People dont like to admit they were a part of the fake-Veilside trend that happened in 97, but theyll be happy to tell you that their Mugen body kit is real. Sure, whatever. These people will tell you that if you dont have a JDM butt-plug or your next purchase isnt going to be a pair of APC taillights, then you arent cool and you dont follow the trend. Rob Brooks is probably going to be very confused when he reads this story. Why? Well, hes not a trend chaser and he probably has no clue what Im talking about. Hes probably oblivious to it allall this cool stuff that everyone has to have.
Civics are owned by every man, woman, and child on earth, and the Si doesnt stand out any differently from the lower models with the exception of a couple of emblems. So, in the looks category, youd suffer a 4 (maybe a 5 at best) out of 10. But Rob? I think he stands a better chance of getting noticed. With a Wings West body kit and deck wing, itd be foolish to say that you couldnt at least acknowledge its presence. Perhaps more noticeable are the graphics that make the Civic look more like something from the Gran Turismo Garage stage after youve won the B-license and decided that your car needed a face lift.
Robs car is an icon that possesses more fame and popularity than Halle Berry exposing her breasts on the big screen. He made his first improvements with parts from AEM, installing an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and fuel rail. He then bolted on AEM cam gears and its world famous cold air intake along with a bypass valve, then picked up every engine dress-up part he could find in the catalog. A Crane HI6TRC ignition box helps to increase spark in the combustion chamber while the Brospeed header and Vibrant exhaust combo are more than competent in releasing gases like a satisfied Moe Durand after a bad lunch at the local taco stand.
In terms of handling, the Si is pretty decent. It rides the way it was designed tocomfortable, and not for an N1 enduro race. And with this in mind, Rob felt he could make further improvements if he threw on a set of Eibach ERS springs and Koni sport shocksit worked. To accommodate body flex, an Eibach strut bar and lower tie-bar were installed. For braking performance, big AEM brakes were installed along with EBC green pads and Goodridge lines. The MOMO GT-2 wheels dont look so bad, either. At least theyre better than those pants youre wearing.
The interior of a car really shows off ones personal taste; some people can really screw things up. But with MOMO on hand, you can hardly go wrong. He added Street Racer seats, Fighter steering wheel, King shift knob, and Supertourismo pedals. The gauges are VDO-issued, but the stereo is heavy on the Pioneer tip. The stereo dumps out pure sound through Polk Audios MOMO edition speakers (I suppose MOMO is the theme) in all forms and sizes.
If the Si that Rob built is a good example of whats in now, then I guess hes done a good job. Even though trendsetters would point out that it doesnt have headlights from Japan and the wing isnt a triple decker GTR-style copy from Joe Shmoes body shop, its still cool. Am I wrong?