Hyperbole: The Just Cars YouTube Series Bringing a Honda Civic Back to Life
Episode Guide
| Episode | Key Moments |
|---|---|
| Ep. 1 |
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| Ep. 2 |
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| Ep. 3 |
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Episode 1 – How to Rebuild a Honda Civic to Race at the Honda Nationals
Sean kicks off the series with the backstory: from a pub-napkin idea to a D Series Civic sedan destined for the Honda Nationals.
Highlights:
Why a Civic? Inspired by Nugget Nationals rules (1500cc, $3K budget) but buying a D16 1600cc sedan anyway.
Impulse buy: Purchased sight-unseen from Adelaide on Boxing Day, road-tripped solo with trailer.
The Bend debut: 42°C track day, zero prep, car survived (barely) despite coolant boil-over.
NA Nationals at Bryant Park: Car suited the tight, rev-happy course… until coolant spewed again and the engine seized.
Hiatus: Civic sidelined for 16 months while Sean hoarded parts — US-sourced block, Perth-sourced head, custom-ratio gearbox, LSD.
The plan: 10-part series to build, tune, and race the Civic at the Honda Nationals in October.
Episode 2 – Choosing Performance Parts for the Honda D Series
This episode dives deep into budget-friendly performance upgrades that can make a huge difference on track without draining your wallet.
Key Upgrades Featured:
Carbon airbox by CD8 – fully enclosed for cooler, cleaner intake air.
Spaghetti extractor headers – not just for performance, but style points too.
Oil cooler & ported oil pump – keeping the engine’s lifeblood cool and flowing.
Aluminium radiator by Elusive Performance – better build quality and cooling capacity.
Autometer gauges – monitoring oil pressure and water temp for engine health.
Tow hook – a must-have for track safety.
Short shift kit – improved gear changes with a motorsport vibe.
Underdrive pulley – controversial but lightweight.
Game Boy GPS speedo – because why not?
Custom gearbox – special ratios & 1.5-way LSD for maximum VTEC fun.
Engine build – D16Z6 block with forged internals, knife-edged crank, ported head, and Skunk 2 Stage 3 cam.
Episode 3 – The Engine is Fitted, Ready for the Track
The big moment arrives — the rebuilt D Series is dropped into the Civic and fired up for the first time.
What Went Down:
Improvising around missing parts like the radiator hose and gearbox mount.
Fitting the wrong Skunk 2 intake manifold (again) — but making it work temporarily.
Hearing that first glorious “chop” from the Skunk 2 Stage 3 cam.
Modifying the exhaust to fit the spaghetti manifold.
Last-minute prep for the D Series Cup at Pheasant Wood Circuit.
Looking back at the catastrophic failure of the previous engine — and teasing a possible future turbo build.
Why You Should Follow the Hyperbole Series
Real motorsport storytelling – No staged drama, just genuine workshop chaos and track action.
Budget build inspiration – See how much performance you can squeeze from affordable parts.
Honda D Series knowledge – Perfect for Civic and Honda enthusiasts.
Aussie humour & personality – It’s as much about the laughs as it is about the lap times.
Stay Tuned for More Episodes
We’ll keep this page updated with every new Hyperbole episode as it goes live on YouTube.
📺 Watch the full playlist here: Hyperbole on YouTube
🔗 Explore more builds: Just Cars News
The Hyperbole series is more than just a Honda Civic rebuild — it’s a celebration of grassroots racing, resourceful engineering, and the Just Cars community spirit. Whether you’re a die-hard Honda fan, a weekend track warrior, or just someone who loves a good build story, this is one series you won’t want to miss.
➡️ Subscribe to the Just Cars YouTube channel and follow the Hyperbole journey from workshop to winner’s circle.
