Grassroots

Who/What/Where:
Andrew Patterson; '95 Civic; Southern Illinois

The goods:
Andrew's VX needed a heart transplant; around the time this was decided upon, he came across a good deal on a D15B engine and EX gearbox. With the help of Jesse at Level 7 Motorsports and Brent from Falcon 7 Tuning, the D15B and VTEC tranny were up and running in no time. Exterior mods came next, courtesy of a minor fender bender altercation in a parking lot, which Andrew assures us was not his fault. An OEM EX front lip was sourced and added on along with JDM corner lights and headlights, an SiR two-piece wing, and OEM mud guards. Braking and handling mods followed suit with Andrew's decision to install PIC Performance coilovers and bolt on an Integra rear disc brake conversion teamed up with Hawk pads all the way around. An OEM Si shock tower brace and Integra LS antiroll bars help alleviate flex and roll. The VX's cheesy 13-inch steelies were ditched in favor of 15-inch Konig Heliums and 205/50-15 Falken Ziex tires scored from a buddy. Andrew wanted Volk CE28Ns but their cost overshadowed the rest of the build so the idea was scrapped. A B18B engine swap is coming. Andrew also tells us that suspension bushings, bigger antiroll bars, and aftermarket lower control arms are also on the way, along with a new paint job.

How it went down:
Andrew scored his hatch in Aug. '06 after an auto accident left him fending for public transportation. It was his first Honda, and he'd been wanting one for a good two years but just didn't have the money at the time. As fate would have it, a friend of Andrew's came across a teal VX that had been sitting in an old lady's driveway for about as long as Andrew had wanted one. As such, it was purchased for relatively cheap. The hatch didn't exactly run but the same friend who helped him find it was able to throw a few parts at it for cheap and get it up and running in no time. The little hatchback was left stock for about as long as Andrew could take it-three months to be specific-before he just couldn't stand looking at his friends' modified Civics. That's usually how the story goes.

Love and hate:
It's stock but it's clean. Get that B-series swap in there, Andrew.

Who/What/Where:
Jason Gourley; '89 Civic; Barnegat, N.J.

The goods:
Jason bought the EF from a young couple who apparently rarely drove it. He noticed it sitting on the side of the house on several occasions and just knew he had to have it. He made them an offer and, before he knew it, it was sitting at his house while he painted it Gloss White. Jason hadn't had his EF for all that long though; he just picked it up in late 2007 in fact. No matter though, in that time he's managed to make it his own, beginning with ridding the car if it's "4x4" status. He did so by installing KYB AGX shocks paired with Omni Power coilovers. The suspension is rounded off with Blox lower control arms. Jason moved onto the interior next, adding a Broadway rearview mirror, Personal Neo Grinta steering wheel, and Recaro seats bought and paid for by his girlfriend. With the money saved on seats Jason was able to buy a host of Si interior bits as well as the optional center console and move on to modifying the exterior. It began with corner lights and bumper lenses and the addition of a passenger-side mirror, which STD model Civics didn't have. Jason then added a set of 15-inch TSW Razors wrapped with Falken Ziex tires. Soon after, HIDs were added for better night vision and Jason decided to move on to all things power-related. He began with a D16Y8 VTEC head swap-better known as the Mini Me-complete with the dual-point to multipoint fuel injection conversion and all. He also added a DC Sports exhaust system for good measure. The power increase isn't massive, but was enough to make Jason beef up the brakes with Brembo rotors and EBC Yellow Stuff pads.

Love And Hate:
Do-it-yourself builds done right are never a bad thing. We especially like how well-rounded Jason's EF is, with basic mods done to the engine, brakes, suspension, and body.