Brandon Elste - 1996 Honda Civic
Story by Adam Gordon
Photography by Garrett Humphries
For Brandon Elste, cars have always been connected to family. Some of his earliest automotive memories were spent around his father’s first car, a 1974 Dodge Dart Sport that remains in the family today. Car shows and swap meets were part of growing up, while the original The Fast and the Furious and the magazines he read before he could drive helped draw his attention toward Japanese cars, particularly Hondas.
After getting his license in 2006, Elste came across a 1996 Honda Civic coupe for sale at a small dealership near where he lived. At the time, the Civic was painted Toyota Cool Blue and equipped with a ram-air-style hood and aftermarket wheels. He took it for a test drive with his father and brought it home that night.
Over the next few years, Elste changed the wheels, added carbon fiber components, and replaced the Civic’s automatic D16Y7 with a B-series engine. His current setup is built around a B16A2 swap with a custom titanium intake, Gruppe M intake, Skunk2 intake manifold, Alpha header and Stage 2 camshafts, a Hybrid Racing fuel rail, Supertech valvetrain, and Hondata S300 V3 with a coil-on-plug conversion. JCH Weld Fab supplied the custom catch can, overflow, and titanium radiator lines, while an All In Fab tucked radiator is part of the extensively tucked engine bay.
Another major stage in the Civic’s transformation began after Elste met Josh Croll of Croll’s Customs in Ocean City, Maryland, in 2009. After seeing Croll’s right-hand-drive Acura RSX and his work, Elste eventually decided to have him take on the Civic. In 2012, Elste sourced a right-hand-drive front clip from Elite JDM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began collecting parts for the conversion.
In 2013, the Civic went to Croll’s Customs for its right-hand-drive conversion and Plum Crazy paintwork. The color was chosen as a nod to Elste’s father and his childhood spent around Mopars. Once the Civic returned home, the following years were spent assembling the car and continuing to source parts. In 2017, Elste brought it to Tuner Evo Philadelphia for his first event back.
The exterior has continued to change since then. A Honda Domani front-end conversion is paired with a J-Blood front bumper and Stage 21 wide fenders, both adapted for the Domani front end. Mode Parfume mirrors, Civic Type R thin side moldings, a 2000 Civic Si rear bumper, Mugen spoiler, EDM rear fog, VTi rear lip, C-West side skirts, Racebred front splitter, and a custom front grille further distinguish the exterior. The antenna, trunk keyhole, and OEM Civic Type R wiper cowl have also been shaved.
ADVAN Racing TC-4 wheels with floating center caps are wrapped in Falken Azenis tires. The Civic also uses a JDM DC2 Integra Type R 5-lug conversion, Wilwood 12-piston big brake kit, Wilwood brake booster delete, and D2 Racing coilovers.
Inside, the EK4 right-hand-drive conversion is joined by Bride Stradia II seats, a Takata harness, Autopower roll bar, Cusco door bars, Mugen steering wheel and shift knob, and a Works Bell flip hub. Components from the 2000 Civic Si and Civic Type R are incorporated throughout the cabin, while the door panels and armrest have been reupholstered in Bride material. The trunk interior was dyed black and finished with Bride fabric, with a yellow Enkei RPF1 serving as the spare wheel.
More than two decades after Elste first brought the Civic home, the build continues to change. He describes the process as a journey filled with memories, new and old friends, and time spent in the garage. He also says the Civic is nowhere near complete and that it isn’t going anywhere — making “Far From Finished” as much a description of the car today as it is Elste’s approach to continuing the build.
ESSENTIALS
VEHICLE:
1996 Honda Civic
OWNER:
Brandon Elste
LOCATION:
Baltimore, Maryland
HORSEPOWER:
185 hp
CLUB:
Team Emotion
SOCIAL:
IG: @rhd_brandon
ENGINE:
B16A2 engine swap + Custom titanium intake + Gruppe M intake + Skunk2 (intake manifold, Stage 2 camshafts, and Alpha header) + Hybrid Racing fuel rail + Shaved valve cover + Downstar titanium hardware + Supertech valvetrain + Innovative motor mounts + JCH Weld Fab (custom catch can, overflow, and titanium radiator lines) + Tucked brake lines + Tucked engine bay + Wilwood brake booster delete + Hondata (S300 V3 and coil-on-plug conversion) + All In Fab tucked radiator
EXHAUST:
Tanabe Hyper Medallion exhaust
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES:
ADVAN Racing TC-4 wheels + Floating center caps + Falken Azenis tires + Wilwood 12-piston big brake kit + JDM DC2 Integra Type R 5-lug conversion
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION:
D2 Racing coilovers
EXTERIOR:
Plum Crazy paint + Honda Domani front end + J-Blood front bumper custom-made for Honda Domani front end + Stage 21 wide fenders custom-made for Honda Domani front end + Mode Parfume mirrors + Civic Type R thin side moldings + Shaved antenna + Shaved trunk keyhole + Shaved OEM Civic Type R wiper cowl + 2000 Civic Si rear bumper + Mugen spoiler + EDM rear fog + VTi rear lip + Custom front grille + C-West side skirts + Racebred front splitter + Chasing Js (titanium lug nuts, titanium oil cap, titanium hood prop, titanium radiator cap, brake booster and clutch master cylinder caps, and hardware)
INTERIOR:
EK4 right-hand-drive conversion + Rewrapped headliner and visors in black + Bride Stradia II seats + Takata harness + Autopower roll bar + Civic Type R shift boot + Civic Type R armrest delete + Mugen shift knob + JDM overhead storage + 2000 Civic Si gauge cluster + Chasing Js titanium hardware + Chasing Js titanium bezel + Mugen steering wheel + Works Bell flip hub + 2000 Civic Si interior + Cusco door bars + OEM Rescue Man + Mode Parfume rearview mirror + Door panels and armrest reupholstered in Bride material + Yellow Enkei RPF1 spare wheel in trunk + Trunk interior dyed black with Bride fabric
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS:
EK4 OEM navigation + Jensen head unit + Kicker speakers
SHOPS / INSTALLERS:
Croll’s Customs + JCH Weld Fab
SPONSORS:
D2 Racing
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photography by Garrett Humphries
GALLERY
