Kevin Bach has long been partial to the infamous three-door hatchback endearingly referred to as the EG by Honda aficionados. He just hasn't had much luck keeping them around.
The San Francisco resident's first EG wound up in the scrap yard shortly after Bach handed the keys to his cousin. The second encountered a similar demise, courtesy of the same unfortunate relative. But despite the ill turn of events Bach's first two hatchbacks underwent, his latest creation, formed out of a '93 Civic shell, clearly illustrates Bach's familiarity with the chassis.
Bach purchased the EG as a stripped-down shell for around the price of a set of tires, then rid it of interior, suspension, engine and brakes. He says he wanted it that way, as he'd be using many of the parts from Civic number two to complete his latest one.
Bach purchased the car in October of last year and, with the help of his uncle David Tran and members of Honda-tech.com, had the formerly gutted chassis running in less than three months. As a former "old-school racer," Bach informs us that Tran had the knowledge and the skills to put together Bach's third hatch. The uncle/nephew team settled on a B18C1 mill right off the bat, destined for high-compression, naturally aspirated duty.
When it came to parts selection, Bach turned to Honda-tech.com. There, he consulted others who'd built similar engines. He walked away from the keyboard a smarter man with a clear vision of what he needed to do.
For the most part, Bach's buildup went smoothly. The only challenge the two encountered was achieving the 12.7:1 compression ratio without the Civic Type-R pistons tapping the Supertech valves. Upon turning the engine's crankshaft, Tran noticed the OEM domed pistons coming into contact with the stainless steel valves. The two decided to clay the combustion chamber and, with the proper measurements, sent the pistons out to be machined for extra clearance.
With an Integra Type-R top end and a number of Toda goods bolted in place, the Civic's powerplant propelled the EG to a 12.59 quarter- mile ET at nearly 108 mph.
But before Bach's latest creation would make its appearance at the dragstrip, he and his uncle still had to address a few issues. A combination of Integra Type-R and EG suspension components were utilized to put Bach's latest shell on the ground. Type-R brakes were selected in order to give the Civic five-lug status.
With the car now a roller, Bach sent his EG off to Karry's Collision Center, where it underwent its NSX Long Beach Blue Pearl color change. Bach tells us the folks at Karry's were more than accommodating, obliging him with all of his last-minute changes, including painting under the hood, relocating a number of under-hood items and executing the wire tuck.
That fact that Bach's first two hatchbacks' lives were cut short is unfortunate. He had high hopes for them. "I've wanted to build a hatch ever since I was a kid and my uncle got one. I had plans for both of those cars," Bach said.
But we believe that because of the early demise of Bach's two former EGs, Civic number three is better for it. Bach's been given what few enthusiasts have: Not just a second, but a third chance at building that ultimately perfect hatchback. And unless Bach wants to give it a fourth shot, we suggest he refrain from handing the keys over to that cousin of his again.