ep3 type R

David _b

David _b

David _b

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Joined
28 Mar 2004
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2,430
Location
N Ireland
Possibly fancy one these, dont do a pile of miles and want something as a daily, had a dc5 and was ok but just not exciting, dont expect ep3 to be either but its a potential daily driver so thats fine.

Just curious, what sort of mpg do they do ? wont be driven hard much to be fair as have the toy for weekend use, what are they like to maintain. Is 100k miles a big bother to them ? And what issues to look for in viewing them apart from the usual gearbox issues honda suffer, smoke on/off vtec, accident damage. Anything out of the ordinary ep3 struggle with and is a honda service history a good thing to have. Looking at in around 2004 cars, pre facelift. Just want a car thats a reasonably nicer place to be for a bit of nice driving while the main toy is in the garage. How are they standing the test of time, turned into rattle boxes ? I know these type of cars a lot will be down to the ownership
 
My 2004 facelift I had for 3 years was still as fresh as a daisy with very little rattles and squeaks and to be honest the interior isn't exactly German tank quality. Full tank your looking at normally 250 with casual driving if your not pushing it hard. Sometimes managed 300 at a push driving like a granny.

Maintenance was cheap enough with discs etc found online cheap. I would really advise going for a facelift though and one that's had the major 75k service with valve timing checked as that service in total at Honda was over £400 for the lot. While a full Honda dealer history would be good to have a specialist history would not put me off as Honda prices are sometimes a bit steep.

The image of them now has been tarnished a bit as they have came to under 3k a lot of undesirable types are buying them abusing them and then shifting them on so be careful if your buying one. Insurance was not bad on it either at 23-26 when I had it.
 
They're not as special as they're made out to be but all in all a reliable ownership prospect for a nice handling 200BHP car.

28mpg around town driving like a girl on 95 ron fuel for me, can't really better it. 35mpg on a run, poss a smidge more if I sit at 60mph.

Take miles well, bushes will start wearing but they're tough engines and boxes if not abused constantly anyway! Just good maintenance like any car is all they need. Regular changes for most fluids inc gearbox oil, make sure valve clearances have been done.

I get some rattles in mine, was perfect when I picked it up but rubbish stoke roads and my obsession with bass have sort of ruined that lol.

I wrote a bit of a checklist when I was after one so maybe it will help:

Engine & Drivetrain:
Waterpump and Belts
Check Oil (& Cap), Coolant, other fluids
Which oil is in there & levels?
Blue Smoke at the back, any smoke up front?
VTEC engages properly?
Noises; tappets and lifters etc.
Gearbox, notchy/crunchy?
2nd gear works ok? No jumping out of any gear?
Clutch feels ok – no juddering? No slipping? No release bearing noise?
Listen for whining from Gearbox
Engine and gearbox mounts, much rocking of engine?
Noises/rattles/vibrations/leaks
Easy to start?
Temp when idling, check fan kicks in

Suspension:
Steering rack recall work
Steering rack noisy, notchy, sticky, dry spots, creaky/clicky
Tramlining? Any pulling left or right
Tracking – check tyre wear and how wheels sit
Wishbones, bushes etc – does the car sit level?
Steering doesn’t feel loose indicating worn ball joints etc?

Brakes, Wheels & Tyres:
Check condition and wear of brakes and tyres
What are wheels like, corrosion etc
What brand of tyres, do they match?
Check rear tyre wear
No brake juddering?

Electrics:
Whirring when ignition on – front headlight adjustment noise?
Lights, heaters, anything worth trying etc, windows, interior lights, mirrors
Keyfobs to test locks, key in the door also

Interior:
Condition of wheel, plastics, seats, door cards
Carpet condition, check not wet, same for A/B/C pillars and boot
Window rattles
Check all electrics inside work – lights, windows, wipers, stalks, switches etc
Seats feel solid, not rocky etc, same for door cards if leant on hard

Exterior:
Rust in general and on the arches, hinges, (boot hinges/door hinges/bonnet hinges)
Dents/Scratches/Stone chips
Paint issues – laquer, fading, swirls etc, headlight fading/blotchy, skirts loose
Check under the cills and jacking points for damage, under bumpers/skirts also for scuffs/cracks

Docs, History, Other:
All keys & fobs?
All history – manuals, service books (check stamps), receipts, MOT cert(s), tax discs, V5 docs, Type R Leather Folder
Check HPI clear
Locking wheel nut key
History on major services, 50k service, 75k service
75k service details? Timing chain checks and tensioner checks, valve clearance, tappets, lifters full on service; belts, filters, fluids, hinges etc
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Generally the facelift have kept their value and fall onto the hands of people who can look after them.
100k is not an issue for the engine but the condition of what you can buy will very much depend on budget imho.
When I looked to buy, there was many many more dogs than good examples. You need to have it in your mind what you want from the car. The DC5 is next level from everything I have read so your opinion on that may go some way to point out that an ep3 may not be for you.

What sort of budget are you using to evaluate your options with? Is it a second car as you mention it being a daily?
I personally love mine but after a year worth of modding, it has only just started to become the car I wanted it to be. Be prepared to look at a lot of overpriced rubbish.
 
I normally manage at least 300 miles to a (45L) tank on my 60 mile daily commute, and that's far from gentle driving. Taking it steady and avoiding VTEC will see upper 30's.
 
The EP3 is the same car as a DC5 for all intents and purposes. Same chassis, same engine, same gearbox (slightly different gearing and no LSD), nigh on the same suspension. If you didn't get along with a DC5 then I'd recommend something like a Golf GTI or Leon Cupra R instead of an EP3.
 
DPFL?

It will be a every day car. I liked the dc5 but was way to boring to use as a weekend toy so sold it and have my R34 as toy now. So ep3 does not need to be exciting as such, its a daily drive just.

Have eye on a red 2004 car with full Honda history, 2 owners from new 100k on it. Going to look soon
 
DC5 boring for weekend use? Sure it wasn't broken? Also R34's aren't really ideal toys, they are GT cars and geared very long. Evo would be a better choice and there's far better weekend toy's around.
 
TaKeN said:
DPFL?
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Vita said:
Double Partners for life?
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David _b said:
DPFL?

It will be a every day car. I liked the dc5 but was way to boring to use as a weekend toy so sold it and have my R34 as toy now. So ep3 does not need to be exciting as such, its a daily drive just.

Have eye on a red 2004 car with full Honda history, 2 owners from new 100k on it. Going to look soon
Click to expand...

Dirty Pre Face Lift
 
Any vtec is yawn material for somethin your meant to look forward to taking out twice a month. The toy is great, it drives the right wheels for a start. Had a 400 horse EVO 8 and it was pretty dull too tbh, I like my rwd
 
Well that one was not for me. The advertised full history was completely non existent, last proof of service was about c08. Bodywork was bit rough, disks and pads didn't look fresh so generally not maintained. Also the 100k was actually 109k. Vtec didn't seem apparent either tbh
 
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