2002 JDM EP3 Civic Type R
Discussion
The EP3 civic type R is a car that’s always been on my bucket list. As a little bit of soppy backstory, my Dad owned a 2003 black EP3 type R from new for around 5 years. I was 12 when he got it and it was the car that really got me into cars. I remember him driving ‘enthusiastically’ down B roads with the v-tech screaming away to 8k rpm and both of us having a great time. He passed away in 2017 far too early, which makes this particularly model that bit more sentimental to me.
I’d been on the lookout for one for a while. My budget was pretty strong and I was looking at the top end of the market (about £5-7k). There are no lack of cars available in the UK, and that sort of budget typically looking at one of the final run-out Premier Editions with sub 100k miles. However of the first 3 cars I’d viewed and driven; 1 was a rust bucket; 1 had a horribly crunchy gearbox even once hot and was running low on oil; and the third had signs of being put in a hedge at some point (misaligned lights and bumpers).
So far not so good. With my interest having cooled a little bit I then stumbled upon a JDM import based down in Birmingham. It was fresh off the boat, being imported by the Garage. It had the equivalent of 85,000 miles and was rated as grade 4C by the Japanese auction house with the ‘4’ referring to the exterior condition (4 being good but with some minor imperfection) and the ‘C’ referring to the interior condition (C being ok but some imperfections). The car was totally standard.
I wasn’t able to drive the car being located in Edinburgh, however the dealer was great on the phone and provided lots of high definition photos of every aspect of the car including underneath. We agreed on a price of £8k with trailer delivery. Steep, even for the coveted JDM version but this one seemed the real deal.
I was quite nervous on arrival, however I needn’t have been. The cars exterior is absolutely fantastic. Quite what it would have to look like to be a grade 3 I don’t know. Underneath, as is typical of JDM imports, the car is super clean. The interior was also in great condition, most importantly the red Recaros and red mats. There were a few marks here or there on the dashboard but nothing major and nothing that came as a surprise based on the photos. Overall very happy.
For those who don’t know, the JDM EP3 type R has three main mechanical differences to the UK model: 1) a reworked variant of the k-series engine which produces an extra 20 or so horses at 220bhp. it also revs even higher to 8.3k rpm compared to 7.9k in the UK model. 2) a helical limited slip differential, this wasn’t available on UK cars. 3) a stiffened chassis with thicker anti-roll bars and a bit more of a tied down rear end.
So the drive? Well it’s fantastic. I’ve been lucky to own some nice cars before however the two most relevant for comparison are the Hyundai I30N - the modern day hot hatch equivalent - and the Honda S2000, which shares the same Honda screaming V-tech DNA. The drivetrain is the absolute highlight, it feels so eager to rev and the power delivery right up to the red line is fantastic. Interestingly, it revs so much more freely than the S2000 engine, which felt really long geared in comparison. The gearshift is also a joy to use. The other plus point is how light it feels compared to modern cars; at 1,200kg it wasn’t considered a flyweight of its time, but compared to most modern hot hatches which are pushing nearly 1,500kg you really feel the difference. Although it’s now 18 years old my god is it still fast in today’s terms The power delivery is obviously very different to the modern day Hot hatch but even with 55bhp down on the i30N I’d back the type R in a drag race it’s that quick.
The handling is great. I’ve only been on a few spirited drives so far but the term ‘handles like it’s on rails’ really applies here. The steering lacks feel but it is clear there is oodles or grip (it’s running a Michelin PS4s). I’m always a little sceptical about the benefit of LSDs on road cars, however the helical diff is very aggressive and if you give it a bootfull mid corner you can really feel it working. You do have to be careful when launching it as the diff can drag it around.
Negatives? Well other than the slightly numb steering the very firm suspension mean it’s not very peasant driving round town. Not a big issue for me as it’s not my daily driver and will be used very sparingly for special drives.
Overall very happy with the car and particularly very happy I went down the JDM route for the first time.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/tJCrgsz5.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/BM9v8c4s" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/BM9v8c4s.jpg)
I’d been on the lookout for one for a while. My budget was pretty strong and I was looking at the top end of the market (about £5-7k). There are no lack of cars available in the UK, and that sort of budget typically looking at one of the final run-out Premier Editions with sub 100k miles. However of the first 3 cars I’d viewed and driven; 1 was a rust bucket; 1 had a horribly crunchy gearbox even once hot and was running low on oil; and the third had signs of being put in a hedge at some point (misaligned lights and bumpers).
So far not so good. With my interest having cooled a little bit I then stumbled upon a JDM import based down in Birmingham. It was fresh off the boat, being imported by the Garage. It had the equivalent of 85,000 miles and was rated as grade 4C by the Japanese auction house with the ‘4’ referring to the exterior condition (4 being good but with some minor imperfection) and the ‘C’ referring to the interior condition (C being ok but some imperfections). The car was totally standard.
