“Build, Break, Fix, Repeat” is the perception that Valen Ankiah lives by when it comes to his well-maintained popular 1997 Honda Civic. Knighted as a true hot hatch for the Jap fans, Valen's car has graced many forms of media which inspires him to always evolve with the latest motoring trends. Never getting tired of this ongoing change, Valen's ego is fueled by this passion, resulting in a fresh new look every time his car is spotted.

Purchased in 2013, totally stock in its original white coat of paint Valen decided to go for the powder blue look complimented with purple detailing that was carried through to the engine bay, interior and sound set up. When asked why he went for blue, he replied: “Because it is outstanding”. And indeed it is! I have seen him in many car shows over the years and his Civic is definitely one of those cars that stands out from the rest.

His first mod, like most people nowadays was to go Low. However he was not ready to purchase coil overs just yet as he had other plans. The most simple solution was his “angle grinder”. After a few chops, his fear of heights was quickly resolved. He then fitted on a set of 15-inch 9j wide Volks Racing wheel and had them sprayed a neon orange. He was killing the style for a while until he decided that change was needed once more. ​

In the car scene of today, one is always faced with the question: "Do I build a stance car or do I build a race car?". His aspirations of competing at the drags had set him on a journey of wanting both. “Why make a choice?” asks Valen. Under the hood he threw in a B20 engine, Dicktator management, throttles, a 63-mm exhaust and branches. Dyno’d at Autotrix, he pushed 132kW of power and 198Nm of torque. Pleased with these results, he spent a lot of time thereafter detailing his engine bay and building his sound set up. ​

He installed 2 Targa 8-inch subwoofers, complete Pioneer mids and tweeters with a Pioneer head unit. He had hoped to do more, but he smugly admits that he does not use the sound system as often as it deserved to be used. He prefers hearing the throttles scream from his 2-litre B20 VTEC Engine. After hearing him pulling off, I understood why...

At the mercy of feeling content, Valen needed more, but couldn't quite figure out just what exactly he wanted. However, a few months later he said the 3 magic words “I NEED AIR”. He then researched the necessary parts from Air Springs Supply Company and started the build. Looking back, he compromised on his suspension for other parts and this time around but this time he was not planning to compromise on anything. He decided to go for a full Air Lift Performance kit. It set him back an arm and a leg but he knew it was the right decision and he hasn't looked back since.

In September 2015, Valen decided to add even more flavour to his ride. He was finished within a few days but he was not happy. He wanted “More low” and so he went back to the drawing board. He realised what he needed to do and after making adjustments to his rear axle, control arm and engine mountings, he finally got the look he wanted.

Interior wise, Valen decided to keep it original for the most part with a few extra gauges and a custom gearknob to add the finishing touches. Mazda MPS motorised seats provide comfort while a Honda Type-R steering wheel steers #datass!

Meeting up with Valen for his photoshoot definitely wasn't easy. He has two passions in life; Gym and Cars, so he was either breaking his car or breaking his bones. When we finally did get down to meeting up, we had issues with the police for being aired out on a public road. We quickly had pack up and get moving before his disc was taken away. Sadly the passion for motoring does not run strong in everyone’s veins, but we still had an awesome time nontheless!

THE RUNDOWN

​
OWNER: Valen Akiah

ENGINE: Honda B20 Engine, throttles, Dicktator management, 63mm exhaust and branch

SUSPENSION: Air Lift Air Suspension

WHEELS: Lenzo 15inch D1 9j, 165/50/15 and 195/45/15 rear.

BODY: Full respray – HID Lighting

INTERIOR: Original Mazda Mps motorised seats, Honda Type-R steering

SOUND: Pioneer mp3 head unit, Camtec & Rockford 4 channel amplifier, Pioneer mids, tweeters and 6x9’s – Targa 8-inch subwoofer

Media and Words by Jitesh Mohun for Durban Drags®