You don't usually expect to see Japanese styling in the middle of the desert. Then again, maybe it's just a mirage. But as the wind blows dusty clouds and tumbleweeds across my path, I rub the sand out of my eyes and see that the clean lines of this EK look like those in my dreams.
The subtle styling reminds me of a sleeping tiger, appearing docile yet able to spring into attack at any moment. The purring engine just hints at what it could do if put in motion.
I snap out of my dream state as Arthur Gambaryan, owner of this JDM masterpiece, explains how he got into this scene. With his driver's license still warm from the DMV press, Gambaryan picked up the hatch for $4500 from an old lady who'd put only 89,000 miles on the chassis. He admits he didn't know much about Hondas at the time, other than that they got good mileage.
Now $18,000 poorer, Gambaryan knows plenty about Hondas, enough to know that he wants a sleeper. Something that's not going to get pulled over weekly by the po-po or get him clowned-on by his co-workers at a Las Vegas Mercedes dealership. Gambaryan credits his friend Mark Boloson with showing him the enlightened path to JDM.
One of the first stops on his journey included a JDM Integra Type-R engine, trimmed with an AEM cold-air intake to aid breathing. He says after the swap, he raced his bone-stock ITR motor against some Firebirds and Mustangs and beat them. He also got popped for street racing and paid the heavy fine that followed.
When he refreshed the cash flow, Gambaryan picked up Civic Type R seats, carpet and cluster, later adding a stainless steel DC Sports Type-R header and HKS Hi-power exhaust system. He credits LDL Speed Shop in Vegas for completing the "go faster" part of his project.
Only recently did Gambaryan give the car a color makeover, electing to have it sprayed Anthracite Metallic. The gunmetal hue is a good choice, fitting the JDM theme of restraint and quiet class. And it's not your average pedestrian gray either, but an aggressive, eye-catching, industrial bite.
Gambaryan's next plan is to boost his current all-motor setup. Ah, another N/A setup bites the dust. Guess he'll have to peel off that Japanese "NA is best" sticker. But boost means more dough, which is not a problem for Gambaryan. But he says his parents "think it's a waste of money and what not. Everything I have bought for the car was my hard earned money, so I guess they don't care as much. But they still think its blowing money away."