To most of us, cars are best regarded as daily haulers with only one purpose, which is to ferry passengers to a desired destination. But there are niche segments that treat their vehicles as more than mere mechanical objects. Some might opine that cars can only be considered a convenient mode of transport, but Han Abdullah, the owner of this Mitsubishi Lancer CS3, begs to differ. He brings along with him an ideology that strikes a chord with fellow aftermarket car enthusiasts – a mainstream drive can be expressed as an extension of your personality by including components that are specifically handpicked by the owner.



Han purchased his CS3 seven years ago, but he admitted being spoilt for choice at a period where JDM machines were portraying a constant dominance in the local car market. He had his sights set on the Mitsubishi Colt Version R as well as the Honda Civic EK hatchback, but he cited practicality issues that might impede his daily transport duties. “The CS3 fits four average-sized adults in comfort, a major factor in my purchase decision. It also supplies plenty of headroom and legroom as compared to the Colt Version R and EK hatchback. And the final decision was further amplified by its inexpensive maintenance intervals and endless potential of modifications, over and above its relatively affordable price to begin with.”

Close to eight years with the car yielded three different projects, a journey that Han was pleased to share with REV. Its illustrious history kicked off in 2008, when Han included subtle enhancements to his CS3. Performance coilovers, authentic SSR Type-C rims and a set of mini 6-pot VTTR big brake kit “fueled” his desire for customisations till 2012. He admitted to placing more focus on aesthetics in his earlier days with the car, a theme that went full-scale last year. “As the stance and Hellaflush scene began to increase in popularity in USA and Japan, there were not many owners
here in Singapore who dared to explore deeper into these cultures, such as installing deep dish wheels with stretched tyres.



“Slamming” the whole car to the ground and scrapping every single slope and bump was a major factor that hampered their choice. So I did what many would find crazy – to “Hellaflush” my ride. I ditched by SSR Type-C, replaced them with a set of ROTA Grid deep offset rims, stretched my wheels and lowered my car with very minimal gap between the wheels and fenders. The stance setup took me a good six months to achieve the look that I desire, as there are plenty of custom parts to order, such as a rear lower arm, custom toe arm and rear top camber arm.”

His “stanced” theme lasted for a year, before switiching to a more performance-oriented setup this year. While functionality was the main reason behind his choice to jump on the performance bandwagon, Han did not regret lowering his ride as it was certainly an experience to savour. “As much as I love a “stanced” car, the excessive camber setup took a beating on my car eventually as I needed to change my tyres every four to five months. My undercarriage suffered damages due to scrapping and my driveshaft broke a couple of times within a span of six months. So I had to leave the “stance” and Hellaflush scene for good.



“Nevertheless, I have absolutely no regrets being part of the “stanced” community, a representation that only avid aftermarket car enthusiasts can comprehend.”His ideology might have changed
along the way, but his attitude towards modifications did not waver one bit. Half a year was all it took for Han to transform his ride from a lowered subject of desire to a full-fledged driving machine. Beneath the hood lies a host of upgrades, including a HKS open pod air filter for more top end punch in higher reaches of the rev band, as well as a lightweight flywheel that plays a part in enhancing throttle sensitivity. Despite an abundance of go-fast bits, Han made sure that he had the handling aspect sorted in order to keep the CS3’s chassis taut – a vital attribute to tackle corners with more confidence. A customised camber arm, adjustable toe arm and strut bars, just to name a few, supply the CS3 with more rigidity throughout the drive.



While Han’s project might already seem well into completion, he admitted that there is a great deal of modifications in the pipeline in an attempt to reduce the weight of his CS3. This can be achieved via the removal of soundproofing materials and the layer of tuff-kote intended for rustproofing. There are also “Half a year was all it took for Han to transform his ride from a lowered subject of desire to a full-fledged driving machine” plans to alter the configuration of the CS3’s powertrain with a straight cut final drive of 4.9, along with high-lift camshafts.



There will be slightly more than two years before the COE expiry of Han’s CS3, but as it stands, Han is definitely not resting on his laurels and pursuing his passion for modifications with a positive mindset. But he admitted to having a contingency plan should his heart sway towards alternative methods of customisation. “If I have the change to change a car, it would very likely be a Honda, with the Type R ranking high up on my list!”