After getting things wrapped up over at Thompson, I knew that I had to take advantage of the late afternoon light that was still available. Plus, what else was I to do with a full frame Nikon D700 camera on hand, a scenic low key street and quite arguably the best put together EP3 in the nation?
It was basically mandatory because even though I've been around this car for quite some time now, it still never makes me feel jaded and with the constant improvements it sees, how could I not?
Even if that wasn't the case, a car of this stature deserves to be well documented. It's everything that a Honda should be and more. Sleek looks, versatile use, economical cost of operation and of course reliable to the moon and back.
It's been the culmination of years of R&D to become the all-arounder that it is today. It can often be overlooked as a stock Civic that's been lowered or some compact minivan as some might say but as simple as the car may look save for the wheels, its current state is a far cry from when it left the factory a little over a decade ago.
Cornering grip is exceptional, bar none the most agile car I've experienced in my lifetime which I suppose it doesn't hold too much weight given that I'm not very actively involved in motorsports but as a passenger, I'm still surprised on how compliant the suspension is compared to its handling. Street manners is what you can call it, truly a freak in the sheets but a lady in the streets.
In one way or another the Civic is still only a teenager who has lots of growing up to do. This winter it will finally be receiving its much awaited motor transplant, a K20A2 out of an RSX with a close ratio gear set transmission and LSD to match. That will surely add some much needed pep to its step since the near stock K20A3 isn't exactly a powerhouse by any means.
If that wasn't enough, a pre facelift JDM front end conversion is also in the cards to match the JDM rear end conversion for even more aggressive styling.
The few minuscule dings that were on the car even before coming under Evan's ownership were finally taken off as well not all that long ago by an experienced dent guy. Always a great feeling seeing the wrinkles go away...
Being a resident of a quiet town has its perks such as access to interesting locale as you can see above which is a traditional industrial brick building. At the same time I think it's unique that a car of this pedigree stems from somewhere this small and unknown in the map.
The same could be said for most of SoHonda Garage. given that we operate from our just-big-enough-to-park-in garages in various off the grid locations. It goes to show that anyone can do it if they can maintain the right state of mind more often than not.
As you can imagine, Evan was over the moon when he picked up the new painted rotor hats, wheels and powdercoated calipers. The contrasting colors work very well together and are easy to clean brake dust and grime off from them. Even something so straightforward took a few iterations to reach the current state. Think evolution, not revolution.
As you can see, it takes time to make significant progress without sacrificing other qualities. Instant satisfaction builds are not what we are about here at SHG and I believe that to be clearly visible in all of our builds. The same way that Michelangelo didn't paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a month, the EP3 also wasn't conceived overnight.
When every part works in unison like a finely tuned watch, the results speak for themselves. As I continue to say, The Power of Dreams is a powerful concept. Go out there and make your vision a reality. What's really stopping you?
-Claudio
