Tein HA coilovers came courtesy of the previous owner, who was a broke college student, so they remained unchanged except for modified spring rates. The stiff suspension is further upgraded with Prothane bushings and a Carbing shock tower bar. The stiff chassis rolls on 15-inch, old-school Dunlop Formula CP-F wheels with Falken Azenis rubber. Sitting behind the front wheels are '99 Civic Si brakes with CRX Si ones out back.
Despite the man-hours devoted to aesthetics, Gilbert is quick to remind us that this is no show car. His heart lies with the racing world, which meant his Civic's heart would have to as well. The B16A powerplant sitting in the bay was discarded and a full wire tuck was done in preparation for a B20A engine. The B20A that was assembled by Gilbert is highlighted by a decked, bored, honed, balanced, and blueprinted block complete with new seals, gaskets, and a B16A head. JB Cams in Chula Vista, Calif., is responsible for the custom Circuit Hero-spec camshafts paired with Skunk2 cam gears. Gilbert further developed the head with Port Flow race springs and titanium retainers. You might say Gilbert is a one-man wrecking crew in light of the fact that he did his own cylinder head port and polish in the privacy of his own home. A-Sports 46mm individual throttle bodies sit at the helm controlling incoming airflow while an ITG foam filter strains unwanted elements from the atmosphere. A HyTech 4-2-1 header kicks exhaust gases through to a Circuit Hero test pipe and out through a super-OG HKS Sport exhaust system. An S1 cable transmission was fully disassembled, inspected, and meticulously rebuilt by Gilbert with new main carrier and mainshaft bearings. An ACT heavy-duty clutch pressure plate, Southland six-puck sprung-hub clutch disc, and a Kaaz one-and-a-half-way limited-slip differential allows the transmission to handle anything Gilbert decides to throw at it. With the engine firmly in place, the 11.8:1 B20-VTEC produces 227 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque. Not too shabby for a one-man, garage-built project.
"Three years later, and a lot of man-hours in my garage, produced the car you see now. All the work was done by me with little to no help from anyone," Gilbert says. "I'm done for now; I want to take a little break from building and take it to the track for some stomping." Gilbert's Civic should remain proof that one can never fully be over it or simply walk away from a hobby that once pulled at the heartstrings. Gilbert Corona is a guy who just happened to be down and out and tried to trick himself into believing that he was done. A couple of years later he escaped from his garage with something truly amazing.
Propulsion:
B20-VTEC engine
B16A cylinder head
Hasport engine mounts
RS Machine cast pistons
Bored, decked, and blueprinted block
Balanced internals
Hastings piston rings
B16A water pump
GSR timing belt
B16A oil pump
Baffled B16A oil pan
ARP rod bolts
Ported and polished head
JB Cams Circuit Hero camshafts
Skunk2 cam gears
Port Flow valvesprings
Port Flow titanium retainers
ITR lost motion assemblies
ARP head studs
Modified B20A head gasket
Endyn crankcase breather
Golden Eagle LS-VTEC kit
A-Sport 46mm ITBs
Circuit Hero TPS adapter plate
Golden Eagle vacuum log
ITG foam air filter
Walbro 190lph fuel pump
RC 370cc fuel injectors
BDL fuel rail
Earl's fuel filter
B&M fuel pressure regulator
Steel braided fuel lines and AN fittings
Marshall fuel pressure gauge
NGK spark plug wires
Hondata ECU
HyTech Exhaust 4-2-1 header
Circuit Hero test pipe
HKS Sport exhaust system
Fluidyne radiator
Mugen fan switch
Mugen thermostat
Carbing coolant reservoir
Samco Sport radiator hoses
S1 cable transmission
ITR flywheel
Hasport shift linkage
ACT heavy-duty clutch pressure plate
Southland six-puck sprung-hub clutch disc
Kaaz one-and-a-half-way limited-slip differential