SpeedFactory Racing’s First Ever Vehicle Giveaway
Your chance to win a 600whp, pump gas Civic streetcar built by the best in the industry
There’s a new car giveaway program or an infamous parts “waffle” hitting your social media pages almost daily it seems and with some coming from shadowy sources, it’s probably best to hang on to your entry dollars in most cases. On the flip side, when it involves a company like the Pacific Northwest’s SpeedFactory Racing, a group that’s been producing go-fast parts, record smashing shop builds, and serving a legion of satisfied customers globally for years, announcing a sweepstakes, you know you’re in good hands.
The Perfect Canvas
In July, SpeedFactory announced that they’d secured a completely stock 1994 Civic EX and brought it to their shop to begin tearing it down for a complete build. The one-owner vehicle included a stack of maintenance records and without any modifications to be found, appeared to be in stellar cosmetic condition inside and out. There was however a check engine light and, on the dyno, the 1.6L single cam was well under its conservative power output, mustering just 87 peak horsepower.
The lackluster dyno performance doesn’t mean much given that a fully built B18C1 is already in the works. A Darton sleeved GS-R bottom end stuffed with low compression CP pistons and SpeedFactory Racing’s own steel rods are being used to prepare for plenty of boost. The goal is 600whp using strictly pump gas with the flexibility to increase that number at the lucky new owner’s discretion. Before the new engine build makes its way into the car, everything under the hood was completely stripped, and the car was sent out for a complete respray.
Out With the Old
Along with the powerful engine set up and fresh engine bay layout, the Civic will have other upgrades performed as well and SpeedFactory is working with industry partners to make it all happen. Of course, adding the sort of power that’s expected and relying on decades old factory suspension is never a good idea and modern touches will be applied. That includes ditching the OEM spring and shock combo and for Function+Form Type II adjustable coilovers. The full bodied coilovers will grant the new owner 32 levels of damping with the simple turn of a knob. They’ll have the ability to set their preferred ride height which is separate from pre-load so that the matched rate, cold-rolled Japanese steel springs can do their job without issue. With a dual tube shock design and steel lower mounts, the Type II will give a comfy ride on the street and provide the support needed for battle during drag or track days.
Humble Beginnings
The 5th generation Civic hatchback is the more popular build choice and given SpeedFactory Racing’s incredible resume being based on their hatchback builds, one would expect that to be the chassis of choice. The coupe, however, has some personal significance being that brothers James and Kevin Kempf began their import automotive journey together in the late ’90s after James purchased a 1995 EX coupe.
The two would begin modifying that coupe and found their way into drag racing, at which point they were hooked. They would eventually move on to a lightweight VX hatchback that they swapped a D16Z6 and GReddy turbo kit into which might not sound like much, but at that time it was enough to pull away from most of the competition, including local Mustang rivals. That led to a budget Vitara piston-based build that produced 471hp and nabbed a 10.4 second quarter mile pass before the SOHC was sleeved, given a B-series transmission, and powered up to the tune of 794hp at just under 40psi. That refresh netted a 9.49 E.T. in 2010 – the first Street Class car to hit a 9-second pass, in fact.
Uncharted Waters
That seems like ancient history given the Kempf bros. and Speedfactory Racing’s later endeavors. You know their Outlaw Civic hatchback that, in 2009 went on a tear winning dozens of events and becoming the Northwest’s first Street Comp car to go 9s and later the first West Coast outlaw to eclipse the 8-second barrier. Then, they went even faster. A few years after getting into the 8s, they dropped that number to 8.29 at 185mph with some additional passes surpassing 190mph. It wasn’t long before they became the first and only stock unibody front-wheel drive car to go over 200mph in the quarter mile.
In the summer of 2020, after doing the unthinkable by capturing a blistering 7.477 at 215.48mph, the famed SpeedFactory Racing Outlaw hatch was no more. A terrifying crash on the top end during a potential personal best run, which sent James Kempf directly to the hospital for multiple injuries, left the Civic totaled. A scary reminder of the sort of speeds the group had managed, it wasn’t long before they regrouped and started building version 2 – an AWD converted, turbo B-series aptly named OutlAWD.
Developing a whole new vehicle with a completely different drivetrain layout is no easy task but as usual, the SpeedFactory camp was up to the challenge. It wouldn’t be long before they transitioned from testing to record breaking and currently, they hold a personal best of 7.045 at 202.06mph. Here are but a few of the current chassis’ accolades:
World’s Quickest & Fastest 24.5″ Tire Car
World’s Quickest & Fastest H-Pattern Manual Trans Honda
World’s Quickest & Fastest AWD Honda
First & Only 24.5″ Tire Car to break the 200mph barrier (5/1/22)
First & Only Unibody AWD Honda to break the 200mph barrier (5/1/22)
First AWD Honda to reach 7.3, 72, 7.1, and 7.0 in the quarter mile
Here’s Your Chance
With all of that said, it’s obvious that if there’s anyone that knows how to build a powerful and reliable turbo Honda, it’s the crew at SpeedFactory. In order to enter for a chance to get your hands on this one-of-a-kind build, 1 of 2 sweepstakes packages are available at just $30 each, and both give you 5 entries per purchase (packages found here). Imagine spending $30 for some exclusive SpeedFactory Racing goods and getting the call that your 600hp EJ coupe is on the way. They’ve labeled this as giveaway car #001, which means there may be more in store. Good luck!
