1993 Honda Civic

As a ritual among many Honda enthusiasts, Jorge Hernandez of Gilbert, Ariz., took a minimal initial investment and parlayed it into something special. In 2003 he dropped $5,000 on a slightly worn 10-year-old EG Civic CX with a B18C1 swap, and in the span of 14 months added a high degree of form and function to the hatchback.

The opening act consisted of fixing the suspension to make the car more tossable and a complete tune-up so it would pass smog. Once officially part of the family, the 3-door also received a thorough detailing, and Hernandez replaced a cracked bumper cover and dinged fenders with Honda OE hardware. The interior was pulled, and the Civic was delivered to M.O.B. Works Autobody to be gold-dipped from stem to stern, along with a carbon-fiber duckbill spoiler, Vision mirrors, JDM headlights, JDM taillights and an OEM front lip.

Once back in his possession, Hernandez installed a fresh interior: a new dash with '95 Si gauges, an H.O.P. center console/arm rest, ITR seats front and rear, and OE floor mats. On the performance front, the car was fitted with 5Zigen wheels, an RS*R exhaust system, and a Skunk2 shift knob.

Then somewhere mid-process, in 2004, Hernandez lost his way. "The 'scene' out here in Arizona, up until then, was crappy," he explains. "I couldn't meet anybody who was interested in Hondas. I needed to meet some wrench heads to give me advice or to help out. I needed some Honda friends. Everyone I had talked to was either too immature or too cocky. I had lost faith. I had no inspiration or motivation, so I decided to sell my beloved hatch. I guess I felt I was too old for it, but it turned out to be the best thing I ever did."

In scouting the local classifieds in his efforts to sell the whip, Hernandez came across the address for a website called AZHT.net. At the time he didn't know much about online car forums, so he browsed the site out of curiosity. There were guys on it that seemed pretty cool and loved their cars. Hernandez didn't think to ask them anything, though; he just wanted to sell his car.

He posted some pics of the Civic and guys on the site went nuts. "I must have had 20 comments on the first day, comments like, 'Where the hell has that thing been hiding?' and 'I'll give you 20 bucks just to come over and hump it.' These guys made me feel like I knew what I was doing."

Hernandez had also posted a set of Mugen RNR's to sell. This is when he first met Jason Buell (Jay), who saw the car and suggested he keep it. "But I was still in my 'Screw it - I'm selling' state of mind." A couple of weeks later the car sold, and as he watched it drive off, he thought to himself, "What the hell did I just do?" The onset of severe buyer's remorse almost compelled Hernandez to cry, but it was too little too late.

He stayed on the AZHT website and started to meet like-minded people. Then ironically, without trying, or a car even, Hernandez started to get back the old inspiration. He decided to try his hand with another Civic, if he could find one.