The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, isn’t it? Or perhaps that should be the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Some of you living stateside probably feel a strong desire for a slice of authentic Japanese culture, but Yuya Kishi – ‘Park’ to his friends – has taken a New York slice-sized bite of American culture, and not just with his cars.
Park lives in a house that looks like it was shipped directly from the set of The Truman Show. That is not far from the truth, as it was built by the same company that constructed Universal Studios Japan.
The house has an American-sized garage, which is undoubtedly a good enough reason to live there, but even more handy for Park, who owns two Honda Civic Coupes – one a rare model sold exclusively on the Japanese domestic market but assembled in the USA.
Why is Park so enamoured with Americana? It all started in his teenage years, during which time he was influenced by peers who drove USDM cars and took him to lowrider shows around Osaka.
This particular JDM Civic Coupe was owned by a friend for over 15 years before Park got his hands on it. It had been a long-term show build that evolved into more of a street car, but new life responsibilities eventually put paid to the fun. Park quickly snapped up the Honda as an unfinished project.
Stock, the JDM EJ7 was much like any other mid-grade EK Civic, with a D16A engine and CVT transmission as standard equipment. However, its two-door coupe body – as opposed to the design of the three-door hatch and four-door sedan – gave the model a different vibe. The same can be said of the earlier EG Civic Coupe.
While the 1996+ Civic Coupe was sold in a few grade levels (denoted by different EJ chassis codes) in its North American target market, just one model was exported new to Japan in right-hand drive configuration.
Park’s example is more fast-road focused than his other, daily-driven EJ7 – a USDM left-hand drive EX Coupe (complete with Ferrari 360 Modena seats) that once called Florida home.
During the time Park has owned his JDM EJ7, the car has been stripped back for weight reduction. Inside, Bride seats, TAKATA Racing harnesses and a large digital tablet feature, though the Civic does retain some factory comfort in the shape of door cards, carpet, and even its original Honda of America floor mats.
While the Civic is focused on fast street use, the painted engine bay remains a reminder of the car’s history. The current B20B engine is the third one Park has been through in three years. He has a lofty 300km/h goal for the Honda, so there will bound to be a few mechanical casualties along the way.
Third time lucky, the current block has been built up with Wiseco forged pistons and an Eagle crankshaft. The TODA cam-equipped cylinder head has been ported to accept extra airflow from the Skunk intake plenum. Engine management duties fall upon a Link G4X.
At the moment, Park says the engine is making close to 250hp with an extra 50hp available at the flick of a switch and push of a button. Yes, of course it has NOS!
In his quest for 300km/h glory, Park has fitted a longer-ratio 5th gear in the Civic’s gearbox, but a K-Tuned shifter makes banging through all forward gears a joy whenever he takes the car out on the street. Cusco coilovers soak up all the bumps at high speed.
One of the coolest features of the car is its wheels – a rare set of 15×7-inch Hayashi Racing Super Streets with centre locks, wrapped up in Toyo Proxes R1R rubber.
This Civic Coupe build feels Kanjo Racer in spirit but executed in an OEM+ way. It’s a fun little car that took me by surprise when Park jumped on the gas, the torque-rich B20B engine coming alive instantly without the hesitation that comes with turbocharging.
As a true hero of Japanese performance cars, the Civic platform is legendary in its own right. Ironically though, one of the coolest JDM models wasn’t built in Japan.
Toby Thyer
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