Todd’s S2000 | What is a Purist?

“I don’t expect the car to look pristine”, laughed Todd when I showed him the first images from Peter’s set, “you’ll just have to write a story about this being a dedicated race machine”.

The most striking part of this silhouette is Todd’s cut rear bumper, S2000s have a large parachute effect… looks sick!

From experience, there are two common definitions to the term purist in the automotive game. You have those that believe OEM is best, any modifications are a hindrance to the car’s performance, not an addition. The other is primarily pride- and ego-driven… high-profile brands make the vehicle better. The more prominent names plastered on your spec sheet, the better built your modified creation is. Pure because it’s not tainted by “lower quality products, only the best will suffice”.

Todd used to run a 3D, but after testing he’s figured that this Voltex 2D provides the downforce, but also a reduction in drag.

Writing this obviously means that I don’t particularly agree with either. Aside from modifying to fit a purpose, I feel that modification is a great avenue to add personality to your build. If it suits your needs, I don’t particularly care about buying genuine vs. replica, so long as you don’t lie about it. Same goes for buying the “cheaper” option, so long as the product meets minimum quality requirements. Hence why I am a big fan of Todd and his S2000.

I’ve been following Todd’s journey with his S2000 for a few years now, paying more attention to his blog (which was a consistently awesome read), and YouTube once I began to track my first S2000. This pursuit to lower his lap times started so innocently, just like most street-legal track builds, he remembers “putting up my first post on JDMST announcing my purchase, and assured readers that it wouldn’t head the route my previous Honda had”.

The S2000 always get praise for its driver-centric cockpit, Todd’s just stripped what remains, with one goal in mind: weight.

Seven years in, many would assume what Todd has done to the car is sacrilegious, and even he admits that if he had kept the car stock, “it would fetch a lot of money on today’s market”. The odometer only sits at 90 XXX KM, and the vehicle began as a clean, stock vehicle.

Find an angle on this car that can be framed as stock, I’ll be waiting…

However, the track day bug isn’t something that you can shake easily, and for Todd his first outing in his AP1 was all that was necessary to begin the journey down the rabbit hole. His latest addition, which put off our shoot for a couple months, was the roll cage completed by Wildridge Fabrications, an item he had planned for the longest time. I remember chatting to him at a December 2019 trackday on his options.

The car’s latest addition is the roll cage, sprayed using Bunnings rattle can by Todd himself! Cage completed by Wildridge Fabrications.

There is no turning back with this build, and during the weekend of the shoot, I saw Todd had listed stock items on Marketplace, quickly snapped up by those restoring their vehicles, or simply hoarding genuine JDM bits. He explained, “there’s probably more harm in me trying to restore the car to original state”. He’s not wrong, the roll cage is welded in, while the majority of wiring has been removed, as has any material that rendered the car “safe” for road use and a pleasant street experience for most.

Cut and attached to the fenders by himself, Todd told me last year he found these on eBay…

So Todd’s S2000 isn’t going to be collector’s item that OEM lovers yearn for, but what we have instead is an awesome creation that he can proudly call his own. The car is purpose-built to put down some of the fastest NA S2000 times across Australia’s east coast, and that is exactly what Todd has done.

70MM from BYP, Todd’s cultured stickerbombing and a dose of carbon.

He doesn’t toot his own horn, but a conversation with Todd can always be described as a passionate, enlightening affair.

His track terminology is extensive, but when discussing with Peter he made an effort to keep it relatable to a track virgin.

He’s done so much of the car himself, however he speaks about it matter-of-factly, using them as learnings and investigations rather than accomplishments.

A few dress up pieces here and there, but for the most part this is a stock F20C.

The parts list is exhaustive, however Todd buys parts as a means to an end, the goal is bigger than the brands his vehicle wears. We briefly touched on his hardtop, and before I had the chance to eke out another word, Todd reaffirmed that “the hardtop is a replica, what makes the difference for fitment have been the awesome adjustable brackets”. No negative sentiment about people spending silly money for genuine items that don’t fit well, but also not a peep about degrading those who purchase replica items.

Wondering what the car will look like with a colour-matched hardtop…

So we’re left with a car that many don’t understand. He’s not a purist in the original sense of the word, because the car is the opposite of factory. However, and this is something that I feel plagues Honda owners, Todd isn’t a brand whore either with his modification. It’s not a Spoon catalogue, and he doesn’t spout nonsense about the merits of bullshit that is too often lapped up by those gullible to marketing.

Purpose-built, menacing. Todd was inspired by the VTEC Club S2000 builds, and you can see their influence here.

The purity in Todd’s build comes from his curiosity and passion for motorsport, how he can accomplish the things he wants from the car and his incessant pursuit of progress. That’s the name of his game, like what he told me as we were leaving our shoot, “I’m going to purchase a spare set of wheels just to test different tires and their performance, no need for anything special”.

Todd’s end product was born out of function, the aesthetic and detailed bits are just the finishing touch. “You always have to look good”, which is a principle that I hold close. You know how the saying goes, a show car isn’t always a race car, but a race car is always a show car. It’s a shame that so many have taken advantage of this and built track-ready machines, only to drive them to and from Bunnings carparks for clout and e-fame.

Currently running RE-71Rs, Todd will begin testing different tires and their characteristics/times later this year.

With Artiape, Peter and I make a conscious effort to push the substance behind the style, Todd’s AP1 is Exhibit A. Sure, other cars might be louder and rock more performance product, but this S2000 gives off a purposeful energy that can’t be replicated by “track-inspired” builds. It’ll be right at home at VTEC Club or Tsukuba, because it’ll probably be competing…

This car is just too cool… Peter didn’t dig the bumper cut though!

It’s this unbridled enthusiasm that makes the car so special. No ulterior motives, the absence of alternative uses or items that don’t need to be on the car. If it does the job, it’s on the car because there are bigger fish to fry. Fuck resale value or how many heads this car turns, Todd wants to do it for himself and his love for time attack.

Purity is in the mind!

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