There are two types of people in this world: a cat person or a dog person, a Mac user or a PC user, and the type to view Florida as a pan handle or see it as an increasingly limp penis. If the last batch has you stumped because you see Florida as neither, you're not as lonely as your goldfish says you are. And for Alex Abadia, a Tour 2004 enthusiast, Florida is called home for not only himself, but also his '02 supercharged Honda Civic Si.
I met Alex and his Civic when we swiped through Florida's very thin and muggy slot, also known as Interstate 95, en route to Atlanta on the South Leg of Tour 2004. Being one of the few who actually rode the entire Leg starting from Miami, Alex and his crew of flunkies, which included the car, stood out prominently. A gleaming white under the Florida sun, the Si sported a Buddy Club II body kit and a set of 19x8 RH Pro J8s, enough of a package to get the twice over from me. So aside from the Barton Twins and their sets of Dolly Parton-type twins, I set my eyes on Alex's Civic during the first day and decided after my 20th Red Bull that his Si needed to be photographed and featured.
Naturally, my first questions to Alex were where and how do I get in contact with the easiest women in Florida, followed by what was under the hood of his car. Surprisingly, he provided me with two phone numbers that, by the way, were owned by two retired 80-year-old women, both of whom had differing views on fellatio and Filipino men. He also showed me a gorgeous Jackson Racing Gen IV JR62 supercharger perfectly attached to the K20 engine, which also hosted an STR throttle body, an AEM short-ram air intake, and a GReddy Evo II exhaust system.
According to Alex, he wanted to stray away from the rest of the Sis in his hometown, all of which ran with a turbo or a nitrous setup. "There isn't a single Si in my city with a combination of vertical doors, these RH wheels, and, of course, the Jackson Racing supercharger." And with his willingness to drive 700-plus miles on Tour, putting his paint and wheels in danger, he rightfully earned this Final Call feature.
On the long voyage, the Progress coilover system, lowering the car a full 3 inches, helped with I-95's nasty bumps, while the Toyo Proxes 4 tires helped his crew navigate skid-free. Their trek was probably more entertaining as well with a Kenwood DVD unit and a set of JL Audio speakers on hand to play music and the latest Michael Moore documentary. Inside also featured vinyl/tweed upholstery, perfect for giving unsuspecting girlfriends rug burns when those side-of-the-freeway, two-pumps-and-I'm-out love sessions happen to come up.
On the cha-ching side, Alex dropped approximately 20K on his Civic, all within a short six months. In fact, he made one of his last modifications the night before the Tour began, installing the choice MOMO Net steering wheel. One problem he encountered with the car was with the body kit, where the side skirts were molded and a custom arch was made in order for the GReddy exhaust tip to fit.
In spite of it all, he made due with what he had, worked hard until the very end, and is now reaping all the benefits, which includes the coveted title as Car of the South Leg. He even hooked up some sponsorships in the process when detailing gurus Shining Monkey solidified a partnership by giving him a case of D-Spec detailers. As a result, his ride was shining so much, he was the only one on the South Leg who stuck out inside the eyes of the highway patrol after they pulled him over for whatever profiling chart they use on tuners these days. And as of this writing, he hooked up with the two retired 80-year-old women and helped them change their views on fellatio.
Fast Facts
Owner: Alex Abadia
Ride: '02 Honda Civic Si
Hometown: Margate, Florida
Daily Grind: Customer Service Supervisor