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ccrelan
ccrelan New Reader
11/27/10 6:06 a.m.

Hi Everyone- I am foreign to the honda world. What would a nice, stock ek hatch sell for these days?

I am guessing that these are relatively hard to find these days. I seem to remember reading these being theft magnets.

Thanks in advance!

LainfordExpress
LainfordExpress New Reader
11/27/10 6:33 a.m.

Are EKs the 2001-2005 "shoebox" looking Si? I always loved those things, and wanted one badly, though I wanted to swap in an RSX Type-S motor. But they seem pricey to me these days, 60-80k ones seems to be priced around $9k or more.

I guess I never really checked, is the current Si motor still the same as the RSX? still swap right in super easy like before?

ccrelan
ccrelan New Reader
11/27/10 6:38 a.m.

No, the 2002-2005 si body style was called ep3. I am curious about the 1996-2000 non-si hatches. They are popular with people who swap in other big horse power honda engines.

red5_02
red5_02 New Reader
11/27/10 8:31 a.m.

5-8k will get you a clean CX. If you plan on ripping out the motor and replacing it with something more exciting this is the one you want. It'll have zero options and will be the lightest of the bunch. B20 block with a GSR head is what I've been lusting after for my 94 hatch

paul
paul Reader
11/27/10 8:47 a.m.

Around $5-9K for a nice non-abused one with receipts etc...

I looked for a EK over a year, got fed up with it's 'ricer tax', theft risk and high insurance costs & ended up with a EP3; zero regrets. A large number of stock EP3's are owned by middle aged/responsible owners, full service history, zero theft risk, cheap insurance, safer, really long service intervals and they usually sell for well under blue-book value.

Big ego
Big ego SuperDork
11/27/10 11:46 a.m.

I'll sell anyone my 108k mile rust free southern 96 DX for $6k.

I paid $2k for it 3 years ago with 60k miles on it.

edit.. sorry 4 years ago. I've had it for 4 years, parked outside at all the time. No theft. It's also bone stock with 13" wheels so it doesn't really attract attention.

integraguy
integraguy Dork
11/27/10 1:21 p.m.

"Stock" EPs are getting harder and harder to find. A used car dealership near me has a MECHANICALLY stock '98 for sale that a previous owner modded with skirts and bumper covers. It's an automatic, so I guess that kept this owner from doing any heavy engine mods, other than a CAI.

My current car is a '97 DX "hardtop" (so no power steering) and before that I owned a '92 CX hatch. Of the two, I liked the '92 better. Why? When Honda started to design the '96-2000 Civic they took, in my opinion, customer input TOO seriously. On the outside, customers complained that the '92-'95 Civic lacked identity...it needed a conventional grille. So Honda stuck that fake grille on all subsequent Civics. Insurance companies and their customers wanted a car that was easier/less expensive to repair, and at the same time Honda wanted a car that was easier to assemble. So the interior and exterior, for example, was made of fewer but bigger panels instead of smaller panels. My impression of a '96 to 2000 Civic? Inside and outside it looks like a giant "snap-together" car kit. The newer car is better in some/many respects, but the older models have more soul/charm.

ccrelan
ccrelan New Reader
11/27/10 1:51 p.m.

I might have the chance to pick up a 96 dx hatch with 144,000 miles. The owner says she has records for the car. It looks to have si wheels. She is asking $1750. From the previous posts, this sounds like quite a deal.

coll9947
coll9947 New Reader
11/27/10 2:09 p.m.

I agree with integraguy, my EK sedan was great ergonomically (climate control arrangement, etc.) and had the best dang cupholders of any car I've ever been in. However, the interior of the EK had no appreciable improvement in build quality over my 91 sedan and 90 crx. but god how i miss those cupholders every time i get in my crx.

ccrelan
ccrelan New Reader
11/29/10 7:00 p.m.

Hey everyone- here is a pic of the car. I went and checked it out tonight. The car was super clean and unmolested. The car has a new timing belt and cover. The negatives I noticed were a slight exhaust leak from somewhere and the shocks seemed ridiculously soft. I didn't see any signs of rust though it was hard to see on a black car at night. The car definitely did not have power steering!

The owner is a young 20 something woman. She said the previous owner had some stiff shocks on the car that she took off. I need to let her know what I want to do by tomorrow. I can have the car if I want it.

I have two cars at the moment and don't really need another car. If this car is that underpriced, I will pick it up to drive around for a while for free essentially. I am curious what you all think.

DaveEstey
DaveEstey Reader
11/29/10 8:38 p.m.

EK is Japan only. USA had the EJ.

Just saying..

I would buy that for that price.

clutchsmoke
clutchsmoke New Reader
11/29/10 9:27 p.m.

I would buy it.

So, uh... where is this car located by chance?

gamby
gamby SuperDork
11/29/10 11:13 p.m.
ccrelan wrote: I might have the chance to pick up a 96 dx hatch with 144,000 miles. The owner says she has records for the car. It looks to have si wheels. She is asking $1750. From the previous posts, this sounds like quite a deal.

Semantics, but "EK" implies 6th gen hatch and "EG" implies 5th gen hatch

That's a DAMN good price. You could clean it up and flip it for a hefty profit.

I was hunting for a good EK hatch last spring when my EG got stolen from my driveway and I thought "OK--no more hatches" (thus my current EK 4-door). The nice ones were going for 5-6 grand in my area. The ghetto-ass sketchy ones on craigslist were going for much less.

93celicaGT2
93celicaGT2 SuperDork
11/30/10 6:57 a.m.

That's a ridiculous price, and something that i wish i could find around here.

ccrelan
ccrelan New Reader
11/30/10 4:21 p.m.

