Slammedenuff?: LowMonroe: Doing It Proper

When Lowmonroe: was founded in September of 2011, Nathan and Stefan were close to being complete with their cars. LowMonroe: was something to give them an identity. They wanted their cars to be known as beautiful and iconic, just like Marilyn Monroe. They had everything almost finished for the IA Fall meet, but not all of the final touches had been made. Determined to have their cars finished by the Spring IA meet, they worked on Nathan's EG Hatch every single Saturday. Due to jobs and schooling, that was their only free day to get any work done. But having done this already for over half a year, they knew how much work could be done each time. Spring IA rolled around, and LowMonroe: was ready. But 4 days before they trekked down to Atlanta, Nathan busted his oil pan. So Stefan fixed Nathan's oil pan and installed an oil pressure gauge on the sedan. Just to be safe, they trailered the EG to IA. When they got back, Stefan made a skid plate for his oil pan, and they haven't had any issues since. Stefan's next worry is his gas tank, hanging just above the oil pan. "When I spark sometimes, people roll up and tell me my car is on fire," Stefan said. "That's when I get scared, because my gas tank is so low, it already has a bunch of scratches on it!"

At 24 years of age, Stefan Heaberlin has learned numerous things, especially when it comes to Hondas. After spending almost 2 years perfecting his EF sedan, he doesn't want to see his time and effort going to waste. He has a tuck bay with a SOHC ZC 1.6 swap, Borla exhaust and a Corbeau front seat with a wood grain steering wheel and a Spoon Sport C-pillar bar. Something that surprised me was the fact that most things on his sedan are OEM or DIY replacements. His paint is the OEM Honda white paint, his bumper lights were DIY converted to fog lights, his rear window curtains are DIY, and his glass door knob shift handle is DIY. That super clean bumper, you ask? It's OEM, with a lip from a Volvo 940. But how did it get to be so low? Stefan opted for the Koni Yellows with Ground Control coilovers and extended top hats, paired with an EMUSA rear camber kit. All of that sitting on Diamond Racing Wheels (15x8 +12 front, 0 rear), but word on the street is that Stefan is getting new paint and new wheels soon, so be on the lookout for some fresh wheels.

Speaking of fresh wheels, Nathan's EG Hatch is rocking some nice Work Meisters S1 (15x8 -12 front, 15x9 -18 rear). Nathan's EG also sticks out due to its Brilliant Audi Red paint. But that's not where the magic happens, it's the things you don't see that make this car one of a kind. The engine bay has been shaved and tucked, blasted with a glorious Kandy Teal from House of Kolor. Inside is a JDM B18c Type R motor and Mishimoto radiator, put together flawlessly by Stefan and Nathan. To drop the hatch, Nathan used the same Koni Yellows with Ground Control coilovers and extended top hats. The difference comes in the Black Works camber kit that's on the front and the rear, slamming the hatch to the ground. Final touches that make them seem like perfectionists are the clear fender markers from Honda and the Subaru STi front lip. Not many things have been done to the interior, other than a new shifter and a Nardi wheel with NRG quick release.

While both these cars are, in the words of Stefan, "epically low," don't forget to look up when you get in, to see the very cleanly done headliners in each car.

With LowMonroe:, it's the little things that make them stand out, but they're developing a look that's becoming iconic.

Words and Shots by Ty Cobb