For senior Mustafa Islamov, the installation of a new grille on his car was supposed to be an easy change, but it actually took several hours. 

“I ended up having to take apart the front of my car to complete the installation. It created a big mess and turned into an ordeal, but I was happy with the result,” Islamov said.

The grille was just one of the many things Islamov has modified on his car, a 2020 Honda Civic Sports Hatchback. Islamov has owned the car for eight months and has put over $7,000 into it. 

Working on the car is a great passion of his, and he is constantly looking to do more.

“I separate money from every paycheck to put into the car. I’m always saving money for new parts and planning the next modification,” Islamov said.

The list of modifications Islamov has made to his car is extensive and includes a custom tune, a custom exhaust, a new engine intake, a new suspension, new rims, and a large spoiler.

Islamov does most of the work on his car by himself. Not only has this allowed him to improve his skills working on cars, but it also taught him important life lessons.

“I’ve learned to be resilient and not get discouraged when something doesn’t work out the way I intended,” Islamov said. “Learning is a process, and the mistakes I make help me realize how I can improve.”

Islamov recognizes that he has made some mistakes while working on the car. While working on it with his uncle, the car almost got damaged.

“We put a piece of wood under the axle to hold the spring when we were working on lowering the car. It started tilting and I thought it was going to fall. That was really terrifying,” Islamov said.

Senior Anup Gurung recognizes the hard work Islamov puts into his car.

“He works really hard to improve his car constantly. You can really tell that he’s passionate about it,” Gurung said. 

Senior Kismat Bista agreed.

“It was his dream to actually build a car, and he worked hard to achieve it. He’s done a really good job so far and I respect him for it,” Bista said.

Islamov enjoys taking his car to local meets and meeting fellow car enthusiasts.

“I’ve been to multiple Pittsburgh Cars ’N’ Coffee events and meets down at Heinz Field. I love getting to talk about my car and meet new people,” Islamov said.

One of Islamov’s favorite parts of having his car is the reaction people have when they see it.

“Little kids will take pictures of it or come up to me and tell me they like it. It’s nice to see how much joy it brings others,” Islamov said.

Islamov plans to keep modifying cars, and he plans to get another car someday.

“I want to get another car and build that one too. I think I’ll probably get a BMW 335i or 335xi,” he said.