"this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata" (fantastic-mr-foxbody)
09/24/2015 at 20:15 • Filed to: notadiesel.com
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"this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata" (fantastic-mr-foxbody)
09/24/2015 at 20:15 • Filed to: notadiesel.com | 0
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I’ve been thinking about one as a daily. Seems like a happy medium in the GTI range, with stuff like ABS and airbags and leather while still being a somewhat reasonable size and weight. VR6 option seems pretty cool too. Most importantly, I think it would be good to mix things up since I’ve driven nothing but Japanese cars for a long time.
Biggest question is really whether buying a cheap high miler is absolute suicide.
Also, how do they drive? How are they to work on? Turbo or NA 6? Are parts expensive? Is there are already two civics in the family, and cops profile the shit out of hondas here a good enough reason to not buy the obvious 4th or 5th gen three door Civic? Does the turbo motor pretend it’s a TDI when the feds come around? If 42 Miata is the answer, what is the question?
Help me Oppowan Koenigseggobi, you’re my only hope that isn’t VWVortex!
*shudders*
Edit: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
RallyWrench
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
09/24/2015 at 20:33 |
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The 2.0L 4 cylinder is almost impossible to kill. The 12V VR6 is a good engine, but will need a timing chain and guides if past 100k or so. They’re also kind of a pain to work on, and all the plastic cooling system parts will need replacement (the pipe under the manifold and thermostat housing specifically). The tranmissions don’t take abuse too well but can last a long time if serviced and driven thoughtfully. Little electrical stuff will pop up, and the instrument clusters are problematic, but they don’t often leave people stranded. They’ll rust around the windows in climates with salt. The MkIII was never available as a turbo, that’s the MkIV 1.8T, which I don’t care for (the engine, that is). The interiors aren’t too bad for a car of their time, but they’ll squeak and rattle and the leather will pull at the seams and tear in wear areas. The cloth wears much better. The internet gives them a bad rap, but I’ve worked on them for a long time and I’d daily one. It won’t be a Civic, but they can be fun.
Übel
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
09/24/2015 at 20:35 |
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How are they to work on?
Frequent
Turbo or NA 6
They never made a turbo, buuut between the 16v and the VR6, go VR6
Otherwise, I’m a MkIV guy so can’t really comment on driving. Parts shouldn’t be too expensive, but they’re going to cost more than Honda parts. I’m not a fan of the MkIII styling personally, but that’s just personal taste.
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this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> RallyWrench
09/24/2015 at 20:38 |
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Hmm, doesn’t sound too shabby. By ‘won’t be a civic’ do you mean it won’t be as reliable and cheap, or won’t even drive was well?
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this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> Übel
09/24/2015 at 20:45 |
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“Frequent” lol, fantastic...
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Übel
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
09/24/2015 at 20:49 |
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Well if you’re coming from Hondas, it’s just something you’ll have to brace for. I’m loathe to call the unreliable, but I wouldn’t recommend one to a non-car guy. Everything major is perfectly reliable (especially those 12v VR6s), but things here and there are going to go wrong. Totally worth it in the end, but it can be a real killer if you’re not prepared and able to handle it.
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this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> Übel
09/24/2015 at 20:58 |
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Well I’ve dealt with a couple total lemon japanese cars (not hondas..) so it can’t be that bad haha.
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Übel
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
09/24/2015 at 21:06 |
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Well if you don’t mind wrenching, then gopher it, that’s really the only big point with the car. If it’s anything like the MkIV (again, I really know nothing about the driving characteristics of the MkIII), it should be absolutely worth the work