My EP3

[msremmert]

Ooooh nice. Bet it will drive/go a wee bit better then :smile:

Here's to hoping! I'll make sure to post the results of what I get up on here.

I used Romain for my DC5, guy knows what he's doing. Loved my dc5 after a session at Eurospec.

What did it make in the end? I've always liked DC5s, Hondas for grown ups. Plus the Integra forums are always far more helpful than the EP3.

Romain mapped my accord turbo also.
Lovely EP3 you have. I much prefer the look to that of a clio. Much more modern to my eyes.
Just hate when people put big exhausts on them because they sound absolutely ridiculous. 😧

I'm totally the same. There's way too many out there with oil drums on the back and hentai stickers all over the boot. I prefer to keep the stock look of a car if only to surprise people when you give it some, plus it makes it easier to sell!
Though I think the Clio has stood the test of time appearance wise. The Civic looks like a silver piece of cheese lol.

 

[Bjorn]

As far as i remember it was in the high 230's, 237 maybe.

 

[JackJack]

Great car nicely modded.

 

[msremmert]

So I figured I should probably give this an update! I've been working a lot so I don't get a chance to potch on the PC as much as I would like!
Anyhoo on Saturday 23rd I took the trip down the Eurospec. What a mad place! Lots going on down there on a Saturday and a few folks there prepping their race cars. The place is a gem that never left the 90s.
I spotted this knocking about as well.
Normal looking on the surface...

Surprise!

Looked like it was going to be boosted and it looked like they were in the process of moving the entire Honda loom and dash in. Big ass job!
...Anyway back to the EP3...

Once the 4-2-1 was on we found it was about an inch shorter than the original manifold and cat were. Personally I didn't care about moving the exhaust back an inch but it meant that the exhaust banged under the car on the overrun and start up. Anyway I acquired a couple of gaskets and a 2.5" triangle flange and put the car on my friends ramp after work one night. A nice 10 minute job. Not the neatest of installs but I f**king hate exhausts and don't want to touch it again.

Doesn't blow, doesn't knock. Perfect.
Looks like the B pipe has seen it's fair share of speed bumps mind!

So on the 23rd the Civic went back on the rollers.

They did give me a print out but where in the name of all that is holy I put it - I have no idea!
I gave them a quick call though and conveniently they keep dyno print outs so I'll get them emailed to me.
What I do remember is:
225bhp
165lbft
The figures are a shade lower than I'd have liked but this is what you get for putting a cheaper 4-2-1 on there.
The midrange has had a nice healthy bump but the peak HP would have been nicer had it been higher but I don't plan on making any other power mods.
Eurospecs rollers are also notorious dream crushers so who knows what it'll make on somebody else's rollers.
VTEC has been dropped to a rather low 4500rpm and it sounds absolutely mad with the RBC.
Romain at Eurospec advised that the stock backbox will probably die due to the remap if I drive like a fool but in the event something goes wrong I'll just get a custom one built from Solid Fabrications or maybe I'll drop into ProSpeed as he's only down the road.
I don't really want one of the generic Japanese oil drums you see on the back of Civics these days that make an excessive amount of noise. I really want to keep the stock look.

Back around Christmas some fool bumped my car with a trolly. I always meant to get it fixed but I kept forgetting about it.
Anyway lots of people have been pointing it out recently so I figured it was time to get it fixed.

Conveniently a good friend of mine owns a body shop so I left it with him for a day.
It's a 2 day job so it needs to go back for a polish and a final tidy up but it's looking a darn sight better so far.

Bit of a hastily and poorly written update as I'm supposed to be working but hey ho.

 

[imprezaworks]

Figures are like you say lower than I would have guessed. But if drive ability has improved that can only be good. What does he charge for a map?

 

[msremmert]

Figures are like you say lower than I would have guessed. But if drive ability has improved that can only be good. What does he charge for a map?

Aye power is considerably lower than expected but then it's my own fault for not going for something like a new DC Sports 4-2-1.
It's my understanding that it's a Funky Power that I've put on there now - however it only cost me £100. Bit daft on my part really considering I'm happy to spend money on the nice toys and shat out on the most restrictive part of the car. oo:
Buying a new manifold is an option but I really can't be arsed with the hassle of getting the existing one off and going all the way back to Guildford to get a map tweak. If Eurospec were 100 miles closer I'd consider it but the hassle isn't worth the extra 10hbp.

