The goonie generation of Honda guys are some of the most legit folks on the planet – period. Pan across any car show, and you’ll see a squad of ’em… cuttin’ up, having a gas… just like they’ve been doing for 30 years. Hell, OG Honda guys turned out to be more loyal than Honda. For real. Metaphorically – Honda bailed on the boys & went to daisy festivals… as depicted by the new Prelude. But Honda OGs – they’ve stayed true to their roots throughout the whole journey. Throughout life honestly. It’s bigger than a car; it’s knowing who you are.
Wait for it… wait for it… VTEC baby!
VTEC is cool as hell ok? And in a modern automotive world full of fake & phony… golden-era Hondas are manual, mechanical, meaty, and real! Let real be the world of the day… the world of every day. New cars boast tech-tricks, driver’s aids, and horsepower flexes. But what they can’t boast is real. There’s not a numerical rating for emotions, connection, and an authentic experience. Today’s modern car industry has consumers chasing numbers… only to realize there’s not much substance behind them.
Honda Goonies – Before we were even old enough to drive…
We were already chasing freedom, thrill, and excitement. It was the environment we were born into. The 80s & 90s just hit on a whole different level. People didn’t run from danger. We were the ones outside till dark, making sketchy bike ramps out of plywood & trash cans. Style was instinctual, and convenience wasn’t even a f*cking factor. We were inspired through MTV, magazines, the posters on our bedroom walls… and riding in the car with the windows down. We damn sure weren’t inspired by candy-ass over-exaggerating YouTubers & influencers. In fact, our dads taught us to never be a follower. Weird how that all changed huh? Now, pop-culture intentionally clicks a button on a screen to become a follower. Our dads also taught us that in life, building it was cooler than buying it. And it meant more.
To this day, OG Honda dudes are underdogs with giant balls…
These guys aren’t swayed by status or materialism. Because if they were… they wouldn’t be in a Honda lol. Honda guys like what they like, and they’re not really concerned about how that’s perceived or where it fits in. Do you know how monumental, uncontrollable, & critical that is? Being true to yourself – is probably one of the most difficult things to do in the era of social media.
There’s a 6th-sense energy pulsing through life that can’t be measured with numbers, clicks, or an app…
It’s the sense of RAD. And you either have that sense, or you don’t. You’re either the guy that bangs gears & loves the smell of 2-stroke oil, or you’re the guy that bought the automatic because it’s faster… or the Tesla because it drives itself. And as the world gets more training-wheeled, more posered, more AI’d, and more algorithmed… that spirit/sense of true hands-on raddness may in-fact fizzle with our generation. Hard to swallow… but it’s possible.
Chris Burkhart is in his mid-40s…
He lives in Syracuse. As a kid (before he could drive), he’d go with his mom to the grocery store every Thursday… where he would b-line to the magazine isle to look at the car mags. The Minitruckin’ covers always had drip, but the sport-compact craze was magnetic. And there was something madly addictive about it. Chris got a Honda CRX for his first car, and it’s been game on ever since. As a teen, he even joined-up with the legendary Super Street Tour… and trekked down to the NOPI Nationals Super Show in Atlanta (which is back BTW).
For Chris Burkhart, Hondas are for life…
There’s no way around it. And for this EK hatch, Chris wanted a car that was truly built in the spirit of golden-era Honda culture. That meant B-series. B16B to be exact. Look – there’s a lot of unarguable reasons to go with a K-series. They’re absolutely great. But there’s a couple meaningful reasons to go B-series, that for some, outweigh the others. 1) Nostalgia. 2) Vibes. There’s something about a B-series that just embodies the era. B-series will always represent Honda at their engineering & excitement prime… at least through an enthusiast lens. Plus, B-series engines look right under the hood. And the way they cross-over into VTEC is just – analog, unrefined, & unruly.
So if you’re closing-in on 40…
Or past it… you’ve no-doubt seen the world full-scale pivot in your lifetime. And the world you grew up in, is not the world you’re in now. The allure of speed, danger, & excitement has been smothered-out by safety phobias & warning labels. Skill has been replaced by software. Adventure has been swapped for autonomy. And comfort/convenience… has replaced the thrill & connection of real experiences. Technology is no longer just an awesome addition to our life, rather, it controls every aspect of it. With all due respect (which is none) – y’all can have that. Goonies never die.
Engine / Performance:
B16b engine & trans
Toda timing belt
HKS cam gears
Skunk2 throttle body
Hasport engine mounts
DigiDizzy coil-on-plug
Speedfactory coil plate, laser-engraved with Jordan Elephant print by @old_dtm
S2000 clutch master cylinder
Hybrid Racing clutch master cylinder spacer (and fuel rail)
Mugen intake box
Schmuck Built…
-titanium intake pipe
-catch can + coolant res combo
-titanium strut bar
-header
-titanium coolant lines
-tucked radiator
-coolant pot
Mugen oil cap & coolant cap
Rywire engine harness
Vibrant Performance AN fittings & lines
Hiro’s Hot Rods…
-titanium VTEC cover
-upper control arm titanium hardware
-titanium strut hardware
Speedfactory titanium hardware
Spoon b-pipe & street muffler
Vision test pipe
Exterior:
Mugen SS front lip, or…
Tactical Art lip and air duct, or…
First Molding lip (3 bumpers Chris can swap)
Mugen rear wing & license plate hardware
Vision DC mirrors
Ek9 rear lip, thin side moldings, taillights headlights, & grille
Spoon wipers
Paint – full color change inside & out
All trim, gaskets, & hardware replaced with new
Boslla 3-color LED headlights
WireWorx front electrical harness
Suspension / Brakes / Wheels:
Super OG Tien coilovers
EK9 full 5-Lug suspension (fully powder coated)
Energy Suspension bushings
Ek9 front sway bar
Skunk2 front upper control arms
Spoon Front ball joints
Function 7 rear lower control arms & subframe brace
ASR rear sway bar
Skunk2 rear upper control arms
Spoon monoblock calipers & rotors
Project Mu brake lines
Mugen MF10 16×7 on Toyo R888 225/45/16 or…
Volk SE37 16×7 on Toyo R1R 225/45/16 or…
Volk CE28 (Mag Blue) 16×7 +33 on Toyo R888 225/45/16
J’s Racing titanium lug nuts
Interior:
Mugen cluster & pedals
Fugen deadpPedal
Ek4 LHD black carpet
Ek Shift boot
JDM cup holders
Hybrid Racing short shifter
Battle Craft shift knob
Alpine headunit, sub, & amp
JL Audio speakers
EK9 rear seat
USDM Type-R front seats
DC2 steering wheel
Crew – Team SSB
