Hello from North Wales!

[antisanta]

Hey all, first time poster long time reader.

I'm 23 from North Wales and well tonight I fell in love with an ITR aha.
In the last 5-6 months i've gone from wanting an EP3, to an Astra VXR (I currently have a mk4 SRi) to an Astra Gsi back to an EP3.. you get the idea, but the Integra has always been there! I've liked the cars for years, always been a fan of Honda's from although never owned one!
It's nearly time for me to buy a new car, i'm just having to wait till March.. not long to go.. and I was almost certain I would be getting a Focus ST because I have been leaning toward a comfy cruiser that has some power for b road blasts and a bit of grin factor. But, the other night I got a insurance quote from Greenlight on an ITR just as a matter of interest and it came out cheaper than a UK EP3 and a Focus ST (Previously ive had quotes anywhere from 2k+) so I started to have a look at cars for sale and saw this on ek9.org.

http://www.ek9.org/forum/cars-sale/55029-integra-dc5-black.html and now i'm just pissed that I can't get it yet lol

So now ive joined this site to get some more info on the car as a potential owner/buyer to see what to look out for. I've driven an ST already and it was a lot of fun to be honest, lots of torque and easy to drive, but i've contacted a local-ish garage (200 mile round trip >_<) to see if I can test drive a teg they have for sale. I'm hoping after that I will get an idea of what car I want, a raw screamer or a subtle comfy cruiser.. cause at the moment i'm simply lost.

Anyway enough rambling, hello to everyone.

Brian

 

[Mark_teg]

Hi Brian and welcome fellow welshie

Just double check that quote that it's for a 2litre import. I know Greenlight are very competitive at the moment, but doesn't sound right to be cheaper than an ep3.
Good luck on your hunt! I'm sure you'll love a teg

 

[antisanta]

Haha north or south mate?
Yeah it was definitely for a type-R import. I'm not talking a massive difference like, an EP3 was £900 and an ITR was £800, but still was a nice surprise!

 

[Mark_teg]

Definitely a nice surprise! I'll be trying them come renewal this year..

South, near Cardiff. There's a couple more of us on here - Dave and Adam near Newport and Simon near Carmarthen IIRC..

 

[antisanta]

blahh, North Wales seems to be a dead zone for any forum goers! It's the same for focusstoc! Ah well, it's all part of the fun having a bit of a drive for any potential meets

 

[CaLi]

welcome where abouts in north wales are you?

 

[antisanta]

Flintshire, near Mold! Thanks for the facebook group, mind if I pass it on to the lads on focusstoc? Or is it exclusively Hondas?

 

[mike.williams]

welcome mate, some of the best roads are in north wales and im glad i get to drive them

 

[davidpingu]

Welcome mate, I'm also from down South. :xwavey:

It all comes down to personal preference so its difficult to convince you on a decision. I've driven both and to me they are in a completely different league.

This is just my opinion and I definitely advise you drive both for yourself:

ST is more growly as standard, feels fast and will probably feel like a big improvement over your Astra. For what they are, they handle pretty well (think the one I drove was on lowering springs) and they give you that big dose of boost people love.

To me though its just the common family car with a volvo engine lumped in it. Its a Ford so will depreciate a lot, its common as muck and I made the assumption it will probably cost a fortune over any length of ownership. The reason I say that is because they eat tyres with the mass of torque they have, they average about 25mpg and potentially any turbo engine wants for a little more attention in the repairs department than N/A - Impreza's and Evo's case in point. When I was considering all the cars you mentioned: ST, VXR, EP3 and DC5 I also took image in to account. Theres far less DC5 owners of the baseball cap variety :xgrin: - Having said that as they are getting cheaper that may change??? You'll find the majority of owners are really decent, friendly and sensible people though. They take other road users in to consideration, keep the heroics on the track and this forum I'd say is much more grown up in its image than the likes of CTRO for example. - The other benefit to that is people actually know what they are talking about as opposed to opinionated and unevidenced comments such as "S2000 owns the DC5 bra!" :xlol:

Having stated the above I know the ST engine is quite down tuned, possibly with longevity in mind so we'll see how that plays out. Only other things I'd say about the ST is its still depreciating quite heavily but it does offer some very good value bang for you buck. £1k spend in performance mods on a DC5 and your probably looking at maybe an extra 15 - 20 bhp? £1k spend on an ST and your probably looking at more like a 70bhp hike but of course that could be at the expense of longevity quite possibly.

