For Chad Scott, the 1997 Honda Civic EK is a connection to the past. It’s a rolling tribute to the kind of joy that doesn’t need speed to make sense. After eight years in the military and a long list of ZIP codes from Washington to Florida, Scott now calls Palestine, Texas home. His path to this particular Civic started with a simple desire: a right-hand drive Honda. When he found this EK, he knew it had to be the one. Years earlier, he and his late wife had parted ways with her 1999 EM1, and she had plans for an EK hatch. In an instant, this car became more than a personal build for him.
Under the hood, there’s an H22A4 - a big-hearted motor in a small chassis. It’s held in place with billet mounts and dressed up with titanium hardware, tucked wires, and a cleanly shaved bay. It’s not trying to be loud about its presence. “It’s not fast,” Scott even jokes, “like at all.” But that’s not the point of this build.
Scott’s Civic leans more toward personal expression than performance metrics. The M&M Honda R Super Tuning widebody adds just enough aggression, but nothing looks overdone. The car sits on Air Lift Performance suspension, airing out over 17x9 Gram Lights wrapped in 235s. The paint glows under the Bellagio Blue tint, and subtle touches like the JDM plate and power folding mirrors show he pays attention to the small stuff.
Inside, it’s all business. Bride buckets and Takata harnesses are backed by a bolt-in cage. A Momo wheel and Acuity shift knob keep things tactile for Scott on every drive. Even the Crown Royal shift boot feels intentional - a nod to the DIY spirit baked into every old school Honda build.
Driving it isn’t about hard launches or chasing numbers. It’s about the kind of peace only a '90s Honda with a wide arrange of nostalgia and emotions woven in can give you. Windows down, engine humming, and memories riding shotgun - just the way he intended.
ESSENTIALS
1997 Honda Civic
Location: Palestine, TX
Club: Status CC
SOCIAL
IG: @chadillack03
ENGINE
H22A4 engine swap
Innovative billet mounts
4-2-1 headers
MSD (extreme power distributor cap, plug wires)
Billet (EGR block-off, fuel rail, idle air control valve)
AEM full cold air intake
Downstar (Vtec solenoid cover, clutch master cylinder plate)
Skunk2 alpha half-radiator
Mishimoto coolant temp sensor
Aluminum in-line fuel filter
Chasing Js (titanium dress up bolts, titanium spark plug cover)
Custom tucked engine harness
Shaved engine bay
EXHAUST
Buddy Club racing spec header-back exhaust
DRIVETRIAN
M2F4 transmission
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
RAYS Gram Lights 57DR - 17x9
Federal 595 RSRR tires - 235/40/17
Rays (locking lug nuts, valve stem caps)
Drilled and slotted rotors
Wilwood (master cylinder, manual proportioning valve)
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
Air Lift Performance (front struts, rear shocks, 3P manifold)
VIAIR twin 444c compressors
5-gallon air tank
P1 adjustable upper control arms
Hardrace (front lower control arms, rear cross member, race trailing arm bushings, race adjustable lateral arms)
Truhart rear lower control arms
EXTERIOR
M&M Honda R Super Tuning wide body
Ominique Bellagio Blue tint
Japanese illuminated front plate w/ light box
Type R (rear lip, spoiler w/ aluminum adjustable brackets, front grille, power folding mirrors)
Custom paint
Black housing headlights w/ JDM parking bulbs
Extended strut towers
Billet quick-release hood hinges
INTERIOR
Bride Low Max bucket seats
Buddy Club rails
Takata 4-point harnesses
4-point bolt-in roll cage
Momo Italy steering wheel
NRG red slim quick-release
GlowShift (digital tach w/ shift light, 7 series digital oil temp/pressure gauge, 7 series digital coolant temp gauge)
Acuity weighted shift knob
Custom Crown Royal shift boot
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS
JVC head unit
Alpine Series S speakers
