Here’s the thing about golden era Hondas: They’ve broken through the barriers, and crossed over to legitimate, timeless tuning platforms. No longer just an entry-point for the young hot-rodding youth… that was then. But today, Hondas have proven themselves time & time again… and evolved with their generational fanbase. They’re the little engine that could, and Honda-heads always find a way. For an undiluted driving experience, they’re worth more than their weight in gold. Yet – they’re still one of the more financially approachable subcultures in car culture… providing a genuine mechanical thrill that even much more expensive cars can’t quite replicate (or have to simulate). Go figure!
Late 20th-century Hondas are peak Honda…
And they’ve earned their seat at the table. Truth be told, Honda-heads are some of my favorite people to stand beside in all of car culture… and Jeep people too. For much of the same reasons actually. They’re real; they’re authentic; they’re fun; they’re down to earth. And they’re not materialistic or caught up in phony status BS. In short – they’re the kinda dudes I want in my circle. And bottom line – if you’re looking for real culture in car culture – you found it.
But there’s a window isn’t there?
You really don’t get into Hondas as a grown adult. It seems like you either got exposed in your teens/20s & it stuck for life… OR… it just passed you by and you’ll never quite get it. You’re not gonna turn 40 and decide it’s time to buy your first 80s/90s Civic hatch. Hell you’re probably not even gonna buy a new Civic Type-R. It’s like wake boarding. I’m not saying you can’t start in your 40s. But you probably won’t… and your back probably can’t take it lol. Anyway, that’s just a little observation. Hondas are weird like that. And…
Eli Tacker’s story in Honda culture is quite interesting…
He lived what most people would call a wild life before he even broke through his teenage years. As a boy, he was obsessed with martial arts. Side Note: Eli goes all-in on things, that’s kind of his character trait. So the martial arts obsession spiraled exponentially. As a young adult, he was living in Hong Kong, fighting alongside and against some of the best in the world. But it panned out a lot like a real life Mortal Combat.
Since Eli was good & had a certain reputation/notoriety (plus he was a tall white boy in Hong Kong), people were challenging him on the street, forcing him to fight. And a lot of times, they didn’t fight fair. Whatever you’re imagining… it was probably that. It got too dangerous… and took a heavy toll on his body. And for a multitude of reasons, Eli was forced to give it up… or at least cool it down.
Eli moved back to the states. And that’s when his true obsession for car culture began…
Somehow, at Tower Records thumbing through CDs, he ended up on the magazine isle with an Option magazine in his hands. Which led to Hyper Revs & CarBoys (all Japanese tuning mags of the day). And basically, all the idle energy from not fighting was redirected into cars. Keep in mind though, this was the late ’90s in the USA. It was the era of Super Street, Import Tuner, NOPI… and all the wild-styles that came with it. North America had its own flavor with imports. But Eli became more interested in what they were doing in Japan. So he dove in, and started building cars the way he was influenced. While everyone stateside was going big on body kits, wheels, audio, etc… Eli was inspired by a cleaner, leaner, and more minimalistic approach to Hondas. That wasn’t popular in the states yet, but give it about 5-6 years, and it would be.
Eli first fell for the Gathers EK Civic on Gran Turismo 4…
In the era before wifi & influencers, Gran Turismo is how a lot of us began to get exposure to Japanese tuners. For Eli, it’s been nearly 30 years now, and he’s never stepped out of Honda culture. Nothing else ever really stuck like golden-era Hondas. But having said that – Eli never imagined he would build a replica of the car he idolized on a video game. And not only that, but that he would get the blessing, and even build a friendship with the guy that built & raced the original Gathers Civic! Get a load of this…
Y’all already know, but honor & respect are paramount in Japanese culture…
Eli wanted to build a tribute of the ‘98 Gathers Drider EK Civic race car. Now, most Americans would likely just shoot first and ask questions later. You know – beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission. But that’s not the way it works in Asian culture, and that’s not Eli’s style either. So he went down rabbit holes to contact Yasukichi Yamamoto, the original builder & one of the drivers of the Gathers Civic race car.
Unpacking the names – How it’s all Related…
Yasukichi Yamamoto is the man behind Opera Performance. Opera Performance is an established Japanese tuning shop, specializing in fabrication. And Yamamoto-San was the builder & one of the drivers of the Gathers Drider EK Civic race car. He had convinced one of the other drivers & team owner of Drider Kikaku, named Satoshi Tsujimoto, that together they could win the championship – which they did! Drider comes from combining the words driver & rider. Gathers, owned by Honda, is aftermarket dealer-option for Honda car audio & electronics… and was the main sponsor for the EK Civic. And today, Eli Tacker has Runhard Industries, making harnesses, power cables, ground kits, etc. Ok, back to the story…
Once Eli successfully contacted Yamamoto-San, the next obstacles Eli had to overcome…
Were Yamamoto-San’s skepticism… and a pretty significant language barrier. Eli wanted to get Yamamoto-San’s blessing… He wanted to do it the right way. And Yamamoto-San, rightfully so, was hesitant/distant at first. He wanted to make sure Eli wasn’t just chasing views, hype, & popularity. Which if you know Eli, is like, the farthest thing from his character. So once Yamamoto-San began to realize Eli’s heart, background, and genuine passion for Honda culture… he started to open up.
Now if you’re wondering, the language barrier is tricky sometimes. Yamamoto-San speaks a little bit of English. And Eli speaks a tad of Japanese. But combined, a friendship spawned as they would flip back-and-forth between English and Japanese… helping each other out with their native languages.
