Imperfectly Perfect

If you had a passion for imports in the late 90s or early 2000s, there was simply no better choice than a 1992-95 Civic hatchback (except perhaps for an Integra Type R). Whether you referred to it as EG or EH, this car was the ultimate dream for import enthusiasts. Thanks to its exceptional lightweight design and easy maintenance, nearly any part from an Integra could be effortlessly bolted on as an upgrade. These compact Civics were in high demand for numerous reasons, primarily due to their lightweight construction and the ease with which a B series engine could be installed, resulting in an outstanding power-to-weight ratio.

While these little hatchbacks are still highly sought after, finding clean ones is becoming increasingly challenging. Street racers continue to heavily modify these cars in pursuit of being the lightest, leading to a dwindling supply of well-maintained vehicles. Many of these Civics have changed hands multiple times, often ending up in a sorry state after being extensively modified, stripped, or involved in accidents. Despite this, they are still sold at inflated prices due to their well-deserved reputation.

In the late 90’s, during my high school years, I daydreamed about owning one of those iconic cars. Flipping through the pages of Super Street, I’d marvel at Lisa Kubo’s Civic and envy Dylan and Lee from FF squad. However, deep down, I knew it was just a fantasy; my family didn’t have much money. Instead, I ended up with a hand-me-down family car, a 1988 Toyota Corolla FX. Mine wasn’t the flashy FX16; it was the carbureted 8-valve SOHC automatic POS. Still, at 16, having my own car was pretty awesome. Despite the limitations, my passion for cars, especially imports, persisted. I did what I could to customize my Corolla, from a custom Magnaflow cat-back to black-painted wheels, and even a carbon shift knob from Pep Boys, always hoping for rain so I could indulge in some burnouts.

In 1999, I was working at Whole Foods and a local car wash trying to bank as much money as I could so that I could eventually get an EG. At the time, my good friend ended up getting a 1993 Civic and was able to convince his parents to buy him a GSR swap for it because he told them it would get better gas mileage (that’s a true story). They ended up buying him the swap with the stipulation that if he got one speeding ticket, he would have to sell it.

This was my gateway into imports; I was officially hooked. We would hang out at a local speed shop in Torrance, California called NYCE (nothing you can expect) Motorsports, where I learned a lot from Matt and Kevin, the two owners. Eventually, I quit working at the car wash to work as a shop assistant right across from NYCE Motorsports with a guy named Steve Taylor; the shop operated under the name of TECH 43. While working there for almost a year, I learned so much about Hondas, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity that I was given. However, this time in my life was very strained and confusing for me, and I ended up realizing that I didn’t want to make my hobby my job; it took all the fun out of it.

So I ended up quitting and just working only at Whole Foods. During this time, I was able to find a way to get my own EG Civic; it was the best of times. I was so happy, and working at a shop opened up many ways for me to end up finally getting a B16 with a fully built head from Tom at Portflow, Type R cams, 4.7 Type R tranny, and a lot of other goodies. I used to take it to the street races all over Carson, Compton, Ontario, and Sylmar. You gotta figure that in 2000, that was actually a pretty quick car.

My friend inevitably got a speeding ticket in his GSR hatch, so he had to sell it. Luckily enough, one of my other friends was able to buy it, so we were able to keep it in the family. By this time, my obsession was spiraling out of control. I was 18 and was able to get credit cards to buy more stuff for my Civic, not to mention tickets from going to street races 4-5 times a week. So much had happened to me in two years of my life that I knew I was not headed in a good direction.

An opportunity at Whole Foods came up, and it involved moving out to Las Vegas to open the first Whole Foods in Las Vegas. After much soul searching, I figured it would be best for me to get out of southern California. After talking it over with my dad and my girlfriend (the same one I have now), I sold my car to pay off all my debts, and in 2003 we moved to Las Vegas. I was only 20, and my girlfriend was 19. We sold everything we had, bought a queen-size bed, and with only some clothes and a skateboard, we moved out to Las Vegas. No car, no TV, not even a couch! We had no car and would walk and skate to work. Life was difficult, to say the least.

