civic worth it?

[ryansblaster]

First off I'm not a ricer please don't start it I'm just looking for a car good on gas. So after looking around for a car I found a 1997 black civic ex with 138000 miles 5 speed with black rims and a 12' sub put in by a shop that specializes in car audio. The outside is a 7/10 and interior 8/10. The guy wants $3000 is it worth it?

[trx310R#24]

Originally posted by ryansblaster
First off I'm not a ricer please don't start it I'm just looking for a car good on gas. So after looking around for a car I found a 1997 black civic ex with 138000 miles 5 speed with black rims and a 12' sub put in by a shop that specializes in car audio. The outside is a 7/10 and interior 8/10. The guy wants $3000 is it worth it?

F*CK NO!!!!! not with 138k miles =p even flew would tell you thats not worth it. i would give them 1,700 if it is NICE as hell. i found a few for 1200 a few weeks ago. so... yeah

[Scro]

KBB is 2700 for that car in good condition. I would offer them 2500. It's definitely worth it in my opinion. 138,000 is nothing on these motors as long as the oil was changed regularly, and it wasn't driven by someone that thought it was fast. You can't beat Honda reliability, and they hold their value really well.

[250r rider 88]

blue book value is about 2500, if you like the car and have the cash and just need a ride to get you from point a to b without much maintenance i think this would be ok, honda and toyota motors seem to run forever, my uncle never had to do a tune up on any of his 7 hondas he has had till at least 100k miles, so as long as its taken care of and you cant find anything better go for it, just dont expect to make anything off of it when it comes time to sell it

[CJM]

Offer the person 2500 cash, thats the most I would pay for it.

[quadrcr161]

i would say yea, its worth it, is it a coupe or hatch? its a 97 with only 138k? seems kinda low, my wifes 01 has almost 200k on it. with it being a 5 speed and all your looking at 36-38mpg. does everything work like ac and all? im sure you could prob get it a little cheaper, im sure they priced it a little higher to drop down some but they are good cars, great on gas and like driving a go cart. if you do play with it modding it is just like anything else it can be addicting.

some questions to check, original motor? any performance mods like intake or anything? last time the timing belt/water pump has been changed? thats a big one, they suggest anywhere from 60-90k miles for a timing belt, depending on the motor and driving conditions. its less then $200 in parts but the dealer ship will prob try to rape you to about $800 to do the work.

[ryansblaster]

coupe.

pictures or its hard to tell and if its in good condition it is worth it. I can tell ya what I paid for my 2 EJ8's. 1st one was a 96 $3800 exterior 9/10 & interior 9/10, 2nd one was a 97 $3600 exterior 8/10 & interior 10/10. Its hard to find them in great condition which is why I paid a bit for both of mine especially my 2nd one because when I got it, it was 100% factory. Being 100% factory and automatic basically nobody touched a thing. I'm the 2nd owner. An older lady bought it, never left the state. It sucks paying cost for parts to mod it but then I can use the parts I want 1st time around and if something ****s up its all on me.

Also going by KBB is difficult with these cars. Going by my KBB its like I paid $800 too much, but they are in demand and prices go up as they are harder to find.

[LTR450_#67]

Wierd my ins. company gave me 3100 for my stock, rusted out, 250k mile '95 EX when I turned it in for hail.

[feuerstack411]

Originally posted by trx310R#24
F*CK NO!!!!! not with 138k miles =p even flew would tell you thats not worth it. i would give them 1,700 if it is NICE as hell. i found a few for 1200 a few weeks ago. so... yeah

You must be a GM guy.
A 90s Civic with 138k miles is just getting broken in.

[kfx400rider03]

Originally posted by feuerstack411
You must be a GM guy.
A 90s Civic with 138k miles is just getting broken in.

it is just getting broken in then but another 12k miles you will be buying a new timing belt.
a buddy of mine had 2 hondas timming belt went at 145k on his 1st one and 148k on his second one.

[406Z26]

IMHO (and I like Honda) that Civic is worth about 1700-2000 and thats it. When they get to 140k+ you better throw a $100 at them every month to keep them going.

Originally posted by 406Z26
IMHO (and I like Honda) that Civic is worth about 1700-2000 and thats it. When they get to 140k+ you better throw a $100 at them every month to keep them going.

please tell me your joking.

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by kfx400rider03
it is just getting broken in then but another 12k miles you will be buying a new timing belt.
a buddy of mine had 2 hondas timming belt went at 145k on his 1st one and 148k on his second one.

you should already be through 2 timing belts, at least for that age, and unless you use a honda timing belt they wont last. honda dosent like after market timing belts, and ignition parts. the quality just isnt there. and since its a single cam its not hard to replace but you better do the tensioner and water pump.


