Which Jap performance car to go for....

paul moore

Hey i have had this machine for just over a year,great handling,had a GT Starlet before,no comparison !!

tuxy

So you drag up a four month old thread to post pics of your car. It's not the first time you did it either. :rolleyes:

Atomic Pineapple

tuxy wrote:

So you drag up a four month old thread to post pics of your car. It's not the first time you did it either. :rolleyes:

haha was gonna drag it up myself in the next week or two to ask for some more opinions anyway :rolleyes:

tuxy

draffodx wrote:

haha was gonna drag it up myself in the next week or two to ask for some opinions anyway :rolleyes:

Well it would be good for you to post an update. But paul has no interest in offering advice, he just wants to post pics of his car.

Atomic Pineapple

indeed i'll be looking to buy in about two weeks so will have a few questions lined up before i make my final decision, if nothing else he saved me having to search for the thread

rowanh

What did you decide on? ID love to have 10-15K to buy a car. Id say if i was spending that much id go for an s13 or s15 silvia.

Atomic Pineapple

rowanh wrote:

What did you decide on? ID love to have 10-15K to buy a car. Id say if i was spending that much id go for an s13 or s15 silvia.

yeh i'd love an s15 but can only afford a spec s and would really want a spec r would like an s14a but the cost of running it with the turbo would just be too much, so its between an intgera type r and a celica ss-III

am very close to buying an integra

5500

Does it have to be a ukdm ITR?

Have you tried autotrader or www.itr-dc2.com if your looking to import from the uk?

Im in the same position myself but dont like the twin lights on the uk version,its annoying me that most itrs ive viewed have no airbags or abs either and in a car like that id be wanting at least the abs.

Theres no really a comparision between the ssIII and the itr tho,the celicas not slow at all but it just doesnt feel as raw as the honda and the rawness does it for me.

Silvas lovely and there becoming common hence there mad prices for a spec R,woudlnt buy the S as you'l kick yourself you didnt get a turbo

Atomic Pineapple

eireal wrote:

Does it have to be a ukdm ITR?

yes i actually prefer the twin round head lights to the japanese square lights and front, unfortunately a red or black one seems to jack the price up by atleast a grand, and with a holiday and ****** i wont be able to get as much money as i hoped so i might have to settle for a white one, which have actually grown on me

just after signing up to that website, thanks eireal

the muffin man

As previously said, S15 if you can afford one (bring it in from Japan yourself, plenty of sites out there if you search "Japan" & "Auctions") or S14a is gorgeous. I personally prefer the UK-DM ITRs as opposed to the JDM ones. You can fit aftermarket HIDs into the round headlamps & they look the part! :cool:

Having driven both the S15 & ITR they're very different beasts. I'm assuming you want a standard car so on that basis:

S15:
- Rear wheel drive & all the associated fun (but may take a while to get used to especially in the wet)
- Turbo, so you can stay off-boost & still keep the mpg reasonably low
- Spec-R can be had for approx 14.5-17k but you can get them on the cheaper end if you look hard enough.
- Superb handing
- Gorgeous & if you get bored of it for whatever reason there's a lot of people who will want them when their prices fall a bit

ITR:
- VTEC howl is just amazing!
- Can be a bit boy-racer-esque image especially with the spoilers etc a lot come with
- UK cars are subject to rust because of salted roads so make sure if you do get one that you check for rust in the arches, underneath, & around the radiator & get it de-rusted & undersealed asap so you'll never have to worry about it again.
- Torque-steer can catch you out so again may take a while to get used to
- Plenty of them out there so spare parts shouldn't be an issue if needed

S14a
- Same as S15 but if it's originally a UK car, the rust issue applies the same as the ITR.
- Cheaper than the S15 but depending on your taste, slightly better-looking or "nearly an S15"!
- Easier to get parts for & sometimes cheaper than an S15
- Like the ITR crowd there's a Nissan 200SX Owner's Club & forum; the Irish section of the site has a pretty good following too so plenty of locals to meet up with & get help from. Quite a friendly crowd, no gobsh1tes either which is refreshing!

Hope that helps a bit & good luck!

Atomic Pineapple

the muffin man wrote:

ITR:
- UK cars are subject to rust because of salted roads so make sure if you do get one that you check for rust in the arches, underneath, & around the radiator & get it de-rusted & undersealed asap so you'll never have to worry about it again.

thanks for the info muffin man! would this still apply if the car had no rust what so ever i have looked at one imported from the uk and there is no rust whatsoever on it would you still think it would need to be sealed?

and the torque steer, what exactly is that? i havent come across it before!?

