So I started putting together a list of things I wanted....
1, Practical - I do a fair amount of Carp fishing and this involves loads of stuff.
2, Fun - Wanted something that was fun to drive.
3, Reliable - I have an RX7 so it had to be something that would just work.
4, Petrol - Although diesel cars are economical it wasn't on my list.
5, Not a Project Car - something the missus told me repeatedly.
With these in mind I started putting lists together with the help of Stu, Ben, John B and Dom.
I started with a budget in mind but this was soon changed following my car choices.
First thoughts were a Subaru Estate, an Evo Estate, an Audi A3 Sportline, a Subaru Forester STI. These were all great cars but were soon discounted due to high running costs and my sensible head said not another turbo charged motor.
So.....it got me back to one Japanese manufacturer I had always admired some of the cars from......Honda !!
Initial thoughts were a DC5 but after a bit of a heated debate with the missus about another 'coupe' car and that the Rx7 would have to go as it would be silly to keep both I looked at other models. Plus also after looking at one and in the boot it had no room for my fishing gear
I knew of the Civics but were put off by the fact that every time you see one its usually driven by someone with music on loud, a cuddly toy hanging from the back and wearing a baseball cap. Nevertheless I thought the car would be worth a look on the cars value alone....
I tried an FN2 (last shape Type R - spaceship one) and despite the Honda garage rep thrashing the car from cold I had a go and thought it was pretty good, a bit of an odd mix inside but it drove well and the VTEC was great. After reading a lot on the web about terrible ride quality I felt I needed another go in one. But after a spirited ride in James supercharged EP3 (bread van shape) in the past I had a bit of a soft spot for them. So I managed to get a test drive in an EP3 first followed later in the day by an FN2. Now the EP3 blew me away by how compliant it was and how much fun it could be when thrashing. Then the FN2 which felt a bit softer engine wise and we went on the same roads and it just felt so crashy and bumpy....this was on the roads round the city and not an A or a B road.
So the decision was done......I was on the search for an EP3. In my reading I got to grips with all the variants and set my mind on a Premier (last special edition) because of the privacy glass and recaro seats. After not finding anything for a while, one came up that turned out to be an absolute dog......stank on the inside......felt really tired but the engine despite doing 90k still felt pretty tight.....a big tick for reliability.
I had heard and seen on Neweras website in the past a white EP3 they had imported for someone. A quick form filled out to Miguel had him replying saying he could get one for a shade more than a Premier but with the better spec.....white....red recaros....few more BHP engine......most importantly an LSD. Form filled out and the search was on for Miguel until in Jan I got a phone call at 4am (yes the missus was pleased, not!) saying one in an auction was ending in an hour and it met all my criteria. Now anyone who has bought a car from an importer knows that you get sent 3 pics and an auction sheet for a car that is over the other side of the world and you have to make your mind up there an then......at 4am and struggling to see I decided to go for it !
Wont bore you with all the to'ing and fro'ing that went on with the car being transferred within Japan and to the UK.....it was fun, frustrating, exciting and nerve racking........There is a moment of realisation when you think you have just bought a car on the other side of the world based on 3 pics. Luckily Miguel took plenty of the car and I have a good collection of 40 odd pics. This one was my favourite....
After counting the days until the car was ready to collect from RK Tuning (where the cars are registered) I collected it this weekend.
What a drive back, the car is stunning and as good as I had hoped plus the feedback from the other guys who saw it was good too. Why they never sold them in this country in white with the better spec is beyond me (they were all made in Swindon and then shipped to Japan for sale).
Ok so although I said it wasn't a project by the afternoon of first collection I had fitted some parts.....facelift arch liners, Honda Jazz washer jets, recaro harness cushions. I'd also sorted a Mugen exhaust (fitted by RK) and a Mugen air box (to be fitted by me later) as they were much much cheaper buying in Japan.
Some pics finally from today...
The most comfy seats I've ever been in !
This afternoon I fitted some speakers to the fronts....just a set of cheap Alpines, nothing fancy and the head unit should be done tomorrow after work.
So there we have it, its not as fast as the Rex but it puts a smile on my face every time I drove it and it meets the brief above......I called it Project Marmite as some people love or hate these cars......mostly because of the drivers.
Now no jokes about VTEC kicked in Yo.....or the engine has no torque etc......
Nice setting for the photos too! Would be good if we had a BP coastal run of some sort.
No comment 
