Rein's 2003 Accord Euro Luxury
[JUSTIFY]Hi Rein, you've been picked to do a feature ride article because a member of the Ozhonda community was so impressed with your car he nominated you. How does that make you feel?
It’s such a great feeling to know just to know that 'Ozhondanians' are impressed with my Euro. I know it’s not the best out there but to me it’s the best I can do with the modifications and I'm happy with it - it’s my pride and joy. All the effort and time put into the car, all the blood sweat and tears have all paid off.
So how did you find out about Ozhonda?
Google. I was looking for "Accord Euro parts Sydney" and the Ozhonda came up. I had to use my friends account in the beginning since I didn’t know how to register.
What made you choose Honda?
Well people have been telling me how reliable the Honda engines are compared to all of the other car makes and just how stylish every Honda model is.
Is this your first Honda?
Yup, my first love... =)
What lead you to your car?
My cousin made me fall in love with my Euro, he bought one back in 2003 and had it modified within a few weeks - it was lowered, had sports kit and Japanese VIP style rims. One day he had to go overseas and left the car at my house, when I saw it I just fell in love with it straight away. I told my Mum "Mum one day when I'm old enough, this will be my first car". In December 2006 I had enough money saved for the deposit and got myself a Euro.
Wow, this is your very own first car? What odd jobs did you do to save up for the Euro?
Yeah ... my very own first car. I've had so many jobs, started working when I was about 14 years old as an office boy in a Real Estate company; then moved on to Starbucks as a Supervisor, Picker/Packer at Woolworths, Baida egg sorting, and now currently at ANZ. I’m not your typical Indo kid with rich parents - I pretty much had to support myself since I was 16. So just to be able to own a Euro for me is a dream come true.
How do you find this compared to other cars you’ve owned?
Well before the Euro it was the bus, but I didn’t own it. Had to share it with the rest of the community, so I'm pretty glad I have my own car now.
Tell the readers more about the community bus, did it have another alias?
Well before the Euro it was either the stretched Volvo or the Mercedes. It was fitted with air suspension and 20 inch rims but the only problem was that I didn’t own it, I had to share it with the rest of the community and most of the time it's always late to pick me up to go to work. People call it a Bangbus, I don’t understand why... We all know what happens inside a Bangbus... And for me my Euro is the Bangbus!
Looking at your modification list, why did you buy all original parts and not replicas?
When you start having replica parts on your car, people start to second guess all of your other parts whether its genuine or fake and I didn't want people to start guessing which parts of my car are genuine. The quality and the fitment is what sets it apart from the replicas and with the Euro I wanted to make sure that everything fits perfect, no taking short cuts.
Why have you chosen these modifications?
I’ve chosen these modifications because I wanted it to stand out from all the other Euros. Two words that came into mind - JDM & VIP. All parts had to be original, no replica bull sh*t.
Why JDM and VIP? Why didn’t you go down the 'SexSpec' or as others put it - the 'Rice' look?
My aim was, when people drive past my car I didn’t want them to say "ooofftt check out that fully sick Euro cuz" or "my cuz has a Euro as well with the same rims as his but more decked brah". I wanted to be able to drive down George St at 11pm on a Saturday night and make my Euro look like a foreigner. I wanted it to be different to all the other Euros with chopped springs and K-Speed rims. I wanted to make people wonder, “OMG what kit is that?” or “What the **** is Mugen?” and “What wheels are they?”. I wanted so much camber that when people walk past my car I want them to trip over my wheels. That’s why I decided to go with JDM and VIP.
Why did you pick certain brands over others?
If I had the money, I would go for all Mugen parts, but unfortunately I'm not as fortunate as others. I could only get what was available and what I could afford.
What are your future plans for your car?
Air Runners and fatter wheels. =)
Air Runners? Is that another name for air suspension?
YES it is... But the only problem is that the Air Runner itself cost about 6-7G’s not including installation. =(
How much blood, sweat and tears have you done on the car yourself?
Well the car was pretty much the reason why my girlfriend and I went through countless break ups... It got to the stage where I was so angry and had so many fights with her I almost sold the car. I had to cry her a river until she fully understood how much I love the car and how it’s a dream come true for me just to be able to drive the Euro.
Ahhh, why is it that usually girlfriends and cars don't mix? So now that you've kept the car, does your girlfriend get to drive it?
Haha well girlfriends think ahead, they have their future planned, they know exactly what they want to do and achieve in 5 years down the track. Guys with cars, we only care about what parts we want next. I do let my girlfriend drive it, I think it’s cool when she drives it and when people see her driving it people are like "Wow, can't believe a chick owns it". It’s ok when she drives on the road, but I prefer for me to drive when we go to shopping centres. She ripped out my side skirt from hitting the curb once and ever since then she's been more careful. Made me upset, but what can you do? She's your girlfriend.
