Just when we thought we'd seen every possible combination of body mods that look crazy but not clean, something caught our eyes. Alex Asuncion's 1992 Honda Civic is the car that made us pause to take second, third, and fourth glances. Everything was perfect on this beauty-radiant paint, Japanese Integra Type R headlights, flawless bodywork, and American Type R interior. The combination of these features makes Alex's car stand out like a sore thumb at a car show, but in the best way possible.
He had already envisioned what he wanted his Civic to become. The words "Type R" and "Mugen" danced around in his head until he couldn't take it anymore. So, with the help of Auto Touch Up Specialists, the headlight conversion on his Civic was done with such precision and accuracy that, from the front, even true Honda lovers would have trouble telling the difference. The A.T.U.S. guys had to modify the factory Civic fenders in order to house the new headlight assembly. Alex knew that a cheap imitation bumper would cause troubles with improper fitting, especially with the front-end modifications that he had in mind. An original Mugen bumper was used in order to avoid major installation headaches. After the Civic was sprayed with a lustrous candy-apple red paint, Alex completed the front end with a matching red carbon-fiber hood. Now, can you tell the difference?
The Mugen bumper has a big mouth to fill, so why not fill it with a huge Spearco intercooler from the DRAG generation II turbo kit? The kit consists of a T3/T4 turbo, Deltagate wastegate, cast-iron manifold, GReddy blow-off valve, and all necessary plumbing. Alex opted for the chrome intercooler piping to give his Civic an extra advantage at car shows. Turbocharged and almost ready to roll, he decided that a few more engine mods were in order before he could tear up the streets. Speed Image in San Jose, California, yanked the top end of the SOHC D16A motor and gave it a full port treatment. The factory head, intake manifold, and throttle body were all opened up for maximum flow. Air and fuel mixture is ignited with the aid of NGK spark plugs and MSD wires. With the GReddy Profec-B controlling boost, Alex estimates his Civic pushes 200 hp @6,000 rpm with a quarter-mile time of 13.8 @ 99mph.
The suspension on Alex's Civic needed freshening up as well. VIS coilovers stiffen up the ride a bit and allow Alex to raise his car for street driving then slam it for car shows. A set of Koni shocks provide Alex's Civic with a smooth ride on the street and track. For even better handling in tight corners, Suspension Techniques was contacted for their front and rear antisway bars. Stopping power comes in the form of Stillen cross-drilled rotors and VGX brake pads on all four corners. Taking the place of the stock 14s are a set of gold Axis Se7ens with Nitto's NT-450s glued to them-a perfect harmony of colors.
Now that Alex's Civic looked more like an Integra Type R, he wanted it to feel more like a real Integra Type R. Stock Civic seats were swapped out for American Integra Type R seats with a set of matching Type R floor mats. Aside from the cluster of silver Auto Meter gauges, the interior of the Civic remains fairly simple, until you get to the sound system. Some of you '80s babies might not know what this is, but Alex's Kenwood KDC-5075 head unit actually plays cassettes. You read right-before CDs and MDs, there were such things as cassette tapes. Don't think that Alex is ancient, he's also got a Kenwood KDC-D300 head unit with a CD player. Had you worried, didn't we? With both head units available, Alex can choose what type of music source he wants to pump out of his 12-inch Kicker Solobaric sub and Infinity mids. Totaling around 1,400 watts, a couple Audiobahn amplifiers ensure that all the speakers will have a steady supply power at all times.