How much they charge depends on what you want! For a bog standard EP3 the ECU is thick and cannot be mapped and requires a K100 or K-Pro daughter board to be installed.
The K-Pro will allow you to tweak your map manually yourself on the PC where as the K100 is purely a reader. I (like 95% of folks) opted for the latter because I'm a t**t and I'll only play with my engine and kill it.
K100 + map cost me £695.
Map tweak cost me ~£100.

They do lots of other cars though, might be worth giving them a ring but they are primarily a Japanese tuning house.
http://www.euro-spec2000.co.uk/
Does make you wonder how long these 90s and early noughties tuning places have got left though...

 

[imprezaworks]

Ah well, live and learn I guess mate. When I had mine I considered going down the kpro/k100 route, should have done really. Whats the thing where you send the ecu off and get a map put on and they send it back, can't bloody remember now.

 

[msremmert]

Ah well, live and learn I guess mate. When I had mine I considered going down the kpro/k100 route, should have done really. Whats the thing where you send the ecu off and get a map put on and they send it back, can't bloody remember now.

CPL Racing? ...Their map seems to carry the same weight as the K-Tec maps...

 

[AdDaMan]

Ecutek?

 

[imprezaworks]

Yeah it was cpl. Chap on here had it done and rated it a lot, sub £400 iirc but only helps basic mods. Have they a bad rep today?

 

[msremmert]

Been a while since I updated this, so here goes :smile:

On the 25th of July like a complete nugget I managed to bust my sump.
I'll be honest, I was doing a service and I was rushing and on the phone so I wasn't paying attention to my own brawl so I just kept tightening the sump plug till I heard a *snap*. As soon as I heard the snap I knew it was fubared.

I thought I'd only split the thread so I was going to re-thread it but after seeing how I'd bust it from the side I decided I just couldn't be arsed and ordered a new one half an hour later from a breaker.
Yes that is plumbers hemp. You'd be surprised what I'll try when I'm desperate.

To be fair I had 3 people offer to weld it for me for free and 5 offer to come and help fix it.
I still maintain that I have better friends than I deserve.

I left the car on the driveway for a few days looking sorry for itself and 1st of August I took one of my awfully kind mates up on their offer and in a morning we got the subframe down and the sump replaced. That subframe is in the way of everything on the EP3. That wouldn't be the last repair job the subframe would be in the way of either...

Anyway, one of the old bust sump draining through the crack.

Another one of a pleasingly clean oil-pickup.

And a final one of the flywheel for the hell of it. Facelifted EP3s get a lightened flywheel as standard which is nice. :smile:

Until the afternoon on the 10th of September the Civic was completely fault free until I was on the local dual heading back to work.

I was accelerating in 3rd, figured I was going to run out of room and decided to drop it into 6th and lurk like a gentleman but found I couldn't drop it into anything.
Ditched it on the hard shoulder and got it going again but it wasn't happy and the box was very notchy to a point where it simply did not want to go into gear.
The fact it was all gears immediately suggested it was either the clutch or the linkage. At a standstill it fell into gear nicely but when moving it put up a fight at anything over 2000rpm. Anyway a bit of research and some prods in the right direction from the Civic Type-R forum (yes there are other forums beyond ClioSport :wink suggested the clutch wasn't disengaging and lots of folk suggested a spring was probably rattling around in there.

Did a bit of research on a DIY clutch swap and it looked a dick of a job to do on the driveway.
See for yourself here.
I know it's a link to a DC5 site but whatever it's the same engine bay!
TL;DR - To get at the clutch the whole subframe needs to come off, ARB, battery & tray, exhaust, the lot.

Anyway a friend of a friend likes to race Hondas and is regarded as an expert so I left the car with him on Saturday and he smashed out the clutch change in under 4 hours. :fearscream:

How the clutch is meant to look.

How mine looked. The owners club was spot on.

