FN2 Honda Type R GT fn2 Help

[Stevzor]

Hey folks,

I'm new to the whole Honda scene as i've never had one before but always wanted to get one, specifically the fn2 model so I've been checking on out that I went to see the other day but thoughti t best to try get some opinions from some Honda veterans out there, so all opinions are welcome and any advice as well is much appreciated.

So I've seen a few youtube vids on what to look out for and the fn2 I seen had some below issues when I went to see it, let me know what you think.

The car is an 07 plate with 100k miles.
Issues
Rust in/around wheel arches & some small rust holes
Rust along the top of the front windscreen at the rubber seal area, all the way along it.
Lifting up the bonnet on the underside just above where the lock area is has a big rusty patch/bits rusting and breaking off
Discs/calipers are rusty
some dents/scratches on the body
interior is in great condition so no issue there
Front bumper is not aligned with the car sides properly
1-2 areas around the body in between parts tiny bit of rusting
Guy mentioned the battery was dead in the morning when he went to start it up as it's been idle for a long while but then after that there has been no issues.

The reseller/dealer said that the gearbox is mint condition, no crunching etc when driving and the engine is perfect as well (I did have a look and checked the oil which seemed fairly clean just a tad bit of black in it). He mentioned that he will have everything treated and repaired if I want the car so he has had a body spray guy on the car all day today to get a lot sorted and I have asked if he can provide pictures of the wheel arches and the underside of the car with the protective cover off before any work is done and then take pics after cleanup/treatment has been done so I can see exactly how things are looking before and after the fact.

The price he is looking for after all repairs are done and rust treated etc is 4.5k, so what do you folks think? Sorry for the wall of text here but being new to this and never had a Honda before always a good idea to reach out right?

Edit - Oh and the garage reseller has offered a 6 month warranty which covers the gearbox/engine and back axle and he also mentioned I can add in a few things if I want such as electronics etc, so he does seem like a straight up confident type of guy, like a no bs type which was good.

Thanks in advance for any help/opinions!

Stevie.

 

[Chris.]

Welcome to the forum and potential Honda ownership.

I mean they aren't exactly the rarest of cars, so perhaps look for another example?

 

[Stevzor]

Welcome to the forum and potential Honda ownership.

I mean they aren't exactly the rarest of cars, so perhaps look for another example?

Hey thanks Chris.

I've seen a few but I'm in scotland/Glasgow area and the others are 3-5 hour drive away which is a bit of a nightmare to arrange a meet and drive that far just to see it, so my thinking was if a local reseller/garage is willing to properly fix one up and it looks mint and it comes with the 6 month warranty then that's a solid way to go right?

 

[sunday_driver]

Hi Stevie,

A friend is selling my old car (Milano in my photo) at £4995, advertised on PH and FB marketplace and is in much better condition than the cat you described. As you've mentioned, the problem being the car is in South Wales, but Chris's point remains, there's plenty of others around.

 

[Chris.]

Hey thanks Chris.

I've seen a few but I'm in scotland/Glasgow area and the others are 3-5 hour drive away which is a bit of a nightmare to arrange a meet and drive that far just to see it, so my thinking was if a local reseller/garage is willing to properly fix one up and it looks mint and it comes with the 6 month warranty then that's a solid way to go right?

It's worth travelling for the right example, try and find a cherished one. Flights from Glasgow to London etc aren't that expensive, and it's not like you're in Inverness so the drive whilst long, isn't the end of the world.

For what it's worth, the vast majority of side street garage warranties aren't worth the paper they're written on, doing all they can to wriggle out of claims.

 

[Wilmo]

If that is a Scottish car from new then it will tend to be more rusty simply due to the weather conditions up there.
Hondas have bullet proof engines and running gear but the bodies are the weak point.
Any rust however well sorted will eventually creep back, if the body is that bad I would be wary of the rear axle beam being rusty enough to crack.

2007 models are of course the earliest and so oldest ones out there, even if it's been tarted up and the issues solved then £4.5k sounds high.

 

[Stevzor]

Thanks for the replies guys, I am considering making a 5 hour drive to see an 08 plate one that looks in great condition and I spoke to the dealer about it, he said to me on the phone that there is zero rust on the car, in wheel arches etc and that the gearbox is great as it's been kept in great condition plus he offered to underseal the car for me if I was to go down to buy the car, as well as the car being 4k and an 08 plate over the current one close to me being repaired which is an 07 plate and 4.5k price.

So looks like I might be doing a road trip to get that one and if it does look in great shape when I am there I will probably take that one and drive it back home, would be a good test drive right? lol.

 

[Wilmo]

Sounds a better bet
Read this before you go as it will tell you what to look for:

FN2 - Buying guide/check list for the FN2 Civic Type R

A bit of this is borrowed from the EP3 buying guide as a lot of it carries over. I've edited out bits that don't apply to the FN2 and added bits that do. Engine & Drivetrain: Waterpump and belts seem ok? Check oil (& cap), coolant, other fluids for levels/condition Which oil is in the car ran...

type-r-owners.co.uk

 

[Stevzor]

Sounds a better bet
Read this before you go as it will tell you what to look for:

FN2 - Buying guide/check list for the FN2 Civic Type R

A bit of this is borrowed from the EP3 buying guide as a lot of it carries over. I've edited out bits that don't apply to the FN2 and added bits that do. Engine & Drivetrain: Waterpump and belts seem ok? Check oil (& cap), coolant, other fluids for levels/condition Which oil is in the car ran...

type-r-owners.co.uk

Yeh a ton of stuff to be checking lol.

I'm holding off to see how good a job my local garage does on an 07 reg one, yeh it had some rust/small holes around the wheel arch etc but I phoned him the other day and he's had the dents sorted and a body spray guy has took all the rust off the body and re-painted it, then it's next stop is to another garage to check the rust on the underside so if all goes well and the TLC put in makes it look stunning then I'm gonna go with that option.

I was also taking a look at the BMW Z4 cars, specifically the 3.0 which is around 240-250 bhp as I heard those are stunning cars and you can get an older model around 3-5k as well, was just something to keep in mind as a good idea but I'm pretty much set on the Honda.