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Hello everyone!
Recently I went to test-drive an EP3 (facelift) in my area, and also took it to a pre-purchase inspection.
The car has a lot of miles (300 000 kms), and some mods (ECU, carbon fiber hood, wing and intake, springs, exhaust), which I would've liked to do on it anyway.
Most of the important things checked out, timing chain has been changed, the engine started and went smooth, with VTEC engaging properly. From the inspection it came back, that there was virtually no rust on the car (which was a very big concern, because I live in the north), and during the drive, the chassis felt like it was in a pretty good shape. The owner was also very decent, and I've seen evidence that the owner before him cared very religiously about the car.
What concerns me are the other 2 most common problems, with the gearbox and steering.
Gearbox:
There was no problem with getting it into 2nd gear, even in cold and all the other gears also slotted in without any hesitation and stayed under hard driving as well.
The only thing I noticed that the gear lever has a lot of play. Like a lot, in neutral i could move it like 4-5 cms in each direction without getting any resistance. While driving, it posed no problem, I could find the gears and again, when they were in, the car went like a blast.
Steering:
It felt all right, I know these cars were never famous for their steering feel (this one doesn't have an LSD). I've read that self-centering is a problem sometimes with the facelifted ones as well, and this one definitely tried to work properly, but couldn't center the wheel perfectly, left about 15-30 degrees, which then I noticed was actually the steering wheel's play.
So having never owned such an "old" vehicle or a Type-r before, I'd like to ask you guys, can these plays develop due to the age and mileage of the car, or does it signal some kind of bigger problem?
Thank you very much for your answers!
Recently I went to test-drive an EP3 (facelift) in my area, and also took it to a pre-purchase inspection.
The car has a lot of miles (300 000 kms), and some mods (ECU, carbon fiber hood, wing and intake, springs, exhaust), which I would've liked to do on it anyway.
Most of the important things checked out, timing chain has been changed, the engine started and went smooth, with VTEC engaging properly. From the inspection it came back, that there was virtually no rust on the car (which was a very big concern, because I live in the north), and during the drive, the chassis felt like it was in a pretty good shape. The owner was also very decent, and I've seen evidence that the owner before him cared very religiously about the car.
What concerns me are the other 2 most common problems, with the gearbox and steering.
Gearbox:
There was no problem with getting it into 2nd gear, even in cold and all the other gears also slotted in without any hesitation and stayed under hard driving as well.
The only thing I noticed that the gear lever has a lot of play. Like a lot, in neutral i could move it like 4-5 cms in each direction without getting any resistance. While driving, it posed no problem, I could find the gears and again, when they were in, the car went like a blast.
Steering:
It felt all right, I know these cars were never famous for their steering feel (this one doesn't have an LSD). I've read that self-centering is a problem sometimes with the facelifted ones as well, and this one definitely tried to work properly, but couldn't center the wheel perfectly, left about 15-30 degrees, which then I noticed was actually the steering wheel's play.
So having never owned such an "old" vehicle or a Type-r before, I'd like to ask you guys, can these plays develop due to the age and mileage of the car, or does it signal some kind of bigger problem?
Thank you very much for your answers!
