Words and Photos: Deven Solanki
Picture this: I’m on a mission for a decent pie from the local bakery. Then, I spot this out-of-place sex-spec Honda Accord parked on the side of the road. I just had to take a closer geez. But here’s where it gets interesting: later that same day, while aimlessly scrolling through YouTube with a mate, guess what pops up? A video featuring the exact Accord being built by NZPC back in the day. Mind. Blown. After that day, I never crossed paths with that car again. Until a few months later, the same car shows up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. I just had to slide into the owner’s DMs and tee up a feature to kick off this new section.
This particular ’94 Honda Accord SIR has a story etched with blood, sweat, and tears. Originally built for the Magwarehouse Motor Makeover competition, NZPC was given a mere 13 weeks to undergo a complete transformation before handing over the keys to a lucky winner. It went from a ‘shocker to a stunner’ in only 13 weeks — with a hefty build cost of 60 grand, all under the eye of the assistant editor at the time, Todd Wylie.
It’s seen as a time capsule on wheels, preserving all the mods and custom work from back in the day, bar the scissor doors, which got binned shortly after it aired. With 60 grand dropped and only 3 months to build, it was a true labour of love, with different workshops across the country, each contributing a piece to the puzzle. And let’s not forget, back then, good things definitely didn’t come cheap and not everything was available off the shelf.
Today, the Accord is in the hands of Ali Gholami, a 50-year-old moving company owner who’s cherished it for over a decade. He’s the second owner, snagging it from the Magwarehouse Motor Makeover winner, and takes it out for a spin on the occasional weekend, turning heads and sparking conversations wherever it goes decades later. One of Ali’s most memorable moments was his road trip to Rotorua. Groups of enthusiasts approached him, each having their turn at frothing over the car, snapping photos, and chatting about its history, reminiscing about how they remembered watching it on NZPC TV. When asked about his favourite part of the Accord, Ali couldn’t decide between all the bells and whistles, but he enjoys cranking up the tunes on the sound system when it’s out on the road.
Under the hood is the trusty H22A four-banger that’s been slightly tweaked to squeeze out some extra power. The factory cams have been swapped out for the more aggressive Type S cams, paired with Skunk2 adjustable cam gears. An MSD ignition system has been installed, and the exhaust system has been upgraded with custom headers leading through a 2.5-inch system and out through a Flowmaster muffler, cranking up the Accord’s power to around 230hp. Handling the braking duties are 4-pot Wilwood callipers clamped onto 335mm rotors up front, while the rear callipers remain factory but are paired with upgraded slotted rotors.
The exterior of the Accord sports all the trademarks of the 2000s sex-spec era — shaved door handles and fender indicators with the smooth rear boot lid, homeless licence plate and a Mugen-style body kit to top it all off. When it comes to the shoes, it’s still rolling on those iconic 18-inch machine-faced R-Tech wheels, which were a total game-changer when they first hit the streets. It wouldn’t be a sex-spec build if it wasn’t some crazy popping colour – the team at NZPC went all out with a mix of Sunrise and Sunset Pearl paint, resulting in that vibrant orange hue. The paint shop didn’t hold back on the clear either — laying down a total of six coats over the initial five layers of paint.
Step inside, and you’ll be welcomed by the complete MOMO catalogue – from the steering wheel to the floor mats, pedals, and shift knob. The Racepro seats, both upfront and in the rear, remain sturdy, ensuring every passenger gets a taste of that “race car” feel. As for the audio setup, the front doors hold two Pioneers speakers and matching tweeters, while the rear doors accommodate a single speaker each. Moving to the boot, the wheel well has been reinforced with fibreglass to strengthen the area to support the three massive Rockford subwoofers and amps when cranked on full doof.
These days, enthusiasts turn their heads a bit further when spotting 2000s-styled cars out in the wild. The Accord serves as a souvenir from the good old days of ‘souping’ up cars and the golden era of the scene. What was born on the streets of Japan, later gaining popularity worldwide, is a nod toward automotive creativity and personalisation. It’s a reminder of a time when chrome wheels, booming sound systems, crazy airbrushing, and full leather interiors ruled the scene — when every car had a story to tell, and standing out from the crowd was what it was all about.
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 308
SPEC LIST
Year/make/model: 1994 Honda Accord SIR (CD6)
Engine: H22A, 2200cc four-cylinder, Type S cams, Skunk2 adjustable cam gears, Calibre pod filter, MSD ignition, custom exhaust manifold, 2.5-inch exhaust, Flowmaster muffler
Driveline: Factory five-speed
Interior: Racepro fixed-back bucket seats front and rear, MOMO steering wheel, MOMO floor mats, MOMO Grand Prix pedal covers, Autometer Lunar Series Water temp and oil pressure gauges, Pioneer speakers, three Rockford subwoofers, two Rockford amps, fibreglass wheel well
Exterior: Shaved door handles and fender indicators, smooth rear boot lid, Aerotech Mugen-style body kit, custom Sunrise/Sunset pearl paint job
Wheels/tyres: 18×7.5-inch R-Tech wheels, 215/35R18 Falken FK452
Suspension: Koni adjustable coilovers
Brakes: (F) 4-pot Wilwood callipers, 335mm rotors, (R) Factory callipers, slotted rotors
Power: 220-230hp
Name: Ali Gholami
Age: 50
Location: St Heliers, Auckland
Occupation: Owner of a moving company