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Owner?

evilowl

Time owned?

since April 2004 to present

Why did you choose a Type R?

I was looking for a new car to replace my aging Peugeot 205 GTi. It had to be a hatchback due to carrying equipment round as part of my job at the time. I test drove all the contenders available – the Audi S3 was a totally inert chassis and dull but very well put together, the Mini Cooper was a hoot to handle but the interior was a bit of a let down and the boot space was ridiculously small. The Leon Cupra R 225 really caught my eye but again the chassis was a bit of a let down. My other half already had a Renault Clio 172 and although I quite fancied a Cup, it was silly to both own the same car.

The Golf GTi mk5 was shown in 2003 but didn't come out until September 2004 so I decided to wait for it. Then a mate of mine phoned me up all excited because he had just picked up a new r30th AE Civic Type R in Satin Silver. Well I'd not really given the Civic much consideration to be honest, but after he took me out in it for a couple of hours I was absolutely smitten with the revvy nature of the engine and N/A technology. Within a few days I had booked a test drive and there and then I put down a deposit. Within a month a NHB facelift model had come into Barretts of Canterbury so I took it and haven't looked back since.

Tell us about your modifications?

Whilst waiting for the car I had been browsing the CTRO movie clips section and had seen a video Trung had posted with a GruppeM and Spoon N1 exhaust system. That was it for me. Within 4 weeks of owning it, I had completely ruined the warranty and had a GruppeM and Spoon N1 catback fitted by Guy Chamberlain at CPL Racing and then about a month later I was back at CPL having a KPro fitted. It kind of snowballed from there.

Do you have any future plans for the car?

I would eventually like to get round to fitting a big brake kit such as AP Racing, Stoptech or Brembo. Other than that I am happy with the car as it is, although I am looking longingly at Bride seats on VTECDirect.com these days.

 

Verdon Gorge, France

Photo taken during the Honda Euro Tour 2006 in the Gorges du Verdon in the south of France

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modifications:

Engine –

2.0l 16 valve iVTEC
Hondata KPro ECU – 8600 rpm limit, 4300rpm VTEC activation
Gruppe-M induction kit
Toda Racing manifold / decat
Spoon Sports N1 midpipe
Standard backbox due to noise limits
Spoon Sports earthing kit
Spoon Sports rad cap
Spoon Sports oil cap
Energy Suspension engine mounts
Shell Helix 5w40 fully synthetic oil

Stelvio

Photo taken halfway up the Stelvio Pass, Italy during the Honda Euro Tour 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transmission –

Factory 6 speed gearbox
Quaife ATB LSD
Toda Racing lightened flywheel
Toda Racing balanced clutch
Honda MTF-II gearbox oil

Brunnchen Photo taken during one of many trips to the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, this one was taken at Easter 2005 when the Nordschleife track was linked to the GP circuit and open to the public during TF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suspension –
http://www.picturesuitefilms.com/equipment.html
JDM spec front & rear swaybars
Revised geometry, inc toe/camber to custom spec

Brakes/tyres –

Factory disks
Ferodo DS2500's front & rear
Motul RBF racing fluid
Goodridge braided brake lines front & rear
Bridgestone RE040 tyres

Furka Pass, Switzerland Photo taken during the Honda Euro Tour 2005 as we headed from St Moritz in Switzerland to Chamonix in France, via the Stelvio Pass in Italy. The photo was taken at sunset on the Furka Pass looking back towards the direction we had come from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exterior –

TechOne HID kit with Hella ballasts and 6000k bulbs
PolarG Shinning Wizards sidelight bulbs
Magnetic GB badge
Nordschleife stickers
“M25ring” sticker
Kerbed alloys
Parking dings
Conker dents in bonnet and roof
Scraped rear bumper and skirt
Stonechips
Cat claw scrapes

Hairpin

Photo taken approx 30 minutes from the Nurburgring Nordschleife on an organised CTRO visit to the 'ring in August 2006. We spent a good 30 minutes on this single hairpin having fun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior –

Spoon Sports titanium gearknob
Carbonfibre JDM Type R sill strips
Road Angel 2
TomTom 710
Sony Camcorder
Manfrotto camera mount
DogCamPro bullet camera
Sky Tools CamEye Sport LANC remote (1 touch camera record) http://www.skytools.m.se/cameyesport.htm
Fastfilms external mount
Vanilla Magic Tree

Druids

Photo taken during a trackday at Brands Hatch in 2006, this is the approach to Druids Bend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With thanks to:

  • Guy Chamberlain at CPL Racing for parts, help and advice.
  • Craig Thompson for being good with spanners and standing in the pouring rain at night during winter fixing engine mounts and also putting up with me (but not keeping up with me!!!) on all of the Honda Euro Tours.
  • Emma for being a great co-pilot / navigator and putting up with me all the time
  • Everyone on the CTRO forums for the great advice, information, help and endless sources of amusement

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