How long did it take to build your car?
I bought the car back in December 2006. The first 2 years it pretty much only had Tein coilovers, stock wheels and no body kit. I only started the major modifications in January 2009. Haha that was when I cried my girlfriend a river and convinced her that this is my dream. I bought all the parts all at once and got everything fitted at the same time. The only problem was deciding which wheels to put on. I wanted wheels that was rare - very few people know about it its existence - and something new. And thought the 2 piece Enkei RPF1 would be perfect. I knew for sure that no one else would have it on their Euro.
Ever had any trouble with the law regarding your ride?
Defected 3 times and 100 warnings, all for the same reason- ride height. One day I had 2 people in the backseat and Highway Patrol pulled me over because sparks were coming out from underneath of the car. He asked me to come out of the car, get on my knees and stick a measuring tape next to my exhaust.
He goes "Look! 2cm mate… your car is not low… it’s too low! It’s so low that it’s touching the floor! Sparks were coming out from underneath your car when I followed you!". Then my heart started beating really fast and the only word that was in my head started with “F”. Natural instincts kicked in and I acted stupid pretending I didn’t know jack sh*t. "OOOOOOO really? Officer I’m really sorry. I had a photo shoot today (NOT!) and that’s why I lowered it..."
You said that you've always wanted a Euro and now that you have it do you plan on keeping this car for a while or will you eventually sell it?
Well it’s up for sale in the Cars for Sale section! But to be honest I don't really want to sell it. If someone is willing to pay the overpriced amount I’m asking for, then I’ll let it go. Hehe if not, I will definitely keep it for another few years, until I fall in love with another car.
What would be your next car? Another Honda?
People might think I'm stupid, but my next car will be another accord Euro, same model but 2008 and low kms. It'll be in black and manual and it'll be nothing but Mugen or Spoon products. If I could import a Euro-R from Japan I would. I've asked a few Importers and they've told me that the Euro-R can be imported as it meets Australian Regulations. I will definitely keep trying and find a way to import a Euro-R to Australia, even if It means I have to bribe someone to let it pass RTA inspections. *jokes*
Do you have any tips or advice on modifying cars?
The only advice I have is always go for genuine parts, if you really want a Mugen body kit don't get a replica. To me if I see a car with replica kits, I just think "OK that looks nice, fits pretty OK" but if I see one with a genuine body kit I’ll be like "RESPECT! YO! He knows how to mod". I just think that with genuine parts, you get a lot more out of it - fitment, quality and performance - but most importantly, respect from other enthusiasts.
Yes I know some people are not as fortunate and don't have the cash to buy genuine parts. Well my advice is, take your time, look for good quality used parts, save your money and don't rush to buy. Always take the time to do research on which parts you want to get and once you've done the research, go for part that you think is the best.
If u have enquires on genuine parts, ask the Parts-God zico on Ozhonda.
Would you like to say “thank you” to anyone in particular?
I couldn't have done it without my mechanic. I would like to thank TOP ONE Automotive (Dedy and his crew) for their TOP service; Autotechnik for my wheels; and JDMYard for all my other bits and pieces. And big thank you to Ozhonda of course for having my car featured on the website.
[/JUSTIFY]
Autotechnik and JDMYard are proud sponsors of Ozhonda along with our other traders.
Modifications:
Engine:
*Injen CAI
*Fujitsubo Legalis R dual cat back exhaust
*K24 Type R Red Valve Cover
*Mugen oil cap
*Mugen carbon fibre sparkplug cover
*Spoon socks
Wheels & Suspension:
*Enkei RPF1 Type RC 2 piece wheels (18x9.5 45+ front & 18x8.5 42+ rear)
*Weds Sport 25mm spacers (for the rear)
*Tein Flex coil overs
*Vision rear camber kit
*Volk Racing Formula lock nuts
*Slotted front disc brakes
Exterior:
*Genuine Euro-R front lip
*Genuine Euro-R side skirt
*Genuine Euro-R rear lip
*Genuine Euro-R front grill
*Genuine Euro-R front and rear badge
*Mugen ventilated visor
*MTEC 8000K D2C low beam
*MTEC 8000K H11 HID fog lights
*MTEC LED parkers
*Roof re-sprayed Satin Black
*Side re-sprayed Satin Black
*Rolled front and rear guards
Interior & ICE:
*2007 Accord Euro steering wheel
*2007 Accord Euro A/T gear knob
*Type R shift boot
*Kenwood DDX7032 DVD 7 inch monitor
*Boston Acoustic speakers
*Alpine Type R 12 inch subwoofer and amplifier
