Throughout life, you stumble upon people that make an impact — whether good or bad, they're embedded in your memory for a lifetime. Jon-Pual Ferguson (JP) is one of those guys for me, as I met him over a decade ago. He was always into Hondas, and after straying towards RB-powered vehicles for a couple of years and getting in trouble with the law, he made the switch back to Hondas. After owning DC2 Integras, EG Civics, and more, JP decided to pursue his love for four-door tin-tops and purchased an off-the-yard Honda Accord CL1 Euro R for a cool $18,000.
Pearl white in colour and with a factory H22A red-top engine with close-ratio gearbox, it was modified soon after purchasing. Unfortunately, though, the car was stolen and recovered, so for JP it was never the same. This prompted a change in direction toward the circuit, a new paint scheme, and some more upgrades.
JP's idea for the CL1 was to be a simple, reliable, and well-rounded track day car. The factory brakes were binned in favour of some AP1 S2000 rotors, which are clamped down by Integra DC5 Brembo four-piston calipers. For pads, JP opted for Endless and picked them up pretty cheap during a recent trip to Japan.
After running a trick set of HKS Hipermax coilovers for a few years with great success, JP managed to score a set of Aragosta coilovers. He snapped them up in no time at all and tells us they were an impressive upgrade over the HKS units. For rigidity, JP installed CL7 Accord sway bars which suit his driving style and allow the pitch and roll he likes on the circuit. JP crafted his own splitter up front and produced some moulds for the carbon fibre canards (yes I'll be pinching the moulds!). Ultra Racing strut bracing front and rear reduces strut tower flex and as the car sits, JP is happy with handling and braking.
What JP isn't happy with though is the engine setup. With plans to take on the Prowear NZ Superlap Series JP wants a heap more power, and that power will come in the form of a single turbocharger. With a goal to hit 260kW on a moderate boost setting for reliability, JP has opted to ditch the H22A engine and utilise an F20B engine from the Accord SiR. As they're an affordable unit, the F20B will be built with custom forged K20A pistons to handle the boost pressure JP soon to come its way.
"The F20B purely exists for motorsport reasons, " JP continues; "Honda needed a competitive two-litre engine for touring car racing, so the H22A was de-stroked. Having a shorter stroke it can handle revs much better than the H22A, and with boost, I won't notice the smaller capacity." The best thing about using the F20B is you can pick them up online for a couple of hundred dollars!
This is a build we're excited to see completed as JP is a serious Japanese time attack and racing enthusiast, and with a day job at Convert Motorsport, he knows how to build cars right. As the build progresses we'll keep you updated!