There’s a sequence of emotions to building a project car. 1) Motivation comes first, hard & fast. There are few rushes greater than getting that new project & making initial progress. 2) Next comes the anxiety of completion. The weeks & months of anticipation & apprehension. There are always unforeseen setbacks & expenses you didn’t plan on. And you keep digging yourself deeper & deeper, just hoping it all comes together eventually. 3) Lastly, triumph! Finally it’s all done, and you sit back & bask in your victory.
Well… maybe not all of us have felt that last part yet lol.
But we’ll get there. And as the saying goes, “A project car is never really finished.” But for Moe Drennon, he’s felt practically every emotion known to man building this K-swapped EK Civic Coupe.
How do I know this?
Because Moe sent me a photo of the car when he first started it. This Civic (if you could even call it that) was stripped down to absolutely nothing… sitting on a forklift. It was a blank slate if ever there was one. See, it’s one thing building a car from stock. But it’s an entirely different ballpark to build one from the frame up. No engine, no interior, no wiring, no nothing! To turn an empty shell like that into a street weapon… truly separates the men from the boys.
With no corners cut & no messing around – this Civic means business.
First, Moe painted the coupe himself. That’s a feat not many can claim. The car is aesthetically immaculate. Everything on this Civic just… flows. It sets itself apart from the crowd, but in the same breath, it kinda blends in.
The exterior is nicely put together with a…
Veilside hood
Phantom Composite carbon front lip
Mugen Ferio rear spoiler
Domani OEM rear bumper
When you move to the interior…
The pearl white paint doesn’t stop. Even the custom Kirk Racing roll bar is painted to match. The seats are Bride Zeta 3 XL’s matched with Renegade Willans 6-point harness. And few other subtle touches are the…
EDM-spec OEM dash
Zoom Engineering rear mirror
Mugen 111 suede steering wheel
And if you’re looking for not-so-subtle touches, check out the…
LRB door cards with machined window cranks
Racebred heel plates
Hybrid Racing shifter setup
Everything is incredibly thought out & well-paired.
And the same mentality extends to the engine bay, where you’ll find one of the purest K-swaps around.
This K-swapped EK Civic Coupe makes 252HP & 190TQ. There’s no forced induction, no modified fuels, and no power adders. Just the best NA sounds and rawest driving sensations.
The engine is a K24a bottom-end and a K20 Type-S/Toda complete top unit.
It’s got a Hybrid Racing fuel rail, oil cap, and race cables. Moe’s using a ChaseBays tucked radiator & coolant overflow, in addition to a…
STL Fab Shop 3.5” titanium air intake
Skunk2 Ultra street manifold & 70mm throttle body
DTR stainless header
Kteller 3” exhaust, Vibrant resonator, & Burns stainless muffler
Hasport EKK2 mounts
Tuning by James at EBTEC
The suspension is just as meticulous…
Truhart UCA’s, rear camber arms, and rear subframe brace
ASR rear LCA’s and end links
Hardrace rear swaybar
The coilovers are an incredibly unique set by RiactionUSA…
They keep the car planted while still being comfortable enough around town. Along with all the aftermarket parts, several OEM+ parts were mixed to Moe’s liking…
ITR 32mm hubs, bearings, & 5-lug swap
OEM ball joints
ITR brake booster
Putting everything to the ground…
Is a set of 215/45R16 Falken RT615K tires mounted on some 16×7/7.5” Volk TE37’s. A classic combo where you can’t go wrong. This is the part where most folks would be more than satisfied with their build… but not Moe.
RyWire had their hands deep into this Civic, with a…
Milspec harness with quick disconnects & harness plate
Charge harness
PDM complete chassis harness
Switch panel
Mix that with Hondata Kpro v4, CheckeredSports mounts & holds, and an AIM digital dash… and you end up with a Civic that exceeds nearly every expectation in every category.
Trust me when I say…
You really need to see this car in person to fully appreciate it. As a photographer, you don’t often catch me using the phrase, “Photos don’t do it justice” lol. But here, I genuinely mean it. The car is as close to perfect as you can get it. I’m glad to know Moe & to have spent some quality time with his Honda. It definitely left me with ideas for a future build… maybe one day.
Text & Photos by Ben Battles
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