2005 EP3 Civic Type R - Daily Driver
Discussion
- * Reserved - Will finishly slowly as i'm currently in work.
2005 Vauxhall Corsa C 1.0 Active
2010 Toyota Aygo
2007 BMW E90 320i M-Sport
2010 BMW E92 320d M-Sport
2012 Vauxhall Corsa D 1.4 SRi
...and here we are at the Honda Civic EP3 Type R Premier Edition.
I have a thread over on the type r forums here: https://type-r-owners.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?... but since I spent most of my time here, I figured i'd make my first thread.
I originally picked it up in Scotland in October 2017 with plans to have it as a project car and I had my Corsa D as the daily... but with adult life creeping I needed to sell a car... so off went the corsa and the project car become the daily driver! It was a total shed when I got this car mind and i've spent a couple of grand getting it solid again, but I do love it and I do believe it's worth the time as it does put a smile on my face and it does everything I need so well.
It's been the Nurburgring...


It's been to Monte-Carlo...

It's been all round Europe without me digging out pics as i'm in work at the moment.... I'll post some more interesting pics later on.







Spec:
2.5" Cobra Oval Backbox
Tegiwa Airbox
Carbon dipped center console and door trim
Skunk 2 weighted Gearknob
Android Head Unit
eBay lowering springs
8000K HID's
New timing chain @ Grinspeed
Valve clearences done
brand new calipers all round
Refurbed wheels
Ferodo DS2500 pads, Brembos on rear
Drilled and grooved discs
Gearbox oil change
Rear arch lining removed
Goodyear Eagle F1's all round
New front and rear drop links
New mid pipe on the exhaust (OEM).
New Handbrake cables.
I service the car every 6 months (oil / filter change) Castrol Edge 5W40 and a HAMP oil filter.
...that's pretty much it because it's the daily, and adult life currently... Most of the money i've spent on it has been getting it right before adding performance.
My only gripe at the moment is I'd ideally like to take it off the road for the winter, address the underside and properly underseal and rust treat it, and pick up a cheap daily as a stop gap! It's tough doing big jobs on cars when they're your daily and only one to get to work etc..
I'll try to add some more stuff this evening to make the thread more interesting but while I had a moment in work I thought i'd get the ball rolling on here
Edited by EnzoUK on Monday 3rd June 16:00
Edited by EnzoUK on Monday 3rd June 16:06
nitrodave said:
Nice car.. but what's the benefit of removing the rear arch linings?
It's essentially a carpet, so when it rains they just hold water and over time it causes that area to rust. It was hondas cheap way instead of undersealing properly. So remove the carpets / sponges, treat any existing rust and then seal the area up with Dynax S-50 for example. 
Quick wash....
She's booked in for a trip to Grinspeed in the coming weeks for the following:
- MTEC C hooked discs and PBS pads.

