1995 Honda Civic Sedan

That first taste of freedom offered by the automobile is likely a joint effort between a teenager and the folks. Some parents unload their buckets on their kids because they can't be bothered to sell them; others do it to buy a new ride for themselves. And usually, those rides turn out to be soccer-mom minivans.

By HT standards, Dan Chueh of Sacramento, Calif., had it made. When his dad handed down the keys to the family ride, they didn't turn the ignition to anything adorned with wood paneling or sliding doors; they fit an almost-new '95 Civic.

The car wasn't entirely Chueh's. His dad needed it on occasion, but it didn't stop him from installing a set of coil-overs and some bolt-ons. Dad wasn't feelin' the mods, so Cheuh was often in the driveway making use of the adjustable coil-overs, raising and lowering the car on demand.

The car's slammed state eventually took a toll on the oil pan, transmission and header. Cheuh decided on a five-speed manual conversion. But the mechanic skipped town with his deposit, his folks were none too impressed and another slushbox made a home under the hood.

Time passed and Cheuh attempted the five-speed conversion again, this time aided by a friend. Seven days and three stripped flywheel bolts later, the Civic emerged with a stick shift.

A family trip to Hong Kong set the next several stages. Chueh spotted a Civic Ferio, upon which he'd visually model his '95, and he soon ordered Ferio parts of every type and description, including deck lid spoiler, folding side mirrors and low-profile side moldings. Sacramento's Luxor Auto Body installed the JDM gear and sprayed the car a deep coat of Desert silver metallic.

Cheuh soon picked up a job at local speed shop Motorsport Dynamics, where he gained the skills to bump up the output on the single-cam Ferio. A GReddy turbo kit pacified his thirst for power, but not enough as a long-term solution. Cheuh wanted to go DOHC and sourced a USDM B18C1 in a bizarre, three-way engine trade amongst friends. Cheuh scored the B18 and some other poor sap drove off with an LS under the hood of his GS-R.