2013 Honda Civic Si : Modifying a car in the Philippines

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Louie Macatangay

2013 Honda Civic Si 

Instagram: @King_louie3rd

Photographer: Marvin Recinos

Instagram: @mr2mivin

Performance Stats: 222.6 WHP and 188.6 lb-ft

Modifying a car in the Philippines

I live a life that has a lot of challenges and despite that, I strive to be the best version of myself. Working hard is important for me. The one thing I am very passionate about is cars and everything about them. I love cars and I love building and modifying my car. I have to work hard so I can showcase and I can continue my passion for cars. Let's face it - it is time-consuming and costly.

That is why I knew what I want and what I need to do. Now let me introduce who I am as the person behind my car. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I moved here to California in 2012. I graduated to be a medical assistant and phlebotomist. I know it is a career unrelated to cars, but it works for me. Living and working here in California was tough, but I kept working hard to accomplish what I am now. During the time I was transitioning to my new life here in America, I was also learning what the car culture in Los Angeles is about. I got my first car here, which was a 2013 Honda Civic SI coupe. I continued pursuing what I was passionate about when I got my car. Moving forward to the present, I am now a husband and father of two boys. They are my strength and biggest supporters in everything I do. They are the reason why I can still continue my passion for cars. I continue to work hard as a person and car enthusiast because my family gave me their utmost love and support.  

My passion with cars started long before I even owned a car. Ever since I was a little kid, I was always fascinated with modifying cars. My mother even told me that when I was a kid I used to take my toy cars apart and tried to rebuild them. At such a young age, I understood how to modify cars without realizing it. Eventually, when I became a teenager, I became more enthusiastic about cars and enjoyed going to car scenes. I couldn't help it because I was always surrounded by people who also loved cars. 

One of my biggest supporters and the person who really brought me into the car scene was my cousin, Sherwin Berania. I remember my first very car was a 1996 Nissan Sentra. It was a family car that no one used anymore. My father let me use it, and that is how I learned to drive. I was only about 12 years old at that time. I didn't even have my license yet. After learning to drive, I remember my cousin and I always drove around town. We spent a lot of time together fixing our cars and bragging to each other about our builds.  

The turning point and most memorable time was when I turned 15 years old. My cousin took me to my very first car show. I cannot explain or describe how I felt - all I know it felt great when I attended car events or shows. It was the surroundings, vibe, environment, and everything else that made me feel I belonged.  I felt at home. I enjoyed admiring other cars and their builds. I admired it when people bragged and talked about their cars too. I enjoyed talking to anyone who shared the same passion for cars.  

There was this particular time when I used to own a 2005 Ford Focus in the Philippines. There were not many Ford Focus models where I was from. You would not see many modified or fixed-up Ford Focus models at the time when I built my car. This gave me the opportunity and idea to build up my car. I built my Ford for the sole purpose of showing what a clean build means - to have a build without overdoing it or modifying it excessively. I like the simple modifications that made an impact on those who saw it. Luckily, I went home with a trophy in my hand. That was one of my proudest moments. I immediately fell in love with being at car shows. This is where I met many other car enthusiasts. 

These people then became like family to me. I feel blessed and grateful for the experiences I had with the Philippines car culture. This is where I learned to be precise and consistent with building a car, thanks to the meticulous people I met in the Philippines car industry. Even the smallest things and details have to be perfect. I have continued to love building my car and being a part of car culture. I love it because everyone shares their passion for cars with me, which resonates with me. It made me realize I want to share my passion for my car with anyone who appreciates my work.  

Why I Chose This Car and Customized It

Since I was always fascinated with Honda, it was only fitting for me to own one. I considered purchasing different cars, but they did not work out. I remember going to BMW because I was also interested in the M3 at that time. Realizing it now, it probably was not meant to be for me. Then I kept searching for the car I wanted to get. What made me decide on purchasing my car now was when I saw my neighbor's car. My neighbor owned a 1995 Honda Civic ESi. I immediately fell in love with his car and build. I remember his car was lowered and had a crazy loud exhaust! 

That was when I realized I wanted to own a Honda Civic. In fact, I ended up purchasing a Civic SI. I have no regrets on my purchase. Even now, with so many other Hondas and cars out there, I still love my Civic. This is the main reason why I chose this car. I knew having this car I wanted to customize it. I also chose it because I already had so many ideas. 

My first customization was my suspension and wheels. This was just the beginning of building my dream car. I tried different wheel setups and made various customizations over time that I enjoyed. I had fun with it. I had a couple of different wheel setups at different times. I had a stance setup which I loved when my car was cambered. It felt exotic to me to build that. I had a lot of great times driving it and bringing it to shows. Unfortunately, when my car setup caused too many issues, that was when I decided to build my dream car using my SI. Now I have a track setup. This is the biggest reason why I chose this car to modify - because I was able to change the setup, and it works. Now, I love driving my car even more.  

I feel invincible when I ride and drive my car. I put in a lot of time, money, sacrifices, and effort into building it. I feel proud of the work I have done. It makes me very happy when I see my car and of course, every time I work on my car. Driving my Civic is my therapy, and I feel like I have my own world inside it - I can call it my own SPACE. When I am inside my car, it gives me pride that no matter what, I am grateful for every opportunity, and I feel blessed to be a part of every show I have attended with my Civic.  

