If you’re not too particular about that new car smell, there’re quite a few treasures to be found in the local used car market. Take the Toyota AE86 Trueno for example, it was made extremely popular in the local market by the Japanese racing themed anime, Initial D and was for a time one of the coolest cars to be seen in. Besides the Trueno, there’re other cars that have escaped the jaws of the salvage yard. Below are a couple of classics we found that will continue to live long happy and brisk-paced lives away from the scrap yard.

Honda Civic EG9 (1992 – 1995)

A car that has risen to almost meteoric status among boyracers is the Honda Civic EG9. It’s popularity stems from the power and the ability of its B16A VTEC engine to accept bolt on parts easily. On top of that, the shark-like appearance of its front fascia won many fans (boyracers definitely) over.

Even though the stock engine of a Honda Civic Si EG9 comes with 150bhp, enough to garner respect both on the track and off, a huge tuning industry has been built around this version alone.

In the US tuning scene, these Civic EG9s are still a force to be reckoned with. Tuners are still picking old heaps up to breathe new life (and horsepower) into them with the plethora of hop-up parts available.

What to look out for

The car being more than 10 years old probably has quite a high mileage. First thing you should check are the suspension. Take it out for a drive and see if it’s soaking up the bumps as it should. A jarring ride might mean that the suspension is shot. Check the brakes too. Make sure they’re still stopping the car without using too much pedal pressure.

If you have to stamp on it to make it stop, it means the brake cable might be too loose or the brake linings have worn out. Finally, make sure the ‘check engine’ warning indicator isn’t lighted on the dashboard. If the light is on, it might indicate a serious fault with the engine or it might just be faulty circuitry but it’ll be safer to walk away.