Modified EK9 Civic Type R Proves Less Is More
Attention to detail makes this wire-tucked, K-swapped EK9 daily driver a near perfect build.
Balance is not always easy to find. Especially when it comes to performance cars like an EK9. It is incredibly easy to take things to the extreme. But by the time you reach that point, it is already gone too far.
Daily driving a car is always a compromise. It’s a balance. Cars made for the street are sometimes a bit boring. So how far can you take it? Well this EK9 Civic Type R seems to be just about the best example we’ve seen.
They get some very special Hondas in the UK, and YouTuber Olly Ross has come across this EK9 owned by Andy Boyle. Both have a passion for Hondas, so for Ross to claim Boyle’s is the best he’s seen is high merit.
Boyle “wanted to have a unique build that no one else has.” And so his car is covered in rare and exclusive parts. Albeit quite subtle. That front lip? It’s a genuine Mugen Type SS front lip. Boyle explains “there’s maybe one or two in the whole of Europe.”
That mindset towards the build continues in the exterior, with J’s front fender wings, Shift Sports hood, the extended OE rear spoiler, and Sergeant rear diffuser.
But its what is under the hood that has the most significance. Boyle’s unique build included a wire tuck, which meant stripping accessories from the engine. So no power steering pump on this K-swap. But he worked around that with an electric power steering pump from a Toyota MRS Spyder. No brake booster either? Solved with a vaccume box.
And then, there’s the ITBs. Typically, ITBs are for purely race specifications. But Boyle wanted a car he could daily drive. In his mind, if it was hard to start, or inconvenient to run, the build had gone too far. So the original K-series idle air control valve is mounted at the back of the throttle bodies. “It still acts and performs like normal.”
The interior is OEM+ as well with Bride glitter-back seats, Takata belts, and other subtle mods. In reality, it has the essence of Honda making a more intense road version of the Type R, versus someone’s customized build. Well, apart from that gorgeous engine bay.
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