INSPIRE: YK*RKEW EG6 Civic is now the fastest NA FF at Tsukuba Circuit-56.070 seconds

Since yesterday's post on the GNR EK9, I've been researching more Instagram accounts and YouTube channels along with reading the 4 Parts to "The Chronicles" Attack Tsukuba event posts. I found out that the Yellow Factory R KEW (Kanagawa Engine Works) sponsored EG6 Civic hatchback is now the fastest NA FF (front engine-front wheel drive) machine with a best lap time of 56.070 seconds. He is knocking on the door to that 55 second barrier. Wow!

I want to make sure I give credit to those taking these photos.

So, enjoy these photos from The Chronicles 4 posts. Find more here:
https://stickydiljoe.com/2020/03/25/attack-tsukuba-2020-coverage-part-4/
Please also jump over to Joey Lee's YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stickydiljoedotcom

Please also check out @shuboxinc Instagram page. This dude lives in Japan and Vancouver and covers the racing scene in both places. He also has a YouTube channel found here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYH32V6cfQ0lDRQgnltiQ8Q

Without these dudes taking their time and money to travel to Japan and photograph and video these events and cars, I wouldn't have them, so big thank you!

Ok, back to the Yellow Factory * Racing Kanagawa Engine Works EG6 Civic hatch time attack car.
My notes on the car are:
Yellow Factory*RKEW EG6
K24, ITBs, ???hp/770kg (1694lbs)
Big aero, wide fenders f & r

Photo by Joey Lee of "The Chronicles" 

My point in writing this blog entry is to appreciate this car and its lap times, see the similarities to those of the other Top 5 Hondas and the differences. Because there are really no rules except to run street legal sticky tires, the creativity of Time Attack leaves it open to each team copying what works and coming up with their own tricks along the way using trial and error.

An interesting thing too is the "Time Attack season" in Japan is pretty short. It's during the winter months. Why? Cold dense air makes more horsepower and less stress on the powertrain. If the sun is out, the cool air and sun keep the track surface warm enough for grip but not so hot that the tires get greasy and slippery. Makes sense. Also only makes it possible for 3 big events. At least, that's all I'm really seeing during these months. That could be partially due to the small amount of coverage I see online. IDK.

Big front aero, wide wheels/tires, carbon body panels

Wide fenders, wide wheels/tires up front, carbon hood, doors, hatch and wings. I noticed the yellow tape sealing off the front splitter to the bumper. Cheap and functional. Heat and air vents in the hood.

Here was my first clue that the YF RKEW EG6 had set the fastest lap time. Thanks @shuboxinc! 56.0 is insane! It's super fast!

Notice the long shifter. I'm pretty sure that is a

Here's a video of the car a year ago (Feb 2019) run a 56.697 sec. In an entire year he's gained .627 seconds. A years worth of development and driving! Hours of hard work! Lots of money! All for .627 sec. LOL Much respect!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l48A3101pZ8&t=28s

So, I know this is a K24 powerplant. You can see ITBs, which Joey Lee's article says are Toda Racing Sports kit. A titanium strut brace, tube front radiator support. I don't know the power level.
The weight of the car is even lighter than the GNR EK9, by 176lbs. That's not chump change. 1694lbs is feather light. Part of the difference could be the EG chassis is slightly lighter than the EK chassis.

Super cool picture looking down on the paddock at Tsukuba. Man and his machine! Pretty cool that the rear hatch is still functional. You can see the rear side windows are lexan or carbon as well just like the GNR EK9.
The YF*RKEW EG6 and GNR EK9 are very very similar in build design. Let's see if we can spot any differences.
One difference I spotted was the YF EG6 has a rear carbon diffuser for cleaning the air flow out the back of the car and likely helping with downforce. Both cars are running 295 (or larger) fronts and smaller rears. Both have K24 engines. What I don't know is if either have standard 6 speeds or sequential gearboxes. That could cut down on gear change times and allow for customized gear ratios. The details of the drivetrain specs are just not known in the public so there could be some key differences there. Also, the "driver mod" is another big factor in lap times.

