1993 Honda Civic DX

If we could turn back the hands of time and look at the origins of the sport compact culture explosion, we'd find three waves of Honda faithful dating back to the early '90s. In the first wave, enthusiasts learned the lessons we take for granted the hard way, laying the foundation for a multi-billion-dollar industry along the way. The prominent Honda at the ground floor was the EG Civic hatchback (1992-95), and it's still a popular and potent platform today.

Tarik Paris of Old Bridge, N.J., is a long-time enthusiast with a 5th-gen. Civic that illustrates the capability of the EG. "I have been a Honda man for more than 15 years," boasts Paris. "It started with an '89 Accord. I've had a '92 Prelude Si, a '95 Integra GSR, went back to a '95 Prelude and now a '93 Civic. I have always been addicted to speed, as my speeding tickets attest."

In amassing those infractions, Paris has also broken off a few unsuspecting souls, as he likes to tout. "The inspiration for building my car would have to be the pure satisfaction of seeing the faces of drivers of 'Vettes, Porsches, and various other 'supercars' when they can't beat a little red hatchback Civic. It is absolutely priceless! They can't believe how fast the car is. And the handling is incredible as well!"

Before attracting the attention of law enforcement, Paris' interest in autos first led him to an education at Lincoln Tech, where he graduated and went on to begin a career as a mechanic at International Motorsports Products. He is currently wrenching at e-Shift Performance in Cliffwood Beach, which has been a boon to the project.

"Building this car was fairly straightforward," explains Paris. "[e-Shift's] Mike, Wayne, and I put our heads together to plan the project out and from A to Z it took 6 months to build. The biggest issue I had was finding the perfect power for my driving style. I have a big appetite for torque, so I needed drivability with the raw power to boot. In other words, picking the right turbo for the job.

"I went with a special blend from Full Race. It's worked out great. I have plenty of thrust on tap. Power to the ground is in the neighborhood of 470. Torque is also very good at 380 lb-ft."

The Full Race-spec Garrett T04-E-based turbo pressurizes a B18C fortified with Crower rods and JE pistons. The 1.8L is topped with a fairly stock head armed with Type R cams and springs in its valvetrain. Turbo system hardware consists of a Drag manifold, custom fabricated downpipe, Tial wastegate, and a HKS blow-off valve.