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Cruise Mode: Justin Pillay’s B18C-powered EG Civic

22 December, 2016

 

NZPC: Hi, Justin. That’s a pretty rad Civic you’ve built — what made you choose a Honda chassis?
Justin: It was originally my daily-driver, and I got a new job that required me to buy something newer, but I’ve always owned Hondas. So, I bought a 2008 Civic for the new daily and started what was supposed to be a weekend swap on the EG. Once I decided there was no time limit for swapping it, I began to look at rebuilding the motor instead.

It’s an exceptionally clean example —were you going for a ‘sleeper’ vibe with the build?
I’ve always been a fan of Honda OEM styling. It was not exactly a sleeper to start with, but I did want the car to look like a tidy Civic to the regular eye, and only someone who knew their stuff about Hondas would be aware there is a bit more to it.

Do you like to carry out most of the work yourself or get the experts in to sort it out?
The things that I’m confident about, like suspension and interior pieces, I’ll do myself, but, for the engine and drivetrain bits, there were a few Honda builders I had always wanted to work with on a car of mine, the likes of Lynn Rogers and close friend Duane Rawlinson, so they helped put my set-up together.

Yeah, sometimes it’s best to leave it to the guys who know what they’re doing. Have you had the chance since to test it at any track days?
I’ve taken it to a round of Nightspeed Drag Wars and ran a 14.1-second pass without launching it. I also took it to the NZHondas North Island Mega Meet, which was hosted at Hampton Downs raceway; that was a good chance to test it out and see what the complete package could do. I was pretty impressed with how it went.

Awesome. The power-to-weight must be crazy. After testing it, would you have done anything differently?
[Laughs] It would have been nice to have finished it quicker so I could have enjoyed it more with fewer time constraints, but it has been a pretty enjoyable build over the years.

Cheers for chatting with us, Justin.

Name: Justin Pillay
Location: Auckland
Occupation: Account manager

Make/Model: 1993 Honda Civic GTi
Engine: Honda B18C 1797cc four-cylinder, B18C2 crank, Type-R rods, Type-R pistons, ARP main studs, baffled sump, ported and polished head, Type-R valves, springs, and retainers, Type-R camshafts, Pro Wholesale adjustable cam gears, ARP head studs, Skunk2 intake manifold, three-inch alloy intake pipe, Blox Velocity air-intake kit, Mugen four-into-one headers, Fujitsubo Legalis R 2.5-inch exhaust system, Type-R injectors, Walbro 500hp fuel pump, iridium platinum plugs, 8mm Eagle ignition leads, three-core alloy radiator
Drivetrain: Factory five-speed, Buddy Club short shifter, Exedy HK04HA Single Sports Series clutch, Type-R flywheel, Type-R LSD
Interior: Recaro black SR3 front seats, Civic Type-R rear seat, ’96 Type-R steering wheel,
EG6 manual cluster
Exterior: Full respray in Taffeta White, Spoon Style front lip, Spoon Style carbon-fibre spoiler, Spoon Style wing mirrors, Slipstream fibreglass bonnet, EK Civic side skirts, NZ Glass headlights, OEM fog lights, USDM red/clear tail lights
Wheels/tyres: 15×7-inch (+35) RAYS TE37, Toyo T1R 205/50R15
Suspension: Daiyama coilovers

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

18 October, 2026

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

16 October, 2026

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.