56.070! There you have it! The gold...errrrr....yellow standard for all other Honda time attackers to beat!

Brentrod's 2016 Ford Mustang V6

It's been too long!  I don't know if its the winter dreary weather and staying indoors, combined with the week off of work, but I'm feeling the need to write about cars again.  With there being over a year since the last blog post, there is a lot to cover. I'll keep this post focused on Brentrod's Gray 2016 Mustang V6 6 speed car, which he bought in late 2015.  He bought it from Galpin Ford, one of the largest (maybe THE largest?) Ford dealerships in the world, at least in Southern California.  For Brent (my younger brother) this is his (hold on, gotta use my fingers to count them all up, let's see, there was the 1987 Mustang LX Coupe that received a total Thunderbird Turbo Coupe drivetrain swap, the green SN95 5.0 GT 5 speed, the blue S197 Mustang GT 5 speed, the white SN95 V6 to V8 swap car (posted on the blog before) and now the Gray S550 Base V6 6 speed car), so that makes this his 5th Mustang in 10-ish years.  The longest he's kept a Mustang is maybe 3 years (the white SN?), but this is the "long term" 'Stang, right bro?  heh heh Here's a pic on his way home from Galpin Ford for a pitstop at In-N-Out Burger (gotta break in "Bruce" right).  Brent and I bounced different names back and forth and settled on "Bruce", you know, the Shark from "Finding Nemo".  Yes, we do the Australian accent when we talk like him.  ;) It's because the dark gray color and those shark gills up front, it totally looks like a Great White Shark.  Camaro's are friends, not Food!

Here is, like, the only picture of the car in factory stock form. No, the 'Stang did not stay stock for long. Here's the current list.

Intake:
Custom carbon intake tube with open filter
BBK 73mm throttle body
Ported stock upper and lower intake manifolds
JLT oil separator

Exhaust:
BBK Shorty headers
Stock cats
SR "X" pipe
Custom Hechtspeed quad tip axle back with muffler delete
(This is like the 5th exhaust and is finally where its got the best sound to noise ratio (very subjective obviously)

Tune:
SCT X4 MPT 91PRX tune
(Multiple tunes as the mods have been added over this first year)

Drivetrain:
ACT Billet steel flywheel
ACT HD clutch

Suspension:
Eibach PROKIT lowering springs
BMR poly differential bushing inserts
BMR Cradle lock out brackets
SR Billet spherical links
Steeda Billet shifter bracket
Steeda transmission bushing insert
Custom carbon fiber shift knob
14" 4 piston Brembo Mustang GT swap up front, stock rear V6 brakes

Wheels//Tires:
XXR 521 18x10 ET25mm
Federal SS595 275/40/18
(Black chrome, then flat black, then bronze, then back to black)

Exterior:
Mustang GT front upper and lower grilles with mesh delete
Emblem delete with "Cyclone V6" emblems in red added
Custom Hechtspeed rear diffuser fins (design sold to AmericanMuscle who is now producing them in injected molded plastic)
Custom Hechtspeed fiberglass rear spoiler (Revision B since Revision A was sold)

Powerwise, the once stock ouput of 305hp/280tq is now estimated to be about 350hp/330tq.  Which puts it in the S197 3V 4.6L V8 with intake and exhaust territory, very respectable. MPG is a non-GT like 32 on the highway.  In town with "normal" driving, he's getting a more V8-like 20MPG, LOL.

Here's the first "Stage" that Brent arrived at.  Starting on the tail end of Brucie, you can see the quad tip exhaust with the emblem delete and the revision A of the Hechtspeed spoiler.  This was a carbon fiber version, which was later sold (to fund more mods, duh, or was it RC airplanes...). The stance is from the Eibach springs with stock dampers. The wheel color here was painted black and shows the yellow calipers nicely.  

This picture shows a comparison of Bruce Version 2.0 vs 2.5. In the lower picture, you can see the brakes have been changed to "Ford Blue" with the wheels painted in a Japanese style bronze with the trunk being wingless. This is the 2nd set of tires on this wheel setup.  Race car flavor was added with the "FEDERAL" letters being painted white.  Looks great in both looks, eh?

