hondamark35

(Disclaimer: since all i know about it currently is based on looks and there is not a forum devoted to it... i figured i'd start here)

does anyone have any knowledge or info on these? i've seen one or two guys talk about them in an Integra thread, but why not start a dedicated thread..

i've found this so far:
Another awesome EK era wagon the US didn’t get. What makes it so awesome?
1. Available with a B20B and all wheel drive
2. It was built from ‘96 to ‘02 and the '02s might be one of the rarest Hondas in the game, only 136 were built that year
3. Just look at it!




cred: ekhatch

the looks are nice (stock look is pretty "grandma..") but this blue one is nice. i think i'll play around in photoshop to see what the civic front end is like on it...

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

Just as an FYI:

That blue Orthia belongs to Berman. It's a gorgeous car, that he tracks pretty often.

hondamark35

awesome! has he got it in the US or Europe? i'd be interested to know what it takes to get one street legal in the US... mostly out of curiosity. i've heard it's suposed to be a big pain and includes some big "fees."

i did a low-fi cut and paste in MSPaint (don't have photoshop here at work...) to get an idea of what that would look like. i know it's cliche to swap around front ends whilly-nilly, but in this case i think it looks very nice.

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

I prefer the Orthia clip to anything else in the EK-lineup, with exception to maybe the Domani clip.

As for Berman, I think he's from New Zealand.

Black95EJ1

That car is huge, it looks like a civic hearse.

hondamark35

haha. it does look big but i don't think the wheelbase is any longer than the sedan/coupe. i think the front bumper sticks out a little more than the civics.

i do like the Domani. it looks very upscale in comparison, almost like an accord or ITR.

the thing that intrigues me the most about the Orthia is the idea of a later model Civic Wagon. i think that's why i want to see it with the civic front end, as a "what if they had..?"

i know they quit making them because we got the CR-V in the US, and they are too similar to market together. but the CR-V doesn't suit my taste or driving style.

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

They got rid of the line, because they didn't sell as much as the Accord wagon and Odyssey. They didn't bring it to the USA, because we already had the Accord wagon and/or the Odyssey.

hondamark35

maybe, but the accord and odyssey are in a different segment. they aren't compact they are midsize. either way, there wasn't enought of a market for it which is the key point.

hushypushy

I'd drive an Orthia with a Domani front. They are pretty sweet looking cars, and if that dude is tracking his, it gives me hope as to how they perform.

Any interior shots? I'm interested to see what the front area is like, and especially what's behind the rear seats...

hondamark35

i've come across a few interior shots on sites selling them. most things apear identical to the civics. i saw a few with some pretty nice upholstry options... red and black pattern inserts on charcoal..!

found a few...

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

Well, there's really no "maybe" about it. That's what Honda released about the car, back in '98 (bugger all trying to find that document again).

The Odyssey back then, was more like a wagon anyways (compare an RA1 to anything after 1998).

eDdie28

EVOR_DC4

i seen a couple EK Hatch's and EK coupes with these conversions and i honestly think they look hideous, but it doesnt look too bad with the car itself as a wagon..

KNoTTo

i seen one in Japanese magazine swaped to B16B and EK9 front end + championship white

rhdjdm

wow that blue one is sick i had never even heard of these before i learn something new every day lol

ef nine

wow never see it before but the blue one does look sick man !!

PSU

iTrader: (2)

Haha, I'd prolly rock one.

They remind me of a Subaru.

NOFX

The front end you put on it isn't a "US front end", it's just a Civic front end.

Some pics I have. I can post more later.


^^^ This is an Integra SJ.

hondamark35

very true, thanks for catching that.

EL-R

Here are some pics of my old Orthia.

Mine came factory with a B18B and 5spd manual in it. After a few years it got boring so I swapped in an ITR motor and box with a few mods. It went nuts after that lol. I had also managed to get all the parts for an EK front conversion and a kit but ended up selling it before I could complete it. The guy that bought it off me has since completed a PFL EK front conversion on it and full kit and lowered it some more. I still regret selling it to this day.

redflaredcrx90

wow nice ride i hope to see a lot more of this car

crxd88

CLN4DOR

Where could i get this Orthia Front end?

plusone_ej8

iTrader: (6)

contact spoka he's selling his front

hondamark35

you can check out some of the Registered Importers (RI). i've been reading through the regulations on importation, it sounds like it's much easier to get part of a car (say... the front clip) from japan than a possibly drivable car. i'm assuming mostly due to not having to make it street legal and EPA approved.. so on..

wow.. the front end looks super long on that hatch!