I wasn’t able to drive the car being located in Edinburgh, however the dealer was great on the phone and provided lots of high definition photos of every aspect of the car including underneath. We agreed on a price of £8k with trailer delivery. Steep, even for the coveted JDM version but this one seemed the real deal.
I was quite nervous on arrival, however I needn’t have been. The cars exterior is absolutely fantastic. Quite what it would have to look like to be a grade 3 I don’t know. Underneath, as is typical of JDM imports, the car is super clean. The interior was also in great condition, most importantly the red Recaros and red mats. There were a few marks here or there on the dashboard but nothing major and nothing that came as a surprise based on the photos. Overall very happy.
For those who don’t know, the JDM EP3 type R has three main mechanical differences to the UK model: 1) a reworked variant of the k-series engine which produces an extra 20 or so horses at 220bhp. it also revs even higher to 8.3k rpm compared to 7.9k in the UK model. 2) a helical limited slip differential, this wasn’t available on UK cars. 3) a stiffened chassis with thicker anti-roll bars and a bit more of a tied down rear end.
So the drive? Well it’s fantastic. I’ve been lucky to own some nice cars before however the two most relevant for comparison are the Hyundai I30N - the modern day hot hatch equivalent - and the Honda S2000, which shares the same Honda screaming V-tech DNA. The drivetrain is the absolute highlight, it feels so eager to rev and the power delivery right up to the red line is fantastic. Interestingly, it revs so much more freely than the S2000 engine, which felt really long geared in comparison. The gearshift is also a joy to use. The other plus point is how light it feels compared to modern cars; at 1,200kg it wasn’t considered a flyweight of its time, but compared to most modern hot hatches which are pushing nearly 1,500kg you really feel the difference. Although it’s now 18 years old my god is it still fast in today’s terms The power delivery is obviously very different to the modern day Hot hatch but even with 55bhp down on the i30N I’d back the type R in a drag race it’s that quick.
The handling is great. I’ve only been on a few spirited drives so far but the term ‘handles like it’s on rails’ really applies here. The steering lacks feel but it is clear there is oodles or grip (it’s running a Michelin PS4s). I’m always a little sceptical about the benefit of LSDs on road cars, however the helical diff is very aggressive and if you give it a bootfull mid corner you can really feel it working. You do have to be careful when launching it as the diff can drag it around.
Negatives? Well other than the slightly numb steering the very firm suspension mean it’s not very peasant driving round town. Not a big issue for me as it’s not my daily driver and will be used very sparingly for special drives.
Overall very happy with the car and particularly very happy I went down the JDM route for the first time.
Looks super clean,well worth laying out a little more for the right car.Did the same when I bought a JDM Accord Euro-R this year through Torque GT.Not the first JDM car I've had,I've owned a couple of imported Celica ST205 GT4's before this,(I've also still got a 1987 Celica running a JDM Redtop BEAMS unit and running gear), but this is the first Honda I've had,recommended to me by a mate with a DC5,as I really needed the 4 doors. Shares the same 220bhp K20A as yours,with a different inlet though.Really enjoying it,sure you'll have plenty of fun miles in the Civic and there's just so much aftermarket support for these cars.
Looking good. The LSD should make a huge difference, had a helical diff (Quaiffe ATB) in my 205 GTi - wonderful on the moor roads near me. I believe you need to run high octane to get the full 220bhp ?
Might be worth getting the underneath treated to keep corrosion away.
Might be worth getting the underneath treated to keep corrosion away.
Edited by NGRhodes on Sunday 27th December 12:55
Pillskii said:
The EP3 civic type R is a car that’s always been on my bucket list. As a little bit of soppy backstory, my Dad owned a 2003 black EP3 type R from new for around 5 years. I was 12 when he got it and it was the car that really got me into cars. I remember him driving ‘enthusiastically’ down B roads with the v-tech screaming away to 8k rpm and both of us having a great time. He passed away in 2017 far too early, which makes this particularly model that bit more sentimental to me.
I’d been on the lookout for one for a while. My budget was pretty strong and I was looking at the top end of the market (about £5-7k). There are no lack of cars available in the UK, and that sort of budget typically looking at one of the final run-out Premier Editions with sub 100k miles. However of the first 3 cars I’d viewed and driven; 1 was a rust bucket; 1 had a horribly crunchy gearbox even once hot and was running low on oil; and the third had signs of being put in a hedge at some point (misaligned lights and bumpers).
So far not so good. With my interest having cooled a little bit I then stumbled upon a JDM import based down in Birmingham. It was fresh off the boat, being imported by the Garage. It had the equivalent of 85,000 miles and was rated as grade 4C by the Japanese auction house with the ‘4’ referring to the exterior condition (4 being good but with some minor imperfection) and the ‘C’ referring to the interior condition (C being ok but some imperfections). The car was totally standard.