FOGOFUNK

draffodx wrote:

and the torque steer, what exactly is that? i havent come across it before!?

It happens in powerful front wheel drive cars. If you floor it, the steering will veer off violently. Just keep a firm grip on the the wheel!

paul moore

A little advice on the Celica, as your probably aware it has super strut suspension, I can assure you once the clocks up about 60k you will get all this knocking in the front; and what a job to fit the new parts !
Im just after replacing mine and parts alone were €900 !!!
(Sorry for posting pics of the car)

5500

draffodx wrote:

thanks for the info muffin man! would this still apply if the car had no rust what so ever i have looked at one imported from the uk and there is no rust whatsoever on it would you still think it would need to be sealed?

Make sure to take out the spare wheel and look for signs of water pooling and look behind the plastic boot mouldings at the covers of the rear lights,rust seems to form in behind there too.

Theres a chance the one you looked at had been waxoiled in the uk hence no rust.

Check out www.pistonheads.co.uk

I was looking at a few on there myself,after allowing for Vrt ect though it would seem cheaper to buy here than in the uk unless its a high miler

Atomic Pineapple

yeh looked into that myself eireal, they seem to be fetching high prices in the uk and when taking in vrt its about 1k to 2k dearer than a similiar car here, bit of a pity because some nice examples in the uk

Gumbo

draffodx wrote:

surely a 1.6 integra cant out run a 2.0 mr2 sure the mr2 must have about 80 - 100 more horsepower??

no mate, a 1.6 honda integra contains 160bhp (asssuming the sports DOHC version), while the 2 litre MR2 has approx 140bhp.

the teg would leave it for dust im afraid!

Atomic Pineapple

hhhmmm i wasnt aware the 1.6 integra had that much power :eek:

the muffin man

draffodx wrote:

they seem to be fetching high prices in the uk and when taking in vrt its about 1k to 2k dearer than a similiar car here, bit of a pity because some nice examples in the uk

The one thing I would say is that the UK cars are a lot more plentiful & you've a better selection. VRT or not, you're getting a better car if you source one yourself in the UK cause their roads are generally better & a lot of times the mileage will be lower. Just something to bear in mind! Even if you don't make a saving, you'll get more bang for your buck if you look carefully.

5500

draffodx wrote:

hhhmmm i wasnt aware the 1.6 integra had that much power :eek:

Only the old Xsi tegs came in vtec form,after that the only vtec model's were the 1.8 sir and then type r

Atomic Pineapple

the muffin man wrote:

The one thing I would say is that the UK cars are a lot more plentiful & you've a better selection. VRT or not, you're getting a better car if you source one yourself in the UK cause their roads are generally better & a lot of times the mileage will be lower. Just something to bear in mind! Even if you don't make a saving, you'll get more bang for your buck if you look carefully.

yeh your definately right, looked up a few today on the net and even the photos of them look better, i wont be able to travel to the ok with work though, anyone wanna go over and get me one and i'll pay them???

Atomic Pineapple

can i just ask a question about the tiptronic transmission on an altezza, was wondering what is it like? is it the flappy paddle style thing? what does it feel like? i've only ever driven a manual would it be hard to get used to triptronic?

5500

Anyjoy with an integra yet?I just picked up a 00 Jdm ITRx most definitly the best car ive owned so far,stick with the teg if you havnt found a car already!

the muffin man

How much did it set you back do you mind me asking?

smash

get a supra...

Atomic Pineapple

eireal wrote:

Anyjoy with an integra yet?I just picked up a 00 Jdm ITRx most definitly the best car ive owned so far,stick with the teg if you havnt found a car already!

finances havent worked out as i planned so i only have about 11k to spend now and finding a ukdm version within budget is proving impossible and insuring a jdm version is impossible so i'd kind of given up on the integra.

was looking at maybe a civic coupe vti or a accord sir-t, not ideal, my heart wants an integra type r but beggers cant be choosers i suppose

5500

Draff,found this post on another site it may be worth a look

http://www.racershaven.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29655

I Think this is my third time putting this thread up now, And one genuine person has came to look at the car and had to pull out of deal due to financial problems. The car is very tight, and going very well. It is going in to body shop over weekend for a full t-coat, valet inside and out, and getting slight damage to front bumper repaired so will be in great condition for new owner.


