UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Setting goals and achieving them ain’t always a straight-cut process. Drew Coppins admits that, for him, it usually means being the guy who fluffs around and never really commits to a project, let alone one single car, for any longer than five minutes. However, when 2019 rolled around, Drew set himself a few serious goals, one of which was to start a project car and commit to it.

The plan was always going to be building something outside that box that didn’t require huge amounts of customization. Having picked up a super-tidy, low-kilometre 1993 Honda Civic EG5 (New Zealand–new GTi), Drew, along with JP from R Developments, put together a foolproof plan of attack that would make use of an F20B. Sourced from an Accord SiR-T, it’s a cost-effective option that’s also unique to our shores, where the norm is to plank in a K-series, B18CR, or even the related H22A big block.

It will be mated to a five-speed gear-swapper borrowed from an Accord CL1 Euro R and future-proofed for a turbo conversion down the line, although right now Drew is focusing on getting it driving, which it isn’t too far from doing.

Exterior-wise, the aim is to keep the chassis as OEM as possible, with a show-stopping engine bay that you wouldn’t be expecting to find under the bonnet. Drew mentions that, to him, the ’90s was a rad era of styling that remains timeless, so it will be a throwback to what you would have found in period. After a recent trip to Japan, the simple, lowkey styling of Spoon Sports has also had a major impact on the car, and Drew’s back pocket.