I wasn’t able to drive the car being located in Edinburgh, however the dealer was great on the phone and provided lots of high definition photos of every aspect of the car including underneath. We agreed on a price of £8k with trailer delivery. Steep, even for the coveted JDM version but this one seemed the real deal.
I was quite nervous on arrival, however I needn’t have been. The cars exterior is absolutely fantastic. Quite what it would have to look like to be a grade 3 I don’t know. Underneath, as is typical of JDM imports, the car is super clean. The interior was also in great condition, most importantly the red Recaros and red mats. There were a few marks here or there on the dashboard but nothing major and nothing that came as a surprise based on the photos. Overall very happy.
For those who don’t know, the JDM EP3 type R has three main mechanical differences to the UK model: 1) a reworked variant of the k-series engine which produces an extra 20 or so horses at 220bhp. it also revs even higher to 8.3k rpm compared to 7.9k in the UK model. 2) a helical limited slip differential, this wasn’t available on UK cars. 3) a stiffened chassis with thicker anti-roll bars and a bit more of a tied down rear end.
So the drive? Well it’s fantastic. I’ve been lucky to own some nice cars before however the two most relevant for comparison are the Hyundai I30N - the modern day hot hatch equivalent - and the Honda S2000, which shares the same Honda screaming V-tech DNA. The drivetrain is the absolute highlight, it feels so eager to rev and the power delivery right up to the red line is fantastic. Interestingly, it revs so much more freely than the S2000 engine, which felt really long geared in comparison. The gearshift is also a joy to use. The other plus point is how light it feels compared to modern cars; at 1,200kg it wasn’t considered a flyweight of its time, but compared to most modern hot hatches which are pushing nearly 1,500kg you really feel the difference. Although it’s now 18 years old my god is it still fast in today’s terms The power delivery is obviously very different to the modern day Hot hatch but even with 55bhp down on the i30N I’d back the type R in a drag race it’s that quick.
The handling is great. I’ve only been on a few spirited drives so far but the term ‘handles like it’s on rails’ really applies here. The steering lacks feel but it is clear there is oodles or grip (it’s running a Michelin PS4s). I’m always a little sceptical about the benefit of LSDs on road cars, however the helical diff is very aggressive and if you give it a bootfull mid corner you can really feel it working. You do have to be careful when launching it as the diff can drag it around.
Negatives? Well other than the slightly numb steering the very firm suspension mean it’s not very peasant driving round town. Not a big issue for me as it’s not my daily driver and will be used very sparingly for special drives.
Overall very happy with the car and particularly very happy I went down the JDM route for the first time.
Absolutely superb car and it looks fantastic in black I’d been on the lookout for one for a while. My budget was pretty strong and I was looking at the top end of the market (about £5-7k). There are no lack of cars available in the UK, and that sort of budget typically looking at one of the final run-out Premier Editions with sub 100k miles. However of the first 3 cars I’d viewed and driven; 1 was a rust bucket; 1 had a horribly crunchy gearbox even once hot and was running low on oil; and the third had signs of being put in a hedge at some point (misaligned lights and bumpers).
So far not so good. With my interest having cooled a little bit I then stumbled upon a JDM import based down in Birmingham. It was fresh off the boat, being imported by the Garage. It had the equivalent of 85,000 miles and was rated as grade 4C by the Japanese auction house with the ‘4’ referring to the exterior condition (4 being good but with some minor imperfection) and the ‘C’ referring to the interior condition (C being ok but some imperfections). The car was totally standard.
I wasn’t able to drive the car being located in Edinburgh, however the dealer was great on the phone and provided lots of high definition photos of every aspect of the car including underneath. We agreed on a price of £8k with trailer delivery. Steep, even for the coveted JDM version but this one seemed the real deal.
I was quite nervous on arrival, however I needn’t have been. The cars exterior is absolutely fantastic. Quite what it would have to look like to be a grade 3 I don’t know. Underneath, as is typical of JDM imports, the car is super clean. The interior was also in great condition, most importantly the red Recaros and red mats. There were a few marks here or there on the dashboard but nothing major and nothing that came as a surprise based on the photos. Overall very happy.
For those who don’t know, the JDM EP3 type R has three main mechanical differences to the UK model: 1) a reworked variant of the k-series engine which produces an extra 20 or so horses at 220bhp. it also revs even higher to 8.3k rpm compared to 7.9k in the UK model. 2) a helical limited slip differential, this wasn’t available on UK cars. 3) a stiffened chassis with thicker anti-roll bars and a bit more of a tied down rear end.