What Makes My Car Unique  

My car is unique because I built it to satisfy me and execute my vision based on what inspires me. My main inspiration was the Time Attack cars. I used that concept when building my car. Since I love Japanese cars and their builds, I felt it was fitting for my car to have that look and vibe of a track racing car. Some cars may have similarities with my build, but my build came from my inspiration based on my dream cars. I put in my time and effort to make the car how I envisioned. I want my car to have a clean yet cool build with eye-catching looks. My Civic has its uniqueness because it was built with pure love and pride.   

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Build List: 

Exterior Modifications :

• Kevmanz full kit, 
• Quad Burn Stainless Exhaust Tips, 
• Duckbill, 
• Carbon Splitters, 
• AutoFlex Super glossy pearl white, 
• Carbon+Clear hood kevmanz, 
• Spec-D headlights, 
• Carbon fiber trunk with moulded duckbill, 
• Carbon fiber + Clear hood: Hybrid V1, 
• Carbon fiber Chassis mounted GT Wing, 
• Race Ramps

Interior Modifications :

• Carbon Fiber Seat V1.0 with Red Alcantara Padding, 
• Willans Harness,  
• Momo steering wheel,
• NRG steering wheel quick release, 
• Auto power 6pt roll cage, 
• Broadway Rear Mirror, 
• ESCO-T6 Shift Knob in Satin Purple Finish, 
• Password JDM carbon fiber pulley shield, 
• Password JDM carbon fiber frame shield, 
• Password JDM carbon fiber battery cover, 
• Password JDM carbon fiber coil pack cover, 
• Password JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Cooling Plate,  
• Powder-coated valve cover, 
• Steel floor mats dimple 

Wheel + Suspension Modifications :

• TE37 Sagas Diamond Black, 
• R888r Toyo tires, 
• KYO-EI RO lug nut, 
• ARP extended studs, 
• 3p Airlift management, 
• Airtekkk struts, 
• Wilwood Narrow Superlite 6R Hat Kit Fronts 12.88in / Drilled / Red with Wilwood Flexline Kit, 
• R1 Carbon GEOMET Series Brake Rotors, 
• R1 performance sport Brake Pads

Performance Modifications :

• Skunk2 intake manifold, 
• K-Tuned Fuel Rail Complete System Setup with Black fuel rail, 
• K-Tuned throttle body 72mm, 
• Skunk2 cold air intake, 
• Full Race Downpipe, 
• Hondata flash pro, 
• 1000cc Fuel Injector Clinic, 
• DeatschWerks Fuel Pump, 
• Sirimoto strut bar, 
• SiriMoto Phase 2 Trunk Brace, 
• SiriMoto Phase 2 Ultra Carbon Fiber Rear Strut Bar, 
• SiriMot  Front & Rear Phase 2 Sway Bar End Links, 
• Shifter cable bushing upgrade, 
• ACUITY Adjustable Short Shifter, 
• K-Series Transmission Performance Select Springs, 
• K-tuned v2 black oil dipstick, 
• K-tuned black billet oil cap, 
• Skunk2 high-pressure radiator cap, 
• Skunk2 4 bar map sensor, 
• Subframe Rear Lower Tie Bar & Lower Control Arms Plate & BEAKS Bar Combo, 
• Tuned by Atomic Frank Tunning, 
• Autopower 6 Point Bolt-In Roll Cage, 
• Megan racing front sway bar, 
• Eibach Sway Bar Kit Rear

Who Did the Work  

I worked on my car with the help of people I trust who are good friends and fellow car enthusiasts. I worked on my car mainly with my friends BJ Cuello and Jofred Penamante. BJ and I installed the BBK, roll cage, carbon fiber trunk/hood, SpecD headlights, Acuity short shifter and Kevmannz carbon seats. Jofred Penamante of Rversion Autoworks helped install the carbon fiber chassis-mounted GT wing, Megan Racing front sway bar, Eibach rear sway bar kit and full bolt-ons. My car was tuned by Atomic Frank Tuning. Raul Gomez of Calidips.com installed the full Kevmannz body kit and wrapped the car with Auto-Flex coatings in super glossy pearl white. Lastly, John Ubante of Ubeymade hand-made and installed my aero kit.  

Future Plans  

My plans are to hopefully go back to SEMA one day. I want to continue joining and participating in local car meets and shows. I have a few shows in mind that hopefully this time I will be able to attend, such as Wekfest and others I usually attend. I also plan to continue making some modifications, which include repainting my car blue per my son's request, tucking the wires in the engine bay, and adding a turbocharger.  

Advice/Tips  

Every opportunity comes at the perfect timing, so be patient, enjoy the process, and stay focused on your vision. You will succeed and accomplish any endeavours you may have.  

Shout Outs  

Thank you to my family, especially my wife Rawlin and my two sons Kian and Kaeden. They are my biggest supporters. Grateful also for my parents Lourdes, Armando, and my brother Dan. Thank you to all my sponsors Rversion Autoworks, Rspec, Genesis 1 Auto Concepts, Kevmannz, Ubeymade, SpecD Tuning, Modjunkies Motorsports, Voodooride, Tanginamo Lifestyle, Sho Kace and J.autographics.  

To all my family, friends, and supporters who have helped me, I appreciate all the love you have given me so I can continue doing what I love.  

The Car Scene  

Meeting people who become family - I have met many wonderful people through the car scene who remain in my life. I have created many lasting friendships because we share the same passion. I have learned a lot from many car enthusiasts who shared their outlook. What I love most is that we have created a family bound by cars. I felt I belonged and am grateful to everyone I have crossed paths with.  

MY Dream Cars  

My top and ultimate dream cars are the Acura NSX NA1 and Honda EK9 CTR.

So, what's your car story? Share it with us, and let's keep the engines of passion running!

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