My 2004 EP3 Civic Type R
Discussion
Is the EP3 the best pound for performance car that money can buy? its probably up there, I've had mine for 2 years now and after being a lurker on PH for a similar stretch of time, i thought i'd finally share a few pics of the car.
I bought the car in June 2017 with 97k on the clock and since then i've put 24k on it. VTEC is addicting that's for sure!
It seems to be taking the miles well, i've had the usual common issues with these such as sticky rear calipers, but aside from that, nothing major to report! It had the timing chain done at 106k as a precautionary measure and aside from that its had a whole host of handling mods including Polybushes up front and the biggest game changer, a fast road geometry setup. Even with OEM springs/shocks it really sticks on the B-Roads and feels very composed when pressing on.
I was contemplating recently what car i might eventually upgrade to and couldn't think of anything within a similar budget that would offer the same reliability or fun-factor, any previous EP3 owners, did you move on? and if so what to?
Anyway on with a few pics;
Really love the way Cosmic Grey shines up after a clean
One of the first mods on my list was the Tegiwa Airbox, the noise from it is incredible, well worth the pennies!
I previously had a DC Sports Catback but it was way too loud for a daily so its since been switched out for the more subtle Tegiwa catback
Few other pics below, thanks for looking!
I bought the car in June 2017 with 97k on the clock and since then i've put 24k on it. VTEC is addicting that's for sure!
It seems to be taking the miles well, i've had the usual common issues with these such as sticky rear calipers, but aside from that, nothing major to report! It had the timing chain done at 106k as a precautionary measure and aside from that its had a whole host of handling mods including Polybushes up front and the biggest game changer, a fast road geometry setup. Even with OEM springs/shocks it really sticks on the B-Roads and feels very composed when pressing on.
I was contemplating recently what car i might eventually upgrade to and couldn't think of anything within a similar budget that would offer the same reliability or fun-factor, any previous EP3 owners, did you move on? and if so what to?
Anyway on with a few pics;
Really love the way Cosmic Grey shines up after a clean
One of the first mods on my list was the Tegiwa Airbox, the noise from it is incredible, well worth the pennies!
I previously had a DC Sports Catback but it was way too loud for a daily so its since been switched out for the more subtle Tegiwa catback
Few other pics below, thanks for looking!
Certainly looks rather clean!!!
I also have an Ep3 Civic in my little fleet & agree that for £2k they are exceptional value for money, very entertaining whilst modern enough to be very reliable. A lot of the cheap ones are being broken up/made into track cars so having a relatively standard well maintained example is safe £££££
Mine is a pre face lift with a few upgrades like 2.5" exhaust cat back, Hondada intake, eibach suspension, brembo discs/pads, camber/castor correction bushes, face lift steering rack, rear JDM arb (the Japanese market rear anti roll bar is a grear upgrade for £150 including new bushes an drop links is great!) I usually run 17x7.5 Enkei Evo 5 RS wheels with 225/45 tyres which make the car feel super planted - running decent tyres on a civic is a must if you want to enjoy it
In terms of changing I've had mine a couple of years an to get it to the standard I want I'l be in for another £2-3k - LSD/rebuilt gearbox, coilovers, bucket seats & some paint which i won't see much of the back when it comes to sale time.
