JDM EP3 Civic Type R

[Legacy7]

What do you guys think of the JDM Honda Civic Type R EP3. Worth the 20k?

I know it does something like 158kw. revs like a beast. exterior design is a fail. upside stock recaro buckets
seen the vid on youtube of top gear comparing the newer CTRs and they all say the ep3 is shitloads better
especially in power to weight ratio and handling (independent rear suspension).

some specs:

Engine: DOHC i-Vtec K20a 2.0l 4 cyl
Displacement: 1998cc
Power: 215ps 212bph @8000rpm (158kw) 0-60mph 6.6s
Torque: 202nm @7000rpm
FWD Lsd gear box short throw shift
Brakes: front-vent disc, rear-solic disc
weight: 1210kg

its a 2001 model preface lift. on sale for 21k carsales. LINK: http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/dealer/details.aspx?Cr=4&R=8769726&keywords=&trecs=148&__sid=12FD233896E9&__Ns=pCar_YearMade_Int32|0||pCar_RankSort_Int32|1| |pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|0&__Qpb=1&__Nne=15&__No=45&seot=1&__N=1216%201247%201252%201282%204294965250%2042949 65322%20900%201622&silo=1011
if you have time what are some possible mods (I/H/E brand specific)

[JohnO]

well how else could they have designed it? uk/jap did their best to rework the whole car if you compared it to the eu. I would say the design on the fn2 was fail when your looking at the rear half of the car.
Jeremy clarkson is old. old people dont like hugging bucket seats. when you take it around the track you need higher bolsters which the fn2r has and the ep doesnt. what if you had to drive 2 people the buckets from the fn would be far useful in reclining forward automatically, easy access thats how we like it.

power wise you'd get 130 at max for a stock run at the wheels, even with mods like a intake and catback it'll only get you a max of 7kw. possible mods? injen,gruppe m, fujita, diy 3a pod,mugen, fujitsubo, toda, js racing, spoon, juns and many more. heres my thoughts on the car, it looks good stands out from the crowd of dc5rs and fn2rs, i like the exterior its nice and innovative for its time. sure does rev like a beast ask supersteve or luke with the haltechs, worth the money if only they capped how many could be brought into australia its be worth more.

[RPS.13]

Legacy7, welcome and good to see you took my advice on ns.com

Personally I'd go test drive one and decide from there. Ask all your questions at the dealer and go on the hunt for one privately. That's what I did anyway. I was lucky enough to come across a like minded car enthusiast/car dealer. Who was very honest. He told me all the things to look out for on the EP.

[Legacy7]

I really like it atm. I will def go test drive. I live in Bris and the only ones I can find that are decent are dealers. I dont want to wait around cause i need a car asap too for work and uni. Tell me what is good I/H/E brand specific: e.g hks exhaust featured hi-power or gruppe m intake. not just the brands but the parts aswell and what should i look out for when trying to find the ep3r? I heard a lot of people found their ep3rs without rear speakers cause some idiots think it will reduce weight and increase track times. i mean hell it would but by what? 0.1 sec?

[JohnO]

well im running gruppe m, what i liked about it at first was the sound and looks but after awhile it seemed to have lost the grunty sound either that or my exhaust is too loud. mods ive got are just the m intake and fujitsubo rm01a exhaust. injen is definitely bang for buck but you'll need to cut a hole for it. Ive had a look at my rears and theres nothing there but plastic covering it up, seems honda never placed any rear speakers only front gathers one.

you could probably haggle down to 17-18 with the dealer.

[Philip Lee]

All JDM EP3 don't have HU and speakers from factory. If u have them they were either dealer fitted gathers or aftermarket.

If u are looking for features and luxury in your type r then maybe look at the FN2 instead.

Also I would not touch any dealers ep3 up here. I have yet to see a decent car.....

[Legacy7]

well how else could they have designed it? uk/jap did their best to rework the whole car if you compared it to the eu. I would say the design on the fn2 was fail when your looking at the rear half of the car.
Jeremy clarkson is old. old people dont like hugging bucket seats. when you take it around the track you need higher bolsters which the fn2r has and the ep doesnt. what if you had to drive 2 people the buckets from the fn would be far useful in reclining forward automatically, easy access thats how we like it.

power wise you'd get 130 at max for a stock run at the wheels, even with mods like a intake and catback it'll only get you a max of 7kw. possible mods? injen,gruppe m, fujita, diy 3a pod,mugen, fujitsubo, toda, js racing, spoon, juns and many more. heres my thoughts on the car, it looks good stands out from the crowd of dc5rs and fn2rs, i like the exterior its nice and innovative for its time. sure does rev like a beast ask supersteve or luke with the haltechs, worth the money if only they capped how many could be brought into australia its be worth more.

