Accord Type R, any good?
Discussion
Hi there guys.
So at the minute I have a 2004 vectra Sri cdti 150. And its proving to be extremely unreliable for me, and being 19 its a bit too sensible for me (rushed into buying it after my last car failed).
So, I have thought of selling it hope fully getting ~2500 and adding a wee bit of wages and buying an Accord. Currently looking at a '99 on a T plate. What is there to look out for? What are they like on fuel, consumeables etc. And more importantly will I enjoy driving it and not regret buying it like I do my current motor?
Thanks
So at the minute I have a 2004 vectra Sri cdti 150. And its proving to be extremely unreliable for me, and being 19 its a bit too sensible for me (rushed into buying it after my last car failed).
So, I have thought of selling it hope fully getting ~2500 and adding a wee bit of wages and buying an Accord. Currently looking at a '99 on a T plate. What is there to look out for? What are they like on fuel, consumeables etc. And more importantly will I enjoy driving it and not regret buying it like I do my current motor?
Thanks
They are a great car and lots of fun. At 19 I would imagine the insurance to be crippling. Anyway I have owner one for about 6 months and have loved it, when it goes properly !. I bought one that had not done many miles over the last couple of years and has been a little bit of a rolling project. Personally I would say its a car that needs looking after as they are highly stressed engines and prone to rust in certain areas , they all have a few niggles too like water in the boot, rust on door tops etc. Buy a good one though , check oil weekly (at least at first) and get a good specialist to service it and it should be reliable like most Hondas.
Big things to look for :
Gearbox - Fifth gear / reverse can be a big problem on pre-facelift cars , however can be also weak on early facelift ones (as I have found out !). Bascially fifth or reverse become impossible to select. Look for crunches from 3rd to 5th . may not even go in in vtec. This can be costly , at a specialist you are looking at around 600/700 quid to fix. Dont even ask how much Honda will charge !!.
Rust - ALong top of doors under rubber seal , can get really bad. Under the car where a small bracket from the engine to chassis bolts on can crumble away.
Timing belt and tensioner - Seems alot of garages cannot get this right . I had mine changed out of worry. However it was only 300 quid from a good specialist , and now I can sleep at night !. Expect to pay 600+ at Honda . Ensure the tensioner is/has been changed . This is usually the bit that goes.
Oil- Most do you use oil . I beleive recommended is 5W 40. However 10W 40 might slow oil usage. Expect a few hundred mls to a litre over 1000miles (1L is when its getting bad though).
I have a typhoon and remus backboxes on mine, both mods were specifically designed for the type r and work well with it. Sounds really good when driving hard but pretty quiet under normal usage.
My advice buy the best you can. There a couple of really nice cars for sale at accordr.org, also check this website out as it has all info you will need. (need to subscribe though)
Heres mine
http://web4.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&...
Big things to look for :
Gearbox - Fifth gear / reverse can be a big problem on pre-facelift cars , however can be also weak on early facelift ones (as I have found out !). Bascially fifth or reverse become impossible to select. Look for crunches from 3rd to 5th . may not even go in in vtec. This can be costly , at a specialist you are looking at around 600/700 quid to fix. Dont even ask how much Honda will charge !!.
Rust - ALong top of doors under rubber seal , can get really bad. Under the car where a small bracket from the engine to chassis bolts on can crumble away.
Timing belt and tensioner - Seems alot of garages cannot get this right . I had mine changed out of worry. However it was only 300 quid from a good specialist , and now I can sleep at night !. Expect to pay 600+ at Honda . Ensure the tensioner is/has been changed . This is usually the bit that goes.
Oil- Most do you use oil . I beleive recommended is 5W 40. However 10W 40 might slow oil usage. Expect a few hundred mls to a litre over 1000miles (1L is when its getting bad though).
I have a typhoon and remus backboxes on mine, both mods were specifically designed for the type r and work well with it. Sounds really good when driving hard but pretty quiet under normal usage.
My advice buy the best you can. There a couple of really nice cars for sale at accordr.org, also check this website out as it has all info you will need. (need to subscribe though)
Heres mine
http://web4.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by Stoatman on Saturday 1st September 18:53
Edited by Stoatman on Saturday 1st September 19:03
ACRs are great cars, getting one that is not tired is the trick though. Ideally, one from an owners club would be good, as it will probably have a project thread so you can see all the stuff that has been replaced and repaired as time goes on.
As for the car itself, they aren't as nimble or as raucous as an EP3 Civic Type R, but in terms of pure pace there is nothing in it. I've had a few good drives with ACRs here and they are pretty even. The ACR has a different VTEC tone to the EP3's K20 engine, and when you hear both of them screaming the VTEC at the same time it's pretty special! The ACR is probably a more comfortable car day to day, it's engine is not quite as ballistic as the K20 but it needs to be revved to get it to go, which of course is a joy. As the miles are stacking up on most of these now check the suspension bushes are in good order - tired suspension will make it clonky and lumpy to drive.
Also, have a look at the engine mounts if you can while you are inspecting the car; the high revving VTEC engines can move about quite a lot under operation which can kill engine mounts; some Honda enthusiasts use long-lasting polythene engine mounts, bad for NVH, others use the Tegiwa engine torque damper gadget. Most just keep an eye on their rubber mounts and change them when needed!.
As for the car itself, they aren't as nimble or as raucous as an EP3 Civic Type R, but in terms of pure pace there is nothing in it. I've had a few good drives with ACRs here and they are pretty even. The ACR has a different VTEC tone to the EP3's K20 engine, and when you hear both of them screaming the VTEC at the same time it's pretty special! The ACR is probably a more comfortable car day to day, it's engine is not quite as ballistic as the K20 but it needs to be revved to get it to go, which of course is a joy. As the miles are stacking up on most of these now check the suspension bushes are in good order - tired suspension will make it clonky and lumpy to drive.
Also, have a look at the engine mounts if you can while you are inspecting the car; the high revving VTEC engines can move about quite a lot under operation which can kill engine mounts; some Honda enthusiasts use long-lasting polythene engine mounts, bad for NVH, others use the Tegiwa engine torque damper gadget. Most just keep an eye on their rubber mounts and change them when needed!.
A bit off topic but just found this
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
dtrump said:
A bit off topic but just found this
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
Not to mention that the people selling it (previously known as WRC Car Sales) are erm, suspect.http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
dtrump said:
A bit off topic but just found this
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
Finding a good ATR is hard. Most seem to have been thrashed or have partial service history.http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3664705.htm
Looks tempting
Its just I suspect its value should be 5-6k not nearly 10
I'm a big fan of ATR's and Euro R's. This one looks good but not sure if £10k good. However, these do seem to hold their values like the ITR DC5's.
How bad were/are WRC?
I had one from new as a company car in 1999 - X564 HNK IIRC.
It was excellent to be honest, loved it. Things I remember:
1)I went through two front BS RE010 tyres every 4500 miles due to being driven enthusiastically and the LSD.
2)It needed 98RON petrol to run properly. Also it did 26mpg on 95 and 30mpg on 98.
3)It handled better than any FWD car I've driven before or since.
If you can still get a good one and can afford the tyres, get one!
It was excellent to be honest, loved it. Things I remember:
1)I went through two front BS RE010 tyres every 4500 miles due to being driven enthusiastically and the LSD.
2)It needed 98RON petrol to run properly. Also it did 26mpg on 95 and 30mpg on 98.
3)It handled better than any FWD car I've driven before or since.
If you can still get a good one and can afford the tyres, get one!
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