![]() ![]() A cat is needed for an MOT, so make sure it’s still there (you will hear if it isn’t) and do all you can to keep it so. Expect milky headlights, the thinly painted wheels to need touching up and, on red cars, the paint to need a good polish.Ĭatalytic converter theft is rife, and supply of replacements is severely limited they thus cost around £1000, so the car is usually relegated to track duties. Facelifted cars are especially susceptible, because the arches were lined with water-trapping sound-deadening material. – Bodywork: If the sills or rear arches are showing rust, there are likely to be horrors lurking beneath, but a welder should be able to put things right. Swapping in a JDM-spec anti-roll bar improves turn-in response for around £130. Alignment bolts can seize, causing issues down the line, so look underneath the car. – Suspension, steering: The original Showa shock absorbers are prone to wear, but most will have been replaced by now. The front seats are prone to wear, but you need less than £250 for a replacement pair. Also look for 30th Anniversary Edition cars, which have comfier Recaro seats, red upholstery and tinted windows, or the post-facelift Premier Edition, which added a leather Momo wheel. – Interior: Options were few, but it’s worth finding a car with air-con (and checking the condenser is still fighting fit). You could also fit a limited-slip differential – one of the best possible modifications, because it improves steering feel and reduces understeer. Facelifted cars had a lighter flywheel for better drivability, so it’s worth throwing one in when changing the clutch. – Gearbox: The synchros take a pounding from consistent hard use carbon-lined heavy-duty items cost about £300. Let the engine warm up for more than 10 minutes before giving it the beans, and if you can’t feel that VTEC ‘kick’ just before 6000rpm in third or fourth, it’s likely that the oil is low, suggesting poor maintenance. If a car is due a replacement, use this to haggle. – Engine: Changing the cam chain at 100,000 miles is essential and much cheaper than the new engine you will need if it snaps. We would rigorously examine the MOT history of any car, regardless of its outward appearance or odometer reading, and checking that previous owners have made a fastidious commitment to regular upkeep. Aside from the potentially harmful effects of the aforementioned modifications, this isn’t a car that suffers neglect lightly. One crucial consideration when viewing an EP3 – and one that is increasingly important as prices rise – is its provenance. It’s a legacy that endures today, in fact: the current, FK8 Civic Type R tops our hot hatch list even now, four years since it was launched. ![]() The Civic Type R is Honda’s Golf GTI, and although Japanese brands had previously attempted to indulge the European buyer’s affinity for rocket runarounds, it was this plucky three-door that would really light a fire under European marques such as Volkswagen and Renault. Part of the EP3’s cult appeal stems from it being the UK’s first official taste of a name that had already cultivated hallowed status in its home market. BTCC 2022: two wins earn Cook championship leadĬlick here to buy your next used car from Autocar.New 2023 Honda Civic Type R to be revealed tomorrow.First ride: 2023 Honda Civic Type R review. ![]()
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