I toyed with the idea of importing a JDM Civic Type R as you get better gearing+lsd +recaros as standard when they were around £3-4k (hindsight sigh) but they've shot up in price to £6-9k kind of range which introduces many interesting RWD/AWD Jap fun like R33 Skylines, 350z,S2000, Toyota Altezza, Mk2/mk-X, Evos, STIs or European cars like BMW 335i/Z4s, Boxsters, CLK/SLK55
That or keep the EP3 as a daily, put K100/KPro on and then wait for FK2 CIvic Type Rs to drop some more or find a Euro R, DC5 Integra or possibly even a FN2 Championship white edition if the Honda bug has really gotten to ya;-)
I also have an Ep3 Civic in my little fleet & agree that for £2k they are exceptional value for money, very entertaining whilst modern enough to be very reliable. A lot of the cheap ones are being broken up/made into track cars so having a relatively standard well maintained example is safe £££££
Mine is a pre face lift with a few upgrades like 2.5" exhaust cat back, Hondada intake, eibach suspension, brembo discs/pads, camber/castor correction bushes, face lift steering rack, rear JDM arb (the Japanese market rear anti roll bar is a grear upgrade for £150 including new bushes an drop links is great!) I usually run 17x7.5 Enkei Evo 5 RS wheels with 225/45 tyres which make the car feel super planted - running decent tyres on a civic is a must if you want to enjoy it
In terms of changing I've had mine a couple of years an to get it to the standard I want I'l be in for another £2-3k - LSD/rebuilt gearbox, coilovers, bucket seats & some paint which i won't see much of the back when it comes to sale time.
I toyed with the idea of importing a JDM Civic Type R as you get better gearing+lsd +recaros as standard when they were around £3-4k (hindsight sigh) but they've shot up in price to £6-9k kind of range which introduces many interesting RWD/AWD Jap fun like R33 Skylines, 350z,S2000, Toyota Altezza, Mk2/mk-X, Evos, STIs or European cars like BMW 335i/Z4s, Boxsters, CLK/SLK55
That or keep the EP3 as a daily, put K100/KPro on and then wait for FK2 CIvic Type Rs to drop some more or find a Euro R, DC5 Integra or possibly even a FN2 Championship white edition if the Honda bug has really gotten to ya;-)
aka_kerrly said:
Certainly looks rather clean!!!
I also have an Ep3 Civic in my little fleet & agree that for £2k they are exceptional value for money, very entertaining whilst modern enough to be very reliable. A lot of the cheap ones are being broken up/made into track cars so having a relatively standard well maintained example is safe £££££
Mine is a pre face lift with a few upgrades like 2.5" exhaust cat back, Hondada intake, eibach suspension, brembo discs/pads, camber/castor correction bushes, face lift steering rack, rear JDM arb (the Japanese market rear anti roll bar is a grear upgrade for £150 including new bushes an drop links is great!) I usually run 17x7.5 Enkei Evo 5 RS wheels with 225/45 tyres which make the car feel super planted - running decent tyres on a civic is a must if you want to enjoy it
In terms of changing I've had mine a couple of years an to get it to the standard I want I'l be in for another £2-3k - LSD/rebuilt gearbox, coilovers, bucket seats & some paint which i won't see much of the back when it comes to sale time.
I toyed with the idea of importing a JDM Civic Type R as you get better gearing+lsd +recaros as standard when they were around £3-4k (hindsight sigh) but they've shot up in price to £6-9k kind of range which introduces many interesting RWD/AWD Jap fun like R33 Skylines, 350z,S2000, Toyota Altezza, Mk2/mk-X, Evos, STIs or European cars like BMW 335i/Z4s, Boxsters, CLK/SLK55
That or keep the EP3 as a daily, put K100/KPro on and then wait for FK2 CIvic Type Rs to drop some more or find a Euro R, DC5 Integra or possibly even a FN2 Championship white edition if the Honda bug has really gotten to ya;-)
Yep, mine too is rocking the JDM Rear ARB, a great little mod, giving it a little refresh with new droplinks/ball joints/polybushes etc made such a difference, the car was beginning to show its age with knocks and creaks over bumps and general sloppy handling, but now it feels so solid you really couldn't tell it had covered 120k! I also have an Ep3 Civic in my little fleet & agree that for £2k they are exceptional value for money, very entertaining whilst modern enough to be very reliable. A lot of the cheap ones are being broken up/made into track cars so having a relatively standard well maintained example is safe £££££
Mine is a pre face lift with a few upgrades like 2.5" exhaust cat back, Hondada intake, eibach suspension, brembo discs/pads, camber/castor correction bushes, face lift steering rack, rear JDM arb (the Japanese market rear anti roll bar is a grear upgrade for £150 including new bushes an drop links is great!) I usually run 17x7.5 Enkei Evo 5 RS wheels with 225/45 tyres which make the car feel super planted - running decent tyres on a civic is a must if you want to enjoy it
In terms of changing I've had mine a couple of years an to get it to the standard I want I'l be in for another £2-3k - LSD/rebuilt gearbox, coilovers, bucket seats & some paint which i won't see much of the back when it comes to sale time.
