Hopefully this is where I post about the ep3..

Just picked up a super clean 2002 - almost all stock. 188,000 km, black. Only mods are:

-RSX-S rear sway bar
-Magnaflow muffler
-AEM intake
-Red valve cover
-Red JDM badging + Odyssey badge + tow hook
-Quality tints

Pluses are:
-almost perfect exterior and not one speck of rust.
-OEM Honda CD changer! Never seen this before
-OEM fog switch in the cabin + heated mirrors

Plans for it:
-Rustproof the hell out of it forever
-RSX-S or Type-R 5 lug conversion
-Springs or coilovers, camber arms and strut tower braces
** IF possible, change over to 2003+ laser cut keys ** <-- would love to get some feedback on how possible this would be!!

-Fix minor cosmetic issues like broken air vents, and burned out dash bulbs
-Replace front seats with newer looking ones
-Short shifter, boot and shift ****
-New steering wheel OEM or other

This was supposed to be a winter "beater" but I can't call it that. I don't want to go nutz with performance mods right away, just make it a fun go kart like car to drive around in!

 

As far as shifters, I can't recommend the hybrid racing assembly more. It is hands down the absolute best choice- a complete billet aluminum and steel shifting mechanism replacement that eliminates all slop.

Definitely get coilovers instead of springs, or you'll be buying struts later and spending the same amount of money. I recommend Tein as a budget friendly, durable coilover.

Please keep the OEM steering wheel. Airbags save lives, my EP3 needed a new wheel and I chose to get an OEM one. Its airbag saved my life when I avoided a deer and flipped the car into a hillside. You can't foresee accidents, so prepare for them.

Never heard of the laser cut key option, but if you went with it you'll need to change all door cylinders and the ignition cylinder as well as have the imobilizer programmed

 

Ah - great; I will look into that shifter! Thanks for the other recommendations as well.

Regarding the laser cut keys, you`ll notice the `02s came with normal keys, and `03 + came with the flat looking `laser cut` key. It`s a small detail but at this point I`m just seeing how feasible it is. I also heard they have chips in them, matched to the ignition. If this is the case it should still be fine, but, I was also thinking that those types of keys may make it impossible to do a proximity type push to start setup. So at this point just trying to figure out some options. It is really more than likely the last thing on a massive list I will ever end up doing, but I like to at least have a roadmap of what I`d like to do with the car.