Between 2 Rides: Modded Civics Face Off in the Canyons

The first four episodes of Between 2 Rides Season II featured drifting, European imports, side-by-sides, and monster trucks. The fifth and final matchup of the season pits a stone-stock Honda Civic Type R against two modded mighty mites.

It’s two very different takes on the classic Civic hatchback from two of the coolest automotive channels on YouTube. ThatDudeInBlue’s sleeper EG Civic and Gears and Gasoline’s 2021 Time Attack championship-winning EK Civic face off with the Type R on an undisclosed closed canyon road.

Think of it as a tag team divide and conquer, with each hatchback purpose-built for the task.

David Patterson has driven over 1,200 project cars since launching his pioneering automotive YouTube channel, ThatDudeInBlue, in 2011. Four years later, Ben Thorn and Ben Lin started Gears and Gasoline as “a video production company with a YouTube channel as its outlet.” Both channels are all about the mods.

Three Civics Face Off

Both classic Civic hatchbacks employ Honda’s versatile and plentiful K24 engine but take very different approaches.

• Gears and Gasoline’s 2,300-pound EK track beast houses a naturally-aspirated engine delivering a modest 230 horsepower with stock internals.
• The Dude’s turbocharged straight-line sleeper pumps 500 horsepower to the front wheels.
• The stock Type R lands in the middle, with the turbocharged K20C1 producing 315 horsepower straight from the factory.

2023 Honda Civic Type R (Source: Honda)

Form follows function, as always. Managing air is crucial if you want to go fast—really fast. With aggressive bolt-on aerodynamics, G&G’s EK uses airflow to stay planted, with a big honking wing out back. Meanwhile, Patterson’s EG employs forced air to crank out a bodacious amount of power from its tiny engine.

Canyon roads are known for twisties, but this stretch offers an ample wide-open straight. The conditions called for a division of four-wheeled labor, with The Dude’s sleeper Civic hatch going toe-to-toe with the Type R on the straight and G&G tackling the wiggly bits.

It’s All About the Bolt-Ons

Believe it or not, the Civic harkens back to the Ford Model A. Ford and Honda produced the Model A and Civic in high enough quantities to make them affordable targets for modification. The Model A eventually fueled the hot rod phenomena, while the Civic remains a beautiful entry vehicle for road courses and drag strips.

Let’s take a look at how the modded Civics match up.

Gears and Gasoline’s EK Civic

Gears and Gasoline

G&G’s Civic EK is a fully-caged track car, purpose-built to dominate its class on road courses. Key components include:

Ben Lin and Ben Thorn

• Magic Drift lower lip spoiler diffuser
• Zebulon carbon fiber rear wing
• Fortune Auto dreadnought pro two-way coilovers
• StopTech Trophy C43 big brake kit
• Avid1 hyper black concave wheels
• Falken Azenis RT660 255/40-17 tires

Ben Lin from Gears and Gasoline said:

If you have a little determination and access to eBay Motors, you can build anything you want, up to the Time Attack series.

ThatDudeInBlue’s EG Civic

That Dude in Blue

TDIB’s Civic EG proves the point. If you want to make serious power with a minivan-sourced four-banger, a big honking turbo is the E-ticket.

David Patterson

• Boostlab BL62X dual ball bearing billet turbocharger
• Honda K24A i-VTEC engine RAA intake
• Dynamic Performance K-series sidewinder turbo manifold
• Hybrid Racing B/D series assembly
• Kosei TFS401 356 wheels
• Fourtune Auto 510 coilovers
• Skunk2 front lower control arms

David Patterson from ThatDudeInBlue said:

The Honda platform is not intimidating if you’re trying to get into tuner cars. With how accessible parts are with eBay Motors, you don’t have to go through old magazines and order parts over the phone.

Not Over ’Til It’s Over

While this episode ends the competition, we’re not quite done yet. Between 2 Rides Season II still has a sixth and final installment. It’s a madcap romp that documents the highlights and hilarity that happened behind the scenes throughout the season. See the rundown on the entire season!