Pore over the photos of this 1993 hatchback from Honda's fifth-generation Civic family, and it quickly becomes apparent there aren't dozens of modifications tacked on to every panel, nor are there any signs of a high-powered, turbo K-series engine swap. Even so, it'll stop most dedicated Honda nerds in their tracks. Scouring the spec list, which is shorter than most you've seen from us, you'll discover this Honda is full of virtually nonexistent JDM parts that, even if found, require dreadfully deep pockets to acquire.

Jorge Perez was getting close to finishing up his 1992 NSX, which you saw featured last year, when he decided to pull the trigger on building a hatchback. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment situation, either. "I'd been entertaining the idea of building another Civic for a few years and I finally gave in," he says. "With the help of my friends in Florida, I was able to find a perfect candidate for the build." Finding a stock, '90s-era Civic is almost unheard of, especially in the sort of condition that Jorge's was found.

"The fun part of hunting down rare and now discontinued parts for the build began," he states. For a year, the Civic saw some minor changes from time to time as Jorge tried a Spoon Sports-inspired look, then an OEM-Plus style, before its current look became the obsession, using some choice Mugen goods that match the feel of his NSX. For those who were building Hondas in the late '90s, the parts and the aura surrounding this hatchback should feel very familiar.

The exterior was reconditioned through professional paint correction and topped with a ceramic coating. The only non-OEM paint involved color matching the factory sideskirts, a pair of EC Works mirrors, SiR hatch wing, and Mugen front lip. Freshened headlights and JDM corner lights help hide the fact that this car is nearly 30 years old.

Eliminating the worn factory bushings for Hardrace upgrades, adding Blox adjustable front and rear camber kits, and replacing the original shocks and springs with BC Racing coilovers allowed the suspension to be dialed in properly. It also gave Jorge the chance to set his ideal ride height, which showcases 15x7 Mugen MF10 turning Advan A052 rubber. Long before the extreme camber and air ride movements became so common, this sort of functional ride height that fully takes advantage of the fifth-gen Civic's ability to gobble up turns at will was the standard.

You'll find some scratches and marks under the hood, which still maintains the car's original finish. Tucked inside is a USDM B16 sat in place with Integra Type R engine mounts. An ITR also donated its header with heat shield, cat, and intake manifold. The only aftermarket power upgrades are a Mugen DC2 intake and EK9 twin-loop exhaust, and a Hondata S300 for fine tuning. No, it won't outrun your boy's turbo K24 hatch, but Jorge is fine with that from behind the wheel of his period correct time machine complete with air conditioning, power steering, and a habit of being ultra reliable.

Nostalgia aside, the factory 1992-95 Civic seats aren't at all appealing, and in keeping with his Mugen theme, Jorge added a set of Mugen S1 buckets. Then came the Mugen Racing 2 steering wheel, Formula shift knob, and sports pedals with a Sergeant dead pedal. All of the interior panels are intact and in excellent condition, and with an OEM cassette deck in the center console, it feels entirely like a step back in time.

Simple, refined, and focused on not veering too far from Honda's original design language, this is a rolling tribute to a niche group of diehards that avoid excess at all costs in lieu of the "less is more" approach. These folks are willing to remain patient until the right parts are found in order to nail their theme. When that happens, they rarely complain about the pricing, recognizing that most of the items they lust after haven't been in production for decades and demand now is higher than ever. It's not for everyone, but for Jorge Perez, this Civic build unfolded exactly as he envisioned and now the only battle is whether to drive it, or the NSX.

Photos Courtesy of Alec Coutinho 

Engine B16A2 swap; ITR engine mounts, intake manifold, header, heat shields, catalytic converter, valve cover; Mugen DC2 intake, EK9 twin loop exhaust, oil cap, radiator cap; Hondata S300

Drivetrain B16A2 transmission; Exedy stage I clutch, flywheel

Suspension BC Racing coil overs; Hardrace bushings; Blox front/rear camber kits; Mugen front and rear shock tower bars

Braking ITR 5-lug conversion; Mugen Active gate brake kit, brake lines

Wheels & Tires Mugen MF10 15x7 +43; Advan A052 205/50

Exterior OEM paint corrected and ceramic coated; colormatched OEM side skirts; Mugen front lip; EC Work Group A mirrors; JDM SiR wing, thin side moldings, window visors

Interior Mugen S1 seats, rails, Racing 2 steering wheel, Formula shift knob, pedals, mirror cover; Sergeant Racing dead pedal.

Thank You I want to thank my good friend Manny, Kenny, and Yoel for the help on finding and securing this perfect canvas, Ryan Doolin from AFH Parts, Mike's Autobody in Malden, Orsini Auto Detailing