The appeal of the Honda Civic never ceases to amaze me. What started out as a very economical little car in 1973, has grown into something far greater than even Honda Corporation itself could have possibly ever imagined.

The truth be known, Honda's cars are almost single-handedly responsible for putting the import show scene on the map! It seems that most guys who decide to go the import route will more than likely sink their teeth into a Civic.

Tennessee resident Robert LoBello is one such guy who decided to go the Honda route when it came time to make a killer set of show wheels that would wow show spectators and participants alike. While the car has been built with the show circuit in mind, like most of our feature cars, this Honda also has a few performance tricks tucked away.

The engine, for one, received AEM power pullies and a K&N cold air intake. Assisting the engine in transferring power to the car's stock drivetrain is a custom five speed transmission. Finishing off the engine compartment, the intake tube and valve covers were painted to match the exterior.

The performance aspects of Robert's Honda Civic have also been carried into the suspension as well. The car now crouches over a set of big 18-inch Motegi wheels, wrapped in Hankook rubber, and has a killer ground hugging posture available at a flip of a switch thanks to the air struts on all four corners. Finishing off the suspension mods is a Neuspeed strutbar that provides proper traction for those Tennessee country roads.

Lowering the car's center of gravity has done great things for the car's handling, but how about the rest of the car? In addition to the performance enhancements carried out under the hood and on the car's undercarriage, this Civic has seen a lot in the way of custom body work to make it a one of a kind contender on the show circuit. A Cervini Ram air hood now covers the Honda power plant, Buddy Club II front/back bumpers replaced the stock setup, along with a set of side skirts. All cut outs in the body kit were filled with custom wire mesh and a stylish lambo door kit was installed. The side moldings, key holes, and antenna were shaved to give the car a cleaner appearance. Robert also performed a black housing projector headlight and taillight conversion that gives the car an aggressive look. Once everything was in place, the car received a two-tone paint job in plum crazy purple and black with silver flames, pinstriped in yellow, dividing up the two colors.

The car's seating was re-skinned with purple leather and a custom made fiberglass gauge pod was fitted into the center console. Various other pieces throughout the interior were also painted purple to match the exterior.

Of course, Robert has installed a stereo system that's liable to blow somebody's head off. At the helm is a Panasonic CD player, which ties into Memphis car audio mids and highs with two Memphis dual voice coil power reference subs providing all of the boom. A 1000 watt Memphis amp powers the subs while a 300 watt Memphis amp powers the mids and highs. A Palystation 2 and two 8" sunvisor video screens give Robert plenty of entertainment in this little Honda. Keeping the party pumpin', Robert also installed an additional battery in the trunk that is dedicated to his entire audio system.

Robert's Honda can be found at a car show near you; however, its owner insists the car still isn't finished and has resigned himself to the fact that it probably never will be. Even so, he's pretty tight lipped about what's in store for the future. "I've always got a few ideas running around my head," Robert assures us. "But I would never reveal what those ideas are, unless you have some sort of truth serum."

Shout Out: "Thanks to family, friends, and Common Bonds Club for all the support and help!" -Robert LoBello