Hey guys, just picked up a black 2007 Fit Sport 5MT with 89,000 miles a few nights ago. Got it locally through craigslist from the first and only owner, who I believe is a member here. Clean title, no stories on Carfax, inspected by Honda dealership at seller's request two weeks ago. Coilpacks, rotors, and VTEC spool valve all replaced within past year. Got it for $7,000 sitting on the Sport wheels with all season Potenzas and a set of Fit steelies with Blizzak WS60 winter tires in the back. Plenty of tread left on all 8 tires. Thinking I did pretty well.



First and only car until this point has been an 06 Mitsubishi Evo IX MR. Daily driver, snow plowing through the alley, bike rack on top, you name it, the car has done it all. Last year (after dailying it with 400+ whp for years) the motor let go. After a lot of soul searching, I decided to go big with a built motor rather than letting the car go or picking up another daily immediately. Ended up spending a lot more to make that happen than the Fit ended up costing me and almost a year later, the builder and I are still trying to track down a gremlin keeping the car from running at full potential. Finally decided enough is enough and started looking for a reasonably priced daily driver.



And here it is meeting the new kid:



I test drove the new 2015 Fit EX CVT and loved it. Seriously amazing how the paddles make the CVT feel like a normal trans, and a good one at that. But $20k+ out the door after spending what I did on the Evo was hard to swallow. I've always liked the older Fits and figured I could customize one to add the only luxury features I really like (heated seats and satellite radio).

I race a Rotax Max kart in South Bend (100+ miles each way from Chicago) and the ability to sleep in the Fit on 90 degree nights at the track rather than pay for a dingy hotel was a big part of the appeal for me. When I found out the GE8 didn't have the Refresh Mode option, I focused only on GD3. Not sure how comfortable Refresh mode is to sleep in but it's nice to have if the back of the car is loaded with junk. The Evo did 20 mpg to South Bend if I was lucky. Hoping the Fit is as economical as I've heard in comparison.



Really happy with the car so far. I was torn about Auto vs Manual. Manual is definitely more fun for me but there are situations where another auto is needed for family/work reasons. I just couldn't pass up a clean local 1-owner Fit with under 100k miles for that price. I thought the lack of a dead pedal would bug me but honestly, it seems like it kinda has one. There is a bulge in the carpet on the left side where I rest my foot just fine. The lack of center armrest is noticeable but I am hoping to address that soon.

A few questions:
- I have two dogs who will be in the car often. Is the stock cloth really THAT bad when it comes to attracting loose fur? I really have no interest in getting seat covers. Do lint rollers work well on the fabric?
- Any writeups on installed heated seats in a GD3? Is the OEM cloth upholstery very hard to remove?
- As for maintenance, with coilpacks and rotors fresh, am I pretty much good to go for foreseeable future other than oil/fluids?
- What is a good oil change interval? Do I just go by oil life %? I was doing 5000 between changes with the stock motor in the Evo and oil analysis from Blackstone Labs indicated I could wait even longer.

I am WTB (especially if you're local) so feel free to PM me:
- OEM shift knob (the newer the better)
- OEM cargo mat
- OEM cargo cover
- OEM rubber floor mats
- JDM center console/armrest
- Zeta dead pedal

That's all I guess. Sorry for the life story.

 

Nice pickup! I think you did good too, welcome to the NBP GD3 club!

 

Welcome to FitFreak!

Love a NBP Fit. In my opinion black is a great canvas to work on in terms of wheel colors, etc.

I think the Fit's auto transmission is pretty fun, mostly because of the paddle shifters but a slow car (but fun) like the Fit needs some more driver input to tame those tremendous 109 horses, lol. As a regular commute car the auto does a fantastic job, albeit a little rough in shifts.

That's a beautiful EVO as well, 9th gen, best gen!

____

As for your questions;

1. The seat will attract fur like a magnet. But taking a damp microfiber towel and going over it in one direction will pick up all the lint and fur.

2. The seat fabric as far as I know is glued on, and it would be really hard to get it off and get it back on. I've seen people sandwich the heating pad between the seat and a fitted seat cover (Clazzios). It's probably the easiest way to get it done.

3. Yes. Depending on whether they are OEM coilpacks or not. Cheap coilpacks end up going bad pretty quickly (I've been there). But other than that, you should be good to go. I recommend a transmission fluid drain and fill, and you'll be good to go!

4. Personally, I stick with 4000-4500 miles. I've gone all the way until the oil life said 5% (7000 something miles, I believe) and damn, it was BLACK, pitch black. Not doing that again. Depends on how and where you drive and whatnot. My usual drive is 80-85% freeway. That was on tradition oil, not synthetic. I'm currently on my first synthetic change, and I'll see how long that lasts.

 

For oem parts you can try Bernardi ir college hills.

Welcome to the forum!

 

Thanks for quick responses. Strong community. Two more question while I'm at it.

- Has anyone had experience with leaving engine idling overnight to have AC on while sleeping? I'm sure it's not going great for the motor but am optimistic because it's a basic Honda. It would be on race weekends, like 10-15 times a year.
- What is the consensus on best tow hitch? Curt 3-point?

 

Never left it idling that long, but I don't see why it wouldn't be able to. Just make sure you have gas, lol.

As for towing, this thread has some good info, https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...it-towing.html You can even tow a boat,

 

That's a lot of excessive idling. I'd imagine you build up carbon deposits a bit more as it's running rich in that state and using a lots of gas.

Also emitting a ton of exhaust fumes in a stationary car. I guess make sure you exhaust is up to snuff and leave the windows cracked for some fresh air.

I don't see why it couldn't be done though.

 

Sweet daily. Must feel kind of like a big go kart.