The last thing I find with the ST is that it has the most annoying flat spot off launch. Its the car at war with itself trying to control the masses of torque with a pretty mediocre TC system. Perhaps best to drive it yourself to be the judge of that though. Not at all knocking this car though, it has its strengths and they are pretty rapid and tidy inside. I do think the original shape front end is possibly starting to date now though what do you think?

The DC is mostly the opposite to the above. N/A, much higher RPM's (which is much more fun IMO!) lower torque not that I can say I really notice with it being a good bit lighter. Solid reliability and much more track focused. In a straight line probably very little between the cars but around a track it would seriously embarrass the ST. 4 pot Brembos (that just look the dogs!) the masses of rigidity given in all of the standard front and rear strut braces and a mechanical diff which is far superior to a TC system means the DC has a great deal more cornering efficiency and the lower torque has its benefits too. Smoother delivery of power through corners, kinder to its tyres and much more fuel economical.

Of course theres the rarity factor to add and they will hold their value far better than the ST. Its also a farcry from the older Honda's in the comfort department. Much more refined so not actually as bad as you might think if noise levels etc are a concern on motorway runs.

Had a look at the DC in the link. Looks very clean :xyes: - Sounds like a bit of an argument caused there though! The old Mcpherson vs double wishbone arguement lol.

The way I understand it is yes double wishbone does have its benefits over Mcpherson but theres plenty of reasons why Mcpherson is the modern design. Its a marginal thing too. The way it was explained to me is that all modern 200mph+ super cars use Mcpherson so????

Lots of opinions from people that have never even driven one too! :xtsk:

Now I have one I want for nothing else and thats a first for me as I've had my share of cars! As said at the begining though, its all opinions so take both out for a drive. Both good cars but for most of us here you'll find we all say the DC is better. Wonder why?

 

[Mark_teg]

Brian, you may want to read this thread about the teg you've posted:


http://www.itr-dc5.com/forum/index.php?/topic/31059-Hello-from-sunny-Blackpool!/page__view__findpost__p__299368

 

[antisanta]

Wow, @davidpingu, what a response!

Funnily enough I was speaking to my mate last night about the teg and the other cars I was interested in and he said "if you're after an exciting car before you have to get a serious head on, then why are you looking at a family hatch with a big engine? get the f***** teg!" Pretty much echoing davidpingu.
Basically, i'm now 23, been with the GF 5 years and were saving for a mortgage soon, this is going to be the last proper car I will be able to have unless I have a change of career or win the lottery, so I want something special and exciting that's going to put a smile on my face everyday. Just from this post thread alone you seem a friendly bunch and it's good to know (thanks to CaLi) that there is quite a following up in North Wales, it's a similar feeling on focusstoc. Image is important to me, I wasn't planning on an orange ST.. okay I was haha, but in terms of aesthetics the teg is one of the best looking cars out there IMO. What I want from the car is a fun involving drive, one I can cruise comfortably in but give it some stick around wales when I want to, I also want the car to insprire confidence in the corners, similar to that of the clio RS 200 and I want it to be special. I do plan to track it maybe once a year and a life long dream of mine is to go the Nuremberg ! I bet you're thinking why the ST then? The modding potential is a draw I won't lie, I also love the ST3 spec, full heated leathers etc, looks the business. But am I still to young for that sensible look? probably.

The depreciation is a bit of an issue if i'm honest, you can pick up an ST for pennies nowadays with prices anywhere from 5k-8k with not a lot different on the surface. Where as the DC5 for a decent one is still around 8k, even higher for lower milage examples.

