Civic FN2 Type R Buying Help
Discussion
Mines a 07 plate and just coming up to 100k now, had it for nearly 3 years. I'd say the engine is absolutely solid, gear box getting a bit crunchy but people aren't kind to them! Apparently some have an issue with 3rd gear and mine can have a bit of resistance getting into 3rd, you can see why though. That gear gets a lot of abuse! Goes through a bit of oil but nothing major. The ride is well known to be harsh, but it doesn't bother me as such. The firmness on typically crap roads does result in a lot of rattles and loose trim panels and I think I've got a knackered shock somewhere. Tyres make a big difference to handling and feel. As long as tyres and suspension are sorted it's ok. Previous Dunlops were better than current Goodyears. I've had a brake calliper seize so that does happen, and was about £150 to replace. Had some water leaking into the boot but I think it was running in due to dirt built up on the rear light access panels inside the boot rim. Have a look inside the spare wheel area and you'll know if it's leaky! I have a fair bit of rust underneath at the rear, worth having a look there too! Original exhaust rusted away but an aftermarket one is a good addition. Again, it's worth a look when buying. Overall it's been reliable and no major problems, nothing catastrophic. Quite heavy on brake pads and front tyres but again, not that expensive. They get slated a bit, but I love the fn2. It's a great fun car, not crazy powerful or quick but a real blast keeping the revs high to make good progress. I don't know what these are selling for but you'll get a lot of fun for a few grand!
Had mine 5 years now, to add to the above points the timing chains may need doing once they reach 100k+ so listen for excessive rattle. The gearbox notch might be a simple gearbox oil change, from memory they need changing every 8 years or 75k. That is a huge service which we did ourselves but people pay up to £800 so check its been done. The clutch will be towards the end of its life if it hasn't already been done, just had mine done at 82k but quite a few go sooner. My gearbox cables were also stretched which meant 2nd,4th and 6th were very hard to select. £360 for a genuine Honda part or a performance part was even more! My VTEC solenoid valve failed which was around £180 from memory which we fitted but that is extremely rare, they generally just get clogged but most owners wont experience this issues unless your unlucky like me or the car is high mileage with poor servicing.
Generally very reliable and has never left me stranded anywhere but parts can be expensive as there doesn't seem to be many 3rd party offerings like you would get with a more popular European company and specialist garages are very thin on the ground.
I suspect one of my shocks has also gone so be prepared for a general overhaul budget unless suspension, clutch, brakes etc has already been done. The engine itself feels barely run in..
Generally very reliable and has never left me stranded anywhere but parts can be expensive as there doesn't seem to be many 3rd party offerings like you would get with a more popular European company and specialist garages are very thin on the ground.
I suspect one of my shocks has also gone so be prepared for a general overhaul budget unless suspension, clutch, brakes etc has already been done. The engine itself feels barely run in..
Mine is an 09 with 97k on it, only had it a few months but so far the only actual problem was a leaky boot, which I seem to have solved with a sealant around the roof-rack slot things and around the rubber cable grommets, and a decent used tailgate rubber from Ebay. So far its remained dry even after rainstorms and being covered in snow.
Obviously the key to these being reliable is having oil changed regularly and keeping it topped up, as they do drink a bit. A good solid service history is a must IMO. As others have mentioned, chain and tensioner is going to need sorting at some point. Sycho issues normally happen in 3rd forth, it'll feel a bit notch and difficult to get into 3rd on downshift. Fairly cheap to sort out, but better if you can find without.
100k miles is not really that high given the age, it's about average and provided they're well maintained, should not really affect it too much. Parts are fairly cheap, lots of aftermarket bits, lots of used bits on ebay/FB, and lots of very good Honda specialists around, I can recommend Grinspeeed/TDI North in the North.
I got quite a lot fo work done to mine as bought for track work and runs very well now, just under 100k miles. New timing chain, tensioner, lightweight flywheel and exedy clutch. Also got M-Factory Diff while engine was out. A few breathing mods and a remap.
If you can find a good one, it's very worth while sorting out the chassis, eibach springs and the fast road geometry as a bare minimum to really get the most out of the chassis, it's totally transformative.
The bushes were fairly worn on mine, quite a few with splits and rubber starting to perish, so I replaced with poly bushes, fairly cheap to buy but quite a bit of labour to get them in. Mine also had totally worn shocks, so I ended up replacing with coils and getting the geometry done. But I think you can get Sachs fairly cheaply and IIRC, and Eibach springs not too expensive, they're the generic version of Honda OEM anyway. If you're paying for labour to take springs off, might as well replace the shocks with mileage you're looking at.
https://grinspeed.co.uk/shop/fast-road-setup-frsu/
Standard brakes are a bit weak, can recommend Pagid Flat discs (also cheap at Tegiwa) and Ferodo pads for road and PBS if you're using on track (quite noisy for road, also generate a lot of dust).
With good tyres on and FRS geometry, they're a totally weapon. Much underrated car.
Video of mine give you an idea of a good chassis set up: https://vimeo.com/533625291
100k miles is not really that high given the age, it's about average and provided they're well maintained, should not really affect it too much. Parts are fairly cheap, lots of aftermarket bits, lots of used bits on ebay/FB, and lots of very good Honda specialists around, I can recommend Grinspeeed/TDI North in the North.
I got quite a lot fo work done to mine as bought for track work and runs very well now, just under 100k miles. New timing chain, tensioner, lightweight flywheel and exedy clutch. Also got M-Factory Diff while engine was out. A few breathing mods and a remap.
If you can find a good one, it's very worth while sorting out the chassis, eibach springs and the fast road geometry as a bare minimum to really get the most out of the chassis, it's totally transformative.
The bushes were fairly worn on mine, quite a few with splits and rubber starting to perish, so I replaced with poly bushes, fairly cheap to buy but quite a bit of labour to get them in. Mine also had totally worn shocks, so I ended up replacing with coils and getting the geometry done. But I think you can get Sachs fairly cheaply and IIRC, and Eibach springs not too expensive, they're the generic version of Honda OEM anyway. If you're paying for labour to take springs off, might as well replace the shocks with mileage you're looking at.
https://grinspeed.co.uk/shop/fast-road-setup-frsu/
Standard brakes are a bit weak, can recommend Pagid Flat discs (also cheap at Tegiwa) and Ferodo pads for road and PBS if you're using on track (quite noisy for road, also generate a lot of dust).
With good tyres on and FRS geometry, they're a totally weapon. Much underrated car.
Video of mine give you an idea of a good chassis set up: https://vimeo.com/533625291
Edited by handbraketurn on Tuesday 6th April 18:20
This is mine, bought last Nov, driven home and put in garage. 16k miles, 1 owner, perfect main dealer history. It’s not an LSD car but it’s so good I just had to buy. It’ll be coming out soon, when the weather settles down. It’s my second FN2, I had one new in 2008, but had to trade it after 2 years for something more businesslike...
They’re not as popular as other Type R,s but I love the way they drive, not hugely powerful by today’s standards but has a lovely almost retro naturally aspirated character. And I love the dash and interior and exterior design. It’s aged really well.
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