CAUSE AND EFFECT

If you ever see a grey EG hatch at the lights, back down. Even if your ride’s veins are coursing with insane levels of boost, you’re probably in for a rather rude shock. Trust me on this one.

Money. Single-handedly the biggest hurdle that modifiers encounter; the primary reason why our cars never quite turn out to be the ones we dreamt of. We all want that crazy engine-swapped, custom coloured car that personifies us, but few of us can afford to chase our interpretation of the perfect car. It’s a scenario lived out in any city where there’s a modifying community. And Yonas Liu is one such person. He doesn’t bring home massive pay packets. He doesn’t live the baller life. He’s just like you and me. 

I can’t actually remember how I first met Yonas. It was years ago, probably around 2002; when Australia’s all-motor fraternity was very much in its infancy. Back then, the Australian release of Honda’s DC2 Integra Type R had been the flag bearer for naturally aspirated fans. It was a car that could go toe to toe with two of the tuner heavyweights – the 200SX and WRX –in terms of price, power and ability; and did so with no turbo, less capacity and in a FWD platform. It broke the rulebook. While many in the automotive community weren’t entirely sold on the concept of a front-wheeling high performance car, a small group of enthusiasts were drawn to the allure of being an underdog, flying under the radar and catching people off guard.

Honda enthusiasts were also beginning to realise that you didn’t need to plump $40k odd for the Type R to get Honda’s turbo-equalling performance. Led by a trickle of U.S. magazines, these guys and girls became aware of the compatibility across Honda’s platforms. The Integra, Civic and CRX all had common underpinnings, allowing enthusiasts to swap the juicy fruit and effectively build their own Frankenstein creations. They had found the key to the Pandora’s box of VTEC tuning.

While there was no denying the Type R’s potency, Yonas knew it wasn’t for him. Not only was it too expensive, but the shape didn’t appeal to him. And most of all, he didn’t like the fact that its performance came pre-packaged from the factory. Instead, he knew he had to one day own an EG Honda Civic hatch. It was his dream car and he knew the potential that could be unlocked.

After saving up every penny, Yonas began searching for the right Civic and stumbled across a light-tuned EG that had been dubbed ‘the black sheep’. It was an Si model – meaning it had a VTEC-less ZC motor – that had been tearing up the Wakefield Park racetrack. Fitted only with shocks, tyres and brake pads, this otherwise stock Civic was trouncing everything from Type Rs to S15s. Understandably, it had developed somewhat of a cult following.

When the opportunity came to buy this Civic, Yonas didn’t waste any time in forking over the pile of cash that had been accruing under his mattress. However, Yonas wasn’t the least bit motivated by its previous exploits; in fact he wanted to distance himself from it as much as he could. While most people who buy a modified car tend to leave it as is, he didn’t care for its street cred or reputation. The only reason why Yonas opted for this particular example was the previous owner had cared for it religiously, and he knew from the get-go he would be radically transforming it.