In the summer Brent and Pappy took there 'Stangs to Famoso (Bakersfield, CA), along with some Tehachapi area hot rodders (white Trans Am and Red WRX in the background). Pap's green SN95 has been in the family since 1997.  "Sally" is a legend in the Hechtspeed shop.  With the stock block, stock heads (ported), stock cam with a ton of supporting mods and slicks it went a best of 12.85@106mph at Famoso (that's with about 255whp (dyno proven)).  To date, this is the fastest 1/4 mile run of any Hecht.  I like this photo a lot because it shows our family doing what we love together.  It's family history!
Back to Brucie...Brent's fastest time on the worn crappy 285's was a 13.6 @ 103 with a 2.15sec 60ft time. The DA (density altitude) was 3000ft, which is crappy for the strips actual elevation.  With that mph the car has a 12 sec run in it if it had some drag race specific tweaks and tires. But, drag racing is not what Brent has built this car for.

 Here's a rear shot of the current look (as of this week), red "Cyclone" emblem (this is the name given to the naturally aspirated 305hp V6 in the Ford family, quad exhaust with custom diffuser fins on the black painted lower bumper and custom rear spoiler.  #becauseracecar

 Bruce Version 3.0 has gone back to black painted wheels, blue calipers and the revision B rear spoiler.  Which do you like better?

 Glamour shot in Tehachapi's December low light from yesterday.  You can see the rear fins better here and that purdy gray color.

Brent took me for a Golden Hills Touge Run when it was at about Version 2.5 (cheap 285/35/18 tires, not the Federals) this last summer and man, does it stick. Brent really knows these cars and is able to push them hard. Mustangs, while, known as "Muscle Cars" are really not much like there originals.  With the S550's independent rear suspension and modern brakes, suspension and powertrains they perform like legitimate sports cars. For the money, the Mustang is still the best bang for the buck, with plenty of chassis and aftermarket to make it whatever you want.  This is what Brent has made (so far) and its a rad machine. I got to drive Brucie before heading back to Utah and it was a blast. I didn't push it nearly like Brent, but was more interested in getting a feel for it.  It is very direct, has really nice steering and shifter feel and almost too touchy brake feel.  Of course, I'm comparing it to what I've been driving, which is the Honda Fit and a 15 year old BMW (more on that later, heh). Nice work bro!  Can't wait to see where you take it from here.

Tactical Art of Japan EG6 track Civic hatchback

OK, so I get excited about a lot of different kinds of cars.  You guys know me by now.  But, I have a special place in my car of hearts (hey, that would be a cool name for a car blog haha) for the Honda Civic.  Around 2000 when I picked up that first "Super Street" mag at the grocery store in Provo, I was surfing the internet and forums for info, photos and mods.  There were many late nights spent dreaming about how I'd build a civic.

For most in the modified car scene, the Civic is like the starter car.  It's the beginners tuner.  Parts are cheap, they're economical to purchase, insure and own.  They're not fast though.  Most people consider then "chick" cars.  They're kinda "cute" and stuff.  But, most enthusiasts move on to faster, more expensive cars.  Heck, I did the same thing.  After my first Civic, I got the Mustang.  But then I got another Civic.  haha Then I stepped up to a 2002 WRX.  I loved that car.  It was fast, it handled really well, I even took it to the track.  But, the miles were building and the CEL of doom.  So, its been 2 months now that I sold it.  And I'm back in a Honda.