But the friendship ALSO put the pressure on for Eli…
He didn’t initially see that coming, but this feeling grew where he really didn’t wanna let Yamamoto-San down. There’s a lot of history to be respectful of. And Yamamoto-San is like a rock star to Eli. Conversely though – Yamamoto-San became more & more invested in the project. He’d describe the old days & the old ways. And he began digging-up some vintage Opera Performance & Gathers memorabilia to send Eli. Stuff that is 100% genuine & period correct… and brings true authenticity to this tribute.
Honda-heads tend to have a wild attention to detail…
While most of them usually couldn’t care less about superficialities… a lot of them DO get consumed with rare/authentic parts. For example, the Mugen N1 airbox on this Civic can cost several thousand dollars used… and Eli bought this one new-old-stock. The right Mugen oil cap can go for more than just a couple hundred bucks. So if you glaze over the details in a car like this… you’re missing it. Because every part was intentional, and meticulously labored over & sought after… all to achieve a genuine, authentic, nostalgic aura of Japanese Honda culture.
And this might also go over most people’s radar.… but literally every gasket, every bolt, every seal… has been replaced. Honda still gives us access to all of that stuff – but when you start adding it all to cart – it’s not cheap! And that’s when you know… that’s when you know Hondas are not a kid’s game anymore.
In the 80s/90s, the stars aligned at Honda…
The right people with the right mindset at the right time… teamed-up under exactly the right roof. And automotive magic happened. They built cars that were mechanically and emotionally MORE than the sum of their parts. Simple… yet incredibly dynamic. Cars that were worth buying & being a fan of. To be poetic about it – Honda built things that built things. And for those of us that got exposed, it created a lifelong obsession. We can’t stop; it’s who we are. And honestly, few things make us feel as right with ourselves, as ripping through VTEC on a cool, quiet, dew-covered morning.
Golden era Hondas emerged out of a generational mindset…
Where the automotive industry (from journalists to engineers to fabricators to owners/drivers combined) understood ‘the language of car’. Honda didn’t make appliances, they made experiences. And they proved that basic transportation could be exciting & rejuvenating… while also being efficient. They knew that BOTH driver-connection & efficiency came from simplifying… not excessiveness. It was a rad-minded approach to performance, where less is more… not more is more. When you have to give up driver control to gain performance… you’re off the plot.
So when I look at a Honda like this & take it in – I see the Honda generation going back to their roots. I see an era where transportation was not just about “arriving at your destination”… it was about driving & expression & customization! Being in the moment! We didn’t forfeit our experience for more convenience. As a car lover, when you drive a car like this, you instantly realize what we’ve lost, in the quest to chase more. So as life gets more & more connected (rolls eyes), stay grounded to where the real connection is.
Photos by David Potts @rocknova
ENGINE
B16A2 (from EM1)
Honda red-label fresh built motor (red label means all OEM Honda parts)
3 angle valve job
All new gaskets
Hasport mounts
Integra Type-R intake manifold & throttle body
EK9 intake elbow
Mugen N1 air box new-old-stock (used for Super Taykiu racing in the old days)
Valve cover & tow hooks redone by Charlie Moua (under the name Doryoku)
Tri-Y 4-2-1 header
Apexi N1 exhaust for EK9 (new-old-stock from 2004)
Spoon Sports baffled oil pan
Endyn catch can (late-90s)
All the Mugen dress-up parts
1st-gen Mugen oil cap
Tuned on Hondata S300 V4
Runhard Industries Pro Series power harness using radlock connectors
Odyssey PC680 battery
Checkerd Sports battery tray
1998-spec ITR transmission w/ 4.785 final gear & LSD
Exedy lightweight flywheel & Stage-2 clutch
Koyo 3” radiator
CSF slim fan setup
New AC
All sound deadening & unused wires have been removed
SUSPENSION
Progress Suspension – CS3 series – 9.8k front & 11.2k rear
Honed Developments adjustable camber a-arms, front adjustable tie rods, lower extended ball joints.
Also Honed Developments rear camber kit & rear suspension geometry kit
PCI front & rear lower billet control arms
Checkered Sports adjustable toe arms
Hard Race front compliance arm & rear trailing arm
BRAKES
Front: ITR brake calipers w/ Mini Cooper rotors & Hawk HP+ pads for a 2008 Acura TSX (TSX pads don’t overhang)
Rear: 1998 Integra GS full brake system
Scare Bird rear disc conversion
All new suspension bolts & brackets
Even e-brake is new from Honda
Goodrich braided lines
EXTERIOR / WHEELS
All optional EK9 parts (rear spoiler & base plate, rear lower lip, front lower lip, grille)
New taillights
Hand-cut vinyl – because that’s how they did it on the original Gathers Civic in the ’90s
LJ helped apply a lot of the vinyl/decals
Mugen RNR wheels – 15×6.5 +45
Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 tires – 205/50/15
APR extended wheel studs
Mugen extended lug nuts
INTERIOR
EK3 VTI gauge cluster with matching door panels & arm rests from the same car (from Germany)
Racetech seats
Mugen Series-3 stitchless suede steering wheel
ITR shifter
Dyno Designs Tyrannosaur Tightener shift linkage joint
JDM DC5 5-speed knob (out of Japan)
Autopower roll bar w/ optional bolt-in diagonal bar
Vision front & rear upper strut/tower bars
J’s Racing c-pillar bar
Checkered Sports short steering wheel hub
Broadway 350mm mirror
SOURCES & Shout-Outs & Friends
The Parts Stache – Aaron Lundsford
Dyno Designs – Cameron Grady
LJ – for helping with the vinyl since Eli is kind of ‘stiff’ from all the fighting lol
Aaron & Brian at VTEC Academy / Hasport
Mike, Jovan, Matt, Steven, Cameron, Houston, Guy, Ando, Berg, Russ, Raul, Schmitty, Ben, David, Eman,, JR, & Trip
And if course, Honda
