FD2 buyers guide

[phoenixz]

I am looking at purchasing an FD2, but was wondering if there was a buyers guide anywhere that i might be able to glean some knowledge from.

i intend to visit the FD2 owners forum, but thought that i would use PH first, in case anyone had any suggestions or warnings

i also intend to join the TypeR forum and CTRO forum and hopefully become active in each upon purchase of said vehicle

[havoc]

There's not - I've had a detailed search around, UK and US.

Best thing I've found is the "problems" section of fd2owners, which gives and idea of the sort of issues others have had, but there's so few in the country there's no real pattern.

Good news is it's a Jap-built Honda, so as long as the owner's been religious about checking the oil and letting the engine warm up (you can't really tell either though, unfortunately), it's just the usual car-buying stuff, plus checking the underside for corrosion (possible if not undersealed properly).

Word of caution about the owners forum - your posts need to be approved by the moderator before they appear, and he doesn't like people kicking up a fuss when their posts don't appear for 24 hours, as you may spot...
(Otherwise it seems like a decent place)

[havoc]

Gaz - first point is correct.

Second point - nope, from memory even the JDM EP3's were built in Swindon, just to different specs (yep, we exported better cars back to Japan than we sold over here).

FD2 is a very different animal to the FN2 (3-door Civic hatch) though - massively track-focused (as standard the rear suspension may as well not exist - feels stiffer than a GT3RS), and with more Integra DNA than Civic DNA in the handling.

[Arch]

havoc said:

Word of caution about the owners forum - your posts need to be approved by the moderator before they appear, and he doesn't like people kicking up a fuss when their posts don't appear for 24 hours, as you may spot...
(Otherwise it seems like a decent place)

Good work Martin. Really good, very mature. I expect you're really pleased with yourself.

[havoc]

fk me Arch, you really won't let it go, will you? You're the one who resurrected a small internet argument two weeks later on a totally different forum, AND used his ForumAdmin rights to play a childish practical joke on me on "his" forum.

...and you suggest I'm being immature?!?

[havoc]

I've driven a couple - standard car is unbelievably stiff, but due to the dampers being massively over-specced for the springs (esp. at the rear), rather than the springs being too stiff. AST-equipped car rides a lot better (sort-of-DC5, but better controlled over bumpy roads - stiffer than S2000 though), but you lose a little turn-in and the AST dampers are supposed to be a bit of a 'mare to look after (unsealed!). Best compromise is supposed to be stock fronts and Koni Yellow dampers on the rear -yet to drive that spec to say for certain.

It runs on 40-profile 18s, so yeah, you need to keep an eye out for potholes but no more so than any other hot-hatch owner. I've been loving the DC2 over this winter - on softer-sidewalled winter-tyres and 15" rims I've only needed to avoid the real craters.


(Anyway - Arch owns one - he'll be able to tell you more than me, when he takes the chip off his shoulder! )

[Arch]

havoc said:

fk me Arch, you really won't let it go, will you? You're the one who resurrected a small internet argument two weeks later on a totally different forum, AND used his ForumAdmin rights to play a childish practical joke on me on "his" forum.

...and you suggest I'm being immature?!?

Whoa there , hold on a mo. I log on here, not really a regular visitor, and see you slagging me off as a forum Nazi and what was it, small town cop? In return, I post some examples of your rude nay arrogant posts for some balance. You're the one who won't drop it by having yet another dig at me in another unrelated thread. There was no need to warn anyone about the forum, no one else has complained about the way it works, no other new user has cried about the forum rules, just you. And then you came on here and cried about it too.

Just for the record, as you have no idea what is going on, it's not my forum. Never was, never will be. I'm just the one who picked up the pieces when the owner no longer ran it, handed over the host to another user who, through no fault of his own, didn't know how to administrate the board. I took it on, tidied the board up, stopped the spam, deleted the crap, paid the domain registration fee and, through the massive help of another really decent member, shifted the forum to his own server so the site runs for free, even though all the regular members offered to contribute towards the fees to keep the place alive.

So when someone like you comes along, expecting a god given right to access all areas, and posts in a rude, demanding and ignorant fashion, I'm not going to have much time for you at all.

[phoenixz]

anyhoo, thanks for the comments... i think

yes the FD2 seems to be a very different animal on paper. it seems to take over from the Integra much more than it ever would from the civic, but honda was diminishing its sports car models at the time (like alot of other manufacturers) and so discontinued the Integra line up, amongst others.

all the reviews and test drivers have said it is a racing car with plates, but i have heard that before and will reserve judgement till i can test drive one.

however, it seems to fit the bill for me quite nicely. it's a step up from my current every day car (Corolla T-Sport Compressor), more exciting than my winter car (Freelander) and not as extreme as my weekend car (TVR Sagaris).

i'm looking at the 2 blue ones for sale as i am attracted to the modifications that have already been done. most of these seem to be a must on the terrible UK roads. I would prefer a white, but am not enthused by the premium this colour seems to demand. i would be quite happy getting a blue and wrapping it.

are you saying that the AST Dampers are a mistake and i would be better avoiding cars with them installed?

are there any particular parts/maintenance that i should watch out for?

[ALawson]

Also speak to TGM Sport, Tom Gannon they have race prep'd cars, raced cars and serviced road going cars as well as tweaking them.

Tom is completely helpful.

[SCEL1SE]

You won't be disappointed with the FD2. I just wished I could have kept mine as a daily along with my lotus. Yeh the sus is hard and bouncy on our roads, but I loved it. Got many years to go yet, before it would start to annoy me and hurt my back.
Incidentally, my old blue one is for sale just now on here, 28k. Guys on put 5k on it since last year, plus he has added a few goodies by the looks of things. Defo a well looked after car by 2 enthusiasts.

[phoenixz]

i am extremely interested by that example. it appears to have all the mods that i would do myself and looks to be well looked after. (although i have not contacted the seller yet)

i would need to get rid of my compressor first, not for lack of funds, but having 4 cars would be getting a bit silly and i could not justify it.
i don't think part exchange was on offer, but i might phone the seller today to see what he says

thanks for the info on Tom i'll throw him an e-mail over the weekend