1996 Acccord Wagon Gets Type R Power
Built as a collaboration between Mountune USA and Fifteen52, this 1996 Honda Accord LX wagon was always meant to happen.
Honda Engine Masters
Mountune USA is one group that is about as knowledgeable about the FK8 Civic Type R's K20C1 turbocharged engine. There's a reason why they were appointed HPD's official engine service provider for Honda's Formula 4 competitors. And that's also why they were one of three shops appointed to build a project car with a Type R engine and Controls Package, provided by Honda.
Photos: Motortrend
Destiny
It's also very much appropriate that Fifteen52 Wheels were involved with the build, considering how close they are with Mountune. And that's true both in terms of their history of working together, as well as their physical locations! Amazingly, Fifteen52 also celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Coincidentally, the year the company was founded, 1996, is not only the model year for this Accord wagon, but also the year Naoki Hattori took home victory in a Honda Accord in the JACCS competition.
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Perfect Candidate
A Honda Accord station wagon may not seem like a natural choice for an all-out track build. But interestingly enough, this particular example had spent a portion of its life as a sleeper wagon with a turbocharged H22 swap. Built by Mountune head engineer Tyler Hara, it pumped out 650 horsepower and tore it down at the drag strip with 11-second passes. After spending a few years on the sidelines, however, it seemed like a natural candidate for the Type R swap.
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Capable Crate
The car was stripped all the way down and prepared for its 3rd incarnation with a complete race car transformation. The Accord chassis presented an advantage over smaller Hondas of the era. Because of its taller engine bay, it was able to receive the K20C1 without much difficulty. CSF Race intercooler and custom-built end tanks and piping, as well as CSF cooling components for the engine and transmission, accompany the crate motor.
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Stripped Interior
Turning the attention to the cabin, almost everything was removed from the interior, save for a few pieces of the dashboard. Even so, plenty of carbon fiber trim was swapped in to help save weight where possible. Whereas the wagon is known for its passenger room and cargo space, the only thing this Accord is meant to carry is the driver. A robust roll cage resides behind the Sparco racing bucket seat where the kids used to sit on their way to soccer practice!
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Finishing Touches
Appropriately paying tribute to the famously colorful JTCC Honda Accords of old, this wagon was given a set of nostalgic colors. It shows off branding from Fifteen52, Mountune, Toyo Tires, Sparco, among others. And the perfect finishing touches are provided by the rolling stock experts at Fifteen52, who supplied the Super Touring Podium wheels in Rally White for the project.
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Ready For the Track
With everything in place, the folks at Mountune have been testing the car out on track and working out its kinks along the way. The Accord LX wagon race car isn't built to any particular set of competition regulations. But they "plan to take it out to time attack events where it fits in and have some fun at a few HPDE events."
Photo: Fifteen52
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