A painfully early phone call snaps me out of my slumber and yanks me out of bed. The hotel employee's robotic voice, reminding me that it's time to wake up, comes next. It's the final day of one of my busy trips up to Northern California and I've got work to do. Still half asleep, I grab my camera and gear and shuffle to the elevator. A bellhop, no more than 18 years old, recognizes the Honda Tuning logo on my equipment case. A bit of small talk leads to my asking if he's ever heard of a shop called Vision Performance. He gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up and explains that its customer service is top-notch, and that his '91 Integra has brought them a bit of business in the past. All of this is a good sign no doubt, since I'm headed to Vision Performance to meet up with its owner, Crosby Chan, and shoot a '92 Civic DX owned by his employee and close friend, Ryan Ogi.
My Element's headlights do their absolute best to cut through the morning's downtown fog, and I quickly realize that the tall tales of how it can only be likened to the consistency of pea soup aren't far fetched at all. In fact, the possibility of me crashing into someone or something now has me wide awake--no caffeine necessary. Sticking out like a sore thumb among San Francisco's early risers, I inch my way along the massive inclines and declines and finally arrive at Noriega Street, home to Vision Performance. As I march toward the shop's garage entrance and make my introductions, Ryan assures me that I'm not alone in my lack of driving skills in his beloved city. "What most people don't realize is that the fog here is so bad at times that it's downright freaky. It's like driving with a wall in front of you, and nothing can cut through it!" he says.
The shop, camouflaged by the surrounding apartments and small houses, is full of car audio installation kits, looms and looms of wiring, and of course, a few cars parked inside, as well as various aftermarket performance boxes. Double-parked on the crowded street that appears to be part-business/part-residential, my attention is pulled away from the shop and toward an eye-catching white EH hatchback on Takata-green TE37s. As we discuss scouting options to find a suitable location to shoot the car, I'm carefully eyeing every inch of the shop's ongoing projects. Beyond the in-your-face look of the bright green rollers, I take note of a C-West rear wing, a PurpleSpeed front lip, and a next-to-impossible-to-find Key!s flat-bottom steering wheel. It's right about now I realize that the Vision Performance crew knows a thing or two about rare goodies.
The guys tell me that when the car was purchased roughly three years ago, Ryan started with basic suspension changes but soon turned his attention toward making more power. The first few engines used were low-compression ones in preparation for forced induction. With two different sleeved and bored non-VTEC B-series blocks and plans to add a healthy sized snail, bad luck got the best of the powerplants and boost was never actually realized. Wanting to get the car back on the road in a hurry, a stock Integra LS engine was temporarily installed until a supercharged B20 could make its way into the bay. A few months worth of miles left Ryan dissatisfied with supercharged power as did the wave of K-series swaps he'd been noticing. "I wanted to change directions and try a JDM ITR K20 swap since I didn't have any luck with boost. The K engine just has so much potential; it's much more powerful than the B-series right out of the box and there's also the reliability," Ryan says. "There were a few little problems with making the K swap fit, but nothing like the issues we'd experienced with the built LS engines. A little custom work here and there was all we needed to make everything fit and get it running."
With the suspension and power categories fulfilled, Ryan and Crosby turned their attention toward the fine details. Rare interior and exterior pieces combined with race-inspired additions like a roll cage and carbon-Kevlar bucket seats make for an unbeatable combo. Taking home First Place honors at the 2008 J's Gathering event was proof enough that the hard work and headaches had finally paid off. "This build represents our work at its highest level. We put a lot of blood and sweat into this car and it's still not done yet. Our shop's goal has always been to perform the highest quality work and fabrication on all the cars we work on, and this car represents our potential and so much more," Ryan says.
Few changes have since made their way onto the hatchback but more rare finds are in store for the future. Beyond street duty and the occasional show appearance, the Vision Performance group has its sights set on stretching the Civic's legs on the road course. With any luck, the track day won't include any pea soup.