RHD Honda Civic Type R

The work will show you the way: Surely one of the most universally applicable bits of fortune cookie foresight. This proverb not only holds true in any professional endeavor, but it also serves as an analogy for our progress through life; knowledge only comes with experience and a willingness to see pursuits through to the end. Newcomers to sport compact customization don't often understand proper "ways" of achieving tasteful, effective results in their builds and the realization that some things are best left untouched proves difficult to grasp. The knowledge of how best to improve a vehicle's shortcomings and when to leave well enough alone, are qualities rarely present in all but seasoned veterans. If another popularly cited precept holds true-looks can be deceiving-then look closely at what's presented here; while at first glance it may appear to be a mildly modified Civic, veterans of SpoCom culture may argue: It's perfection.

San Diego, Calif. native, Dut One, can't recall exactly when he first took a liking to cars. The southern California car culture rubbed off on him throughout his childhood years and gradually developed into an affinity as he grew up. His lifelong fascination with mechanics added to his interest in cars, eventually leading to his employment slinging parts and performing installs in a well-known speed shop where his fascinations would become an obsession.

Dut's first car was a vintage '58 VW Beetle that he purchased while still in high school. "It was the first car I owned and was around when I got into modifying," he said, "so my first step was to slam it."-an act that would eventually become a signature move in each one of Dut's future builds. In 1999 Dut bought a '93 Civic hatch, a car that some would remember him best by. It was a time when dysfunctional body kits and painted interiors were the shit, but while others were fooling around installing Tireflys and neon lights on their Civics, Dut was running 11s in his. Motivated by a NOS-enhanced H22, Dut recalls the inconveniences of being so far ahead of the game. "It was probably one of the only H-swapped Civics around," he recalled, "We fabbed the mounts, the linkage... even cut and re-welded the axles."

Inspired by his accomplishments with the Civic, Dut moved onto a few more H-badged projects, including another 5th Gen hatch, a GSR, a CRX and even a NOS-motivated S2000. "I loved wrenching on the [Japanese] cars, maybe even more than driving them," he explained, "It was addicting. Once I got a project built up, I had to sell it so I could do it all again." The years spent modifying the popular SpoComs were great for Dut but eventually the San Diego tuning scene got a little too hot for his comfort. "It got to the point where you couldn't drive anywhere without harassment from cops, kids looking for a race..." he explained, "...Or even thieves." All the stress pushed Dut to look for platforms he could enjoy everyday, without all the pressure. In 2003, he special-ordered a white 5sp IS300, only to later decide it wasn't his style. In 2005, when a good deal on an E46 M3 came his way, Dut went Euro. Over the course of a few months, he modified it with gold 19x10 HRE's and a KW suspension. He found this style was becoming popular after uploading pics to his website, dut619.com, which meant a rise in hits would follow. "And I began to see more and more slammed white cars with gold wheels..." he laughed.

Dut enjoyed his M for a time. He continued to mod it lightly, drove it regularly and occasionally showed-all without the hassles most tuners face on a daily basis. As the novelties of comfort and luxury wore on, however, Dut found he longed for the bare bones, DIY, race-prepped allure the M just couldn't give him. "I missed getting my hands dirty," he explained, "I'd never pull the engine in the M and I missed that-working on my cars and seeing them progress through my efforts." Three years after leaving the Japanese tuning scene Dut decided that he had to find a way back in. He sold his M and looked for a platform that could bridge his quest for a rough, unrefined driving experience with his newly-acquired appreciation for clean OEM styling his time spent away from tuner cars had given him. And he knew exactly where he could find it.

With five modified Hondas and nearly a decade of experience under his belt, Dut had a pretty thorough understanding of their attributes and tunability; he craved the raw, unpolished allure and scarce JDM subtleties only a genuine Civic Type-R could give him. Rather than attempt to convert a USDM chassis to JDM specs, as he'd seen a lot of his peers do in vain over the years, Dut cut straight to the chase and had the real thing imported from its homeland. As one might suspect, CTRs pull a premium in Japan and are driven hard, finding a decent specimen at a good price proved difficult. After months of searching, Dut purchased his CTR in Sept. 2006 and had it delivered three months later but he couldn't begin driving or modifying it for another four. "Getting it registered was nearly impossible," he recalled, "and I wanted to make sure I could have it for good before I touched it."