Other changes? " I swapped the race exhaust for a quieter one and fitted the Bride driver's seat," he says. One place where John hasn't carried out any modifications is under the bonnet. After all, the engine bay was already well spec'd with goodies, like the expensive ARC radiator and Comptech air induction kit. When asked about the car's performance John says, "It's never been on the rollers but I reckon it must be at least 225 bhp judging by others I've driven before. It's certainly a lot faster than any of the other standard Type Rs around here." A claim undoubtedly put to the test with very little encouragement.
With daily use and an enthusiastic right foot you might think that the Honda's legendary reliability would be called into question. This just isn't the case here and Honda's reputation remains alive, well and intact. With the exception of having to fit stronger axles (John suspects the aggressive race clutch was the problem), the ITR has been nothing short of reliable, never failing to put a smile on John's face when he's behind the wheel, which is more than can be said for his girlfriend. "She never really liked how noisy or how rough it was inside," John says. "The head unit does work but, with only two speakers in the door, it's not really powerful enough to be of use. There's not even an interior mirror for her to do her makeup with either!" Luckily she has her own significantly more refined Civic as her personal ride.
Unfortunately, following the changes John made to the car he never quite found the time to risk it on the track, aside from during this photo shoot, which is surely where he could have unleashed its full potential.
Since meeting up with John, the car's moved on to yet another owner to make way for, and finance, John's latest import, currently on its way from Japan-a modified Honda S2000. Only time will tell whether or not John's girlfriend will appreciate the aftereffects of an open top roadster and a just-styled hairdo. But hey, John's got that problem covered-literally-he's already ordered the hard top to go with it.