Adam Welling’s modified tuned Honda Civic EF
Most people will tell you the EK9 was the best Civic ever made. But I’d be inclined to have a good old debate about that over a pint and a packet of pork scratchings. For me, the fourth-gen EF was the Civic that really kicked off our love affair with Honda’s little hatch.
It was the first Civic to house the now legendary VTEC engine. It was super lightweight and, with a bit of tweaking, handles the roads better than Steven Seagal handles himself. I know this because I used to own one. Having said that; it wasn’t a patch on Adam Wellings’ home-built beauty.
Good examples of base model EF Civics are hard to find, so UK-spec VTi versions are virtually impossible to get your hands on, in fact it’s probably easier to find a JDM SiR! With this in mind Adam decided to build his own SiR/ VTi collaboration. He found a nice 1.6i (ED7) example with a year’s ticket. Bought it, drove it home and parked it in his garage. It wasn’t there to collect dust, it was there to be transformed.
The ED7 front was soon sacrificed for an EF9 SiR front-end conversion that included a carbon hood. More SiR goodies were added before it was a case of improving the looks with some subtle but clever touches, like the Honda Jazz washer jets that save drilling through that carbon bonnet.
The interior was completely stripped and then painstakingly refurbed until it was as shiny on the inside as it was on the repainted out. The OE seats were binned for Recaro Pole Position buckets and Schroth 4-point harnesses that are nicely linked to a 6-point roll cage. The interior is a purposeful place, and it has to be with Adam’s love of track days. Check the helmet hammock!
Now, the main differences between the ED7 and VTi/SiR is the engine. The stock D16 engine lacked that VTEC shift that gave the SiR and VTi their magic, so you can guess what happened next. A B16A lump was swapped out of a CRX VT and into the bay, and while Adam was at it he tucked it, too.
This is the way the car stayed until April last year when Adam decided to drop in an EK9 Type R unit. The main advantage of the B16B over the A is the increased rev limit, and of course that extra 25bhp… and that’s before Adam got busy with a few cheeky modifications.
The chassis set up is purposeful. There aren’t any oversized wheels or sump- scrapping lows for aesthetic looks. A set of modest 6.5×15-inch Hart alloys don’t unsettle the car’s balance, while a bunch of D2 goodies improve it.
Ironically setting the car up this way has produced those aesthetic looks anyway. Adam wanted a tidy EF VTi project car, but in reality has ended up building something far superior. Top work.
TECH SPEC CIVIC EF ED7
STYLING
F9 SiR front end conversion; EF9 SiR carbon fibre bonnet; EF9 SiR bumper, indicators and filler bar; VT glass headlamps and corner lamps; Honda Jazz washer jets; Password JDM front lip; EF9 SiR side skirts; Spoon style mirrors; wind deflectors; EF9 SiR rear bumper and lip; EF9 SiR rear LED spoiler; Chargespeed wing cover; smoothed boot; J’s Racing Honda primo sunstrip.
INTERIOR
Recaro Pole Position seats; Schroth 4-point harnesses; Momo wheel and snap-off boss; OMP 6-point roll cage; rear stripped out; relocated battery; Razo wide-angle rear view mirror; Skunk2 shift knob; ITR shift boot; VT black dash and doorcards; dial cluster; helmet hammock.
AUDIO
Infinity components; Auto Gauge oil pressure and water temp gauges.
CHASSIS
6.5×15-inch Sprint Hart CP alloys powder coated gunmetal; Yokohama Parada Spec 2 195/50×15 tyres; D2 Racing coilovers; D2 Racing lower control arms; Cusco lower front strut brace; NRG strut braces; D2 Racing rear camber adjusters; Honda Accord 282mm brake upgrade; ITR brake master cylinder and booster; full brake line tuck; Goodridge braided brake lines.
TUNING
B16B EK9 Civic Type R engine conversion; Y2 gearbox; EXEDY stage 1 clutch, lightweight flywheel; Skunk2 short shifter; Tegiwa shifter extender; Energy poly shifter bushes; 5Zigen 4-2-1 stainless manifold heat-wrapped; custom decat pipe; Invidia GT300 cat-back exhaust system; Hasport EFB1 engine mounts; ITR intake Spoon air filter; NGK ignition leads; carbon- kevlar plug cover; Road Sailin’ Industries custom dipstick; Earls custom fuel lines; Summit Racing fuel filter; Spoon reservoir socks and rad cap; Koyo alloy full length radiator; Spal slimline radiator fan; Samco radiator hoses; remapped ECU; full wire tuck.