The material had another good 20k left on it - it had done well considering the 10 years of abuse it's had to put up with.
Fair play to the man though, the car drives like a completely new machine and the clutch is now very light. Absolutely blown away by the machine all over again. Upshifts are as smooth at 8650rpm as they are at 2000.

Anyway last but not least - I just managed to land myself a new and daunting job and to celebrate I decided to finish buying the brake upgrade I'd been promising myself :smile:
So another kind friend popped round and smashed out a brake change.

Brake set up is now:

• HEL braided lines all round
• ATE Super Blue Fluid
• Stoptech discs on the front
• Ferodo DS2500 pads on the front

The combo is about as good as you can get using the standard callipers.

Yay goodies!

Really should have taken a shot of it minus the wheel, but I forgot.
Jobs take 2 days rather than 2 hours if you take lots of photos!

The more observant of you might have noticed the TRW shim.

All I've really learned from this post so far tonight is that I've got far better mates than I deserve and that I should pay more attention to what I'm doing.
My new job necessitates some travelling which is going to start adding big miles to the Civic and it would make more sense for me to just sell up...
I have to commute for now but I'm looking to move closer to the job so if I get my act together it means I won't have to sell up just yet :blush:

I found the EP3 way too clinical when I first got it, but after a few toys and investing time in it I've really come to like this car.

 

[Akay]

Great thread. I had a Facelift EP2 in Cosmic Grey, followed by a Facelift EP3 in Milano Red... had the 2.5 inch unsilenced midpipe and JDM rear arb. Binned the car as it was a bit much for a 19 year old in hindsight! I have to say I preferred the 182 that followed, so much so that I have just bought a 172 again. Gearbox is something else on them though.

 

[msremmert]

Figured it was time to update this thread for the final time!
The car was sold last month and has gone to excellent home - I've been pretty quiet on here since selling it.
Before it went I stuck a new engine cover on there but for the life of me I can't find the photos I took and I'm forced to admit - I don't care enough to try and find them either. :smile:

Swansea's crappy roads and spending its life on the M4 was smashing the car up and it was a total waste on me so I bought a late B5.5 Passat instead for half the price.
I do still miss the Civic a lot - even a month on - but my motorway boat is starting to grow on me and goes over twice the distance for the same money to a point where I forget about fuel.

I'm glad I tried the Civic though. I now get the fascination with high-reving Japanese cars just like I now get the fascination with mad little French hatch backs.
Now I'm starting to get the whole sit in silence on the motorway at high-speed thing.
I'll throw a thread up on it tonight. :smile:

Thanks for reading.

 

[Matt W]

Give you 3 months until you get something fun again.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Very interesting thread @msremmert , lovely example of an EP3! I'm definitely considering to make the switch to a facelift EP3 from my RB 182 at some point. I do love my RB, it does everything I need it to but I haven't experienced the awesome V-tec engine yet and it's something I think any petrolhead should do at some point!

Would you say it's a mistake to get rid of a mint RB 182 I've spent a lot on or is a facelift EP3 definitely worthy of ownership?! I'm interested in your thoughts as you are very clued up! Cheers, Gaz

 

[imprezaworks]

My only input is I've had one ep3 and six clios

 

[imprezaworks]

Very interesting thread @msremmert , lovely example of an EP3! I'm definitely considering to make the switch to a facelift EP3 from my RB 182 at some point. I do love my RB, it does everything I need it to but I haven't experienced the awesome V-tec engine yet and it's something I think any petrolhead should do at some point!

Would you say it's a mistake to get rid of a mint RB 182 I've spent a lot on or is a facelift EP3 definitely worthy of ownership?! I'm interested in your thoughts as you are very clued up! Cheers, Gaz

Try one but I've had one and imo the Megane is better. The ep3 is reliable and goes well enough but just lacks something. But if you have the opportunity to get a sorted ep3, kpro, fast road set up and other bits, I.e not standard then I think you would be happy enough.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Yeah my post meant living with a type r and v-tec, I've been in an EP3 many years ago and not so long ago in an S2000 which was really awesome! But I'm not overly keen on the Civic shape if I'm honest but does it grow on you?! If I get an EP3 I want the mugen styling, otherwise I doesn't really strike me that much.... Also I'd need to retrofit cruise control, I couldn't be without it now! Lazy on Honda's part I say!!

