The Fast Car Honda Civic Type R FN2 project is beginning to take shape! Episode 7 is out now over on our YouTube channel.
Here it is, the Fast Car TV big build for 2023. We’ve partnered up with eBay to help us turn this humble FN2 Honda Civic Type R into a scene-stealing, show-stopping machine. Yes, once again, it’s time for the mighty Team Fast Car to set their sights on another epic car culture adventure.
The plan is simple. Over 12 fortnightly episodes (all featured over on our YouTube Channel) our Slim Jules and Midge will be creating a work of personalized perfection. What’s more, they’ll by sourcing the parts, accessories and tools needed from one single place – everyone’s favorite online one-stop-shop, eBay. Then, with their eBay purchases piled high, all that will be left for our guys is to put the whole jigsaw together. We’ll take you along with us on the journey, every step of the way.
We’ll follow the workshop antics covering the entire build from start to finish. Showing you exactly how to tackle the key modifying essentials. From uprated suspension and brakes, to wheels, styling and even car audio. We’ll even take you through the way we’ve always bagged ourselves some extra budget for our modifying shenanigans; by listing and selling all our unwanted parts on eBay. But first thing’s first. Let’s get the full lowdown on the Civic Type R FN2 project we’ll be transforming from standard to just a little special over the course of the series.
Check out the Civic Type R FN2 project episode no.1 below. There’s good bits, bad bits, and everything the boys would like to change. It’s also their very first test drive in the little VTEC powered Honda…
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 1
Fast Car TV isn’t about huge budgets, unusable trailer queens or misleading video tricks. It’s all about the trials and tribulations of a couple of normal car fans on a budget… probably much like yourself.
Armed with our own FN2 buying guide, Jules and Midge spent the past few weeks trawling the UK for a modified icon and have come up with an absolute beauty; what can be more popular on the UK scene than the Honda Civic? They’ve already busted half of their budget on a 2007 FN2 Civic Type R. In standard trim, these cars come with the legendary K20 VTEC engine. It also features an extremely capable chassis, plush interior and the iconic spaceship styling. But the big question remains; can they transform this little car from bone stock into a proper scene-leading machine? And before the end of the 2023 season?
We’ve got a whole host of things panned for our Civic Type R FN2 project. Using eBay as the platform to buy the parts, accessories and tools needed to get the job done, every aspect of the FN2 Civic Type R will be upgraded over the next six months. We’ll use our FN2 Tuning Guide to make the chassis tighter and the engine more powerful. We’ll also make the car audio louder, and styling more aggressive. So, subscribe and hit that notification bell on our YouTube channel to watch the transformation for yourselves.
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 2
It has been a busy few weeks on the Civic FN2 Type R project at Fast Car HQ. Midge and I tackled some mundane maintenance jobs to make sure everything was in tip-top condition before the tuning takes place.
First up was an oil, filter and spark plug change in the name of a quick service, Midge took care of this while I revamped the headlights and replaced the gear gaiter and wipers. With all the parts, sourced, ordered and delivered via eBay.
One of the other jobs we managed to get done was to sort the faulty LCD clock, a common fault on this generation Civic. With the help of an online tutorial, a soldering iron and bit of patience, Midge reflowed the connections, and to our surprise, this brought the display back to life.
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 3
With all that done, it was time for the fun to begin…
The first upgrades to arrive are all in the name of refreshing the 16-year old chassis. We opted to change the suspension for a set of TEIN Flex Z coilovers. An iconic Japanese brand that has fantastic pedigree when it comes to performance suspension. I’m sure the JDM fanboys will approve of this swap. We’re yet to drive the car in anger but on the journey home, we could already feel the huge improvement in ride and handling. The old struts gave a very harsh ‘bangy’ ride, while these new units seem to absorb the bumps while also giving great feel.
While the car was up in the air and the wheels were off, we bolted on the next upgrade in the form of a big brake kit. We’ve ditched the stock single pot brakes in favor of 6-piston Tarox versions, these will increase stopping power massively due to the increased clamping-power and surface area of the huge rotors. They don’t just perform brilliantly, but look amazing too, and this has inspired a wheel design that will help to show them off. To find out more about that and watch us bolt these parts to the car, watch the video now!
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 4
In the last episode we saw the Civic go through a chassis overhaul, as Jules and (mostly) Midge bolted on a new set of TEIN Flex Z coilovers and TAROX 6-piston big brakes. Ahead of ordering all the engine tuning goodies via eBay, the boys decided to give the chassis a proper test to see if the upgrades fitted had made a difference to the handling. And the best place to do that is on track.
Jules and Midge took some brave pills and booked themselves onto a track session at one of the UK’s most iconic circuits, Brands Hatch. Surrounded by dedicated track weapons, they put the Type R through its paces. And you know what, it handled great, the only limiting factor was Jules’ skill level and the awful budget tires fitted to the car. Of course, these will be dumped in the near future when the stock wheels are replaced for something a whole lot more special.
