The Golden Child

It's funny how things turn out sometimes; a whim is all it takes. Kevin Mayuga started out as a big fan of the BMW marque, but decided to purchase a Honda due to peer pressure. Ah, friends. His choice of this 2000 Honda EK hatchback was due to his admiration for more famous EK works, such as LJ Garcia's EK hatch. Following his purchase of the poster child of the import world, Mayuga jumped headfirst into the show scene. Wheels came and went like girlfriends go through shoes, and then something random happened. A buyer stepped out of the shadows and offered to buy Mayuga's car straight out. After removing all the goodies and putting them up for sale, Mayuga received the fantastic news: the buyer was backing out. Contemplating automotive suicide, Mayuga went ahead on an all-out buildup. He decided his style would be pure JDM, which means, of course, Jamaican Domestic Market. Rasta, mon.

When he bought his EK, Mayuga knew exactly what he wanted before he started any work. First, he wanted speed. The Civic was left with JG Engine Dynamics of Alhambra, Calif., for the full go-fast treatment. First came a JG Engine Dynamics Pro Series Gen 2 short block and a 2000 Civic Si B16 head mounted with Place Racing polyurethane motor mounts. Into the block went 8.5:1 compression Arias pistons and Eagle ESP H-beam connecting rods. Into the B16 head went 2000 Civic Si camshafts, JG Engine Dynamics dual valve springs, and JG Engine Dynamics titanium retainers. Fuel is provided with a set of RC Engineering 310cc fuel injectors fed by an MSD fuel pump, Vortech fuel pressure regulator, and an STR fuel rail. Finishing the motor is the mandatory Jamaican reservoir covers.

Now the engine was ready for a serious kick in the pants. A JG Engine Dynamics custom spec T3/T4 turbocharger was installed on top of a custom exhaust manifold and fed into a JG Engine Dynamics Big Mouth intercooler and custom built B16A intake manifold and throttle body. A Tial wastegate, GReddy Type-S blow-off valve, and Hose Techniques silicone hoses and T-bolt clamps round out the turbo setup. Unrestricted exhaust flow is important for turbo power numbers, and here flow is provided by custom three-inch piping feeding into an A'PEXi N1 exhaust system. Power is now an SAE-corrected 298 hp and 224 lb-ft of torque to the wheels on 6 lb of boost, with the dyno plot to prove it. What it takes to get the power to the wheels is a Civic Si B16 transmission fitted with a ClutchNet six-puck clutch, AASCO aluminum flywheel, and Quaife ATB differential. Engine management is handled by a Skunk2 OBDII to OBDI racing harness and a custom P28 ECU from Erick's Racing. Owners feeling hindered by the safeguards of OBDII technology turn to the Skunk2 harness to allow their cars to be converted to OBDI standards.