When it comes to customizing imports Joe Asturi is, well, simply put, a madman. You see not only is Asturi the general manager at 2020 Autobody, a SoCali shop responsible for some of the wildest sheet-metal mods on many 2NR covers, he is also the owner and nutcase behind this insane 1994 Honda Accord Wagon. This isn't the first time we've featured one of Asturi's personal endeavors. Those of you who have followed 2NR throughout may remember we took a closer look at this very same Honda back in September '99 when, although a very clean ride, the Wagon was, in retrospect, only somewhat mildly redone.
Fast forward a couple of years and it's obvious the owner missed a stint in the asylum. The Honda has undergone the knife once again in a transformation that resembles nothing we've ever seen before. To say the end result is a wild one would be a hefty understatement, as this Honda takes customization, creativity and originality way beyond the realms of wild. Although practicality never entered the equation, Asturi's craziness honed in on building an out-of-this world show stopper, that we just had to take another look at.
This time around it's easier to know where to start. The fact that the Honda seems to be missing a large part of its factory carcass is a first impression that's hard to get your head around. The Wagon is as topless as they come. The entire roof has been removed, along with all pillars and windows with the only exception being the windshield. California Coach Autobody in Walnut, Calif., cut the upper portion of the vehicle off right along the top of the door lines and massaged in new sheet-metal for a clean and flush look. Before you try this yourself at home in your garage, you should know that this particular conversion is more complicated that it looks. In this case the uni-body has been completely reinforced with 2-in. steel on the underside of the chassis. Of course, the wagon's crazy appearance goes way deeper. As if removing the roof wasn't enough, the rear doors and hatch have been welded shut and shaved along with the door handles, taillights and moldings. The hardcore sheet-metal mods are rounded off with the addition of a full Black Widow body kit and four coats of PPG Candy Watermelon paint applied by Mike Mallory at Cal Coach.
Such an insane exterior requires some pretty crazy shit elsewhere if you're going to build an all around dope ride. How do you keep up this level of insanity? Huge wheels, slammed suspension and a buff braking system should be enough to complete an outer image. In this case, Asturi opted for 19-inch Racing Hart Z5000 rims wrapped in Toyo Proxes rubber to replace the stock rollers. For suspension, Leading Edge Customs in Whittier, Calif., dumped the Accord with 7-in. Air Ride cylinders with four compressors and a 15-gallon tank. Along with an AEM 13-inch big rotor brake upgrade, the Honda boasts fully chromed suspension components and even the axles, cross members, brake calipers, drums and backing plates have been dipped in the chrome tub.
Inside the insanity continues. The stock shit is nowhere to be found. Apollo Interior Trim in Alhambra, Calif., took on the task of bringing the interior up to par. To begin with, the factory seats were modified to eliminate the headrests, and the inner door switches were shaved for a flush finish. The entire upholstery has been recovered in pimp cream leather, and custom dash refinements now sport the complimentary candy watermelon touch. Ruben Alvarez of Monkey Bars constructed the trick, one-off rollcage powdercoated to match the upholstery. Thumpin' sounds come by the way of a full MA Audio stereo system that includes video up front and two huge amps mounted in the rear along with the subwoofers. Further interior upgrades include APC billet accessories and an Ichiban steering wheel.
As we mentioned before, this crazy ride started off as a well-modified street car. Fortunately, the Honda's performance-oriented past has trickled into its status as a show car and now, though rarely called upon, the Wagon boasts a respectable amount of go-fast goodies. Beneath the chrome coating sits the Honda F22 powerplant built by Asturi himself. The 2.2-liter engine block has been reinforced with a balanced and micro-polished factory crankshaft and shot-peened rods. The stock slugs have been replaced with 8.5:1 compression JE versions and Johnson Machine in Duarte, Calif., port-and-polished the cylinder head and performed the four-angle valve job. The F22 also sports a Bull Frog Turbo camshaft and AEM adjustable cam timing gears along with company's Power Pulley set. Of course, it takes more than this to put a station wagon into the performance category and Asturi called on forced induction to make up the required power. A Drag Gen 1 turbo system supplies up to 15 lb of boost with the huge XS Engineering front-mount intercooler chillin' the charge. Inside, a HKS EVC boost controller commands boost levels and for good measure a small shot of Nitrous compliments of NOS is also on hand.
So is this shit wild or what? We told you the owner is a nutcase and now you probably agree. What's Asturi gonna pull out of his sleeve next? Right when it seems the Wagon has hit its limit the owner informed us he's toying with an idea or two in his head. Surprised? So were we, but then you should never underestimate the mind of a madman.