While the outer body was kept simple, in a bright white hue…
The rear under fenders were also treated to the metallic silver along with the full underbody…
Another view of the front fender underside…
The engine bay was hit with the same silver…
And to finish things up, the interior also was coated in metallic silver…
Close up of the freshly painted gusseted A pillars…
Having a strict timeline in mind, it would require multiple things taking place at the same time. And as a result Sol was rapidly gathering parts to piece this puzzle together…
The K Series gearbox was pulled apart to have the Gear-X close ratio kit installed along with a M Factory plated limited slip differential. In addition to this, a super single disc Competition Clutch and a set of Insane Shafts 500HP axles were purchased to close out the drivetrain setup.
Onto what you guys have been asking about, the motor assembly…
Sol will be using a K20a setup in accordance with the rules stipulated by BPMSI. The bottom end started off with a 4 Piston Racing ported oil pump and Circuit Hero baffle…
A set of Carrillo forged rods and CP pistons put the compression at around 13.7…
Added to the mix were a set of ARP head studs…
With the bottom end completed the head gasket was fitted…
Having already dealt with the guys at Drag Cartel on a previous build, Sol reached out when it was time to put together the head package for this build…
A look at the CNC ported head with the new valves fitted…
Along with the ported head, Sol added Drag Cartel’s 3.2 camshafts to complete the setup…
Camshafts installed…
Fully assembled with the cam gears and timing chain in place…
Closing out this build with a shot of some of the goodies to come in the upcoming post. Thanks for taking a look at this installment of Sol’s EK9 Circuit Build, stay tuned for more to come in this series.
Sol’s EK9 Circuit Build… Introduction
Today we kick off another quality build, however not with a name typically associated with Hondas. Having driven a host of vehicles over the years Sol decided it was time to join the likes of many enthusiasts and build a FWD platform. Sol was very successful within the Radical SR3 Cup Series since his entry in 2016, competing with some of the best drivers throughout the Caribbean. His natural talent combined with his determination led him to win back to back championships within the series up until his departure in 2018. Sol has developed a huge love for circuit racing and to further emphasize this point, he has decided to build a dedicated track car from the ground up.
Even though the title of this post gave it away, it was still very much of a shocker to see Sol going against the grain of his norms to build a Honda Civic EK9. Unknowing to many Sol previously owned a Honda Integra DC5 in his younger years and from what he recalls it was absolutely amazing to him at the time. I guess you can say it’s kind of a back to his roots type of build but with significantly more punch. Given the advances in technology throughout the years combined with a light weight chassis, Sol is excited to see what the end result would be in comparison. The plan is to build a car based on Group 2 specifications for the Bushy Park Racing Circuit. The car will be powered by a K20 motor and will have some upgrades to the brakes and suspension.
In this post we’ll take a look at the car when Sol first received it and follow through the teardown process and beginning stages of the bodywork.
Prior to Sol taking over this build, it previously belonged to Jerry Leach, some of you may remember the name from the ‘ Track Bred EG6 Build ‘ series posted a while back on the site. The initial plan was to keep it as a fun street car but that went left after he started to tear the car apart.
As the car was in the teardown process it revealed that the shell would require some serious attention…
The bare front end after removing all the necessary components…
A view of the bay after the motor was removed, confirming this would be no easy task moving forward with the project…
The partially disassembled EK9…
B Series motor and gearbox that once filled the EK9’s bay…
Front and rear bumpers…
Tail lights, steering column, AC blower and some other misc pieces that were removed from both the interior and engine bay…
Interior panels removed and in a pile next to the hood…
A view of the partially gutted interior with mostly harness remaining…
Taking a look in the rear there really wasn’t much left. The car was then fully stripped and sent undergo the beginning stages of body work…
Upon further inspection of the interior revealed serious rusting in the four corners of the floor. Steps were taken to ensure the bulk of the rusted metal was removed…
The decision was made to no longer street drive the car and the rear quarter panels were cut, removing any unwanted material…
Along with that went the factory seating locations, updated seating points will be fabricated at a later date…
A view of some of the metal brackets that were removed…
A common area for hatches to experience rusting is under the tailgate where it meets the roof, and this EK9 was no different from any of the others…
The rear quarter where you can see the suspension, fuel tank filler and quarter glasses all have been removed…
The front end with suspension and subframe removed to fully asses the damage…
A close up of the rusted area where the windshield and hood hinges meet…
Some detailed photos of where the rust was removed from the floor…
The shell as it sat awaiting the completion of this process…
On the path to being track driven, a roll cage was purchased for the EK9 and the fabrication had began…
Rear view with some of the pipes in place…
The quarter panel required some attention during the body work phase…
Side shot of EK9 sitting on jack stands…
The necessary repairs were made to the fender arches after which they received a coat of black paint…
Door bars tacked in place awaiting the final welds…
Some shots of the engine bay after the shell returned from the first stages of bodywork…
The left and right side of the interior where the cage meets the floor. The boxes were in the process of being completed…
View of the main hoop fitted in place…
Added reinforcement welded to the tunnel…
Another angle of the progress made thus far…
The right side also had some body repairs done to the quarter panel…
Tailgate with the rear glass removed along with some other misc parts for the car can be seen in the back ground…
A look at the doors and fenders after they came back from bodywork…
That’s it for the first look into Sol’s EK9 Circuit Build, thanks for taking a look and stay tuned for much more in the upcoming weeks on this build.
TDSAutoMag 