Chronicles of the Habanero God
I cruise into my nearest stealership after visiting several others disappointed and ask if they have any Rallye Red Civic Si's with navigation in stock. The sales associate shakes her head and states that the only navi Civic in stock is a Habanero Red Civic. It has no add-ons and the only thing tacked on is a 5000 "fair market price" mark up. I tell her I hate that color and am only interested in Rallye Red; I hand her my number and instruct her to call me once one comes in..
A week goes by....
Every day after that day, they call asking me if I've reconsidered their offer for the HRP Civic sitting in their show room. I finally buckle under the pressure, mostly because I still couldn't find any Rallye Reds in Southern California. I arrive and they let my dad test drive it. Upon exiting the vehicle my father is ecstatic, expressing his joy and excitment. After the test drive, it has seven miles on it. I tell her I'll buy it if they take off the mark up, and the stand off between Hardin Honda and myself begins.
After about two hours of haggling back and fourth they take 3k off the mark-up and have succesfully worn down my patience. I start to walk out with my dad and the guy asks me if I'd be willing to buy it for 26k OTD. By today's standards, anything above MSRP is a rip-off, but back then when demand was high and Civics with navi and no add-ons were hard to come by, I was sold. I took her home.
My new baby was in desparate need of new shoes. I purchased my Volk GT-7's wrapped in Toyo Proxes as well as had them installed and aligned by Wheel Warehouse. Thanks to MJH Sound, I managed to get my car featured in a tech article for Super Street Magazine involving the install and dynograph of the Magnaflow Exhaust System for new Civics. Back then, my Volks were gorgeous and few Civic owners had rims. Now it's pretty common to see Volks on our cars. I still love the exhaust just as much as the day I bought it. The deep tone and low pitched growl, is the perfect blend between aggressive and conservative. The appearance is similar to a stock exhaust so it doesn't attract too much attention, but anyone who knows Civics will know that it's a far cry from stock. My car was on it's way.
Summer was filled with various small meets. Rei had a chance to take in the local sights and sounds of Southern California, as well as get a feel for her sporty suspension and rugged handling. Summers warmth was slowly fading away into the sunset as took my car to the beach for one last photoshoot before Fall. Lastly, I paid off my car! She was finally mine.. time to mark my territory. I added my custom license plate and custom made my own frame from billet aluminum.
Took my Civic to even more meets around So Cal. This is where I met all the awesome So Cal members of 8thcivic.com. Now I'm not usually the type to just go out and meet new people, but Shglbmx a.k.a. Dan was more than friendly enough for the both of us. He helped me overcome my social anxiety and after a few meets, I knew most of the regular So Cal members and had no problem meeting new faces. My baby made some new friends too. She was shy at first too, but after a while she fit right in!
R.I.P. Slicks
Took her to the desert to test out the Megan Coilovers that Shglbmx so graciously provided me. She finally got to stretch her legs out for the first time! Her and I spent the day with Shglbmx and his Si even if it may look like an LX now. It was a blast, and I don't regret getting Megans one bit. The coilovers are 32-way adjustable, so I had no problem tearing up the gravel. Letting her fly through the desert at blinding 100+ mph speeds was fun too. I really got to see how well our cars can perform, and I wasn't disappointed one bit. After devoting an entire week to cleaning the f*ck out of her, I vowed to NEVER do that again. I spent the new years with her and a bottle of fine wine at the MGM Grand Signature Suites. Don't tell her, but after she fell asleep I snuck over to the Ferrari museum for a tryst I'll never forget.
I was starting to got a little mod happy and decided to enter my car in a show along with Albert(Ayenoc), Dan(Shglbmx) and his team. A Seibon carbon fiber hood, Seibon carbon fiber trunk, and a ViS concept wing later, my car looked pretty riced out. I somehow managed to convince AFE Performance Filters and Anzo USA to sponsor my car. AFE Performance designed a short ram intake system that drew air in from a pressure pocket just underneath the front cowl. Anzo USA donated a set of their yet to be released projector headlights which give off a cool ambient glow from their BMW style angel eye halos. The big day arrived and like a scene straight out of the Fast and the Furious, half a dozen cars including an S2000, Subaru WRX, Nissan 350Z and a genuine Toyota Tureno Sprinter, rolled up to my house as I finished applying my last coat of wax to my car. Stepping out of the vehicles were crew members from Team Innovate, ready to transform their up-and-coming status to a fully fledged show team.