I vowed to never get into imports again because I knew it was a terrible addiction. We ended up buying a Ford Ranger (which I still have today), and I got into prerunner trucks. I always regretted selling my Civic and felt like there was always a void missing because Hondas were my true passion. Having a prerunner was only a bandaid. Fast forward to 2006, a coworker of mine said he had a white 1995 Civic VX for sale. I knew right then and there that this was a calling, and that I had to jump on this. Since we worked together, I was able to set up a bi-weekly payment plan with him. The rest is history…

Throughout the years it has gone from D16z6, B16a, to now being K20 powered. I have picked up many other hobbies throughout the years, but one thing will always remain the same. My love for my Honda civic. its more that a material possession for me, It may not be my original civic that I once owned but to me it still holds just as much sentimental value to me. It reminds me of the big sacrifice I made to move on with my life and mature as an adult. I had so many monumental things happen to me in my old civic that I felt like if I didn’t get a civic back in my life it would almost seem that I would forget about all the good times I previously had. Meeting the love of my life, learning so much about Hondas and being a part of a booming import scene in southern California, also very many bad times and life changing events. no matter what it was I could always get in my civic and my problems would just disappear. this is the very reason that it is so important that I was able to find another civic exactly like the one I had before.

SOOO sorry to bore you with such a long heartfelt story. Let’s get on to the real reason you’re here. To read about the specs of my civic and see some pictures of it.

In a world obsessed with excessive horsepower and trendy car modifications, genuine appreciation for quality builds is hard to find. The online car community often prioritizes popularity and builds cars solely based on current styles, constantly switching to stay relevant. Staying true to oneself is crucial. My civic is meticulously built for reliability, without excessive horsepower meant for events like TX2k18. While it is well-maintained and clean, it won’t win any shows. Functiontheory is grounded in the principle of building a car for function, regardless of its form, using only the best methods and components, avoiding cheap eBay parts, rushed engine swaps, or building for likes and clout. Embodying your chosen style and executing it flawlessly is essential, irrespective of the time it takes, as long as it brings satisfaction. It took me over 2 years to get my swap running, and it’s worth the effort. If necessary, keeping your car stock until you can afford significant upgrades, such as authentic coilovers, quality wheels, or a substantial engine swap, is a sensible approach. Roof wings, BWR braces, HIDs, and Rotas, while common modifications, do not enhance your car’s appeal and may label you as a “ricer” if they are the only changes made.

My car isn’t the cleanest thing but I built it to enjoy it, I keep it tasteful and clean. If it was a show quality car, then I would be afraid to drive it because I would be worried about rock chips and dents.

• Its a 1995 Civic VX.
• JDM DC5 K20 swapped, Hasport black anodized mounts, RRC intake manifold, Skunk2 alpha header, karcepts fuel system, Ktuned ram air intake with velocity stack, Ktuned P/S delete, spoon sports valve cover and oil cap, AEM FPR, marshall gauge, hondata Thermal intake manifold gasket, custom 3 inch header back straight through exhaust, hybrid racing passenger side radiator, ktuned hoses. hondata Kpro V3 tuned by church, has port wiring harness
• JDM DC5 trans, Ktuned billet shifter, OEM ITR flywheel, Exedy stage 2 clutch, insane shafts axles, Ktuned traction bar, karcepts clutch line, spoon spots shift knob.
• PWJDM front triangle strut bar, suspension techniques front sway bar, TEIN mono flex coilovers, energy bushings throughout the suspension, bolt in cage with welded on extra bracing, homemade rear c pillar brace and strut bar combo, ASR rear subframe brace, F7 spherical bearing lower control arms, Eibach rear sway bar
• Mini cooper front rotors with NSX calipers, stop tech pads all around, SS brakes lines all around, NSX brake booster/master cylinder, stop tech brake fluid, 40/40 prop valve
• Enkei PF01 15×8 +35 wheels with 205/50 federal RSR tires, 15 mil front spacer, and 5 mil rear spacer
• no name racing seat, crow harness, jdm cluster PWJDM carbon kevlar airbag block off, cut dash, no radio or speakers, Honda optional radio block off

Below like usual is a picture to click on to go to my flickr to see all the pictures of my car. just move your cursor over the first smaller picture

Below are just my favorite shots!