• Registered users are encouraged to enable MFA/2FA to add an aditional layer of security to their account. More information can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/activate-2-step-verification-on-your-email

My 2005 Vivid Blue Pearl EP3 Type R

Messages
3
Hey! I just bought my fourth Honda and first Type R.

My last Honda was a EUDM EK4 VTi, which I had for almost 5 years and drove daily (100.000 km in total). Loved it to bits, and it never had a single hiccup, and that car singlehandedly hooked me on the brand.
After 5 years of ownership, an opportunity to buy a Supra came up, so I let the EK4 go and jumped the gun. I don't regret getting the Supra, but it was not fit for me, so 3 years after I sold my Supra, I decided that I wanted an EP3.

I didn't really have any criteria for what I wanted exactly, but I just kept looking at what was coming up for sale in my own country and the neighbouring countries (I live in Denmark). Then suddenly a very vague sales ad for a blue EP3 came up for sale in Sweden, but the car looked mint and it had supposedly only done 99.000 kilometers / 61.500 miles.
I thought the color looked really interesting, because I generally hadn't seen them in that color before. I tried Googling "Blue EP3's" and stuff, but basically no results came up. I later found out from talking to Honda Denmark that only a total of 132 cars were produced in Vivid Blue Pearl, and they were all sold as a last year color run, and only on European EP3 Type R's. He sent me this table showing the sales figures in Europe:

xZ8BrP2.png


The seller was hard to get ahold of, and I had only ever seen 2 exterior photos of the car, but I fell completely in love with the blue so long story short, I followed my gut feeling and set sail for Sweden.
Turned out the car was in really good shape. It's a 15 year old car, so it's not flawless, but it was 99% stock and had no mechanical issues.

The car was originally sold in Sweden and has driven there all its life, being stowed away every winter. Even though they don't salt their roads in Sweden, it was still put away for winters - and I will continue to do that because they definitely salt like crazy here in Denmark.

So yeah, I've had the car for a little over a month now. It was such a great feeling to come back to an analogue car, after driving a newer Fiesta for the past 3 years (which I still have but I haven't really used it the past month).
It is currently sitting externally OEM. Only non-OEM things currently is the cold air intake (which is temporary, I have another one waiting to be mounted) and the radio.

I really, really want to keep it OEM but oh my god I'm itchy to buy rims or something. Who knows what I'll do, just as long as I can convert it back.
Anyway, here's a bunch of photos of the car.

Thanks!

PhTWkKY.jpg

OkCcTog.jpg

NZQduOK.jpg

7iyGVlC.jpg

u2byl1W.jpg

sMqCV1x.jpg

Fxa3dRW.jpg

FeRWaRN.jpg

i5VHmer.jpg

7le6nkZ.jpg

sARs5UE.jpg

3Gdi3om.jpg
 
very nice!

I see the centre console heater controls are different to other EP3's too. Or was this a later update too?
 
The center console heater controls are mechanical in this one. I have yet to determine what markets/years has the other kind of knobs though.
If you have the electronic knobs, you're lucky! These knobs were such a PITA to align and assemble correctly when I had to change the headunit.

It took around 4½ hours, mainly because of the wires running from the knobs behind the dashboard.
 
mine has also the mechanic controls and they are ****, the cable from temperature button keeps (bending) due to design of the system and it is not working anymore. replacing it is not cheap or easy job.
 
Back
Top