A good friend of the Hyper:Low crew and member/photographer of Team NvUS, Kevin Francipane, agreed to do an E-interview with us to give us the scoop on NvUS and his build, and we couldn't be more stoked on it. Below is the interview and some stunning photographs to match. Enjoy. (Interview conducted by: Jared Morgan; All photography by: Kevin Francipane.)
Kevin Francipane's 9th gen Civic on Advans. -Jared: I've noticed a large amount of NvUS members on social networking like Instagram lately. Team NvUS seems to be pretty big! Is it nationwide? What does Team NvUS look for as far as the types of cars and types of people they allow in?
-Kevin: NvUS is actually international, with chapters in countries such as Japan, El Salvador, Mexico, Canada, and Dominican Republic. There are also Chapters from the West Coast, where the team originated, all the way to the East Coast. The Louisiana Chapter was founded early this year by Mike Quinones, a former member of the Florida Chapter. Mike and his wife left Jacksonville and relocated to New Orleans for work. Mike and I both frequent a 9th generation civic specific forum (9thcivic.com). He contacted me through the forum's private messaging system and said he had just moved to the area. So we started hanging out and going to some of the local car meets. After hanging out a few times, Mike asked if I’d be interested in starting an NvUS chapter in Louisiana. He explained how close the Florida chapter was and the friendships he made. Needless to say, I agreed. I’d followed a few NvUS builds that really caught my eye and thought it’d be cool to be a part of the team. As for what NvUS looks for, NvUS is an Import/Euro club based on quality over quantity in the car and the person.
Mike, the NvUS chapter lead's 9th gen static Civic on BBS LM. -Jared:The future of the Louisiana chapter, are there any big plans? I was fortunate enough to attend a meet you guys put on at Lafreniere Park, are there more events in the works that we can look forward to?
-Kevin: Mike and I would like to continually expand; we’ve always got our eyes open looking for clean cars with down to earth owners. As for events, we’d like to continue to have meets when there’s a long stretch between big shows or other big meets. That way the scene doesn’t become stagnant and it gives everyone an opportunity to show off their builds.
Marshall's (of NvUS) civic bagged on Work Ryver Monoblocks. -Jared: Where can fans keep up with Team NvUS as far as the latest photography and coverage?
-Kevin: NvUS does have a Facebook page that people can "like" and stay updated with what’s going on throughout all the NvUS chapters: https://www.facebook.com/TeamNVUS
The Louisiana Chapter also has a page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nvus-Louisiana-La/254961614683060
Brandon's (of NvUS) bagged Accord Crosstour. -Jared: Photography seems to be a major interest for you, Kevin. All of the photos in this feature are from your portfolio, and I'd say theyre pretty impressive. Do you plan on making a career out of photography? Or will it remain simply a hobby and a way to pass the time?
-Kevin: Although I am very interested in photography, I am also very amateur. I'm currently an Engineer in the Oil Field and I use photography as an opportunity to have some sort of creative outlet and also incorporate something that I love. To turn it into a career would take away from that sense of freedom and I fear that I would eventual burn myself out. It’s also a great way to interact and meet people within the car community because face it, everyone likes seeing pictures of their car show up on the internet from meets or shows.
Kevin's Civic.-Jared: Your Civic is very simplistic yet unique. I love it. The Advans do a lot for the car, in my opinion. Not many opt for the 3 spoke designs these days! What future plans do you have for the car?
-Kevin: I’ve always been a fan of the Advan SA3Rs and when I had the opportunity to purchase a set I wanted them to be the center of my build. Keeping the wheels the focal point of the car has fueled the simplistic nature of my build. My biggest future plan is to pay the car off so I’m not scared to really dive into the build and to have the Advans professionally refinished as they are starting to show their age. I’d also like to outfit the K24z7 with a Kraftwerks Supercharger and supporting mods while keeping the aesthetics of the build simple.
Kevin's Civic.-Jared: Here's your chance to say anything else that we may not have covered that you'd like to tell the public. Feel free to discuss any specifications of your car, shoutouts, etc.
-Kevin: I just want to shout out my cousin Dustin Montalbano and Mike Quinones, they’re pretty much the two I turn to when it comes to car advice and opinions. You can check out their builds out on Instagram @altezza165 and @slushiest_mj.
Kevin's cousin's, Dustin, Lexus IS.
Also shout out to Jared with Hyper:Low for taking an interest in my car and photography.
You can check out my photography and my skills growing pains on facebook at:
www.facebook.com/k.francipane
You can also follow my build on Instagram @lowslowfb6
List of Mods:
Exterior
-Modulo Front Lip
-Yellow Fog Light Lenses
-Door Visors
-Rear Whale Tail
-Red Front and Rear Honda Emblems
-5000K HID Headlights
-3000K HID Fog Lights
Interior
-Spoon Sports Duracon Shift Knob
-3.5” Shifter Extension
Suspension
-KSport Coil Overs
-SPC Rear Camber Arms
-KSport Front Sway Bar End links for Honda Fit
Wheels and Tires
-Super Advan SA3Rs 17x8 and 17x9
-Khumo Ecsta Tires
-Rays Racing Lug Nuts
Performance
-K&N Drop In Filter
-Full-Race Cat Back exhaust
-Jared: Special thanks to you, Kevin, for the willingness to go through with the interview with us. To our readers, I hope this was an interesting first feature for you all. Fans, thanks for sticking with Hyper:Low from day one!