- Two new front calipers and sliders
- HEL front braided brake lines
- Handbrake adjustment (As it more or less doesn't work lol, and won't pass upcoming MOT)
- There's a screeching sound coming from somewhere at 2500rpm, I assume it's the idle pulley tensioner.
- Replacement front engine mount, as it's cracked.
chrismc1977 said:
Never been a fan of the MTEC discs....not sure any proper R&D goes into them when you can order various combinations of dimples, grooves, cross drilling etc .
Bet Brembo blanks probably work better....
I'm running brembo drilled and grooved currently, and they've been OK. Everyone recommends Pagid blanks from euro car parts and they even use them in the civic cup. Just i'm running OEM calipers and wanted something that looks abit more aesthetic on the brake setup so went with the C hooks...never used MTEC anything ever in the past so I'll see how they go, worst case i'll bin them off after testing on track and get something proper on there. Appreciate the honest feedback though.Bet Brembo blanks probably work better....
MCFCNATHAN said:
Nice thread Matt. growing up i always wanted a premier edition in cosmic.
so when you going to let me have a go?
any plans for a kpro or k100. not sure on the differences
There an event on Bank Holiday Monday 26th August at Three Sister we're running, Modified North West track day there, i'll be on track then, welcome to have a go round the roads there if you're about and you're a half decent driver haha. so when you going to let me have a go?
any plans for a kpro or k100. not sure on the differences
No plans for the Kpro as of current as it's the daily driver, and it's alot of money, but somewhere down the line hopefully yes as I would like the extra mid range power. I've spent close to 5 grand in the past 2 years getting it all mechanically sound - this was always my goal before starting to add more power, once my house is sorted and I've got another car it's much easier to work on the Honda. I'd aim for around 240bhp though with supporting mods when it comes time to kpro, but it's around 2 grand in parts for a mere 40bhp.
You don't need to buy new. Pretty much every ep3 when put to sell is returned to stock, just ping the classifieds for what parts they have to sell and check fb clasdifieds.
For performance for the money you need at least this:
Headers, tewiga Toda replicas work well, 3 inch exhaust (get a ressonator and a vibrant muffler, 3 inch is too rice loud), tdi north sells a nice and 'quiet' 3 inch exhaust
Get a Cai injen if you find someone who can make you a 3 inch one get it. 3 and even 3.5 make more power.
Kpro. You literally need nothing else for 240.
For performance for the money you need at least this:
Headers, tewiga Toda replicas work well, 3 inch exhaust (get a ressonator and a vibrant muffler, 3 inch is too rice loud), tdi north sells a nice and 'quiet' 3 inch exhaust
Get a Cai injen if you find someone who can make you a 3 inch one get it. 3 and even 3.5 make more power.
Kpro. You literally need nothing else for 240.
5mileofdeath said:
As much as it pains to say it Facebook Marketplace is great for 2nd hand parts with minimal mileage on..
Intake manifold, intake, even exhaust+manifold (as long as it isn't rusted, it's good even a small leak are easy and cheap to repair). Only thing I would buy new would be cams and maybe kpro.5mileofdeath said:
As much as it pains to say it Facebook Marketplace is great for 2nd hand parts with minimal mileage on..
I got a japspeed manifold off ebay as he spelt it wrong in the title for £80 brand new then I got a full scorpion system off facebook for £100 was a epic bargain EnzoUK said:
I'm running brembo drilled and grooved currently, and they've been OK. Everyone recommends Pagid blanks from euro car parts and they even use them in the civic cup. Just i'm running OEM calipers and wanted something that looks abit more aesthetic on the brake setup so went with the C hooks...never used MTEC anything ever in the past so I'll see how they go, worst case i'll bin them off after testing on track and get something proper on there. Appreciate the honest feedback though.
Bonny motor that pal, very tidy too.Saw it at Steve’s the other week (Grinspeed). He & Don know their stuff

I’m a big fan of Mtec brake discs, used them for years now alongside EBC Yellowstuff and Ferodo DS2500 pads with zero issues. Been on various Hondas as well as x2 7 series land barges & all 3 of my E39 5 series cars & I drive my cars hard, when safe to do so & hard on the brakes too, again, zero issues. I’ve nothing but positive feedback for them as have LOTS of others... A lot the their negative feedback is generally bulls

I appreciate all the above lads about the mods and see it all the time, it's just the Kpro, a few hundred on other bits then the labour of getting it all fitted, and then a map put it, the numbers soon add up! I'm close to 5 grand now over 2 years getting this car right and just going through consumables.
I'd rather throw the money at getting the rust treated and the underside taken car of, the car is 14 years old now, she's no spring chicken so there's various parts that I'd like to keep refreshing as part of preventive maintenance which can add up, she's a daily driver before anything.
I'd rather throw the money at getting the rust treated and the underside taken car of, the car is 14 years old now, she's no spring chicken so there's various parts that I'd like to keep refreshing as part of preventive maintenance which can add up, she's a daily driver before anything.
Grinspeed::::
So i originally went for a new front engine mount, and for front braided brake lines, new calipers and sliders and front discs and pads to be fitted. All done and happy minus the corroded old brake line which was hell to remove, but the wizard that Stevie is finally got it off and sorted and got the new lines on, if it was any other garage they'd have just chopped it and charged me the earth! So i'm glad I go where I go...
Next before leaving was a quick look at the handbrake as it was virtually useless.... Upon further inspection, drivers side caliper was ceased, and the passenger side one was leaking brake fluid from the piston.... not great... so we now needed two new rear calipers also which were delivered to the workshop in two hours, upon fitting we found the previous garage (Namely: Tallisgrove Motors LTD) had rounded off the nuts on the caliper, and fitted the handbrake cable incorrectly, and even used the wrong screws where it connects to the handbrake.... great... I'd paid them near £500 when I got the car to address the handbrake issue in which they replaced handbrake cables and the caliper. I was never happy with the work and had took it back to say this but they'd just said the handbrake on these is terrible, which I have read it is also, but not how bad mine was.... last year after carrying out the work they told me the handbrake was a failure on my MOT, after they'd carried out the work so I ended up arguing with them because they'd told me it was fine despite me not being happy with it after the work.... anyway they finally passed it without changing anything and we now go our separate ways from that garage never to return....
So anyway, once the new calipers had been fitted on the rear, during the setting of the handbrake we find the drivers side handbrake cable was nackard... which was suppose to be a new part but it was clear only one side had been changed previously... anyway, stevie rang the powers that be and had a new handbrake cable delivered within an hour and then fitted then set correctly, now the handbrake works as a handbrake and isn't just a show piece, it works as intended and is solid! So all in all what turned out to be a simple job turned into abit of a nightmare but the car is better off for it.
So cheers again to the guys at Grinspeed Motorsport for the top service, I wouldn't take my car anywhere else and couldn't recommend them enough.
..............Here we go!
Parts ready for fitting:

Arrived!