I went and looked at the car again in the daylight. I was happy there was no rust to be found. I forgot to mention the car does have an alarm as well. It seems like that is definitely a good thing.

The owner had a nice stack of records for the car. It has newer 195/55 tires on what look to be si wheels. The AC, brakes, and timing belt have just been recently done. The shocks and springs will need replacing. There is a also slight exhaust leak that I will have to address. Other than that the car is clean as can be.

I am picking it up on Thursday. With a new suspension and maybe some tints, it will make for a nice commuter.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Shaun
Shaun Reader
11/30/10 5:20 p.m.
ccrelan wrote: I went and looked at the car again in the daylight. I was happy there was no rust to be found. I forgot to mention the car does have an alarm as well. It seems like that is definitely a good thing. The owner had a nice stack of records for the car. It has newer 195/55 tires on what look to be si wheels. The AC, brakes, and timing belt have just been recently done. The shocks and springs will need replacing. There is a also slight exhaust leak that I will have to address. Other than that the car is clean as can be. I am picking it up on Thursday. With a new suspension and maybe some tints, it will make for a nice commuter. Thanks for all the info everyone.

One persons 1996 EK hatch data point: Ebach sportlines, SusTech anti sway bays front and rear, and koni yellows yielded a ride my wife complained about for a couple weeks as being too hard and then started to comment on liking the "go kart" handling. I occasionally find the springs a little soft but a good all in all DD setup. I think they are a 350lbs up front and 200 in the rear which is pretty soft with out the sways. Keep it locked tight-

Pumpkin Escobar
Pumpkin Escobar SuperDork
11/30/10 5:26 p.m.

hmmm, if it originally had super stiff shocks, ask by chance if she still has em? cant hurt, but its my guestimation that most 20 yo females dont hang on to replaced shocks like any logical person would

ccrelan
ccrelan Reader
11/30/10 5:55 p.m.

She sold the old set up. She said they were fake skunks that rode very poorly. The car now has the original, worn out stock shocks/springs.

Thanks for the tip Shaun. Koni makes really nice shocks. What did you do to mount the rear bar? Did you buy the hardware to mount it? How are the eibachs compared with H&R sports?

Shaun
Shaun Reader
12/1/10 12:23 a.m.
ccrelan wrote: She sold the old set up. She said they were fake skunks that rode very poorly. The car now has the original, worn out stock shocks/springs. Thanks for the tip Shaun. Koni makes really nice shocks. What did you do to mount the rear bar? Did you buy the hardware to mount it? How are the eibachs compared with H&R sports?

I ignored the interweb reports of torn up attachment points and went ahead and followed speed tunings instructions and carefully and cleanly drilled the rear cross member in the correct spots. 4 years later and everything is fine back there. I have not had a tire with a bigger section that 195 on the car and it has not seen R coumpounds. It has worn out a set of Hankook rs2 (is that right?) and currently sits in Dunlop star specs and has been pitched around with unmitigated glee.

If things start to go south I will add some mild steel for $20 and an afternoons time with a mig welder and angle grinder. The bling aluminum thingies are all v aattck yo JDM and all that but i think they can be avoided.

I believe Eiback sportlines are roughly equivalent to the common H&R offering- that is linear rate, on the soft side 1"-1.5" drop ish reasonablely priced sporting DD springs. Eibach also makes the ProLine springs which are rising rate and a bit softer still with less drop. I am very happy with the set-up as a daily driver fly fishing reconnasance vehicle.

Koni yellows are a very high value and reliable product.

ccrelan
ccrelan Reader
12/1/10 4:44 a.m.

In reply to Shaun:

http://www.progressauto.com/products/searchType/vehicleSearch/year/1996/make/Honda/model/Civic/productID/595

How do you think these would compare to the set up you recommended? They are running a special on hondatech for $579 shipped for this set up. Progress makes really nice coilovers for se-r's.

bravenrace
bravenrace SuperDork
12/1/10 6:42 a.m.

Is this car a auto or manual? As far as shocks, after using almost everything over the years, I wouldn't put anything on a Honda other than Koni Yellows.

ccrelan
ccrelan Reader
12/1/10 9:01 a.m.

In reply to bravenrace:

It is a manual

Shaun
Shaun Reader
12/1/10 11:36 a.m.
ccrelan wrote: In reply to Shaun: http://www.progressauto.com/products/searchType/vehicleSearch/year/1996/make/Honda/model/Civic/productID/595 How do you think these would compare to the set up you recommended? They are running a special on hondatech for $579 shipped for this set up. Progress makes really nice coilovers for se-r's.

The 3 96-00 civics I have been behind the wheel of for any length of time:

Mine- as described

Slammed ebay crapola on stock dampers somehow or another- A joke

99 SI- Stock suspension- really pretty dammed good.

I am not familiar with progressauto products. The autox/road racing section of HondaTech.com was very informative with very little noise 3-4 years ago when I was making my choices. I was steered in a very good direction for my intended use. I have not been on there since then so It might not be as good but it is worth a shot.

mr2peak
mr2peak GRM+ Memberand Reader
12/1/10 1:57 p.m.

If you mod it prepare to be pulled over numerous times. Exact opposite of a sleeper, serious cop magnet. Lower, rims, and tickets for being a "ricer"

ccrelan
ccrelan Reader
12/4/10 10:27 a.m.

I got the car and cleaned it up this morning. I found the exhaust leak. It should be cheap and easy to get fixed in the bronx. The car has a huge stack of receipts for work done. I could not find any rust. The car is in really nice shape. The receipts show It spent part of it's life in florida.

Here are some pics:

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