Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition)

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About this issue

180 available scans from Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition), in right-to-left reading order. Japanese OCR and English translation drafts are available throughout. Drafts have not received exhaustive image proofreading; unreadable source remains recorded in the archival data.

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Page 154 — English draft translation

19.

The reason was its wheelbase, more than 20 cm shorter than the Civic’s, giving it nimble handling and a distinctly sporty character. It also had VTEC, producing more than 160 PS. This EF8 was modified with a focus on looks and “show” value. Its standout features are a homemade FRP bonnet and center-exit muffler. The bonnet took two or three failed attempts to complete, and the engine bay is surprisingly visible through it…

23.

He wanted a Ferrari, so copied the F40’s center-exit exhaust for a bit of showmanship. Otherwise, the suspension and drivetrain were reinforced. The interior has a seven-point roll bar and the original seats, whose padding has been removed a little too aggressively. There are no auxiliary gauges, and even the steering wheel is stock. In short, it is exactly what its name says: a bluff-spec build. Rather than focusing on the engine, it prioritizes the exterior… [continues].

Captions and page details
6.

Showa-era cars…

3.

FF

1.

“O-bee”… [headline fragment].

5.

Sports cars…

4.

…is a bargain!

2.

EF3/7/8/9

7.

Civic / CR-X.

8.

Lightweight body with VTEC and ZC…

9.

The fastest front-wheel-drive…

10.

…and strongest machine!

11.

Gootis

13.

Mikawa 53 [plate-number fragment].

12.

20-37

16.

A street “bluff-spec” CR-X… .

17.

The EF series came in two types: the Grand Civic and sporty CR-X…

22.

0

14.

…is said to be about 4 kg lighter. The styling… [fragment].

18.

Among them, the especially popular EF8… [sentence continues].

20.

The owner’s proud creation: a see-through bonnet.

21.

The wing was borrowed from an TRD Supra… . If you are going to show off, why not reveal something spectacular instead of stock…? [sentence cut off].

24.

The owner says the stock seat has had its padding removed a little too much; it apparently still holds you well.

25.

What are the EF3/7/8/9 like?

26.

…a car… [headline fragments].

27.

Makes 100 PS!

31.

Weight and… [fragment].

36.

…the first model equipped with VTEC.

28.

It is a car you can enjoy even with cosmetic-focused tuning.

33.

Mikawa 53 [plate-number fragment].

29.

This, this cheeky center-exit muffler is great. Want to know the maker? It is actually a stock Lancer muffler.

30.

“I like the front-driven character unique to FF cars. A white CR-X with Mugen aero is the coolest car in the world!” says owner Ken Ando.

41.

…debuted…

37.

Second-generation CR-X.

40.

Showa 62 (1987)…

35.

As the fourth-generation Civic…

38.

…20–37 [fragment, likely years/page numbers].

42.

…high power and… [fragment].

39.

The main models at the time were the ZC-powered EF3/EF7 (commonly called Si) and the EF8/EF9 (SiR), equipped with the B16A and its VTEC mechanism, which balanced economy and performance. The SiR appeared in the 1989 minor change.

44.

Model / engine (output): EF3/EF7 ZC (1.6-liter DOHC, 130 PS); EF8/EF9 B16A (1.6-liter DOHC VTEC, 160 PS).

43.

20-37

46.

152

45.

Photos: Phoenix Miyazaki / Norio Koike. Report: Masahiro Takafuji (Monkey Production).