Owner: Mike Nguyen
Location: Pearland, TX, USA
Vehicle Information: 2006 Honda Odyssey
Horsepower: 275 hp
Car Club Affiliation: CVT Designs
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mike.nguyen.5855
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cvtdesigns

Photography Credit: Ashley Photography, Stancenation, Lam Photography

STORY
I’ve been working in the auto industry from the tender age of 12. My father has a muffler shop, which is where I first became immersed in the automotive world. In 1997, I bought a black 1995 Honda Civic coupe trimmed in yellow. It was nicknamed “Bumble Bee”. I added some rims and at the age of 20, had a pretty sweet ride. In 1998, I decided to paint my girlfriend’s (now wife) 1995 Honda Accord LX a bright yellow. It was only the beginning. I added rims and off it went to its first car show – Houston Autorama – in late November. In early 1999, we went to the NOPI Nationals Motorsports Super Show and got bit by the car show bug. From that point on, car shows were a huge part of my life. The competition, the camaraderie from other car enthusiasts and the exhilarating feeling of seeing my efforts rewarded and respected by others. I proceeded to put all my efforts into the Accord. I decided to go all out with a new custom paint job with graphic images all over. I switched out the body kit. The interior was completely redone. A new sound system was installed. The best part? I made sure there were new rims for every car show we attended just to up the ante and keep it new. That Accord won every show it entered that year and the one after.

In 1999, I purchased a 1996 Lexus SC400 and gave it the same custom paint job as the Accord. They were basically twin paint jobs and they caused quite a stir in our community of car show enthusiasts. By the time the end of the year (2000) rolled around, it got boring. Come to find out, life is boring at the top when there’s no real competition. So, we half-heartedly entered that Accord in for one last show in December 2000, took home Best Accord, and decided to quit while we were still on top. Cue to 2013 when I obtained a Honda Odyssey and decided to “fix it up” a bit. It eventually went from a work van to a show van. Last year, the Odyssey was shown at a few car shows but not necessarily entered for competition. These days I attend car shows as a vendor promoting my shop, CVT Designs. I still have a unique ride and my name is back in the car scene but I no longer participate in the competition aspect. I now look to provide for others to compete. I’ve gone from one end of the spectrum (participant) to the other (vendor) in the car show realm. I believe I’ve now come full circle and it feels great!

I’ve always been attracted to bigger vehicles. Wagons were my vehicle of choice back in the day but I never had an opportunity to purchase one. Last year, my wife and I decided it was time we had a child. A month after I found out we were expecting, I managed to purchase a Honda Odyssey. People made jokes of the fact that the baby wasn’t even here yet and of the fact that we were only having one, yet getting a van made it seem like we were expecting triplets or something. None of the ridicule bothered me. I finally had what I wanted – my van. I immediately got it Plasti Dipped in a matte red color. Then I threw some rims on it, put some air bags on and I was good to go. A couple of months later, I decided to go ahead and get it painted since the Plasti Dip was easily chipped/smudged. In November (2013), I got the whole interior redone and put on some new rims. Now I had a vehicle that could double as a work van (for advertisement) and also transport my son in style.

ENGINE / PERFORMANCE
3.5 V6
Custom carbon fiber engine cover
Custom carbon fiber radiator cover

EXHAUST
CVT Designs custom dual exhaust

DRIVETRAIN
OEM Automatic

WHEELS / TIRES
ADV1 adv08 Trak Spek wheel - 20x9.5 (f), 20x11 (r)

BRAKES
OEM

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
CVT Designs air suspension with custom hardline

EXTERIOR
Custom Viper Red paint Job by CVT Designs

INTERIOR
Full VIP black and red leather from dashboard to the tailgate with diamond stitching, suede headliner

AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
JVC KWNT700 double din
Focal components
Rockford Fosgate T1 12” subwoofers (2)
Rockford Fosgate T1500 mono amplifier
Rockford Fosgate T1000 4-channel amplifier

COMPETITION EVENTS / CLASSES / RESULTS
Wekfest Houston 2013 - Best Honda 3rd place
HIN Houston 2014 - Best Honda 2nd place
Stance Nation Dallas 2014 - Best Honda 3rd Place

FAVORITE MODIFICATION
Air Suspension and custom interior

SPONSORS
N/A

SHOPS
CVT Designs - Houston, TX
RC Upholstery - Houston, TX

GOALS
My goals these days are more business oriented. I strive to provide quality workmanship on all the vehicles my employees and I touch. Building project cars are an indulgence of mine that I will continue to do in my spare time. My project cars also serve to advertise my business, which also motivates me to try new trends and techniques. I hope to one day build a project car with my son when he’s old enough and pass on all the knowledge I have, and will acquire, in the coming years

FUTURE PROJECTS
I have already started on my next project – a 2013 Honda Odyssey that I have already painted red and put on air bags. I won’t go all out on this one since I would like to be able to drive my son around with minimal attention from others.