What we have here is peak 2001/2002 import car culture. Literally – the car, the photoshoot, everything… straight outta 01/02. Unfortunately, it’s extremely likely this 95 Civic Coupe doesn’t exist anymore. Last seen, it was posted on Craigslist – mostly-stripped & totally sunbaked – outside a single-wide trailer with a naked baby on the porch. But here’s the tale of its prime. The year was 1996…
And a fake ID-aged Chris Bull bought this 95 Civic Coupe EX…
It was just a year old. And like so many kids his age in that era, he started doing cool stuff to it with every paycheck. The typical kinda stuff: lowered, wheels, clear corners, Weapon R intake, big-can exhaust, racing stripes, etc. Believe it or not, there was a time when the ‘GReddy style’ exhausts were a totally new design/style/concept. And no one knew how to pronounce GReddy lol. I remember the muscle car guys poked fun at them. But there was no denying they looked so gnarly on the back of a lowered red/purple/teal Civic, Del Sol, or Eclipse, etc. At least through the eyes of the 90s youth.
See, you gotta put yourself in the era/age & understand…
Back then, things were happening quick! Car design was evolving so fast, in all the right ways. From the square/angled designs of the 80s, to all-the-sudden these round, futuristic, slick designs of the 90s. You think an FD RX-7 looks good now?? Just imagine what that thing looked like in ’92! And with all these swoopy coupes & hatches came so much fresh momentum. And the thing that lit the fuse?? Affordability. The youth could afford the monthly payments. Maybe not the RX-7s, but the Civics, Integras, Eclipses, Talons, 240s, etc 1) They were drastically cheaper. 2) We apparently didn’t need as much to be happy. And 3) We had less auto-withdrawals to worry about. Additionally, 90s sport-compacts were less complicated, more thrilling to drive, easier to wrench on… and thus the aftermarket became a super-expressive youth movement.
Widebody Civic??
A widebody was a shoe-in for a booth spot… and sponsors! If you really wanted to get serious, you had to start cutting/shaving/molding your car. It was all about custom! Not just modified, but customized! Remember, this was right on the heels of the mini truck scene. Mini-truckers & air-cooled Vee-dubbers were moving over to sport-compacts. Therefore the performance worlds & the custom worlds were all blending. Dudes were swapping headlights, taillights, and molding-in wings & bodykits. All while shaving side-moldings, door handles, etc. Chris Bull’s buddy did the paint on this car. His name is Mike, and he owned a shop called Joe’s Bodyshop (go figure). Widebody, full paint (including jams), shaved, molded… all of it… for $1,100 lol. No one knew their worth back then; and we didn’t care. We were all in it for the glory. And it was lightning in a bottle for the young culture!
The carbon fiber hood on this Civic was a prototype…
It was made by Fiber Images, just for experimentation. Not for sale. Chris remembers saying, “Hey I really want that.” And they were like, “Well ok… how much?” And Chris was like, “Aren’t you supposed to tell ME??” I think they settled on $800, which was pretty pricey for the time actually. By comparison, I remember my VIS carbon fiber hood was less than $400. Although come to think of it, that might have been a NOPI hookup. Speaking of that…
This 95 Civic Coupe was a NOPI Nationals booth car…
Multiple years over. Tokico, Nology wires, Focal wheels… just to name a few. Nopi Nats was always a big exclamation point on the calendar. By the way – NOPI Nationals IS BACK if you’re not yet aware. And it’s legit: September – Atlanta Motor Speedway. Chris was always taking home trophies with this car. No joke – hundreds of them. But back then, man, there really was no such thing as a daily. In most cases, your show car was your daily. And the real trophy was being seen in it. Import culture was much more street-based back then. Your car wasn’t just something you posted 90% of the time… & drove 10% of the time. Nah – it had to actually work. We didn’t have a way to show progress… OTHER than it being on the street. No status updates or stories lol. We couldn’t tie our identity/popularity to a social media page on a global platform… it had to be real.
Chris Bull worked at custom car audio shop…
Why do I feel like we ALL did? Nonetheless, the stereo shop gave Chris inside access to super high-end components. For example, this Civic had a $3,300 set of Focal Utopias… that he scored for $500. Chris later ended up with a full Bazooka sponsorship lol…. so he had to take all the ultra high-end stuff out. But the trade-off was: It got him closer to the industry side. Side note: This Civic Coupe was featured in Honda Tuning in 2001.
The aftermarket industry was much more of a lifestyle/culture back then…
Some people absolutely live like that today too. But overall, there was a different energy then. Everything was new. More of the aftermarket companies were independently-owned. They felt more edgy, more exciting, more genuine… and less nerdy/influency/afraid/corporatized. The aftermarket supported the aftermarket. Meaning – business was done on instincts & relationships… not algorithms. And they kept the power of the purse within the aftermarket. Which in turn, enabled events & media to thrive, because they had direct support from the industry they served. And even though they were niche, they were massive & mainstream. Shows like NOPI Nationals and Hot Import Nights were a generational phenomenon. Magazines like Super Street and Import Tuner ran front-&-center across every magazine isle in every grocery store, book store, airport… everywhere. Nowadays – when Meta & Google get the bulk of the aftermarket’s marketing dollars, where do you think that money goes? Spoiler Alert: NOT back into the culture. Hmmm and we wonder why car culture & the new car industry keeps taking so many Ls.
