TIME WARP

There was once a time when leaving no panel untouched and pouring a generous mortgage into a build that would seldom see a key turned was the norm. Show cars ruled the roost, and, instead of stunting on the back roads, their prowess was flexed on the showroom floors at the likes of Autosalon and 4&Rotary events. Spit-shined to the nines, stereos cranking at full blast, and set on displays crafted with effort levels that reflected those put into the car itself, punters swarmed these inch-perfect creations like crazy. Cars became celebrities, number plates were famous from Cape Reinga to Slope Point, and the vehicles seemingly never stopped being upgraded.

There was a big pool of cars that showed up without fail; owners were friendly rivals and each took home trailer loads of awards at every outing. So, when a seemingly unknown Honda Civic showed up at Autosalon Christchurch 2003 to swindle more than its fair share of the trophies, the regulars knew there was a new player on the block — one that needed to be taken seriously!

That Civic, known by its ‘DVI0US’ number plate, was the creation of Brisbane-based Allan Grant. A ’94-spec SiR-II (EG), Allan first got a taste of it back in 1998 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old living in his hometown of Timaru. His neighbour Bob, a local car-yard owner, had imported