Originally posted by 406Z26
IMHO (and I like Honda) that Civic is worth about 1700-2000 and thats it. When they get to 140k+ you better throw a $100 at them every month to keep them going.

thats just plain ignorance, a $100 a month for what? gas is about all that it will require. what can you spend a $100 a month on for a civic? they are pretty basic and reliable. and where do you get this information? any experience or just here say. at 140k you wont have to touch the motor other then oil change and air filter and youll be getting 36-38 mpg.

ive had my 90 crx si for over 10 yrs now, and it hasnt been driven in about a year since i hit a deer in it. i can step out and it will fire up and idle just as smooth as the day i parked it. it was driven daily for pretty much the last 10 yrs also. my wife has a 01 civic ex almost 200k she got new at 4 miles and all its due for its tbelt and water pump.

The only other timing belt my motor would see besides Honda is TODA or maybe Gates. Timing belts and water pumps are cheap enough to replace anyways (unless its TODA). For my motor and its a factory race engine its still 105k or 7 years which ever comes 1st. Really they run pretty much forever with simple maintainance.

[ryansblaster]

I think I'm gonna try to buy it as soon as I can get a hold of the seller I think hes outta town.

[FHKracingZ]

I dont think 2500 is to bad of price. them little hondas run forever...

but to the guy who said there just getting broke in at 130k miles... your an idiot, there is alot more to the car than just an engine. Almost any engine will run to 200k miles if taken care of, its the rest of the car that falls apart before that.

[406Z26]

My wife had a 95 Acura Legend with 145K on it a few years back. We payed $2500 for it and within two years another $2000 in just parts. Any car will need service when they get old. And when I say throw a $100 bill at it every month is a play on words we use around the farm. It may not cost a thing for the first 3 months but then it needs $400 worth of brakes soon after. Just make sure you set aside some extra cash for unseen problems.

What did you rebuild the whole chassis and motor? $2k in repairs is a rebuilt engine and suspension lol somehow you got ripped off or something. What needed to be done?

[406Z26]

Well it started with 4 tires then all 4 calipers, rotors and pads. Few months later it needed front hub bearings and front struts. Then I noticed a coolant leak, so I put in a radiator and t-stat. By this time 6 months go by and its running rough. So I did timing belt, tensioner and water pump, plugs and fuel filter. All was good for about another 6 months then the rear ABS sensors went out and the VSS quit. We finally sold it because the trans was starting to shift real hard and I was not putting one in. Oh and somewhere in between all that was a 4 wheel alignment and idle control. That car was effn cursed.

[CJM]

Sounds to me like someone didnt take care of it at all or it was indeed cursed.

[goldfish]

One thing to consider is the fact that its a 5 speed with aftermarket wheels. If it's a younger guy who's selling it, there's a decent chance he drove it hard.

As far as honda reliability goes. My family has always had toyota and honda and well it would take a really damn good deal for me to buy anything other then one of those two.

My previous car (RSX) had 120k on it when I sold it, and still ran like new.

My mom has a CRV with 125k and it also runs great.

My sister also has a CRV with 140k on it and runs great.

Saying it's getting broken in is a bit of a stretch, but there's no reason why you couldn't get another 50k out of the car with no major repairs.

50k miles for $3,000 is a steal, especially because you should be able to pay it off quickly, if not just pay for it with cash. No car payments means more $$ in the bank every month.

Originally posted by 406Z26
Well it started with 4 tires then all 4 calipers, rotors and pads. Few months later it needed front hub bearings and front struts. Then I noticed a coolant leak, so I put in a radiator and t-stat. By this time 6 months go by and its running rough. So I did timing belt, tensioner and water pump, plugs and fuel filter. All was good for about another 6 months then the rear ABS sensors went out and the VSS quit. We finally sold it because the trans was starting to shift real hard and I was not putting one in. Oh and somewhere in between all that was a 4 wheel alignment and idle control. That car was effn cursed.

Not Honda's fault, tires and brakes are wear items, bearings are wear items but usually last a bit longer depending on the roads, coolant leak in radiator isnt Honda's fault, timing belt, water pump and tensioner are service items as well after usually 100k or 6 years, plugs are again with ever car things to replace along with fuel filters. Rear ABS sensor may or may not have been Honda's fault along with the VSS. The trans shifting hard is owner fault not the cars. My car was driven by an older lady and the auto trans was smooth to the day I pulled it with 165k miles. 4 wheel alignments should be done yearly, and idle control valves can usually be cleaned.

[ryansblaster]

I just bought it. I like it so far

[406Z26]

Originally posted by FlewByU352
Not Honda's fault, tires and brakes are wear items, bearings are wear items but usually last a bit longer depending on the roads, coolant leak in radiator isnt Honda's fault, timing belt, water pump and tensioner are service items as well after usually 100k or 6 years, plugs are again with ever car things to replace along with fuel filters. Rear ABS sensor may or may not have been Honda's fault along with the VSS. The trans shifting hard is owner fault not the cars. My car was driven by an older lady and the auto trans was smooth to the day I pulled it with 165k miles. 4 wheel alignments should be done yearly, and idle control valves can usually be cleaned.


