Learn Me: EP3 Civics

The extremely clean Civic hatchback posted in the open classifieds put these back on my radar, and I was amazed to find several cheap to extremely cheap examples on my local list o' craigs.

Would one of these be a reasonable rallycross steed? The ones I'm seeing tend to be less hacked up and less rusty than the older cars. I understand that the stock SI doesn't have a limited slip, but that is a solvable problem.

I know that this is the first model that switched to a macstrut, which means they're a bit of a redheaded stepchild to the Honda faithful, but are they that bad?

We had one as a project car back in the day. Yeah, don't lower it too much.

Turned up this thread through some googling

https://classicmotorsports.com/forum/grm/04-civic-si-learn-me/13070/page1/

Nothing too scary in there. There are 3 or 4 locally under 3k.

A friend of mine has one as a daily. Last time we talked about it, he was still happy. He had a 2000 Si back in the day, but it was stolen. This one is less likely to suffer that fate.

EP3s are great and are really affordable right now. Honda loyalists may turn their nose up at the macstruts, but they are extremely capable little machines. And the k20 is a killer engine even though the U.S. got a relatively detuned version. They do not take to lowering very well though, at least, not compared to their DWB ancestors.

I pondered an ep3 not long ago. The honda tax drove me to look at a SVT focus. Ended up with the focus and was extremly satisfied.

Food for thought:

EP3 Civic Si: 160hp/132tq/~2700lbs Cruze LT: 138hp/148tq/3100lbs

The Civic is undoubtedly more fun (and practical), just sad to see that, with the march of time, Honda's top-tier civic offering barely noses out a bargain basement econobox from GM

calteg wrote: Food for thought: EP3 Civic Si: 160hp/132tq/~2700lbs Cruze LT: 138hp/148tq/3100lbs The Civic is undoubtedly more fun (and practical), just sad to see that, with the march of time, Honda's top-tier civic offering barely noses out a bargain basement econobox from GM

I don't think I'd say the Honda "barely" edges out a Cruze at 20hp more and 400lbs less a decade earlier, but alas. The problem is that Honda didn't see fit to put the "good" K20 (A2) in the EP3 for the US. That motor went to the RSX Type-S instead, and THAT is still a honey of a car today - 200hp/142tq/2790lb.

In reply to 79rex:

I had an svt focus for a few short months, and my experience with that car led me to believe that something with a similar power/weight ratio would be a good rallycross and beginner hpde car. They trade for about the same amount around here and the Honda's tend to look less rusty.

That and I've never played with a Honda and their lego-like swappability, so that has me intrigued as well.

A Cruze is a strange one to compare to an EP3 to talk about progress considering that the EP3 will still smoke it 15 years later for 1/4-1/3 the money.

Also, there was a time when most of the best handling cars in the world didn't have mcpherson struts up front, but that time has ended and many of the best handling 'normal' cars in the world now DO have mcpherson strut front ends. Likewise, what used to be considered too heavy (3700 lbs, for example) for great handling is now a common weight for cars considered to have excellent handling. I dont even think much of it has to do with architecture. I think it's mostly in superior factory tuning.

Either way, the EP3 is light and still has pretty good power for its weight. If we hadn't all known how much of a could-have-been it was regarding the K20a2 with 200hp, it would have been received much better from the get-go.

Vigo wrote: Either way, the EP3 is light and still has pretty good power for its weight. If we hadn't all known how much of a could-have-been it was regarding the K20a2 with 200hp, it would have been received much better from the get-go.

What can I say, I enjoy strange comparisons. Agreed on the K20a2...if you're going to force me into a non-independent suspension Honda, at least give me a hatch.