2000 Honda Civic DX Hatchback

The under hood has both more flash and more substance than the body. Yau says, "The car has been through three motors, one notable favorite being the Civic Type-R B16B powerplant. I was never able to get it running correctly so I ditched that idea and upgraded to the current motor, a JDM B18C-R. Being a novice at motor installations, the hardest and most annoying obstacles were getting these JDM motors to run correctly while getting them OBD-II compliant. It's just been a pain to work with."

The B-series bullet has been fortified with Toda Spec-B cams, Toda springs, Supertech valves, a Comptech intake, JDM header and a Mugen exhaust system. Tuning was achieved with a custom programmed P28 ECU and an APEXi V-AFC II piggyback fuel computer.

In the flash department we find a Mugen valve cover, Cusco cooling plate, Mugen strut tower bar and number of other touches.

Yau knows his ride best, so we asked him about its highlights. "I believe that suspension and chassis-related mods make the most difference in your driving experience. I always tell people the most 'feel' for your money is spending it on good suspension parts like the Tanabe Sustec Pro coilovers because it changes the way your car handles dramatically."

"Also, I went from a stock motor with a 55-shot of nitrous that I used daily-and squeezed through one bottle per week for an entire year-to a stock Civic Type-R B16B engine to finally a Japanese ITR B18C-R with a Toda Spec-B package. That's quite a transition. And, who doesn't love power under the hood?"

Honda JDM is defined by Mugen and aside from the Mugen 'bling factor,' Yau loves how their parts blend form and functionality. Driving the streets of Chicago can be pretty demanding on the rims, which is why the forged mf-8's were his rim of choice. They've withstood thousands of potholes and he has never dented or pinch-flattened a tire on any of them.

Yau's plan for the Civic is to pass emissions annually and leave it the way it is. "In my opinion, the JDM Honda scene became too saturated, too quickly. It's hard to build standout Hondas nowadays. As for the future, I'll just enjoy the ride and hopefully hit the track whenever the ice thaws."