New front calipers, caliper sliders, braided brake lines and MTEC C Hook discs and PBS pads fitted


new rear calipers on!

Up on the ramp


Knacked front engine mount that was replaced! Car feels alot smoother now after having this sorted.

All sorted

Next on the hit list is:
- Crank shaft oil seal
- Idle pulley tensioner bearing.
- Front wishbone susension arm ball joints
- Front suspension bushes
- Continued rust treatement
So i originally went for a new front engine mount, and for front braided brake lines, new calipers and sliders and front discs and pads to be fitted. All done and happy minus the corroded old brake line which was hell to remove, but the wizard that Stevie is finally got it off and sorted and got the new lines on, if it was any other garage they'd have just chopped it and charged me the earth! So i'm glad I go where I go...
Next before leaving was a quick look at the handbrake as it was virtually useless.... Upon further inspection, drivers side caliper was ceased, and the passenger side one was leaking brake fluid from the piston.... not great... so we now needed two new rear calipers also which were delivered to the workshop in two hours, upon fitting we found the previous garage (Namely: Tallisgrove Motors LTD) had rounded off the nuts on the caliper, and fitted the handbrake cable incorrectly, and even used the wrong screws where it connects to the handbrake.... great... I'd paid them near £500 when I got the car to address the handbrake issue in which they replaced handbrake cables and the caliper. I was never happy with the work and had took it back to say this but they'd just said the handbrake on these is terrible, which I have read it is also, but not how bad mine was.... last year after carrying out the work they told me the handbrake was a failure on my MOT, after they'd carried out the work so I ended up arguing with them because they'd told me it was fine despite me not being happy with it after the work.... anyway they finally passed it without changing anything and we now go our separate ways from that garage never to return....
So anyway, once the new calipers had been fitted on the rear, during the setting of the handbrake we find the drivers side handbrake cable was nackard... which was suppose to be a new part but it was clear only one side had been changed previously... anyway, stevie rang the powers that be and had a new handbrake cable delivered within an hour and then fitted then set correctly, now the handbrake works as a handbrake and isn't just a show piece, it works as intended and is solid! So all in all what turned out to be a simple job turned into abit of a nightmare but the car is better off for it.
So cheers again to the guys at Grinspeed Motorsport for the top service, I wouldn't take my car anywhere else and couldn't recommend them enough.
..............Here we go!
Parts ready for fitting:

Arrived!


New front calipers, caliper sliders, braided brake lines and MTEC C Hook discs and PBS pads fitted


new rear calipers on!

Up on the ramp


Knacked front engine mount that was replaced! Car feels alot smoother now after having this sorted.

All sorted

Next on the hit list is:
- Crank shaft oil seal
- Idle pulley tensioner bearing.
- Front wishbone susension arm ball joints
- Front suspension bushes
- Continued rust treatement
[U]Update:[/U]
I still have the car, but its been off the road since October now. This week it finally found itself stripped and on axle stands where the derust progress begins!
I'm stripping it using an angle grinder, drill with brush heads to get in the hard to get places and then treating with 2 undercoats of Blit Hamper Hydrate 80, and then sealing with Dynax Underbody and S-50.
The rear of the car took me 7 hours all in, and i've just started working my way down today, no half assed job this as if I do it once right, I won't need to do it again...
Anyway, no holes so far and its coming up well.











So that's that so far... it's getting there!
Little snap of the new daily also, it's 2010 Lexus IS220d F-Sport, fully loaded, 143k miles, full lex history, but im since doing it myself now. Remapped to 221bhp with EGR & DPF delete... crap on fuel but a nice drive!

I still have the car, but its been off the road since October now. This week it finally found itself stripped and on axle stands where the derust progress begins!
I'm stripping it using an angle grinder, drill with brush heads to get in the hard to get places and then treating with 2 undercoats of Blit Hamper Hydrate 80, and then sealing with Dynax Underbody and S-50.
The rear of the car took me 7 hours all in, and i've just started working my way down today, no half assed job this as if I do it once right, I won't need to do it again...
Anyway, no holes so far and its coming up well.
- pics to follow











So that's that so far... it's getting there!
Little snap of the new daily also, it's 2010 Lexus IS220d F-Sport, fully loaded, 143k miles, full lex history, but im since doing it myself now. Remapped to 221bhp with EGR & DPF delete... crap on fuel but a nice drive!

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