SP Rides: Building the Dream
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Year, make, model: 1998 Honda Civic DX
Owner: Zamie Budollo
Age: 26
Occupation: D.K. Steak House employee
Hobbies: Cars
Color: Custom White Pearl
Engine: Turbo K20 swap, Precision Turbo 6262, TSM turbo manifold, Skunk2 ultra street manifold, Skunk2 throttle body, K-tuned vented valve cover, K-tuned tuck harness, K-tuned radiator, K-tuned fuel rail, K-tuned AC/PS delete pulley, K-tuned oil dipstick, K-tuned oil cup, K-tuned shifter cable, K-tuned center feed fuel line, Hybrid racing shifter box, Sheepy built intercooler, Hasport motor mounts, FCS oil catch can
Exterior: Civic Type R headlights, CTR front lip, CTR thin side molding, CTR folding mirrors, CTR wing, CTR rear lip
Interior: Civic type R cluster, Civic Type R floor mats, CTR door panels, red roof ceiling, PLM X bar, harness bar, Cusco pillar side bar, Recaro SR3 seats, Takata harness, custom rear seat delete cover, Euro Type R steering wheel
Suspension: Full Skunk2 suspension, BWR LCA subframes
Wheels/brakes/tires: Civic Type R 5-lug conversion with slotted rotors, Ce28 Rays Engineering 16-by-7 +42 offset, Toyo R888r 205/45/16
Zamie Budollo, age 26, is the owner of this sleeper — an incredibly clean 1998 Honda Civic DX that could blow the doors off many an unsuspecting competitor. Born in the Philippines, he was already a fan of Hondas, which happened to be very popular in the local scene there, only 30 minutes away from Manila. Now firmly established in Hawaii, he’s a part of Team Elusive (Chapter 2) and has already made a mark in Hawaii.
This Civic looks great. Although relatively unadorned, it’s clean, functional, and has a beast lurking beneath its carbon fiber bonnet. Many components from the Civic Type R have made it over including the headlights, front lip, side molding, mirrors and even the sick wing that overhangs the rear window. It’s simple, yet beneath its skin lies the true call to power.
Power is what this little lightweight hatchback is all about. The B-series engine has been nuked in favor of a turbo K20 swap. Popping the hood reveals this monster of an engine that has been lovingly installed into the bay — featuring a Precision Turbo 6262 with a TSM turbo manifold. The attention to detail on the install is immaculate. It’s all cleanly tucked and placed so that every component is practically a window display of performance. A plethora of K-Tuned components grace the build including a radiator, valve cover, tucked harness, fuel rail, pulleys and a whole mess of other parts.
The engine also features a Sheepy built intercooler, Hasport motor mounts and an FCS oil catch can among other dress up details. This sleeper is all business and to make the engine sing, a Hybrid racing shifter box provides some impressive shifting duties. An undisclosed yet impressive amount of horsepower numbers essentially makes runs from a roll a very exciting experience and an even scarier one for its passengers.
You would think that the engine would be the end of it, but the interior has been fully worked with a ton of mods. The CTR again donates a bevy of mods including a cluster, floor mats and door panels. A sick blue hardness par and Cusco pillar side bar helps to hold the Takata harnesses in place for the Recaro SR3 seats. The ride features a Euro Type R steering wheel as well.
The suspension is well modified as well and rides smartly on a full Skunk2 suspension with BWR LCA subframes. A 5-lug conversion has been completed to install the Rays Engineering CE28 wheels that are 16-by-7 all around. Toyo R888rs help to keep the car planted during the moments of rapid acceleration experiences.
The entire car has been a project of love and Budollo has had quite a bit of help from his crew, who happened to join us on the night of the shoot. Budollo is about pushing himself and building his car of dreams with his friends from Honda Builds of Hawaii. Together, they’re all ready for that track.