LOL your exactly right. The fn2 is a gigantic fail not just in exterior design, but everything about it, look at the wing that goes right across the rear window, man what was he thinking lol. thanks for your opinion, what do you recommend I/H/E brand specific e.g gruppe m intake, hks exhaust, toda headers? and suspension?

[Legacy7]

well im running gruppe m, what i liked about it at first was the sound and looks but after awhile it seemed to have lost the grunty sound either that or my exhaust is too loud. mods ive got are just the m intake and fujitsubo rm01a exhaust. injen is definitely bang for buck but you'll need to cut a hole for it. Ive had a look at my rears and theres nothing there but plastic covering it up, seems honda never placed any rear speakers only front gathers one.

you could probably haggle down to 17-18 with the dealer.

I youtubed the rm01a exhaust, I liked the HKS over it though. do you think its a good idea to go HKS though? (that is if i buy an ep3)

[Legacy7]

All JDM EP3 don't have HU and speakers from factory. If u have them they were either dealer fitted gathers or aftermarket.

If u are looking for features and luxury in your type r then maybe look at the FN2 instead.

Also I would not touch any dealers ep3 up here. I have yet to see a decent car.....

why do you say that? personal experience? I really just dont know about importing, I dont like the idea of not seeing it infront of me. Could be just paranoid.
I havent even gone to test drive so I will decide if dealers are dodgy after I do go.

[bennjamin]

Just a thought - a ep3 is basically a facelifted version of a ek4 honda civic. Quick , comfortable and climate control. But not earth shattering fast. Great throwable chassis.

[Philip Lee]

why do you say that? personal experience? I really just dont know about importing, I dont like the idea of not seeing it infront of me. Could be just paranoid.
I havent even gone to test drive so I will decide if dealers are dodgy after I do go.

i have seen a few dealers cars up here in the past 4 years. maybe my expectation is too high but i wouldn't pay $$ for any of those, no matter how cheap. but maybe you will get lucky and find a good one.

alternatively you can buy registered cars here. but be prepared to travel as choice is very limited in Brisbane.

[JohnO]

Nah I wouldn't touch the hks well thats just me, I was very picky when it came to choosing an exhaust. the js racing one and toda look alike but they were just too loud for my likings. then there was the fujitsubo and mugen twinloop both were quiet exhausts, bought the rm because jdmyard was doing a sale last year. if you like some noise on crossover and a quiet tone best to go with mugen or fujitsubo.

[Nepolian]

I really like it atm. I will def go test drive. I live in Bris and the only ones I can find that are decent are dealers. I dont want to wait around cause i need a car asap too for work and uni. Tell me what is good I/H/E brand specific: e.g hks exhaust featured hi-power or gruppe m intake. not just the brands but the parts aswell and what should i look out for when trying to find the ep3r? I heard a lot of people found their ep3rs without rear speakers cause some idiots think it will reduce weight and increase track times. i mean hell it would but by what? 0.1 sec?

Not trying to be harsh but as Phil said, stereo is a luxury which was not delivered by factory. Why would you think its an idiot that came up with that idea? all little things reduce weight and adds to the final weight of the vehicle.


Nah I wouldn't touch the hks well thats just me, I was very picky when it came to choosing an exhaust. the js racing one and toda look alike but they were just too loud for my likings. then there was the fujitsubo and mugen twinloop both were quiet exhausts, bought the rm because jdmyard was doing a sale last year. if you like some noise on crossover and a quiet tone best to go with mugen or fujitsubo.

I had lots of exhausts, 2.5 custom, RMO1A and TODA. All did the job in terms of improvement from stock. For a daily streeter with minimal or no mods I think the mid pipe is actually ok, change headers/cat and muffler and you'll free up most of the restrictions. RMO1A is not a quiet exhaust by any means, stick with OEM or Mugen if you want minimal sound. J's and Toda is my pick.

