1997 Honda Civic DX

Ros had the car looking fresh and rolling low (but not too low), and decided to attend some Honda-Tech.com meets in the Stockton region. "People were feeling the car, which drove me to strive for more. I wanted to shape my car into a perfect piece of art."

This led Ros inside the cabin and back on the JDM Express. His Japanese market finds include SiR door panels, climate control panel, clock, H.O.P. ashtray, CTR cup holder, and 6-point Cusco roll cage. And what interior project would be complete without a set RAYS Speed Choppy wheels? Ok, so they go on the outside of the car, but Ros wanted any reason to add to his rim reserves. Defends Ros, "Yes, I'm a JDM wheel whore, but [the Speed Choppy's] complete [the car's] look."

Taking stock of the coupe's journey to this point, Ros remembers the difficulty in sourcing the J-spec components. "What sucked was that all these rare items were hella pricey. But thanks to my girlfriend's credit cards, I managed to get everything I wanted."

Asked if the headaches were worth it, though, and we get resoundingly positive feedback from Ros. "My favorite mod has to be the motor. Anything would be better than [the engine that came] stock in the DX. Having a GSR motor gets me to work on time.

"Next on the list is the paint job," he continues to enthuse. "I like it so much because I spent a shitload of money on it and the results were great. Remember, you get what you pay for. My third favorite mod has to be the Choppys. I have 3 other sets of rims, but the Choppys stand apart. They look different and are very rare."

As of right now Ros says there are no future plans for his Civic. "I'm expecting a baby, so all of my plans are on hold. But what I would like to do is start a new build, start fresh with a del Sol this time. I'm excited about the next build because I can visualize the outcome and in my head it looks great."

Of course one thing Ros doesn't have to imagine too hard are wheels. To the 3 extra sets he claimed when we shot the car, we hear he has gone to the well 2 more times since. So many wheels, so little time.