The event was a huge success. Over thirty thousand people attended and hundreds of people came to visit our team. I have to say, if you ever get the chance to show your car with your friends at a Hot Import Nights event, do it! It was a blast having so many people come by and take pictures with my car. It was great seeing all the 8thcivic members come by too! I didn't win any awards, but I wasn't expecting to beat out the other heavily modified Hondas there as it was. The pro drift and stunt drivers put on an amazing show and the talent on the boost mobile stage put on a performance that we won't soon forget.
One more Hot Import Night show later, along with some more toys added to my car, I was feeling pretty burnt out. Unfortunately my team wasn't able to register in time for the Chula Vista Nightshift event, so I had to make the trek to San Mateo alone. A three hour drive through heavy I-5 traffic with Dan proved to be a lesson in patience. Creating new bonds of friendship here allowed me to work through the various difficulties of attending an event so far away from my home. We recruited an unwieldy older gentlemen who owns a twin-turbo widebody IS300, as well as a younger entrepreneur who designes his own carbon fiber and carbon kevlar street bikes.
I gained two more sponsors just before the event; Grafixpressions and Optima Batteries. Optima was kind enough to ship out a pair of their Yellow Top deep cycle batteries which allow for long periods of drain time without having to worry about the battery dying out on you. Graphixpressions provided the various vinyls that were used on my car for the San Mateo show. My original intent for this car was for it to be a tasteful car with light mods because it was my daily driver. Well, that certainly didn't happen.
I still loved the way it stood out above the crowd and got all the attention, but I needed something a bit more showy, and I couldn't obtain that with this car, or so I thought at the time, so I went in search of a new car that I could appreciate and enjoy as much as my civic. After many weeks of sifting through forums and classifieds, I came across a listing in the NSX prime forums...
This baby comes with HRE 17/18" wheels, a complete audio system, Tein RA coilovers, an 02 conversion, Gruppe-M sideskirts, a new paint job, and new leather interior. It's flawless in every way, and performs like no other car I've ever driven This mid-engine beast pulls you back into your seat, blows your eardrums out, and catches the eye of every passer by on the road. What more could a guy ask for? I went to check it out on Saturday, got my car sold on Sunday, and on Monday, I was approved for my loan and my insurance company gave me a fair quote. I was 100% ready to go through with this car... or so I thought.
10:30 a.m. - Tuesday, July 10th 2007
I walk in to work and start my opening proceedures and the owner is there waiting for me. Last Friday my cashier made the mistake of being $150 under during his shift, I couldn't find the problem and left it was it was for him to inspect. He couldn't find anything wrong. This was the fourth time in the past two months that my register was off by more than $100 dollars, and I'm pretty sure most of you can figure out what happens next. I was terminated.
Now i have no job, I have to refund the guys who bought my car their deposit, and I have to tell the owner of the NSX, that I won't be buying it after all. Today is Wednesday, and I'm starting my job hunt. My friend owns an Electircal Contracting company. He said he'd let me apply through his apprenticeship program, but it was nothing short of hard labor working from 6 in the morning to 6 at night. The pay is decent, but I've got no experience and he said that I probably won't enjoy the job at all if I do meet all the requirements. The other stipulation is that recently I've met a girl that I'm very interested in. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm madly in love with her, but she's definitely a girl worth making sacrifices for. She likes my Civic and thinks that purchasing an NSX is a horrible investment whose only purpose for being on this Earth is to let people know that I'm better than them. She's pretty much right about the NSX. I don't want it for it's GREAT mileage or the tons of cargo space. I want it because it's a bad-ass toy that gets attention and stares everywhere it goes.
So now I'm back in business, but instead of having a secure and EASY job where I'd make a comfortable living and be able to go to school, I'm stuck with the possibility of having a VERY difficult and strenuous job where I'll still be able to afford the NSX, but I won't be able to go to college, and I definitely won't make the girl very happy.
too long didn't read: Almost bought an NSX, but lost my job, and future-girlfriend didn't want me to buy it. I ended up keeping the Civic Si. (yay?)
My window of opportunity has passed, and I won't own an NSX for a long time, but I'm back in school, I've got a wonderful girlfriend, and now I work at Primedia as the Assistant Web Producer for Super Street Magazine.
