If you look at the current Honda Civic lineup, you’ll notice that the hatchback version has four doors. It’s nothing ground-breaking as many automakers have released four-door hatchbacks in the past. However, back in 1999, the sixth-generation Civic lineup was limited to a coupe, sedan, or a two-door hatchback body style.

Many Honda enthusiasts through the years have modified this generation of the Civic to no end. But one enthusiast, named Jose, took things a step further by making his 1999 Honda Civic a four-door hatchback.

This four-door Civic hatchback started life as a sedan

Jose’s 1999 Honda Civic hatchback wasn’t originally a hatchback at all. According to a video interview that he did with Automotive Anatomy – a YouTube channel that features many Honda enthusiasts’ cars – Jose’s Civic started life as a sedan. And although he made modifications to it when it had a trunk, he always wondered if it were possible to give it a hatchback flair.

“It took six months just measuring the whole thing just to see if it was possible,” Jose said in the interview. “And somebody was already rolling with it. People had already done it. So I was like ‘That’s cool, it can be done! I’m down, let’s do it!”

Jose then went to work and got himself the best welder and tools that he could find to get the job done. He then sourced an imported Civic hatchback rear end that he had to cut and then weld onto his Civic sedan’s body.

“They tell you ‘measure twice, cut once.’ But for this (project), you have to measure at least (500 times) and then cut,” Jose said. “That’s the reason it looks so clean.”

The Civic has other modifications too

The hatchback conversion wasn’t the only modification that Jose did to his car. The Civic’s yellow and blue paint scheme is modeled after the Spoon Sports-built cars in Japan and the front end is from a 97 Honda Civic Type R as is the rear spoiler. Underneath the fenders are a set of Skunk2 coil-overs that provide the Civic lowered stance and a set of Enkei Racing S wheels to finish the overall look.

The interior of the Civic plays host to a pair of red Recaro SR3 racing seats, a K-Tuned short shifter, and a Momo Italia steering wheel that he imported as well. Under the hood is a B18C1 engine that Jose bought from a junkyard for $300. That’s a pretty good deal considering these Integra engine swaps still retail for around $3,000. Unfortunately, the engine had to be completely rebuilt, which Jose did with new Integra Type R pistons.

This Civic goes to show that anything is possible

While Jose’s 1999 Civic four-door hatchback is quite the anomaly in the Honda world, it also goes to show that anything is possible with the right amount of ingenuity, effort, and money. To some people, this Civic might look like every other modified import car on the street, but for Jose, building it meant more than just modifying a Civic for the sake of it.

“When it comes to these Hondas, there’s something to be appreciated, there’s something to be valued, there’s something to be admired,” Jose said. “And that’s all I really wanted to do. To show my appreciation and admiration for the H badge. The H badge has always been in my heart and it always will be in my heart.”