1997…Lets see, I was sixteen attending high school, Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems was the jam (I didn’t have any money so I couldn’t relate, and I still can’t), Face/Off was the dopest movie of the summer, I just got my permit and mom said I could use the van tonight. Ahhhh yes life was good.

At the same time little did I know life was even better for Dan Park. While I was worrying about what my date would think about arriving to the Junior Prom in a Mazda MPV, Dan was preoccupied getting the next mod for his already built 95 Civic Coupe. “Wait, Civic coupe? But I though he had a…..” I know he has a hatchback dumbass it’s a story let me tell it. At the tender age of sixteen Park had already been bitten by the Honda bug and it was a full-blown viral infection. Focusing mainly on performance mods, (although I do remember a couple of memorable body kit pieces that he won’t let me talk about) Park’s coupe had a sick reputation of being quick on the streets. Equipped with a non-Vtec LS motor with a few goodies, Dan Park’s life at sixteen was yes…good.

Fast forward four years later. The coupe had served Dan well, unfortunately the car was no match for his advanced driving skills and he found himself spun out on the side of the 5 freeway on top of a tree stump. Needless to say the poor car kicked the bucket. With the death of the beloved coupe, Park felt it was time to move onto something a bit newer, a bit different. He answered a “for sale” ad in the paper for a 1997 Civic DX hatchback, 70k, 1 owner, purple, non-smker, cln title, full pwr, mst sell. Two hours later Park had a butt stock EK hatchback sitting in his driveway.

Now what to do…Throw all the from the coupe onto the hatchback! Well some of it, the motor mainly. The non-Vtec LS motor that was mentioned earlier had gone through some transformations over the course of four years and evolved into an LS/Vtec. Now it was a quick… no scratch that, a fast little sonuvabitch. Outfitted with U.S. ITR pistons, the bottom end was done and ready for action. Up top the head was sent to RS of Hawthorne, CA. the GSR head was given a nice port and polish and a three-angle valve job. With everything back a set of Crower Cams and valve train was installed that now took the car easily to 9k. A JDM 98 spec ITR header, a JDM ITR 98 spec 4.7 FD, Skunk2 chipped ecu and an Apexi VAFC was thrown into the mix. Oshimo at Zero Factory in Torrance, CA dialed everything in.

With the motor ready for battle, the chassis and suspension needed attention. Park chose a set of 99 Spec Apexi N1 dampers, a comptech rear sway/ tie-bar combo along with a front 26mm Civic Si sway bar. Wheels come in the form of 15in. Advan RG’s or a set of 16in Silver Desmond Regamaster EVO’s. Spoon 4 piston calipers were added along with Project Mu brake pads for stopping power. A Cusco 6pt cage was added for safety and more chassis rigidity. Rounding out the interior is a Sparco Star seat, a Sparco 325 steering wheel and a Civic Type R gauge cluster. With all this in place its no question Dan enjoys spirited drives, he also enjoys long walks on the beach and beating his dog Lucky (I’m kidding about the dog beating thing…he eats them).

Park’s hatchback is a testament of how clean cars that follow function and style should be. As Park would say, “No fake here, you gotta pay to play”. It’s been a long road, but it’s been a memorable one. So if you see Dan on the road say hi and keep staring intensely into his eyes, looking away is a sign of disrespect so remember say hi and glare at him and the Purple Haze.