End of an Era…
What’s the difference between an industry & a culture??
AI says: An industry focuses on economic production, profit maximization, and standardized, goal-oriented output. While a culture represents the shared, non-commercial, and often spontaneous practices, values, and beliefs of a community.
Here’s the difference between then & now…
Back in the sport-compact heyday, we CREATED. It’s wasn’t just adding JDM parts to a digital cart. But honestly, we didn’t have the resources that the automotive scene has today. So creativity was the beautiful, authentic byproduct of not having every answer at your fingertips. When you have all the answers, and the world is full of influencers, it inevitably stifles creativity. And while there are many benefits to YouTube & social media-driven car culture… it gets hard to think outside the box that’s constantly getting crammed down your throat. Know what I mean?
Not only that, but we had something else going for us: The cars were cheaper, smaller, simpler, more engaging, more exciting, more infectious… less software-driven, and less in their own way. FUN & ACCESSIBLE… without too many strings attached. That’s the magic formula.
Let me ask…
Where is the culture in a pig-shaped, paddle-shifted BMWs?? Status isn’t culture. And adding parts to a digital cart is just retail. New sport compacts like the Civic Type-R or GR Corolla seem like the answer to our prayers. And hell, maybe they are… or will be one day. But expensive/premium hot-hatches are kind of an oxymoron. Sure, the performance is impressive. But at the price-point, they’re not accessible anymore. They lose impulse, and there are too many strings attached. So owners stay within the boundaries of their sizable investment. Hot-hatches were never meant to have boundaries. And they were never turn-key sports cars. They were… a gateway. In closing…
The early-2000s import scene hit hard, because it hit a sweet-spot…
From the ballsy carmakers, to the ballsy generation, to the affordable price-point, to the spicy aftermarket… it all synced-up. And while we may or may not ever see the stars align like that again… you can live in your own sweet-spot right now. Make your own damn culture! Even if it’s a culture of – you & your buddies. Lol even better! Forget the influencers, and forget the followers. Let me tell ya something: People who try to be influencers… they’re just followers in drag. And even your own followers subconsciously put certain expectations on you, and ultimately steal your sense of freedom. Let that sink in. How many of you do things (or don’t do things) for your followers? Subconsciously? Unaware? What kind of senseless racket is that? Get rid of it.
The great news is:
It was never just the car. It was the energy, the vibe, the mindset, and the approach. THAT was the lifestyle. And that – you’re in control of. So find the car (or whatever it may be) that calls to you. Don’t worry about the stats, the what-ifs, or the opinions of far-away wieners. Do what you want, without overthinking too much. Let it reflect you. And be a little punk rock about it, alright? Defend the culture. You’re never too old, you’re never too young, it’s always the right time.
And in case you’re wondering, Chris Bull still plays with cars…
1) He runs a wrap/sign shop called Wrapabull in South Carolina. 2) He drives a blue R33 Skyline GTR. And 3) He’s got it bad for an old-school minitruck. Never get normal. Also peep this Civic Coupe’s OG archived website… lol. There is a splash page (it was a thing back then)… just click the photo to go in.
1995 Honda Civic Coupe (circa 2001)
Engine
B18B Integra LS swap
Acura GSR transmission with factory LSD
AEM cold air intake
DC Sports ceramic 4-1 header
Nology HotWires & ProFire ignition module
DC Sports polished strut bar
B&M fuel pressure regulator & gauge
Weapon-R throttle rotor & engine dress up kit
Hose-Techniques silver hose kit
Solo short shifter
Energy Suspension motor mount bushings
Polished motor mounts
Fireball style exhaust – 2.5” exhaust pipe
Exterior
Futura yellow custom paint
Feels wide body flares (kit for hatch, modified for the coupe)
Import Showoff front bumper
Buddy Club rear bumper
FiberImages custom carbon fiber hood
Sparco hood pins
98 stock civic mirrors
Shaved inner tails, antenna, emblems, door moldings, license plate bucket, & washer nozzles
Yellow window tint
Clear corners
Color-matched drums & calipers
Suspension
18″ Velox VX8’s
Falken 215/35/18
Ground Control coilovers
Tokico Illumna shocks
Ingalls camber kit
DC Sports polished front upper strut bar
Z.Speed rear lower strut bar
Interior
DND racing seats
Restitched door panels – black & white vinyl
Custom fiberglass dash
Sparco Flash 5 steering wheel
MOMO hub
Ignited push button start
Solo shift knob & short shifter
Hondasport white gauges
Custom floor mats
Audio
The final setup was a Bazooka sponsorship with 3 “Master P” amps and 4 10s. But previously…
Kenwood KVT-910dvd in-dash touchscrean DVD/CD & KPS-900 5.1 processor
Sony PS1
JL Audio 300/4 & 500/1
Focal Utopia 165W (6.5″ separates front), 165HC (6.5″ coax rear) & 100HC (4″ coax center channel)
AudioControl 3XS & EQS
JL Audio 10w7