So the drive? Well it’s fantastic. I’ve been lucky to own some nice cars before however the two most relevant for comparison are the Hyundai I30N - the modern day hot hatch equivalent - and the Honda S2000, which shares the same Honda screaming V-tech DNA. The drivetrain is the absolute highlight, it feels so eager to rev and the power delivery right up to the red line is fantastic. Interestingly, it revs so much more freely than the S2000 engine, which felt really long geared in comparison. The gearshift is also a joy to use. The other plus point is how light it feels compared to modern cars; at 1,200kg it wasn’t considered a flyweight of its time, but compared to most modern hot hatches which are pushing nearly 1,500kg you really feel the difference. Although it’s now 18 years old my god is it still fast in today’s terms The power delivery is obviously very different to the modern day Hot hatch but even with 55bhp down on the i30N I’d back the type R in a drag race it’s that quick.
The handling is great. I’ve only been on a few spirited drives so far but the term ‘handles like it’s on rails’ really applies here. The steering lacks feel but it is clear there is oodles or grip (it’s running a Michelin PS4s). I’m always a little sceptical about the benefit of LSDs on road cars, however the helical diff is very aggressive and if you give it a bootfull mid corner you can really feel it working. You do have to be careful when launching it as the diff can drag it around.
Negatives? Well other than the slightly numb steering the very firm suspension mean it’s not very peasant driving round town. Not a big issue for me as it’s not my daily driver and will be used very sparingly for special drives.
Overall very happy with the car and particularly very happy I went down the JDM route for the first time.
Not sure where in the UK you are; but I'd highly recommend Stevie & Don at Grinspeed in Leyland for any work you need/want doing
Well worth the road trip if they're not local
BEAMS 162 said:
Grinspeed seem to have a very good reputation,the Accord R has Hardrace control arms front and rear,and Tein Flex Z coilovers,amongst other tasty mods,it was set up under the previous owners tenure at Grinspeed, and it handles and drives a peach,I have to say.
I knew I recognised your Accord! Yes, no doubt Stevie will have done one of his magic fast road set ups on it.
He really knows how to get a car to handle well
d_a_n1979 said:
I knew I recognised your Accord!
Yes, no doubt Stevie will have done one of his magic fast road set ups on it.
He really knows how to get a car to handle well
Guy called Sam had it before me,it came into the country in 2018 and he has spent a fair wadge of cash on it,which was fine by me Yes, no doubt Stevie will have done one of his magic fast road set ups on it.
He really knows how to get a car to handle well
(not to be confused with the other Sam,who has a thread on here with his Euro R though)
Don't know whether the OP will look to modify or keep his Civic as it is,but there are some nice additions you can do to the R's in all their guises,that's for sure.
Thanks all, I’m absolutely chuffed with it.
I bought it from Imperial Car Sales in Birmingham (hope I’m allowed to say their name, I’ve absolutely no affiliation etc). They also had an imported DC5 Integra Type R for sale which looked lovely too.
I’m up in Edinburgh so a good underseal is high on the to-do list as the roads up here are covered in salt pretty much constantly between December and March. I’m lucky enough to have a nice warm garage to store it in and a 2005 5 door civic shed out front which to run around daily duties in. Not sure that car would make for as interesting a thread
No plans to modify...for now!
I bought it from Imperial Car Sales in Birmingham (hope I’m allowed to say their name, I’ve absolutely no affiliation etc). They also had an imported DC5 Integra Type R for sale which looked lovely too.
I’m up in Edinburgh so a good underseal is high on the to-do list as the roads up here are covered in salt pretty much constantly between December and March. I’m lucky enough to have a nice warm garage to store it in and a 2005 5 door civic shed out front which to run around daily duties in. Not sure that car would make for as interesting a thread
No plans to modify...for now!
Pillskii said:
Thanks all, I’m absolutely chuffed with it.
I bought it from Imperial Car Sales in Birmingham (hope I’m allowed to say their name, I’ve absolutely no affiliation etc). They also had an imported DC5 Integra Type R for sale which looked lovely too.
I’m up in Edinburgh so a good underseal is high on the to-do list as the roads up here are covered in salt pretty much constantly between December and March. I’m lucky enough to have a nice warm garage to store it in and a 2005 5 door civic shed out front which to run around daily duties in. Not sure that car would make for as interesting a thread
No plans to modify...for now!
Think I would leave it firmly parked up in the garage for most of the winter and just abuse the shed!I bought it from Imperial Car Sales in Birmingham (hope I’m allowed to say their name, I’ve absolutely no affiliation etc). They also had an imported DC5 Integra Type R for sale which looked lovely too.
I’m up in Edinburgh so a good underseal is high on the to-do list as the roads up here are covered in salt pretty much constantly between December and March. I’m lucky enough to have a nice warm garage to store it in and a 2005 5 door civic shed out front which to run around daily duties in. Not sure that car would make for as interesting a thread
No plans to modify...for now!
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