1993 Honda Civic DX

Mad Max endured the automotive attacks of psychotic Aussies wearing poorly-executed medieval armor from some sorry B-rate Heavy Metal music video. He was solid, scrappy and innovative and emerged in one piece. Brett Kordenbrock's '93 Civic hatch has been through many a battle of its own. Unlike Max, the Civic becomes stronger after each skirmish and today rolls harder than it ever did.

Kordenbrock lusted for a turbo Honda and his fantasy became reality when this Civic materialized in New Jersey. It was already a boosted LS/VTEC with built internals and valvetrain mods when he acquired it. "It was a hack job to start with because the Haltech EMS required some type of special engine harness, distributor, etc. that did not mesh well with the car," says Kordenbrock. "I had no mph reading, no interior lights, with wiring all 'fubared' in the engine bay." Beyond these miscues, the car was destined to be a drag racer and the interior and exterior were in sorry shape.

After determining a rented trailer was unreasonably priced, Kordenbrock set off to drive the prized Civic from Jersey back to his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. "After 12 hours of road trippin' we were tired as hell. We ran two toll booths because we weren't sure what the hell was going on with the lights and/or how to make a payment," says Kordenbrock. "Luckily, we made it after stalling about 10 times at each toll booth because I had never really driven a four-puck un-sprung hub'd clutch. Despite all that, I arrived home ecstatic that I had a turbo'd Honda.

"I eventually wrecked the car one night when I hydroplaned into a concrete barrier, which got the project started a few months early," says Kordenbrock. "The frame had been bent slightly and a new front end was needed. I called upon a very 'hometown' shop west on Cincinnati to do the job and they executed it very well. Since we hadn't had much experience with painting, we stayed with an OEM Milano-Red which turned out very bright due to the incorrect primer we used, but I always get asked if it is a stock color...it's our own custom/stock."

"I choose to go with AEM Engine Management for fine-tuning this potential beast because of its ease of installation. I hit the dyno in March and the car pumped out an impressive 311-wheel hp at 9 psi of boost. Rick at Raceline tuned the car to perfection. School was coming up, so I went to a local hangout, The Bumsport, for late-night gathering and ricers racing...idiots. I had a few races and, though timid at first, I felt on top of the world as I ended up winning a few."

As is usually the case, the 9 psi of boost soon felt like two and it was time to increase the beast's boost. "At 2 a.m., while trying to tune the car out to a nice even 15psi, and fighting boost leaks and wavering from 18 to 15psi all night, I attempted to simulate the car being on the road with cool air coming across it," says Kordenbrock. "So like Joe Dirt, I took a nitrous bottle (mind you we have been doing this in a not-so-well ventilated room for about four hours) and sprayed while the car was doing a pull, not realizing I was spraying right into the turbo the car leaned out and POP, Bang! Cylinder sleeves cracked and pistons were shot, the turbo was DOA too.