Builds>> Impact! Civic Sir

Every time you walk into a garage or a warehouse hunting for speed you can find something special you didn't expect. This was the case when I walked into Rising Sun Performance at the end of January. Amongst all the other cars I found this blue EG that had been built by Impact! in Japan and imported to Europe. The owner must be a real enthusiast because you could build something like this right here in Holland.

The car had been dropped off at Rising Sun Performance for some minor changes and to get it ready for the circuit.

It seems that the car was quite famous at one point because it had a two page feature spread in the HyperRev bible.

The exhaust is still an item that needs to be addressed but besides that it is ready to race.

The heavy glass windows have been replaced with lexan items. They also replaced the fenders and hood with fiberglass versions.

The 15" bronze SSR Type-c wheels are a perfect match for this car. Together with the Dunlop semi-slick tires these will make sure the car sticks to the ground.

The engine that powers this car is a B18c with high compression pistons and a smoothed cylinder head. A Mugen exhaust header makes sure the hot gasses flow without restraint. On the cold side of the engine Rising Sun Performance placed an APE custom intake with filter. APE is a Dutch brand that specializes in headers, exhausts and downpipes.

You can also see the peculiar way the Japanese have stiffened the chassis. They didn't use a welder but pop riveted the entire chassis

Inside the car we find a QSP steering wheel and Recaro SPG bucket seats. The rest of it has been gutted. 

More rivets are found throughout the entire interior. I'm feeling sorry for the person who drilled all the holes and riveted them afterwards.

I hope to see this car in action on the circuit of Zandvoort or Assen this year. I'll keep an eye out for it and report back when it is doing the rounds.

-Jeroen Willemsen

Rising Sun Performance 

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1

I can't understand why Japanese tuners never put a decent roll cage into their cars. They did the effort of drilling hundreds of holes into the chassis but couldn't cut trough dashboard. I just don't get it. To me this car is just an old shopping trolley with a show cage and lots of holes in the chassis.

2

This car fails in all kinds of ways. From the harnesses that are bolted directly to the floor to the roll cage Professor mentioned, it's a pretty lackluster product for the amount of work that it looks like went into it. I'm also willing to bet that they weakened the chassis by pop riveting everything together, those little rivets really aren't very strong and the holes drilled through the steel will increase stresses on the remaining metal.

3

Dudes, the car is quite old, it was probably built when EG6's were new, in those times they cared a lot less about these things, people probably thought it was hot shit back then... (if it's a new build, then nevermind)



But yeah, it's still no excuse for bad worksmanship.

4

I totally (and respectfully) disagree, JC. Quality and attention to detail is something car builders are known for, even 'way back' in the 90's (and 80's and 70's and 60's et al). If this is just a toy car that isn't expected to perform, why bother with a roll cage at all? It looks like they set out with a clearly defined purpose in mind (track car), but got lost somewhere along the way.

5

oohh.. i'm no professional but this one looks like a little bit like a 'hack-job..' shoddy comes to mind! i like whats happening under the bonnet and the rims are classicly known - but thats about it!! - Impact??!!

6

I'm going to start by saying im no expert in this matter. But I want to give a different opinion on this. Starting with the rivets.

They arent holding the car together, I doubt they would have drilled through the stock spot welds on the chassis, they are there to reduce flex. And rivets strength varies greatly depending on which dimension teh force is applied. I guess they're gone for a strength in numbers in this instance.

As for the harness mounting.

I'm pretty sure that certain classes in certain countries require you to have the harness mounted at different angles (e.g Australia). So perhaps the mounting to the floor is the best option in this case.

As for the roll cage.

The idea ISNT to have the stiffest chassis/suspension possible, its to have the tyres stick to the ground as most as possible. And I doubt any of us can comment from experience on how this car handles with its current set up.

I dont know is this car was set up to meet class regualations, or if this is the best set up FOR THEIR NEEDS AND RESOURCES. At the end of the day the proof is going to be in the pudding.

7

pop rivets? thats an odd way of doing it

9

.... ugh.... thats a lot of rivets.... I hope they had an air powered rivet gun. Otherwise that poor guy would need to be on suicide watch for the next month after he was finished.

10

This post is so full of win. loving the coverage hondas are getting on here at the moment. And jeroen the bloke who did the riveting on that build deserves a beer.

11

Where it says "peculiar", you can replace with "stupid"

12

Interesting but pretty mild by honda modification standards. Interesting technique RE: the rivets

13

perhaps its something to do with keeping car street legal or in a certain class? @professor

14

Ditto to what professor says. You can never have to much chassis stiffness in a time attack car, so fabricating a proper cage is a must. This one looks like it's been made with looks rather than stiffness in mind.

15

Bolted roll cages? C'mon, a serious racecar MUST have a welded cage. While Cusco and such are nice, they are enthusiast-weekend warrior cages at best. (most people that bolt on those cages in their car are so proud of showing off the JDM item that "forget" to pad the cage, not very wise).

Anyway, I agree with what Professor said.