Spec:

Sept 2000 car,
89,000 miles,
Milano Red,
standard uk edition alloys,
f+b strut,
all original type r parts(gear nob, momo s/w, carbon fibre dash,lsd, etc)
Has original black recaro interior in good condition.
Original Honda alarm and immobiliser,
Good CD Player,
Original Speakers,
Engine is completely standard, along with rest of car.
Car is very easy on petrol due to it being standard.
It is the uk spec type r, and it is still on uk plates.
I will email pics of car upon request if interested.
Pm me or phone me on 086 33308536.

BIG PRICE DROP TO 7K FOR CASH DEAL ONLY (COMPLETE BARGAIN)

I WILL HOWEVER CONSIDER PART EXCHANGE WITH CONSIDERABLY LESSER VALUE CAR, BUT PLEASE NO MORE STUPID OFFERS. Thanks for looking

Atomic Pineapple

yeh eireal thanks for that, been talking to that chap over on driver.ie about it and would take it off his hands but i haven't had time to sell my focus with my father goin into hospital, ****** and now i'm away on holidays on sunday so hopefully i'll get it sold after holidays and start looking for a ne car with cash then.

thanks for the post

Wibbs

You won't regret the type r. Have one myself. Great car. Practical, good on juice if you take it handy and with bulletproof build quality. I know a guy in wexford with 260,000+ Kms on one. Still on the original clutch. The only things he's replaced are distributer and radiator and part of the exhaust. Mad. I will say that they are a very raw car, which is bloody marvelous as a drivers car, but on long journeys the harshness can be wearing. You do get used to it though.

The advice I would give you is to drive a couple. I was surprised how different the same model car can feel. The UKDM has a couple of advantages over the JDM. Smaller wheels which is better on our roads.:D Rear window wiper, which often get removed, but are very handy in our weather. I miss having one on my JDM. The UKDM as you said, have ABS, airbags as standard. You can certainly get JDMs with all that. I'd say most post 98 JDM's I've seen have that. Of course I had to get a 98 spec without all of the above. Damn thing didn't even have a radio or aircon.:D ABS would be good though. Very powerful brakes on the car and in the wet it needs a bit of delicacy at times. The power diffs between the UKDM and JDM are very slight in the real world. Mostly down to petrol RON. The look is what it really comes down to, tthough I found the JDM to have better headlights power wise. As a future classic(wrong forum I know:D ) the UKDM in standard trim will be rarer, though a standard JDM in an unusual colour(silver/yellow) will be equally rare in the future.

Things to watch for beyond the obvious;

As was mentioned, rust. This is rare on JDM's but very very common on the UKDMS. Beyond the salting of the roads Honda fitted plastic gators in the rear wheel wells on UKDMs and that traps the moisture. If they're still fitted get em off. Chances are pretty high there will be some rust there. Look for overspray in that rear quarter area on a UKDM. UKDM's are more likely to suffer rust on the leading edge of the bonnet too.

Check for a high idle when warmed up. Usually a simple sticking valve(PCM IIRC), but hassle enough to clean out.

Make sure the ABS light comes on for a few seconds after you start her up.

Check rad for leaks on top and bottom seal.

The synchros on the gearbox can be a weak point, especially if hard driven. Difficulty selecting 3rd being the first to show up, 5th being next to go. Go through the gears fast on a test drive just to see.

Rear wheel bearings can be a weak point. Also check for warped brake discs.

Make sure the VTEC cuts in when it should and check when the cam belt was done last. I'd change it anyway as one of the first things I'd do.

They can leak into the cabin from the boot area so check in the spare wheel well. Also check for cracks in the roof seams where the end of the rubber roof strips join the boot lid. More likely on a car with hard mileage. Track days are popular in the UK and they can be very hard on a car, naturally.

Check CV joints. They can go on quite low mileage examples. Expensive enough to repair.

Recaro side bolsters start to sag at higher mileages. They can be replaced but they are a good judge in checking the accuracy of the mileage.

That should be it really.:D

Good luck with the car and change the oil regularly. I do mine every 4000KMs Anal I know, but.... Keep it topped up as they can use oil though that varies massively between different cars. Mine uses none at all, but a mates one drinks the stuff and it's lower mileage and well looked after. Fully synthetic regular oil changes are a must.

smash

So have you decided what to get yet?

Don't rule out the GTO.... mines a beauty!

tuxy

steve06 wrote:

So have you decided what to get yet?

Don't rule out the GTO.... mines a beauty!

He already ruled out a supra(on page 2) because of tax,insurance and running costs.
How much cheaper would a GTO be to run?