I toyed with the idea of importing a JDM Civic Type R as you get better gearing+lsd +recaros as standard when they were around £3-4k (hindsight sigh) but they've shot up in price to £6-9k kind of range which introduces many interesting RWD/AWD Jap fun like R33 Skylines, 350z,S2000, Toyota Altezza, Mk2/mk-X, Evos, STIs or European cars like BMW 335i/Z4s, Boxsters, CLK/SLK55
That or keep the EP3 as a daily, put K100/KPro on and then wait for FK2 CIvic Type Rs to drop some more or find a Euro R, DC5 Integra or possibly even a FN2 Championship white edition if the Honda bug has really gotten to ya;-)
Tyres wise, im running Pilot Sport 4s currently, in 215/45, and they are leaps and bounds better than the 205/40 Bridgestones that were on before them.
I think my next mods will end up being a high flow exhaust manifold and a K100+remap, but as im sure you know they are big bucks, been told by multiple people that its well worth it though
Edited by JB95 on Sunday 9th June 22:40
Fury RS said:
Nice looking car you have there Op, would never know it has covered 121k miles, could pass for half of that. Very clean.
The camera does do it a favour i won't lie! but in general it is pretty clean, main thing being there is minimal rust underneath which for an old Honda can only be a good thing 
Lovely car OP, I had one a few years ago and that was one of the best cars I have owned, I was looking for a sensible and reliable sub £1500 car, (jap hatchback) found a Type R for 1600, it was the cheapest one for sale by a big margin, 140k miles, mis matched tyres all round and a part service history, I took it for a spin and bought it immediately not caring about the potential consequences, basically contradicting my purpose of something sensible and headache free 
I had come from a BMW E46 330i Auto before which was a very lazy car compared to the Civic so you could say I put 10k hardcore miles on it, during my ownership, not a single thing went wrong with it, zero, zilch. I eventually sold it for 1300 with no MOT, cracked windscreen and a knocking noise in the left side of the car. The guy said it was going to be his track toy, I checked the records and it’s still MOT’d and taxed at 160k miles, this was nearly 3 years ago. I moved onto a BMW 4 series after and now I’m in...the new FK8 Type R, this will definitely be a keeper, not many similarities apart from the gearbox which was the best part!
I had come from a BMW E46 330i Auto before which was a very lazy car compared to the Civic so you could say I put 10k hardcore miles on it, during my ownership, not a single thing went wrong with it, zero, zilch. I eventually sold it for 1300 with no MOT, cracked windscreen and a knocking noise in the left side of the car. The guy said it was going to be his track toy, I checked the records and it’s still MOT’d and taxed at 160k miles, this was nearly 3 years ago. I moved onto a BMW 4 series after and now I’m in...the new FK8 Type R, this will definitely be a keeper, not many similarities apart from the gearbox which was the best part!
Lovely car, I was torn between the black and cosmic back in 04 when I got one. Best car I had, now back with an Fk8...
I was at japshow yesterday at Santapod and the EP3 world is going strong...! Some absolute monsters up the strip with turbos and what not, but the general road cars seem to have around 240-270 bhp with ecu, intake and manifold. To use a cliché, ep3s don't die, they just get quicker...
I was at japshow yesterday at Santapod and the EP3 world is going strong...! Some absolute monsters up the strip with turbos and what not, but the general road cars seem to have around 240-270 bhp with ecu, intake and manifold. To use a cliché, ep3s don't die, they just get quicker...
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