Intake, function = CAI, function and looks = GruppeM/J's and even Mugen.

Good luck in deciding :)

[JohnO]

its quiet compared to steve's exhaust ;)

[flubbar]

its quiet compared to steve's exhaust ;)

anything is quiet compared to steve's exhaust! =)

[Eskimo_firefighter]

in my opinion if you are thrifty with low disposable income (like most uni students are even if they work there arses off in part time jobs like me). id recommend you get injen + catback exhaust. and thats about it. I dont think upgrading headers is really necessary because of the jdm ep3 already having an efficient header with its 4-2-1 design. And get a kpro later if you want a very noticeable bump in power. because to be honest installing the i\h\e didn't really notice a huge bump in power but as with kpro\k100 you will definitely feel it. Even a exedy heavy duty clutch is money well spent compared to headers and gruppe m. But each to their own and im just trying to help.

and i have a rm01a on my ep3 and its an excellent exhaust. its quiet at low revs but pretty loud when you gun it. Injen intake is a lot louder compared to stock too when you gun it otherwise normal driving itll sound the same as stock.

[Nepolian]

Headers will reach it's limits once you go beyond kpro. So it is a necessity IMO if you are to go to kpro. Why skimp if you are gonna pour a good 2k into ecu and tune? If you have low disposable income and want to mod, I suggest you get a Hyundai Getz and sticker tune, still get a H badge :p

[RPS.13]

I have a Feel's cat back, 3" CAI flex pipe running from the grille into the OEM airbox, airbox has a 3A Racing pod inside + I have removed and blocked off the resonator chambers within the airbox. I've been told the Feel's exhaust is a bit louder than the rm01a. Its not overly loud though. I pretty happy with the power for now. I have KiddRacing headers lined up once I get bored of the power...

[Legacy7]

Not trying to be harsh but as Phil said, stereo is a luxury which was not delivered by factory. Why would you think its an idiot that came up with that idea? all little things reduce weight and adds to the final weight of the vehicle.

In another post the main EP3R post a lot of owners said some had speakers from factory but others didn't. They were debating whether it was manufacture installed or aftermarket and they concluded it was manufacture installed but ones without were taken out by previous owners to reduce weight.

I had lots of exhausts, 2.5 custom, RMO1A and TODA. All did the job in terms of improvement from stock. For a daily streeter with minimal or no mods I think the mid pipe is actually ok, change headers/cat and muffler and you'll free up most of the restrictions. RMO1A is not a quiet exhaust by any means, stick with OEM or Mugen if you want minimal sound. J's and Toda is my pick.

Intake, function = CAI, function and looks = GruppeM/J's and even Mugen.

Good luck in deciding :)

Looks like rm01a is a favourite, everyone seems to prefer it. I would like a little noise to be honest but not too much to attract cops.

[flubbar]

Looks like rm01a is a favourite, everyone seems to prefer it. I would like a little noise to be honest but not too much to attract cops.

any exhaust is fine as long as it falls within the limits of the law and whether or not you like it. Cop attraction mainly depends on whether you're a responsible driver or a hoon that vtecs around everywhere to try to look "cool".

i'm currently running the apexi sri, buddyclub exhaust manifold, custom 2.5' piping and magnaflow catback.
magnaflow is pretty loud and drones in cold start, but once its warm and you hit the right amount of revs, it's quiet and quite a nice sound. i Hated it at first, but now i love it.

[Legacy7]

any exhaust is fine as long as it falls within the limits of the law and whether or not you like it. Cop attraction mainly depends on whether you're a responsible driver or a hoon that vtecs around everywhere to try to look "cool".

i'm currently running the apexi sri, buddyclub exhaust manifold, custom 2.5' piping and magnaflow catback.
magnaflow is pretty loud and drones in cold start, but once its warm and you hit the right amount of revs, it's quiet and quite a nice sound. i Hated it at first, but now i love it.

LOL nah im not like that. I will look more into the HKS and the rm01a later on and do my research before i buy anything. Would it be cheaper to private import or buy locally/source through an authorized person

[stienerv2]

Stock twin pipe muffler FTW! Hey guys is there any aftermarket twin pipe muffler around?

[JohnO]

^varex?

[spookz]

The Fujitsubo Legalis-R has twin tips.