I'm an idiot and bought the worst Honda Civic (EP3 content)

Today's projects:

I've still got a clunk in the front end.  Narrowed it down to something with the swaybar still, since it goes away if you do this:

I think maybe the swaybar is shifting side to side.  Will follow up on that after I mess with it some more.

The other project is adjusting the valves and fixing the leaking valve cover gasket:

So, we'll see how that goes.

I was dreading doing the valve lash, but it was a lot easier with angled feelers.

Just read the whole thread and I'm very impressed with what you've done so far by yourself man. Looking forward to more content! Any updates on your build? Cheers @red_stapler!

rezurexun said:

Just read the whole thread and I'm very impressed with what you've done so far by yourself man. Looking forward to more content! Any updates on your build? Cheers @red_stapler!

Thanks for having a look!  I ended up selling her to maisgelb on here:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/201x-classifieds/2018-2002-honda-civic-si-ep3-143k-kpro-200tw-tires-more-nashville-tn/143648/page1/

I upgraded to a Cayman:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/die-welt-ist-flach-my-porsche-cayman-adventures/145367/page1/

Didnt know you sold the car

I guess my updates should be titled "3 months with an EP3"...

I bought the Civic from @red_stapler in October as part of a fly and drive, bringing the car back to Ohio. It was a great trip and there is a brief summary in the FS thread (see link above). I had intended to continue this thread but life got in the way. When it comes to choosing between spending time in the garage or writing about time in the garage, I'd rather be wrenching than writing. I wish I had more time to contribute to the GRM community, but most of the time I have to put other things first.

I'll preface my entries by saying that I knew the EP3 was a lifestyle experiment when I bought it. I had been using my S2000 as my daily for the past two years and started to wonder if I would enjoy it more if I had another car to use for some of the more mundane tasks, like running errands and hauling kids around. When the EP3 popped up on the FS board, it looked like an easy way to find out and get a fun car in the bargain.

So, I brought the EP3 home and immediately put it to use. Right from the start, I found that it was a great car that ticked a lot of boxes.

I started by ordering some parts I knew I would need... things like wipers, exhaust donut, and a shift knob. The wipers and shift knob were easy to install, the exhaust donut not so much.

The delrin shifter was fine...

But I like the look and feel of the stock one better. Stupid expensive, but worth it.

Next up was the exhaust donut. Replacing it involved 6 hours of swearing at frozen bolts and a sacrificial Dremel. I could have reused the springs, but on jobs like this I usually just buy and replace everything. I've done too many jobs where I thought I could reuse parts and been proved wrong. The new donut eliminated a minor exhaust squeak and made the exhaust fractionally quieter. A royal PITA, but worth it.

Another little job that costs almost nothing but some time is cleaning up the headlights. I know there are more sophisticated methods, but I just use some cutting compound followed by rubbing compound on a rag. 

Before:

After:

Other than securing a loose bolt on the throttle cable and an oil change, that's about it. There were a few other small parts I bought but never installed but that's just the way things go.

What I learned from the EP3 is that I enjoy having a car that isn't as hardcore as the S2000. I loved how easy the EP3 was to drive and use for running errands. The problem with the EP3 is that it was good enough that I found myself comparing the driving experience to the S2k. The problem being that an EP3 is never going to compare to an S2k. I quickly came to realize that I needed to replace the EP3 with something that I wouldn't compare to the S2000. And that is how I ended up with a 2017 BMW i3.

I'm going to give some credit to Michael (red_stapler) on this decision. After he picked me up at the airport in his Prius and I rode around Nashville with him, I saw the logic in pairing up cars that are the best at what they do. The Prius is an extraordinary around town stop-and-go car, while the Cayman is his weekend track toy. In hindsight, this is obvious but I've always enjoyed cars that straddled the line. I've owned cars like BMW 2002s, E28s, and a WRX.

I bought the i3 in early January and a friend in town said that he was interested in the Civic. A couple of weeks later, the Civic went to a new home. In the spirit of GRM, I sold the car for slightly less than I had into it. The new owner is enjoying the car and has already started making improvements. I talked to him today and he said that replacing the outer tie rods eliminated the remaining front end clunk that the car still had. It looks like the car is in good hands with someone who will appreciate it. He knows about GRM, so maybe he'll continue this thread.

The EP3 was a great car and I'm a little sad that I had it for such a short time. I'm glad that it's new home is literally just around the corner! I'm hoping I can talk the new owner into a little autocross action when the weather warms up...

In reply to maisgelb :

After seeing how well your headlights cleaned up I'm definitely doing mine. I've been on and off because they're not really yellowing.

Sad to see you go, hopefully you can convince to the new owner to pick up the torch and continue the story here on GRM. We have a couple EP3s here now.

I sold my Nissan LEAF and bought my EP3 so I know exactly what you're up to. The i3 looks awesome, what mods are planned?

It makes me happy to see that little car's story continue.

J1000 said:

In reply to maisgelb :

After seeing how well your headlights cleaned up I'm definitely doing mine. I've been on and off because they're not really yellowing.

Sad to see you go, hopefully you can convince to the new owner to pick up the torch and continue the story here on GRM. We have a couple EP3s here now.

I sold my Nissan LEAF and bought my EP3 so I know exactly what you're up to. The i3 looks awesome, what mods are planned?

The headlights on your car look pretty good, so I don't know how much you would notice a difference. 

I'll still be lurking around and may start a thread about my S2000 if I have a chance. I've done a lot more to it than the EP3.

One of the good things (at least for me) about the i3 is that aftermarket mods are almost nonexistent. The options are basically 1 (or maybe 2) aftermarket wheels, H&R springs, and "coding". My car came with two sets of wheels -- 20" factory sport wheels with summer tires and 19" factory wheels with Blizzaks -- so I'm good there. I definitely want to try the H&R springs at some point, but I'm not in any rush. I'll probably drive it as is for at least 6 months and then decide. One of the things I like is that it's a great car for commuting. It handles well enough, the torque is fun, and the quiet is relaxing. It provides a nice contrast to the S2k, so I don't want to change it too much.

maisgelb said:

Another little job that costs almost nothing but some time is cleaning up the headlights. I know there are more sophisticated methods, but I just use some cutting compound followed by rubbing compound on a rag. 

Before:

 

After:

 

 

Headlights look good. Do you apply and do it by hand, or do you have a machine? I have a TSX wagon that needs help 

nice build... I see these from time to time on our local CL and they seem like a good deal... always think it would be fun to pick one up

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I just do the headlights by hand. The first time takes some effort but then they are pretty easy to maintain. Here is what I've used. There could be better solutions but this is what I had on the shelf.