My car visits Hot Import Nights LA with Team Innovate once again, making this it's third and final show for 2007. The show was a blast. The future members of showed up and "REPPED HARD" as well as "ROLLED DEEP", and my baby had plenty of friends show up to keep her company. I finally got a pair of Skunk2 camber arms from an 8thcivic.com member and had my horrible alignment remedied.
After Hot Import Nights of course was the "big" NorCal/SoCal meet where I hold the record of not only most tickets, but ALL tickets for the meet. One for no front license plate, and front tint, and another for speeding. The food was mediocre, I dropped my cookies on the floor, and I spent almost $100 in gas as well as earned my car a few new rock chips. The last leaves of Autumn were dancing in the winds as my car survived yet another season.
Christmas arrives, and my car recieves a new pair of fog lights. SEXY? I know rite?!
Next up was the New Years Meet. What a blast! Ayenoc never ceases to amaze me with his astounding locations as well as choice delectables. It began with everyone congregating around a Shakeys, and we eventually overwhelm them with our numbers. Next up was a trip to Cal State LA for a photoshoot, only to be thwarted by the campus Police, then a quick trip to one of the best boba shops in L.A. where we watched an M3 and several others get pulled over by the LAPD. After words had been shared and boba had been consumed, we all parted ways.
Next up on the show roster was NWP New Years Bash at Eibach Springs facility. "Startin' off the near year with a bang" is an understatement if you went to this car fest. The best part of this event couldn't be captured in any photos - the energy and devotion towards the car scene. S2000s, NSXs, as well as some of Nissans and Toyotas best showed up to strut their rare and exotic JDM bling. This didn't stop any of the Euro tuners from bringing their A game to the scene. Two of the sickest Audis, one owned by one of the leaders of Hot Import Nights, decided to crash the Import fest. It was aparent after checking out some of the newer faces in this scene that my baby was starting to fell behind the pack. I needed to put the spice into my Habi.
Enter the Greddy Performance Festival. Greddy's best and most powerful vehicles were lined up like an unruly gang of machinegun-toting mafioso. Dressed up in their sunday best; 6-pot brakes, Volks, carbon fiber, you didn't even need to ask what awaited undeneath each and every one of their hoods. That's when it hit me. I needed power. I have the show, where's my go? I spent the rest of the day admiring the other show queens as well as enjoying my fill of free NOS energy drink, but in the back of my head an idea was hatching.
Fast foward to the end of February. A listing pops up on dc5nation.com as well as rsxclub and 8thcivic. At first sight I didn't believe it. My archrival, a black Civic Si with the Tourenn body kit, Lamborghini doors, Bride interior, and the crowning achievement, a Greddy Turbocharger, is listed up for sale. Immediately I run down to my credit union, get pre-approved for a loan, and scoop up this gem.
Time for a little swap.
I call up my mechanic, Ken, and let him know that we've got quite the project ahead of us. Okay, I lied. I told him that HE had quite a project ahead of HIM. The next weekend I bring both cars to him and let him work his magic.
Saturday - He starts tearing through the Black Si like a tazmanian devil on steroids and somehow manages to remove the entire turbo setup, as well every single interior piece and the speakers. We spend the rest of the day relaxing infront of my entertainment system watching Speed channel and betting on Pinks.
Sunday - I'll be honest. I cried a little when I handed him the keys. I knew what was about to become of my car and it hurt inside. Alot. Halfway into the day my car's intestines lay sprawled out before me on Ken's lawn. It was an experience to behold. As the sun fell behind the horizon my car slowly pieced itself back together and by sunset it was a reasonable facsimilie of what it looked like earlier that morning sans the front bumper and a few plastic clips. I take his "rental car" home and get little sleep knowing my baby isn't tucked safely away inside my garage.
Monday - I head over to Ken's house and judging by the look on Ken's face when I meet him, I won't be driving it home any time soon. He lets me know that the car isn't starting. The immobilizer key icon won't light up for some reason. I call everyone I know for advice. My buddy Dan exhausts all of his resources, my buddy Chris, who is a previous owner of a 2006 Turbo Si comes to inspect the connections and comes up empty handed. As a last ditch effort to revive the Habanero God, Ken calls two friends who work at a local Honda dealer. After lugging the beast onto a flatbed, we head down to the Honda dealer and they inspect it to no avail. What could be holding me back? We leave my baby over night so the head technician can take a look at it in the morning.