The TEIN suspension was far more responsive than the stock struts, even on the road the difference is night and day – not only sharpening up the 16-year-old suspension but improving ride comfort, too! While the big brakes made a huge difference, the bite and feel has been completely transformed and gave Jules much more confidence in the car.
But what was hugely apparent was the lack of power. And this is where they’ll turn their attention next, the car needs an exhaust, filter, better cooling and maybe something else to help release the potential of the high-revving K20 engine. They’ll also look to tidy up the engine bay – after all, they want this car to be the complete package. Anyway, more about that in episode 5, but for now it’s time for Episode 4! Hit that play button above!
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 5
After the testing at Brands Hatch last month, the Civic’s performance shortfalls were exposed. With that in mind, Jules and Midge hit up eBay and ordered a bunch of essential tuning parts to get the Civic moving in the right direction. The first tuning mod for any car should be an exhaust and filter, so that’s exactly what we tackled first.
Improving Air Flow
Taking delivery of a beautifully crafted resonated cat-back exhaust from Scorpion and a stunning carbon-fibre airbox and induction kit from Tegiwa, Midge and Jules set about getting them bolted to the car. All was going well until some very stubborn exhaust bolts required the attention of an angle grinder, heavy duty drill and lots of elbow grease. After about three hours and 32-drill bits later, the standard restrictive exhaust was off and consigned to the parts bin.
Bolting on the new exhaust was a doddle, as it fitted like a glove. After a quick cup of tea, it was time to install the carbon induction kit. This was a much easier job and while Midge was under the bonnet, he pulled out the old radiator and bolted in an uprated Japspeed unit to help with cooling. While this won’t add any extra power, it’s a great addition for any future tuning modifications we make.
The start of a new look…
The last job of the day was replacing the tired OE rocker cover, we ditched the traditional red unit for a refurbished white one from a company we found on eBay. This has tidied up the engine-bay and the white hue gives hints of what’s to come in the coming weeks…
We haven’t finished with the tuning upgrades just yet, as there’s a bunch of carbon dress-up goodies on order to tie-in with the induction kit. Plus, now that we’ve sold the front shocks on eBay, there’s a bit more money in the kitty to play with. We’re still loving the idea of bolting on a nitrous kit! Anyway, that’s for another update. Enjoy Episode Five above and we’ll catch you in a fortnight for the next one.
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 6
With the exterior acoustics all sorted thanks to a new induction and exhaust system, it was time to bring the Civic FN2 Type R’s interior audio and tech up to date. This would mean ditching the original head unit for a swanky wireless CarPlay unit, and with Kenwood recently releasing the DMX7722DABS with bundles of hands-free tech, that decision was made easy.
Keeping it all in house we ordered a pair of Kenwood 2-way front speakers to replace OE ones in the dash, a 12-inch sub and a 4-channel amp to power it all up from eBay. That’s right, we do things right here at FC Towers, the easy option would have been to amp the sub and run the front speakers off the head unit, but to get the most out of those powerful two ways, we run some high-quality new wires through the doors and to the back of the car where we mounted the amp and sub.
While Midge took care of this and installing the new double-DIN head unit with the help of facia adapter from eBay, Jules took care of building a false floor that would house a sub enclosure and a sunken amp. The whole system took a couple of days to install, but it was worth the effort as the Civic now has in-car tech to rival that of a modern car, and a sound system that can produce crisp and punchy SQ to rival the best of them.
What’s next? Well, a bunch of carbon and styling parts have already turned up from eBay, so join us next time as the exterior styling transformation commences!
Civic Type R FN2 Project: Episode 7
With the wrap of the Civic Type R imminent it was time to sort out some of the other styling components. If there’s one upgrade that is universally loved in the car scene, it’s carbon fiber. Civics are really well catered for in this department, so we ordered a bunch of bolt on parts from eBay and got to work.
On the shopping list was carbon wing mirror, handle and filler cap covers. We also bought some front bumper intake covers that delete the fog lights and give direct airflow to the Tegiwa intake we fitted a few weeks ago. Not only do they look gorgeous, they’re also giving us a little bit of a performance upgrade.
We ordered all these parts off Carbon My Ride’s eBay shop and we’ve got to say the quality was exceptional. The jewel in the crown of the carbon goodies was a carbon hood from Tegiwa’s eBay shop. This really is a stunning bit of kit. All of these parts were easy to fit, which freed up some time for a couple more upgrades…
Taking inspiration from the legendary FN2 Mugen Type R, we ordered wider front fenders from Typerkits.com and a high-rise rear wing from SPD Automotive. These parts were fantastic quality, which is always important when dealing with fibreglass and ABS plastic parts. Both were easy to fit and have really transformed the look of the car, giving it a much more aggressive look.
Next up? Well, Midge is jetting off on his summer holiday, so Jules is on the case for a couple more upgrades before the car goes off for its wrap. Check back soon for the next update!
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