Should I buy this car?

RotarieZ · Post by **RotarieZ** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 8:39 pm

It's my first time buying a car.

My friend is selling me this 95' 5-speed Honda Civic that's engine swapped with a VTech Prelude engine. It has 200 HP, with around 40K on the new engine, 80K on the old one. It was modified with intake, exhaust and some other stuff. Interior was in fantastic condition. A sleeper car.

This car needs heavy fixing though. The exhaust did not pass the inspections test. The car will also need fixing on the computer area. The car will be fine after fixing these but probably will cost $1000+ just for the computer.

He's selling me this for $2,000. I only have a budget of $2,500. Should I go for it? I will negotiate the price if I decide to go for it. I will also have to fix it after I earn money for it. I've also never driven a manual before but willing to learn

Any suggestions will be welcomed! Thanks!

andymcgav · Post by **andymcgav** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:55 pm

Tell your friend not to sell you a car unless it passes the inspection

.

In general though, Honda's run forever. My sister's '94 Accord still runs beautifully. Keep in mind that you could probably find a used Honda that doesn't need any fixing up for the same or slightly higher price of $2500.00. If you can fit the entire cost of the repairs and the car into your budget, go for it.

Post by **Johnf514** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:59 pm

Agreed. He needs to bring the car up to spec (and you pay him more) before you buy it. That's the sellers problem, not yours.

Also, look at the car. The body, the engine, etc. Look for rust, wear, interior condition, pedal condition, etc.

Drive it too. If you don't know how to drive a MT or don't know what to look for, have a trusted friend drive one so make sure its in good condition.

Definitely a bit of a sleeper though.

Come to FL, we'll race sometime! I've got all the ponies you have, just a bit more weight.

And by weight I don't mean I'm fat.

jcprov21 · Post by **jcprov21** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:24 am

I am buying a '86 honda accord from a friend at let me tell you they are great cars, but for you i would not pay 2,000 for it no way jose!!

GonePostal · Post by **GonePostal** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:27 am

h22 in a civic = fun!
Seems like you are on a tight budget. I wouldn't recomend this car to you because maintanence will be an issue and it's more expensive in swapped vehicles. But sounds nice either way.

RotarieZ · Post by **RotarieZ** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:07 am

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll pass this up for now then... or until if he decides to fix up the car. There's a chance I can reduce the price to $1,500 though...but meh.

He mentioned that the exhaust did not pass because of the emissions exam. Might have something to do with aftermarket exhausts, since it's a new exhaust I think.

Maybe I should buy an MR2 lol?

nismo · Post by **nismo** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:35 am

Even at $1500 a honda civic is nothing special. They have no engine to start with and you'll just end up "pimpin" the car out. I would recomend buying something a little nicer even if it means you can't have a lunch break at work for a few weeks.

RotarieZ · Post by **RotarieZ** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:48 am

Well it's not a Civic engine in there. It's a Honda Prelude engine.

I don't plan on doing anything regarding modifications...at least not with a used car. I don't have the money to fix it, let alone modifying it haha. As you can tell by my username, if I have the money I would rather get a 95' RX7

. For now, I only plan to buy a car to get around and learn to drive a stick.

What car do you recommend, for around $3,000?

Post by **Johnf514** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:52 pm

nismo wrote:Even at $1500 a honda civic is nothing special. They have no engine to start with and you'll just end up "pimpin" the car out. I would recomend buying something a little nicer even if it means you can't have a lunch break at work for a few weeks.

Civic body, Prelude engine. You do the math.

LS1Leader · Post by **LS1Leader** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:24 pm

I don't think that car would ever pass smog in a normal place here in CA. I think engine swaps are illegal between different models for CA, so my buddy, who has the Old Del Sol VTEC/New Civic Si VTEC engine (1.6L 160 hp), had to go to a "special" smog shop to pass.

TheGame · Post by **TheGame** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:42 pm

per my vote.... I DO NOT recomend, simple. You can do better!

LS1Leader · Post by **LS1Leader** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:10 pm

Considering that engine swaps are ~$3-4k, and that he's swapped the biggest common engine into that thing, I'd say it's a pretty good deal, granted that the rest of the car is in decent condition.

RotarieZ · Post by **RotarieZ** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:39 pm

I looked at the new engine and it wasn't bad at all. It has 40K on it. I think it has 2.0 liter/150+ HP. Not so sure about the exact numbers.

I'm not really worried about the computer chip, even though it would cost $1,000+ though. My friend is willing to help me with that if I decided to buy it. He's quite the expert in auto-mechanic, so I trust him (He's an intern at a professional race shop). He mentioned that he may have a shortcut in fixing it. Which will cost a maximum of $300...but MAY screw up the engine if it didn't work...

The only thing that's keeping me back is mainly the exhaust. Which will have to be switched to a different one.

But do you think it's worth $2,500 - $3,000 total for this car (after fixing)?

andymcgav · Post by **andymcgav** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:29 pm

After fixing, if the total was $2500.00-$3000.00 then I wouldn't throw the option out completely. I am a bit of a Honda dork though

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Should I buy this car?

Should I buy this?

Should I buy this car?