Going back in time to my first Civic.  My '95 Civic EX coupe had 105,000 miles or so, was green, not a typical color. I named it Jackie Chan. You know, cause he's small, lightweight, fast, has quick moves.  Kinda like a Civic.  haha I owned it for 3.5 years. After the first year, I installed Eibach Sportline lowering springs and KYB AGX adjustable struts/shocks.  I put in a short shifter, short ram intake, fuel pressure regulator.  Once we moved to California, the stock catalytic converter failed and so I replaced it with a high flow cat and while welding that in at pops house, I bought a $40 Autozone oval muffler. By this time, it was very well setup.  It was kinda stiff, but I liked it like that.  It felt like a go-kart.  It sounded good too.  It had that intake growl and a nice low exhaust note.  I guess it had about 140-145hp.  Stock was 125hp.  I still wish I had that car back.  I traded it straight across for a '94 Mustang GT 5.0 and 5 speed. A great car in its own right.  But, here I am about 10 years later and driving a small lightweight Honda again.  Imagine what it could have been if I kept it.  I think by now, it would have been modified with a track style, similar to this Tactical Art.  Obviously I don't have the fab skills of these guys.  But I would have wanted a B series swap, wide wheels and tires, some minor aero improvements and time on the track. 


Somehow that brings me to the point of this blog I wanted to write today.  This EG6 Civic Hatchback (1992-1995) from Tactical Art.  This company has been on Speedhunters.com and other well known Japanese car blogs.  I found these photos and an informative writeup from stickydiljoe.com.  This car is inspiring!  

Here are the links to the stories and photos and even a 3 minute track video.

http://stickydiljoe.com/2013/12/11/exclusive-content-the-tactical-art-eg6-circuit-at-central-circuit-for-more-testing/

http://stickydiljoe.com/2013/12/16/exclusive-content-the-final-photos-of-the-tactical-art-eg6-at-nakayama-circuit/?relatedposts_exclude=5567

This car is the epitome of why I love the civil, lowly Honda Civic.  It has SO much potential. It can be the slowest car on the road to the most fun car on the track.  It's tunable.  I've thought a lot about why I like the Civic so much.  Most of the people I know who like cars do NOT like the Civic.  They're reaction to it is like "Meh, its nice." I don't think most people get the Civic.  The Civic makes so much sense to me.  It can be the commuter car that knocks down 35mpg on the way to work and then can take that curvy freeway onramp hard and feel the G's.  Since the Civic is a slow car speed-wise, you can drive it hard and not put yourself in jail as easy as most modified cars.  As many say, its more enjoyable to drive a slow car hard than to drive a fast car hard.  This is so true for many of the popular cars out there, cars like the Civic, the AE86 Corolla GT-S, Miata, Golf GTI and the like

So, what is it about this EG6 chassis Civic hatchback? I love the color of this thing.  I like the unpainted carbon fiber doors.  The whole thing is pretty minimalist actually.  It has no crazy aerodynamics.  It has a rear spoiler, front splitter.  It does have a pretty trick front fender mods to both fit wider wheels and tires and to let the air flow more smoothly around the front wheel and fender area.  Then there's the cut down rear bumper. And that's it for the exterior.

Gutted interior with race seat and steering wheel. The dash has been removed and replaced by a fabricated dash out of fiberglass. Basically there's a very "homebuilt" theme to it.  A Do-it-yourself feel about it but with excellent fabrication skills.  The white wheels provide a nice contrast with the dark body color.  But, honestly I think they could have gone with any color wheels, black or white, silver or bronze.  Personally having owned white wheels on my Subaru, I've always been a fan of the white wheels.

What I noticed from the 3 minute track video is how responsive the engine is.  It revs like a street bike.  From reading the stickydiljoe blogs, it has a B18C with ITB's from an AE86 4AGE engine.  I dig the dual plumbing of fresh air from the carbon headlight inlets and aircraft grade intake hoses.  Reminds me of the 427 Cammer motor from the Fairlane Thunderbolts that drag raced in the 60's.

I'm not sure what this car weighs, but it can't be much.  I'm guessing probably 2000lbs or even a hair less and probably 225-250hp if I had to make a guess.

I did this blog also to keep this record in my blog so I can come back to it and find the links because this car is cool to me.  It will provide me inspiration in the future for sure.  Cheers!

Here's a quick update.  A top view of the car.  Carbon roof, custom dash, engine bay with dual ducting to the ITBs.  I read more and found out its a B18C block with a B16 head.