 

[imprezaworks]

You got a pic of the mugen styling kit? I have a feeling I don't like it, lol. They are a bit dated but for what they are it's a great car, but like many it could have been so much better. Personal opinion wether it grows on you, I like them.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

I'm not into shitty boyracer bodykits that crack when you hit a twig at all, but I do like the mugen grill and the rear spoiler, looks more aggressive, coupled with lowering springs would be ideal for me!

 

[VR46-G@Z]

 

[VR46-G@Z]

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Love the rear spoiler and grill....standard front bumper is fine though I think :up:

 

[imprezaworks]

Grill no, spoiler yep. Forgot about the spoiler. Apologies to the op as it isn't an ep3 discussion thread, lol.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Lol!:up:

 

[Philip.]

If it's any help you @VR46-G@Z, I have a Nissan S15 but still miss my EP3.
They're great cars!

 

[mr bognor]

Yep I loved my one got as far as Gruppe M inlet and DC5 exhaust manifold but never the k100 .

Great cars

Alan

 

[msremmert]

Give you 3 months until you get something fun again.

I'm wondering the same thing...
Thing is the German boat is so cheap to run and I can smash up and down the M4 in silence at speed.
It doesn't evoke any emotions though. I bet by the summer I'll be in something stupid again. The plan is to buy a home in 2016 and if I can get one near my job then I'll consider making the switch.
I'm feeling something rwd or a 3mps next. :smile:
Bet I'll end up with the same bloody Civic on my driveway...

Very interesting thread @msremmert , lovely example of an EP3! I'm definitely considering to make the switch to a facelift EP3 from my RB 182 at some point. I do love my RB, it does everything I need it to but I haven't experienced the awesome V-tec engine yet and it's something I think any petrolhead should do at some point!

Would you say it's a mistake to get rid of a mint RB 182 I've spent a lot on or is a facelift EP3 definitely worthy of ownership?! I'm interested in your thoughts as you are very clued up! Cheers, Gaz

I'd say try as many cars as you can to give you a good balanced view of what's out there and be willing to try out each scene a bit and a few upgrades. Just don't become a fanboy who thinks their hatchback is an Veyron lol.
That's why I like coming back to this forum. It's like a Pistonheads for people who aren't millionaires.
But I digress! - In it's standard form I found the EP3 way too clinical and really missed my 182. The remap alone transforms the car and makes it a much nicer daily - unfortunately due to the thick ECU it's not the cheapest process but it then unlocks the car for big upgrades like forced induction if you're feeling frisky later.

Yeah my post meant living with a type r and v-tec, I've been in an EP3 many years ago and not so long ago in an S2000 which was really awesome! But I'm not overly keen on the Civic shape if I'm honest but does it grow on you?! If I get an EP3 I want the mugen styling, otherwise I doesn't really strike me that much.... Also I'd need to retrofit cruise control, I couldn't be without it now! Lazy on Honda's part I say!!

The Clio (Not including ph1 172s) has a drive by wire throttle body - the Civic has a cable.
I remember during the summer when my dad went to move my car and didn't realise how sharp it was and I could hear the Civic barking and flaming on the drive outside. Funny s**t.
Anyway retrofitting cruise is a genuine ballache. Done the research

Try one but I've had one and imo the Megane is better. The ep3 is reliable and goes well enough but just lacks something. But if you have the opportunity to get a sorted ep3, kpro, fast road set up and other bits, I.e not standard then I think you would be happy enough.

Agreed with the above. In standard form it's not the most interesting of cars. It's just a good but clinical car which will leave you wanting more. Remap and a few toys adds some well needed character.

Grill no, spoiler yep. Forgot about the spoiler. Apologies to the op as it isn't an ep3 discussion thread, lol.

