Civic type R 01-05 questions

[ganesh]

Hello chaps,

My fiancé would absolutely love one of these and I have a few questions.

Is 2.5-3k enough to buy a non ruined and mechanically sound example?
Do the engines take high mileage well?
Are there any optional extras that are particularly good I should look for?
What are the main weak points I should check?
And probably most importantly, how do the running costs compare to a non type R of the same era? I'm mainly referring to cost of parts and tyres etc.

I'm pretty handy with a spanner so am confident in tackling most jobs. Her previous car was a 2001 1.6 civic, hence the above question regarding running costs, she only does about 5k miles a year so fuel consumption and tyre wear aren't a concern.

Thanks all.

 

[ganesh]

Thanks for the replies all, what's a good owners club to be able to research these a bit more?

 

[ganesh]

Quite tiring over a long drive due to the quick steering/firm ride compared to what I'm used to previously (Mondeo)

Feel free to fire any other Qs my way...

Can you be more specific on this aspect please? Is it very firm and quite jarring when you go over bumps? How much worse was it compared to your mondeo?

I only ask as she liked the soft ride of the standard civic and the way it would absorb bumps. And whenever we go out in my car (MR2 mk2) it's quite jarring driving over big potholes etc. And she doesn't really like it.
I have explained that's just because it's a performance car and they're designed to have stiff suspension!

 

[ganesh]

The ride is definitely very firm (for a "normal" road car), if that's something that usually bothers her there's pretty much no chance it'll be acceptable

Is the standard suspension the best in terms of comfort? Or are there are aftermarket springs that are better?

The only experience of firm suspension she has is my car (93 MR2 mk2) which can be quite jarring and crashy over potholes, I'm hoping technology has moved on since then so it's more compliant than mine.

We'll take one out for a test drive and see how she gets on.

 

[ganesh]

Sadly it is not to be, she has decided that practically is key and wants another 05 1.6 civic. Oh well, perhaps next time.
Thanks for the help chaps.