Tuesday - Ken calls me. He tells me that the car's starting. Not only is it starting, but it's running strong and is ready for pick-up immediately. I'm stuck at work, but he offers to pick it up and store it at his house until I get off. 6:00p.m. rolls around and I head over to his house. The first thing I ask, "What was wrong with it?" Ken replies ashamed, "Loose ground." Wow. We forgot to tighten the ground wire to the fuel rail. Well, at least my baby is up and running. Good thing too. Spring's going to be a busy month.
Less than a week goes by since the turbo install and I recieve a call from Mikell. I'll need to back-track for this story. You see, Mikell is the appointed staff coordinator for Honda's "Civic Nation" ad campaign. A few weeks before I met up with her, thanks to my friend Luis, at Autobacs. My car was chosen along with about two-dozen other Civics to appear in a Honda commercial. We we told that we'd most liekly be extras who are parked at a scene.
Whoopie, my car would get to be an object in the background of a commercial!
I show up in a delapidated, run down area of LA at 8:00 am in the morning. I'm cruising down the street and as I turn the corner I see several cops and in the midst of them is a single Si. I think to myself, "thank god it's him and not me that got pulled over." I drive by and notice that it's one of my buddies, so I turn back and see Mikell standing around with the five-oh. I pull up and she directs me around the corner, where I find a myrid of tuned Civics and a full movie staff setup for what seems like the next Fast and the Furious scene. I get out and do the typical meet and greet with all the regulars that showed up. Next comes the twist to my little run-in with Honda.
We're told to line up in accordance with whichever sticker we're given. I go back to my car to find a "NuBreed" sticker on my windshield. "Cool" I think to myself. I line up with the rest of my newly formed NuBreed bretheren and we prepare for whatever it is we're about to do. As I sit in my car wondering where we're about to go park our cars for whatever scene they're be extras in, they have my team move foward onto the main street. Cops have both ends blocked off. Out of the corner of my eye I see a rather large black man with what appears to be two important white guys trailing behind him. He whispers something in one of the white guys ears and the subordinate walks over to my car. I lower my window and he tells me to pull to the lead of the pack. From this point on, I was designated Mosaic - leader of team NuBreed.
The rest of the day involved me performing and following basic queues from the directors and their staff. I'd lead the pack around corners and past police blockades, enjoying my newly founded boost flutter. As the day came to a rest, my team and the opposing team Street Stunnaz met for a "Sound Bomb" at a Bridge underpass. Enter the actors. All of the car owners/make-shift stunt drivers were told to stand by the sidelines as the actors took the spotlight. After a slight drizzle, we all headed home for a well deserved nights rest.
A week goes by and Mikell calls me back for a private photoshoot. I spend the day in a gigantic white room with some photographers, Mikell, her sister and a catering team. Five hours later, I'm released with my car and sent on my merry way. My role in the Honda Commercial was finally complete.
Trying to keep up with the show scene is more exhausting than trying to teach a guy to put the toilet seat down every time he takes a whiz. Installing a turbo kit, swapping out an interior, and rebuilding a completely decimated parts car was only the tip of the iceberg for 2008. After all the efforts put forth by my mechanic, Ken, and the many hours of re-enacting fast and the furious stunts for Honda's Civic Nation commercial, it appeared that I still had quite a year ahead of me.
Another Hot Import Nights rolled around and this time I was far better equipped, but so were my competitors. Where once stood a Nighthawk Black Pearl turboed Civic, there were now dozens of Civics with modifications as simple as wheels and a drop, to fully built engines, JDM conversions, and prototype parts that were yet to be released to the public. The show was as glamorous and exciting as the last. Unfortunately, unlike the the show, this one was about to be surrounded. After the show ended and the cars began to flood out into the streets of Los Angeles, flashing red and blue lights filled rear view mirrors and sirens flooded out all the aftermarket exhaust notes. Every other car was being pulled over and checked for illegal modifications. Tuners - yet another source of revenue for our wonderful government. Luckily, I had escaped by taking the back streets and alleys.
A few weeks pass by and small shows as well as some interesting meets take place. Justin, owner of the AITRacing/Spydér Auto widebody civic Si contacted me about a possible body kit. After exchanging information with John, my contact at AIT, I dropped my car off for what would be the longest two weeks of my life. The kit was well worth the wait though....
© David Yonehara - All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2008 YoSpeed
The Habanero God - 2006 Honda Civic Si Habanero Red Pearl ::
The Habanero God - 2006 Honda Civic Si Habanero Red Pearl