I have drove an ST and it was a lot of fun, the low down torque made overtaking a breeze but it did feel a bit heavy! I couldn't give it full lead foot though cause its my mates car and hes had it like a month haha.

@ Mark_Teg, Thanks a lot for the link. That's a bit of a shock to be honest and shows exactly why these some of community forums have become a must for me when buying a new car. I only last night read about the horror story about the teg in North Wales for sale that had been crashed :/.. I'm hoping they aren't all like that! Considering they are imports i'm guessing tracking down their history is a bit of a problem haha. I know what happened to the black teg in the link is only minor but still, it's annoying that the guy selling it doesn't mention it in the advert, people really should disclose that kind of stuff.

I've enquired about a test drive in a teg... http://www.tradecarsalesnottingham.co.uk/used-cars/honda-integra-nottingham-201237484581256

it's the closest one to me (200 mile round trip - FML) so I can get an idea of what they are like to drive before I drag my ass down to torque-GT for example, where they all seem to be!

Thanks again for the awesome welcome guys

Edit; I'd like to add that i've been a passenger in an EP3 with a K-100 and that was no slouch. He drove it well though and it seemed pretty rewarding!

Edit 2: the car in the link is a cat D. Fml.

 

[Mark_teg]

The best place to buy a Teg is off this forum! You can research the user and get to know the kind of person they are (helps to me anyway) and they'll often post the kind of problems they may have had as well as the maintenance so you get to know the car as well!

Something will come along

 

[davidpingu]

Wow, @davidpingu, what a response!

Funnily enough I was speaking to my mate last night about the teg and the other cars I was interested in and he said "if you're after an exciting car before you have to get a serious head on, then why are you looking at a family hatch with a big engine? get the f***** teg!" Pretty much echoing davidpingu.
Basically, i'm now 23, been with the GF 5 years and were saving for a mortgage soon, this is going to be the last proper car I will be able to have unless I have a change of career or win the lottery, so I want something special and exciting that's going to put a smile on my face everyday. Just from this post thread alone you seem a friendly bunch and it's good to know (thanks to CaLi) that there is quite a following up in North Wales, it's a similar feeling on focusstoc. Image is important to me, I wasn't planning on an orange ST.. okay I was haha, but in terms of aesthetics the teg is one of the best looking cars out there IMO. What I want from the car is a fun involving drive, one I can cruise comfortably in but give it some stick around wales when I want to, I also want the car to insprire confidence in the corners, similar to that of the clio RS 200 and I want it to be special. I do plan to track it maybe once a year and a life long dream of mine is to go the Nuremberg ! I bet you're thinking why the ST then? The modding potential is a draw I won't lie, I also love the ST3 spec, full heated leathers etc, looks the business. But am I still to young for that sensible look? probably.

The depreciation is a bit of an issue if i'm honest, you can pick up an ST for pennies nowadays with prices anywhere from 5k-8k with not a lot different on the surface. Where as the DC5 for a decent one is still around 8k, even higher for lower milage examples.

I have drove an ST and it was a lot of fun, the low down torque made overtaking a breeze but it did feel a bit heavy! I couldn't give it full lead foot though cause its my mates car and hes had it like a month haha.

@ Mark_Teg, Thanks a lot for the link. That's a bit of a shock to be honest and shows exactly why these some of community forums have become a must for me when buying a new car. I only last night read about the horror story about the teg in North Wales for sale that had been crashed :/.. I'm hoping they aren't all like that! Considering they are imports i'm guessing tracking down their history is a bit of a problem haha. I know what happened to the black teg in the link is only minor but still, it's annoying that the guy selling it doesn't mention it in the advert, people really should disclose that kind of stuff.

I've enquired about a test drive in a teg... http://www.tradecarsalesnottingham.co.uk/used-cars/honda-integra-nottingham-201237484581256

it's the closest one to me (200 mile round trip - FML) so I can get an idea of what they are like to drive before I drag my ass down to torque-GT for example, where they all seem to be!

Thanks again for the awesome welcome guys

Edit; I'd like to add that i've been a passenger in an EP3 with a K-100 and that was no slouch. He drove it well though and it seemed pretty rewarding!

