1993 Del Sol

Envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, greed, pride, and wrath are the "Seven Capital Sins." Although not evident simply from its appearance, all seven sins are represented in one form or another in this '93 del Sol.

Envy: For many of us, the first associations we learned of the color green and envy were through early morning Sunday reruns of Tom and Jerry. Interestingly enough, not all shades of green denote the same intensity of jealousy. In fact, the specific tinge of Samba Green appears to induce the most jealousy in fellow Honda owners, which is exactly why Mike Kaufman, a 15-year show car veteran and owner of this precious emerald, decided to keep the stock color when opting to go the show car route.

Gluttony: The del Sol is by no means a glutton; at a mere 2500 pounds, the del Sol is a great base for a high power-to-weight ratio. As if anorexic, this already light car shaved off further poundage with Mike's addition of a Sunny Styling carbon-fiber hood. Wanting to keep the styling modest and simple, a '99-00 Honda Civic Si lip was slapped on the front along with JDM amber corners. Luminics yellow headlights, which give the car an almost possessed disposition, top off the clean look.

Sloth: Even though Mike's Sol was the hottest thing on the block since Jenny, it was sinning badly in the sloth department. Hoping to repent the sins, he quickly snatched up a Garrett T3 Super 60 turbo, JRC front mount intercooler and a Turbo XS BOV to couple with the single-cam D16 engine. Hondata S200 engine management software and a Hallman boost controller regulate the D16's electronics, while a 2KK Holley fuel pump and Tuner Toys 450cc injectors are responsible for misting the fuel into the cylinders. To make sure everything remains ice cool, Mike looked to the best. Fluidyne sent over one of its performance radiators and Flex-A-Lite hooked him up with one of its slim line fans. Even after all of the changes, Mike knew an engine is only as good as its transmission. Luckily, Mike had contacts at Competition Clutch and they were able to send over their Stage 2 clutch and ultra light flywheel. Finishing up the performance mods as well as the combustion process is a Skunk 2 cat-back exhaust. In the show car world, there's usually one thing that separates a show car's engine bay from a weekend racer's, and that is the abundance of polished accessories. Polished from head to toe, Mike's engine is sporting a shiny valve cover, fuel rail, intake manifold, distributor, intercooler piping and charge pipes. An accomplishment I believe even Paul Wall would be proud of.

Lust: When it came time for wheel selection, something happened that could only be described as "lust at first sight." Mike called up Greg Baker at Injected Performance in Lexington, Ky., for the hook-up on the Gold 16x7 Volk Racing 57C Gramlights. Wrapped in ZR16 Kelly Chargers, this wheel/tire combo is enough for any car enthusiast to get starry eyed over. Most show cars never see the open road. In fact, the biggest bump most show cars could encounter is running over an import model on the way to the podium, but since Mike sometimes cruises the pothole-ridden streets of the U.S. on his ventures to car shows around the country, he needs a drop that is aggressive, yet still maintains the practicality of a street car. Tokico HP shocks and Skunk 2 adjustable coilovers provide Mike with the versatility for both his street and show setups. Skunk 2 front and rear upper strut bars round out the package, making the suspension as rigid as Pinocchio with a Viagra addiction. Finally, bringing the car to a halt are XRC brake calipers and Powerslot slotted rotors.