Photography by Vlad Shurigin (@zuumy)
Joey Valenti has always been a bit of a tinkerer of Hondas, but never someone to go into a full-blown build. For him, the passion just wasn't there - that is until he had to put a new motor into his Acura Integra.
Calling up a friend of his, Darryl, to see if he could do the job, Valenti was hit with a surprise answer: yes, but he wouldn't take money. Instead, he'd show Valenti how to swap out his B18, step-by-step, so he could learn the maintenance required. After the satisfaction of doing the job with his own hands, that was all that was needed to light the fire.
"I can't explain the feeling, but I can say that from that moment on is when my passion for cars really took off," says Valenti. "Everything just started coming naturally to me and I knew I wanted to build something that I could put my all into."
After parting ways with his Integra via an accident, Valenti's eyes turned to an eighth-generation Civic Si coupe, something he鈥檇 had his sights set on for some time to dive into with his own hands. While there weren't many eighth-gen coupes being built, Valenti decided to further distance his on the outside with carbon fiber fenders and a Mugen RR sedan front bumper fabricated to fit the two-door, while a custom hardwood and Bride fabric theme plasters the inside.
The most challenging part of the build was the tucked and shaved engine bay, according to Valenti. He did the job himself, relocating the ABS system, fuse box, ECU, battery, and extending a bunch of wires, only asking his friend, Jim, for an assist in welding up the engine bay. While being the most challenging, Valenti says the outcome of having one of the few shaved and tucked eighth-gen coupes out there was so worth it.
And we haven't seen the last iteration of this Civic either. In the words of the man himself: "My car will never be done because I will always have some new idea that will pop into my head." I guess we'll see what's next on Valenti's mind through his Civic coupe.
ESSENTIALS
Owner: Joey Valenti
Location: Linden, NJ
Vehicle: 2008 Honda Civic Si
Engine: Honda K20Z3 2.0L I-4
SOCIAL MEDIA
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ENGINE
- K-Tuned fuel rail
- Shaved & tucked engine bay
- Wine bottle coolant overflow bottle
EXHAUST
- Custom 2.5-inch exhaust system
- Megan Racing header
DRIVETRAIN
- ACT clutch
WHEELS / TIRES
- Avant Garde F110 wheels 鈥� 17x10 +9 (f/r)
- Toyo Proxes tires 鈥� 205/40 R17 (f/r)
SUSPENSION
- Truhart air struts
- Vera Air EVO air management
- Skunk2 rear camber kit
EXTERIOR
- Mugen (RR sedan front bumper, grille)
- Carbon fiber fenders
- Honda S2000 side skirts
- Top1 Motors front lip
- Precision Works solid motor mounts
- Downstar bumper quick release
- J鈥檚 Racing style GT wing
- 10K HID headlights
- LED white fog lights
INTERIOR
- Hydro-dipped hardwood dash
- Downstar El Chapo shift knob - powdercoated by Gem Powdercoating
- Avenue steering wheel
- Bride (Low Max racing seats (2), shift boot, center console cover, rear deck lid cover)
- Sparco harnesses
- NRG (steering wheel hub, quick release hub, harness bar)
- Custom hardwood flooring
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS
- Kenwood KDC-BT365U single-DIN head unit
- Pioneer 1,000-watt subwoofer amplifier
- Kicker Comp 12-inch subwoofer
