After four years in the making, Irish lad neil Thompson,
has finally finished his dream EK9. To most people it’s just a purple Honda
civic, but to those in the know, it’s an absolute mas terpiece!
Being
a car nut is a funny ol’ thing. You spend hours trawling the Internet, talking
to owners around the world about engine codes and wheel fitments. Your wage
packet becomes a monthly parts list, and the local Shell garage somehow knows
your name. It becomes part of your everyday like wherever you go… so why do it?
Some do it to try and make a quick buck. Others try and do it for Internet
fame. But for guys like Neil Thompson, there’s only one real reason why, and
that’s the feeling you get when driving your pride and joy. Sure, it doesn’t
make sense financially, and trying to explain it to non-car people is harder
than quantum physics. But that joy and connection a car gives you is second to
none, and it’s why we – as car nuts – put up with so much hassle to achieve our
little slice of automotive heaven.
After four years in the making, irish
lad neil Thompson, has finally finished his dream EK9.
One
of the most-loved manufacturers in modifying is Honda, and it’s not hard to
understand why. Safe, reliable, affordable and with models like the Type-R,
absolutely blistering performance from a road-going car. For many car lovers, a
hot Honda is the first step into modifying after passing your driving test,
giving you that instant connection – just like Neil. “I grew up dreaming of
Hondas, hoping one day to own an EG6 and modify it like the cars I’d seen in
magazines,” he explains. “When the opportunity finally came up to own one, I
jumped at the chance. That was it, I was hooked on VTEC instantly!” But no
sooner had Neil achieved this childhood dream he soon faced another dilemma –
the urge to go the whole hog and buy an EK9. To most people, the EK9 looks like
a jazzed up Civic, but to those in the know, it’s a proper hidden gem. The EK9
Civic was a limited-edition model of the standard EK hatch, and it’s often
regarded as the absolute pinnacle of a hot Honda. It was one of the first road
cars that could genuinely be used on the track, boasting a 185bhp N/A engine
which screamed to 9000rpm.
The EK9 Civic was a limited-edition
model of the standard EK hatch, and it’s often regarded as the absolute
pinnacle of a hot Honda.
Backing
up that awesome B16B engine was a lightweight, seam-welded chassis, lighter
glass, a limited-slip differential and lowered suspension to name just a few
upgrades. But unlike other ‘tuned’ road cars, the EK9 remained totally
comfortable and quiet for daily driving – not to mention Honda’s famed
reliability, ensuring it spent more time being driven hard than it did in a
garage. Decision made, Neil soon became the owner of a Championship White EK9
Type R. Modifying was always on the cards (it’s actually a sin to drive a
standard Honda in Ireland) but Neil never intended to let the build progress
this far over the four years of ownership. “I bought the Honda with no
mechanical or electrical knowledge about modifying cars, but once you get
bitten with the tuning bug, you just can’t help yourself,” he adds. “I didn’t
have a set plan for it; I was just enjoying the ownership. I’d do bits and bobs
in my spare time, change wheels and various other parts. Before you know it,
you’re then thinking about full resprays and much more – it’s pretty much
impossible to get those thoughts out of your head when you love a car!”. Being
an Irish lad, Neil soon found himself involved with other local EK9 owners, but
rather than follow the ‘traditional’ route of Spoon exhausts and Volk TE37
wheels, he found himself drawn to the US Honda scene where stance and ride
height take priority. “I got to the stage where I wanted to try something
different. A lot of owners frown upon the low/ camber styling, and everyday
people think the car looks broken, but ultimately it’s a style I like, and
seeing as it’s my car, I can do exactly what I want!”
But rather than follow the
‘traditional’ route of Spoon exhausts and Volk TE37.
Working
nights to fund the build, it’s safe to say Neil’s work colleagues didn’t quite
understand the time and money being invested into the Honda. But rather than
take offense, Neil let this serve as a constant reminder to only build this car
for his approval and nobody elses. One of the most dramatic elements is the
EK9s paintwork, inspired by the Midnight Purple colour usually found on Nissan
GT-R models. Originally Neil only wanted a respray in the OEM Championship
White colour, but when a friend offered the purple paint (after having some
left over from a previous build) he jumped at the chance to do something
different. “If I went Championship White I just knew I’d regret it,” explains
Neil. “It needed painting regardless, so I bit the bullet and went with the
Midnight Purple paint – in hindsight I’m glad I did!” Fast forward to 2014, and
with the EK9 now complete, Neil could now enjoy his dream Civic every single
day regardless of what others thought. “Many will moan about the ride
height/camber and say I’ve ruined an EK9, but it’s been built to my taste and I
love everything about it – especially how it rides lowered!” Neil continues,
“There’s so many aspects I love about the EK9, it’s why I’ve kept with it over
the past four years. But the main reason is that B16B engine, it’s so raw and
revs to silly numbers for a 1.6-litre, it makes all the work and effort
worthwhile.” Where does Neil go from here? Well, like any petrolhead who gets
content with their car, Neil’s already looking forward to his next project – a
Zenki Nissan S14. “I’ve already started building it, and truth be told I’ll
probably end up selling parts from the Civic to speed up the build. That said,
I’m sure I’ll keep the shell and build something even better a few years down
the line – we’ll see how that turns out!”