Edit 2: the car in the link is a cat D. Fml.

Ha Ha yeh I think I've given myself a bit of a rep for long posts :xlol:

Still as long as its helpful.

I have to be honest though if you were to compare the 3 door version Focus with the Teg there is no difference in practicality except the fact the Teg seats 4 and not 5 which has caught me out once or twice lol

Other than that though its got a good size boot. I've transported a full size cooker in the back of mine and even got the boot to shut :xking:
Mine is my daily and was our only family car (wife and a 3 year old) til recently when we bought a second car. Never a problem!

There's guys on here who use theirs to transport mountain bikes and everything!

If you intend to do some track days then DC for sure!

Sorry to hear you haven't had much luck finding a non crashed one yet! As Mark says though here is a great place to be looking. I often question why an owner wouldn't be a member here if they really cared about their car!

 

[antisanta]

Very helpful!

Haha well I was after an ST3 anyway which is only a 4 seater . Yeah I go mountain biking in the summer so being able to fit my bike in the boot would be an advantage , don't think a roof rack would be too classy. Well if I could get one off here or type-r-owners it would be great, but I don't really want a modded one, takes the fun out of doing it myself and noticing the difference . Also my budget is 7.5k, wouldn't want to go over 8k, will I be able to get one for that price thats not a cat-D? haha. I know mileage isn't a big issue but I would prefer one that is fairly low like 60-70k as I plan on keeping it a couple of years

Yeah I wouldn't be tracking it every week but its something i'd like to do .

 

[mike.williams]

You may be able to get a facelift for your budget,

Regarding roof racks, you cant get them over here. You can in the USA.

The tegs boot is surprisingly big, many times i had my mtb in the back to take it to llandegla

 

[Gems]

Very helpful!

Haha well I was after an ST3 anyway which is only a 4 seater . Yeah I go mountain biking in the summer so being able to fit my bike in the boot would be an advantage , don't think a roof rack would be too classy. Well if I could get one off here or type-r-owners it would be great, but I don't really want a modded one, takes the fun out of doing it myself and noticing the difference . Also my budget is 7.5k, wouldn't want to go over 8k, will I be able to get one for that price thats not a cat-D? haha. I know mileage isn't a big issue but I would prefer one that is fairly low like 60-70k as I plan on keeping it a couple of years

Yeah I wouldn't be tracking it every week but its something i'd like to do .

You will be able to get one in that budget i'm sure as i just brought my one (2 days ago) for £6500, unmolested! Mine came with the c pack, wind deflectors and the silver trim pack on the interior and it is only on 61k on a 53 plate. Keep searching mate. It took me well over a year to find this one.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[Gems]

Also Cabin boy on here still has his for sale at £7900 with very low miles in the artic blue..... i'm pretty sure he is ok to negotiate on price too....

 

[antisanta]

I went wayy overboard with smileys on that last post haha. Good to hear about the boot! Llandegla is where I go also .
I'm partial to a PFL to be honest but good to know. Gems, that sounds like a bargain, pretty much bang on what i'd be after. I'l have a look at Cabin boys as i'm quite fond of the blue Problem is, I won't be able to get the funds together for a few weeks so I guess i've still got a little while to find the perfect one!

I'd travel wherever to to get the perfect one but the fact is I've never drove one, I found one for sale in Nottingham that was for sale at a garage and I hoped to go for a test drive but they didn't get back to me.. bastards! would be nice to know what they're like to drive before embarking on a up to 500 mile round trip to get one lol. i'l keep an eye!

Edit, Cabin boys is very nice. Does the C-pack include push start or is that another optional extra? Again its down south ahah 530 miles that one!

 

[mike.williams]

If mine was insured you could of come up and had a ganders. Im only in ellesmere port

 

[Gems]

are there none any where near you for sale for a test drive then? even if there over your budget just so you can get a feel for one? I went to Bristol to test drive one. I'm sure you wont be disappointed as i wasn't but your right to not want to drive all that way without a test drive. I just brought mine from wales