You've heard the saying that everything in Texas is big. Considering the size of the average belt buckle and the amount of space between anywhere you'd actually consider going, we'd have to agree.
But you see, along with the stereotypical Texan traits, the import performance arena in the Lone Star State has also blown up into one of the biggest in the country. On the race circuit, Jotech's Kenny Tran firmly established Texas as a big player a couple of seasons ago when he stole the title of world's quickest unibody Honda. he has since remained at the forefront of quick class competition from coast to coast.
The Texas show car arena itself has exploded past expectations and produced several Import Tuner feature vehicles; Cope Kessler's "Sublime Civic" coupe that graced the cover of our October '99 issue. And now, following in Tran and Kessler's footsteps, San Antonio resident Richard Zamora has raised the bar with this awesome Texas-bred '95 honda Civic Coupe.
We first laid eyes on the coupe at last year's NOPI Nationals, when the car was shipped to Atlanta to represent Toyo Tires. Back then, the Honda flossed an all-green skin, but the attention to detail and creative flair had us fascinated; a photo shoot with 2NR was locked in.
Zamora's wild ride has been under construction for the past six years, having gone through three different engines and an amazing six different paint schemes in his quest for satisfaction. The distinct sheet-metal mods are a direct result of Armando Flores' impressive handiwork. The body panel massage includes shaved emblems and antenna and rear trunk taillights; mouldings and even the rain gutters along the roof line now sit completely flush. To improve the Civic's stance, Flores also fitted a full Wings West ground effects kit, which includes the boisterous, big-mouth front end and rear wing.
Zamora is also fully aware that to be a major player on the show circuit, a no-holds-barred approach is necessary when it comes to a choice of paint. After six attempts, the Civic now sports this sick tri-color paint scheme that incorporates custom green and purple Sikkens paint split by a Mercedes silver. As for a wheel and tire package to bring the Honda up to par, Zamora elected to go with 18-inch Racing Hart M5s wrapped in Toyo rubber.
The Honda's wild exterior mods are merely the beginning of what sets this ride apart from so many. Take a peek inside and the range of customization steps up again. The Civic boasts it all-Corbeau bucket seats, Auto Power roll cage, Sparco belts and a Momo steeering wheel, along with an array of AutoMeter gauges that relay vital info to the driver, including boost pressure, air/fuel ratio, NOS pressure, fuel and oil pressure and voltage gauge. Amazingly, the entire lime green and black vinyl re-upholstery was performed by Zamora himself, who also constructed the custom gauge cluster, center console and CD changer housing. Along with J&Y Electronics, Zamora designed the killer stereo system. At the head of the controls is a Pioneer KEHP808 head unit that powers an Audio Control equalizer, three Crossfire amplifiers and an entire range of Pioneer speakers that includes 8-inch Free Air sub-woofers. The clean stereo install features a rotating Crossfire amp in the trunk that spins above its two counterparts.
The huge aftermarket support for the Honda Civic has ensured an endless supply of tricked-out rides that more often than not boast plenty of go as well as show. These days, we rarely find ourselves shooting Hondas that still rely on a factory-issue powerplant as engine swaps have become a common foundation for performance.