Even the most faultless of kin have something to hide from the parents. The less-than-perfect report card, the magazine under the mattress, the CD with one of those parental advisory warning labels--there's always something. As far as we know, Kenilworth, N.J., resident Jason Sierant's grades have always been up to par and he doesn't tuck away dirty magazines under his mattress. But he does have a penchant for keeping secrets from the family patriarch.
Sierant fell in love with the '99 Civic Si the moment he heard news of its development. He wasted no time adding his name to the waiting list and six months later became the proud owner of one of the first built. Since the day he drove it home though, the Si's buildup has turned into a web of secrets kept from Dad, making for an all-around low-key project.
The build centered around the age-old father-and-son conflict; dad wanting to preserve and protect son's first major investment, son wanting to extract every last bit of performance out of said major investment. Were this a typical family, perhaps Sierant would have heeded dad's advice and left well enough alone. But the Sierants aren't typical. A high-performance Chevy fanatic at heart, Dad's racing roots date back to the '70s. Today he boasts a heavily modified Chevelle that serves show duty. You could say the desire to modify is in the blood.
Not long after driving off the dealer lot, Sierant added the usual bolt-ons to the mix, certain his Si was destined for the show circuit. Plans called for a "crazy" widebody kit and larger wheels. Then Dad chimed in with the voice of reason. Sierant conceded and decided to keep the car looking stock, then followed another path: speed.
The turning point was a nitrous install on a buddy's Volkswagen. Unbeknownst to Dad, Jason dropped off the Si at a local shop for a kit of his own. From the beginning, Sierant was hesitant. He wanted a faster car, but hated the idea of leaving his baby at a shop. His Si, after all, has only seen raindrops about three times and meets the pavement only a couple of days a week.
The results discouraged him. The shop affixed the fogger with Superglue and the wiring resembled a rat's nest. Sierant vowed then and there he'd perform all future work himself. But the kit did what it was supposed to and the Civic posted low 14s through the traps. Soon after, Sierant performed other budget-minded speed secrets, including scrapping the A/C and cruise control.
The Si came along slowly until Sierant's little brother did what little brothers do best. When Dad found out, he was pissed, Sierant says. But not as pissed as he'd be a few months later. Sierant scored a DRAG Generation III turbo kit (another secret) and this time did the install himself. The e.t.'s were dropping and things were going as planned, and then came the idea to do an LS/VTEC. He rounded up a B18B1 block and using a convenient ruse--clutch replacement--Sierant pulled the head from the block and the block from the car.
"When my dad saw the motor out of the car he went insane," he says.
Between the secrets and lies, the Si prevailed with nearly double the power, mid-11-second timeslips and ultraclean lines. While other dads may have made their kid return the car to stock, the elder Sierant's car guy roots shone through. Apparently, Dad understands Sierant's secrets.
A Classic's Origins
The Civic's roots date back to '73, but it wasn't until 12 years later that U.S. car buyers would have the opportunity to get their hands on the performance icon known as the Si. First offered as a CRX, hatchbacks became available the following year for those desiring four seats.
An acronym for "sport injection," the Si became the first Civic to incorporate a fuel-injected, 1.5-liter powerplant, bidding good-bye to the age of carburetion. Early Si's quickly became synonymous with performance, featuring 14-inch wheels mated to high-performance tires, a monotone paint scheme and sport seats.
Honda ushered in a sleeker, more powerful Si in 1988. The new D16A6 crossed the 100-hp threshold by five ponies and a double wishbone suspension became standard issue. The '92 Si boasts the more robust, 125-hp D16Z6 and the closer ratio five-speed transaxle became standard, as did ABS and power interior features.
The Si skipped town from '96 to '98, and returned in '99 with what some consider the best package yet. A 160-hp dual-cam B16A2 powerplant, firmer suspension, 15-inch wheels, close ratio gearbox and sporty body accents separated the Si from lesser models. But it was short-lived, bowing out after only two model years.