16

Here you can see it go around the track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmyiXxetUwo

17

Can't get enough Honda myself. Thanks for posting! A civic just like this posted faster laps at Laguna Seca when I was there, than many RWD sports cars, including corvettes and Porsche's.



Unlike the "superior cars", the little trolley i saw also drove home from the track, didn't burn through its tires or brakes, didn't require an expensive tune...



But hey - ignorant people still mock the mx5, and that's the best track car of all.



Anyone who races motorcycles has to laugh at sissies worried about a "proper cage".

If you want to die of old-fat disease - don't race! Stay home and die in bed.

18

Rules for the racing class prohibit a rigid roll cage that passes through the dash board. The dash board must remain unaltered and complete. Rules additionally prohibit welding the body panels, but allow pop riveting the seams.

As in all forms of racing, whatever is prohibited is usually the most desirable thing to improve performance.

19

Wow you guys are totally off base. One reason bolt on cages popular in japan is because its easier to swap it to a new chassis when you crash. Bolt in cages are just fine for weekend track use and street racing. two things the majority of car enthusiasts do here. And as far as rivets go, have you ever seen an airplane? they're are no welds anywhere! Airplanes are completely assembled with rivets. The structural loads exhibited on airplanes are 100x's more aggressive then those on cars. Whenever we need to replace a panel on an airplane we just re-drill holes and install new rivets! very simple and easy. Riveting unibody's is nothing new, nor is it inferior, do your homework.

20

O and something that is often forgotten in the US and other places. This car is meant to be used, and it has been used. As far as it looking "shoddy" or "Hack-job" so what its a track car and its fast! Japanese people track purists don't care. Thats one of the problems with this industry right now everything has to look perfect clean and amazing otherwise its garbage, anyone remember the DRAGON FD? that car was amazing because it was used dirty and abused. Lets get away from "Clean" and do fast first. And just because you have never heard of Impact doesnt mean they're garbage, There are a ton of shops here in japan that are not well known at all outside of japan but are very respected here in japan and produce crazy cars!

21

@jesse



feel the same way.. i also cant believe the cage isnt even welded in and they are still using the stock calipers... and stitch welding is more than enough if you know how to do it right. no need for rivets.

22

This car is better then you all think i suppose.. and you're looking at a car that's not be driven for a few and needs to be finished.



It's even a champion..

23

well spoken Vilko

24

i guess using rivets rather than stitch welding is a very clever idea, if you look closely on the photo which shows the steering wheel and dash you can see they have riveted along the door frame and sill. Imagine stitch welding those thin metal areas with a MIG, it would just blow holes right through the metal, Welds work great where you have a lot of material and thick gauge too, e.g. strut towers, chassy rails, still don't know why they riveted those areas rather than welding tho. And yes that is speaking from experience gained when stitch welding my project car.



As to the rollcage I also agree they could have done better, but like others have mentioned this could have been done in this particular way for a reason.

25

If the car was perfect would it not still be in Japan being used?

26

Just find this on YouTube, first shot features this Impact! EG.



Enjoi!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPXCXHUF67k&feature=related

27

This car is great; why hate on it? It just shows how little you've learned from car forums and blogs.

28

Is this car safe.. i mean i'm sure it meets certain regulations but is it safe?

29

The reason rivets are used in an airplane is because the body panels must be allowed to expand and contract sue to the temperature and pressure changes that occur during flight.



Expand/contract=flex.



Rivets allow panels to be secured together but still move around a little bit. Completely the opposite that a race car needs. They wasted their time riveting the entire chassis. If anything, the factory welds would have held the chassis together fine.



And the lack of door bars or adequate cross bracing on that cage makes it a complete joke. It wouldn't save your afro in a crash. Likewise for the belt mounting. Scary what is allowed to run in Japan.

30

except for the area round the strut tower I don't understand that

31

The rivets are in place, because every area that has been riveted is spot welded thus there is a slight gap in between each weld. So riveting was used to add if you will a continous seam.

32

Surely the stresses of drilling and riveting all the body joins are going to create a weaker finish than just seam welding it? Seems a little silly to me.

33

All I have to say is the way they have mounted the seatbelts is completely incorrect. If the driver has a serious accident, instead of them just holding him in place it will actually push down on his shoulders and compress his spine. This is why when you buy new harnesses they come with a drawing that says they must be mounted between a certain angle up or down from parallel. You will never in your life see a proper car with harnesses like that.

34

You guys make me laugh...this car is in way a race car or even a track car, very unprofessional and ignorant. The guys that build this need to get back to school and learn a little something

35

Also "pop rivets" are in no way meant to be structural. There is structural rivets that are used heavely in aerospace industry and are not cheap. BTW this car has no bolt on cage, they are chassis braces; and i'm sorry but these braces are in no way a direct replacement for a proper cage. A cage is there to protect the driver first, second to increase the chassis stiffness.

I'm sure in all countries the safety harness is not to be bolted to the floor. If a crash does happen the driver will suffer mayor spine damage from copresion loads.

You guys shouldn't try to defend a car that is obviously not build correctly. JDM or Not, this car is bad.

36

as long as its fast who cares how it looks the cars a champ in japan

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