Honda Civic Type R EK9 Build: Randy's Cusco and Spoon Childhood Dream Car

Randy - 2000 Honda Civic Type-R (EK9) - Instagram: @ek9ftw

Photographer: Marvin Recinos - Instagram: @mr2mivin

Randy's Honda Civic Type R EK9: A Childhood Dream Car

Born and raised in Southern California, about 20 minutes east of DTLA in the city of West Covina. Always been into cars for as long as I can remember, with Hondas having a special place for me. These days, the hobby is just a way for me to enjoy something I grew up loving and being able to fix them up how I would have wished when I was younger.

From EF Hatches to a Legit EK9 Type R

I really got into the Honda scene when my cousin Fuji picked up an EF hatch, and we used to roll around with my other cousin Auggie. The first car I purchased was a '97 EK hatchback. Man, I loved that thing. Haha. At that time, my neighbor's boyfriend (RIP K-Tray) was heavily into the street-racing scene and would always push me to modify my hatch. After many late nights and early mornings in Ontario at the street races, one thing led to another. Several EK hatches later, a couple of coupes, and I eventually ended my young Honda run with a '96 Integra GSR. I stepped away for a little over 10 years before a '99 Civic Si (EM1) landed in my lap about 5 years ago and I got sucked right back into the Honda game, which has now led me to owning my childhood dream car, a legit EK9 Type R!

Winning the EK9: Building the Ultimate EK Hatch

Man, I got lucky with this one. After getting close to finishing my '99 Si I decided to part ways and sell it, and boom, I hit the Honda lottery and won this EK9 about a month or so later. By coincidence, I already had another EK hatch that I had been building on and off for the last couple of years. I had accumulated quite a few parts for it and had a clear idea of what I wanted my EK to look like. So when I received the EK9, I started pulling as many parts off it as I could, haha. Not because there was anything wrong with the way the EK9 came, but because I already had quite a few parts that I had personally picked out and collected for my original EK build. I wanted, well truthfully (when I knew I was going to keep the EK9), "I needed" to transform the EK9 to feel and look like mine instead of just leaving it the way I received it. A lot of those parts made their way over to the EK9, and then of course I went on a little shopping spree to finish everything off and get the car closer to how I envisioned it.

My whole idea with the original EK build was to basically build the EK hatch I wish I could have built when I was a kid but couldn't afford to, with a few newer parts mixed in that I thought were pretty damn cool as the Honda game progressed. Winning the EK9 just gave me a much better platform to finally finish the ultimate EK hatch, for ME.

The Build Philosophy: A Period-Correct Honda Civic Type R EK9

I like to stick primarily to what was nostalgic for me as a kid growing up in the Honda scene. I knew for sure I wanted to do a Cusco theme, throw in some Confetti Recaros for the time being, and keep it a bit period correct with Spoon and Toda touches. Basically, a mix of brands and parts I thought were cool growing up that I couldn't afford, and a few newer parts here and there. Thankfully, the motor felt healthy and strong when I got the car, so I was able to focus more on the suspension, chassis and overall drivability. I didn't want something that just looked cool. I wanted to make sure I could take it through a canyon on any given weekend and actually enjoy driving it, all while still making sure that when I parked it and walked away, I'd turn around and be proud of how it looked.

Obviously, some EK9s still do exist and when you see them you do see similar setups, but I tried to put my own little spin on mine and make it feel a little different. Some people may not agree with the route I've taken (i.e. the Cusco wing and cage, 15s rather than 16s, splitter, etc.), and that's okay, because I set the car up for no one else but me. I didn't want to chase a build that had all the next new dropped parts or try to mirror the next hyped car out there. Just the sh*t I always liked in my past, style I enjoyed, and make it my own.

Honda Civic Type R EK9 Build List

Engine / Drivetrain

• B16B CTR motor and transmission*
• Spoon ECU
• Spoon N1 muffler
• Spoon spark plug wires
• Spoon radiator hose set
• Spoon oil cap
• Spoon radiator cap
• Spoon clutch line
• Spoon radiator stay
• Toda exhaust manifold
• Toda cam gears
• Toda timing belt
• Koyorad radiator
• Obeast titanium intake tube
• A'PEXi intake filter
• Hybrid Racing short shifter and plate

*I've been told through a source connected to the car's previous history that the B16B may have a 1.8 stroker setup, but I have not formally confirmed it yet.

Suspension / Chassis

• S3 Suspension coilovers with Swift springs
• PCI spherical rear lower control arms
• PCI spherical rear camber kit
• PCI front adjustable camber kit
• PCI tie rod ends
• PCI spherical toe kit
• PCI front lower compliance spherical kit
• Cusco 7-point roll cage
• Cusco front upper strut bar
• Cusco rear upper strut bar
• Cusco rear lower strut bar
• Cusco rear sway bar
• Cusco brake stopper

Alignment

• Front camber: -3.4
• Rear camber: -2.5

Brakes

• Spoon twin block calipers

Wheels / Tyres

• Spoon SW388 15x8 +35
• Falken Azenis RT660+ 225/45/15
• ARP extended wheel studs
• Spoon black lug nut set

Exterior

• Cusco EK9 GT wing
• SHIFT Sports hood
• Quick-Latch low profile push button hood pins
• Exceed front lip
• Racebred front splitter
• Cusco front tow hook
• Cusco rear tow hook
• Spoon blue wide side mirror set

Interior

• Recaro SR3 Confetti seats
• Juran Racing low seat rails
• Spoon steering wheel
• Spoon steering boss
• Spoon shift knob
• Spoon blue wide rearview mirror
• Cusco 7-point roll cage

Additional

• Many Honda OEM replacement parts

Who Worked on the Honda Civic Type R EK9?

I pretty much went to one guy, whom some may know as James or Jim, but I like to call him "Ros the Boss", haha. He's an OG Honda dude out here in SoCal who runs his own gig called SHOP 161822. He knows his stuff, understands exactly how I like things and does things right. More importantly, he stops me from doing dumb crap and running with some of my questionable ideas, haha. He's always been solid with me, taken care of me and packs a bunch of knowledge. He's had a huge hand in getting the EK9 to where it is today.

Future Plans for the Honda Civic Type R EK9

The purists may not be happy with this one, and I was hoping to have it done before this shoot, but I'd like to swap out the factory privacy glass for some standard clear Honda glass. I like that fishbowl look and think it would complement the Cusco cage and rear interior that I left in, nicely. Eventually, I'd like to finish cleaning up the engine bay, remove as much unnecessary clutter as possible, update some things and get it looking much better when I pop the hood, then top the car off with some Cusco x BRIDE seats when I drop some lbs, haha.

Shout Outs

Ros the Boss at SHOP 161822 for ALL he has done for me and the EK9. My boy Albert, aka Pinky, for always having my back and lending a hand when needed. Jason with Obeast for the titanium magic, Armando at Street Custom for some needed paint work, Robert at Cheworks for getting my alignment dialed in, the fellas in the SoCal Honda community who have kept it real with me, and lastly, my loved ones for putting up with my Honda crap, haha.

Much love.

Living the Dream With My Honda Civic Type R EK9

Dream car. Living the dream with my EK9.

Love Spoon-flavoured Hondas? Check out our Civic Si hatchback Spoon build, and grab our printed issues from the Stance Auto Magazine store on Amazon.