Lol discuss all you want. Keeps it interesting and I have very little to add to this thread anymore. :smile:

 

[Smiffyboy1990]

Followed this thread interest, enjoyed it, also followed this EP3 on ZSOC when Tom had it. Well i think so at least lol.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

I've actually thought a lot about EP3 ownership and I think I've made a decision, in 6-8 months time I'll be in a position where I can afford an EP3 and keep my RB 182, the RB owes me nothing and will soon be fully sorted so seems a shame to sell it for so little as it does everything I want... I think most guys like us have the boredom factor with cars, nothing wrong with what we have but always seem to want a change! Having both seems like a good solution! :smile::up:

 

[NFox]

Really awesome read

I have recently moved from the trustee 182's to an EP3 (well last February) and I must say I do have a fairly similar take, but also slightly different to that of yours. Again I have had a few Clios, the car I could never leave, the car that always made me smile etc but like you and so many I have spoken too I always wanted to try the EP3 myself.

I opted for a Cosmic Grey Premier and mistakenly went for one without A/C, who'd have thought I'd miss A/C in the uk?! None the less the first few weeks, maybe even the first couple of months I did also get the clinical feel a few of you have referred to. The car did feel technically better and more capable but it also felt lacking and a bit dull. But as time has gone on I have really started to appreciate it. I feel so much more confident behind the wheel of it than the Clio and I get a real feel for the road which the Clio seemed to lack for me. Again I would highly recommend trying one if you can afford to and when I say afford to. I don't mean you have the money, I mean you are prepared to lose money on your current car, and then lose more money on the Civic a year down the line. As after a year, if you are like me you will want out!

I have honestly loved having the Civic but unlike the Clios I had for years with no desire to move away, I have done it and I am already ready to move on! On the flip side though I do not regret buying one as it has taken me out of the French Hatch bubble I found myself stuck in and I am now looking for the next chapter which is certainly leaning towards an S3.

 

[VR46-G@Z]

Interesting insight @NFox , I've only ever kept cars for 2/3 years tops but I'm nearly at 4 years in Jan with my RB and I still love it! Just a change now and again is what would be nice! It's amazing how many of you guys have owned multiple Clio's, I think if I sold up I'd regret it after all I've read! Finding a mint EP3 thats not top dollar seems no easy feat from looking around, which is a shame!

 

[msremmert]

Followed this thread interest, enjoyed it, also followed this EP3 on ZSOC when Tom had it. Well i think so at least lol.

You'll never guess who owns it now... :wink:

 

[Jamie]

I bought an ep3 in November, and this thread is a good read. I fancied a change so opted for one instead of another Renault sport, I didn't know much about them so just bought the best I could, a 2003 pre facelift model. If I knew what I did now, I'd have spent more and got a facelift. Nonetheless, I got a 1 owner 2003, 85k, nhb 2003 model.

I like it, but it's a bit soulless. It's built a lot better than my old renaults and makes me reconsider buying older cars with higher miles as it drives ok for a 12 year old car. So far I've fitted facelift rear lights and got a wheel refurb. Also got some polybush mounts on order, no plans to add performance mods just want it to drive tight.

 

[JonnyK]

I bought an ep3 in November, and this thread is a good read. I fancied a change so opted for one instead of another Renault sport, I didn't know much about them so just bought the best I could, a 2003 pre facelift model. If I knew what I did now, I'd have spent more and got a facelift. Nonetheless, I got a 1 owner 2003, 85k, nhb 2003 model.

I like it, but it's a bit soulless. It's built a lot better than my old renaults and makes me reconsider buying older cars with higher miles as it drives ok for a 12 year old car. So far I've fitted facelift rear lights and got a wheel refurb. Also got some polybush mounts on order, no plans to add performance mods just want it to drive tight.

I did the opposite and fitted pre-facelift rears to my facelift model. We could've done a trade!

 

[Jamie]

Haha, yeah maybe, you're not that far from me either. I got my rear facelift lights for a good price on eBay- £60, pretty pleased about it.

I think the facelift changes although subtle, make a big difference. Would love facelift front headlights, but seems a big faf to fit (from what I have read).

 

[JonnyK]

whereas I Agree that the face-lift fronts look better, the rears look like chavvy lexus lights IMO.

 

[SOHROB]

As above, facelift car with pre facelift lights.

Premier editions seems to be fetching daft money right now