1995 Honda Wagon with ICE

My mom had one. I sat in the back (or in the front if I could push my sister out of the way) while she took us to school, soccer practice, or the dentist—all of which I hated. Stale french fries and Garbage Pail Kids cards were found stuck in between the seats while I rested my feet on the floor mats that were once white and had quickly turned into a shade of brown. I never wanted to smell, look, or ride in another wagon until I saw pictures of Al Keuth’s ’95 Honda—that instantly changed my mind. Al dared to be different and I’ll tell you why. Two words: form and function. Shortly after picking up the wagon, Al used it as a family car. Then he figured that it was time to have some fun. He decided to go on a mission, and nothing (or no one—living or dead) was going to stop him.

The car became a full-fledged project, and there was no stopping it now. The stock rollers were kicked to the curb in favor of a set of 19-inch Racing Hart M5 wheels that were mounted with Toyo Proxes tires. To improve handling, Al chose a set of A’pex F1 full body coilovers. To tie up loose ends, a DC Sports front strut brace and upper and lower tie-bars were bolted on for extra strength and chassis stability. Knowing that his next big step would be monster power, Al added a set of Brembo slotted and drilled rotors.

Now that the “show” department was taken care of, it was time for a serious “go” upgrades. With a JDM theme in mind and a need for some serious power, a Honda H22A motor was the weapon of choice. The stock engine was yanked out and the H22A got dropped in by Al and his friend, Lipton Lew. Before the motor was transplanted, the 2.2L VTEC was balanced and blueprinted to Japanese specs. Once bolted securely into place, the motor was treated to more power add-ons. A custom-bent 2¼-inch muffler system from Hayame frees up the unwanted gases, adding a nice rumble to the underside of the wagon. An unknown but approved Jasma-spec header was bolted on to ensure any power was not to be left untapped. NGK spark plug wires keep the engine firing properly as well as the addition of a pair of Hayame adjustable cam gears that enable the engine to be tuned for optimum power.

Station wagons are not known for entertainment, but after you see what Al did with his, I think it’d make you think twice. With help from Ryan and Mike at Stereo 2 Go, a mobile entertainment center was born. At the epicenter of this audio/video monster, lies an Alpine CVA-1005 head unit and six-disc CD changer. For visual entertainment, an Alpine DVD player sends images to two 6.4-inch monitors mounted in custom swivel headrests. Two Optima batteries power the entire system with Stinger wiring, routing power and information signals throughout the interior of the cabin. For sound, Al chose two 12-inch Kicker woofers and Boston Acoustic components that were mounted throughout the cabin. The power station behind the system comes from two PPI PC600s that put out a total of 600 watts at Al’s instant disposal.

Now I’m jealous. Not of Al or the year and all the sweat and tears that went into this project. I’m jealous of the three kids who go to soccer practice in one of the dopest rides around—their daddy’s sweet ’95 Honda station wagon.