Thats what im getting at, things wear out. And at the same time it may be a good deal but things wear out. Especially a vehicle with 140+ miles. All Im saying is its still a 140+ mile car and unseen problems will arrive sooner or later.

[CJM]

Trick with cars like that is to know how to work on them and save TONS of cash.

I am not paying anyone to do anything to my car unless it is beyond my scope of knowledge or I dont have time. Course having access to a repair shop helps :)

Originally posted by CJM
Trick with cars like that is to know how to work on them and save TONS of cash.

I am not paying anyone to do anything to my car unless it is beyond my scope of knowledge or I dont have time. Course having access to a repair shop helps :)

So true, my friend needed his transmission on his SR20DET pulled and a new clutch, flywheel, rear main seal, and trans seal replaced. I saved him $1800. It was a pain in the *** though lol.

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by ryansblaster
I just bought it. I like it so far

glad to hear, they are fun little cars and actually easy to work on.


Originally posted by 406Z26
Thats what im getting at, things wear out. And at the same time it may be a good deal but things wear out. Especially a vehicle with 140+ miles. All Im saying is its still a 140+ mile car and unseen problems will arrive sooner or later.

a civic with 140k thats in good condition i wouldnt second guess it at all. now a chevy, or ford i would be a little leary, but i wouldnt touch a dodge with 20k miles.


Originally posted by CJM
Trick with cars like that is to know how to work on them and save TONS of cash.

I am not paying anyone to do anything to my car unless it is beyond my scope of knowledge or I dont have time. Course having access to a repair shop helps :)

very true, and civics are really easy to work on unlike the rumors have been. i try not to carry a car to anyone, the labor is more then the parts and what ive seen i can and have done better work my self. plus when you do it your self you can upgrade the parts cheaper and look at other things that might wear out thats related to the parts.

[CJM]

Originally posted by FlewByU352
So true, my friend needed his transmission on his SR20DET pulled and a new clutch, flywheel, rear main seal, and trans seal replaced. I saved him $1800. It was a pain in the *** though lol.

Now that kinda job is something I can do but man oh man thank god its RWD (iirc thats a 240 motor if its in the car). Cause FWD cars engines/trans suck arse to redo. So little working room and supporting that sucker can be tough even with a shop.

Then again I replaced a dodge ram 2wd trans in under 4 hours :)

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by CJM
Now that kinda job is something I can do but man oh man thank god its RWD (iirc thats a 240 motor if its in the car). Cause FWD cars engines/trans suck arse to redo. So little working room and supporting that sucker can be tough even with a shop.

Then again I replaced a dodge ram 2wd trans in under 4 hours :)

i hate working on transmissions, FWD isnt too hard if you know tricks and use to working on them. i can pull the motor and trans from my crx in 3 hours by myself, thats including pulling it into the shop with regular tools and cherry picker.

[406Z26]

Thats right work on them yourself....

Im an ASE tech in 7 fields and a Certified Chevrolet Tech.

But that cursed import of the wifes was a transverse engine set up.

It looked like a rwd from the engine lay out but it was front wheel drive.

Book time on a trans swap was about 20 hours IIRC.

After what we had in it for parts, I said fack it! Send it to the auction and let someone else deal with it.

Bought a Cavalier Z24 w/165k for 1200 and $800 in parts later its a damn good reliable car.

After the SR20DET trans pulling we both said wow **** RWD with this car. The bolts were against the firewall and at the top where the valve cover and hoses were litterally an inch away then you have to reach way down wth a regular wrench not a sockt to take the bolts out, then loosen the motor mounts and tilt the engine back to have some clearance so the bolt will slide past the firewall on an angle. I can have my trans out and stand in the bay with it taking it out in no time lol Super easy to do in pre 2001 Honda's and Acura's.

[Canadian144]

Originally posted by quadrcr161
i hate working on transmissions, FWD isnt too hard if you know tricks and use to working on them. i can pull the motor and trans from my crx in 3 hours by myself, thats including pulling it into the shop with regular tools and cherry picker.

3 Hours! You can pull the transmission from any Subaru Impreza in 20 minutes if you know what you are doing! Seriously! All Imprezas made up to now share this feature, since it was necessary for Imprezas competing in the WRC. A WRC Subaru tech could pull the transmission from their racecar in 20 minutes.... and that same tech (or anyone else who has worked on Subaru transmission a few times) could pull the transmission from my STI or a random little 2.5i.

Gotta love Scooobs!

They built those whole cars to be disassembled except for the motor lol

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by Canadian144
3 Hours! You can pull the transmission from any Subaru Impreza in 20 minutes if you know what you are doing! Seriously! All Imprezas made up to now share this feature, since it was necessary for Imprezas competing in the WRC. A WRC Subaru tech could pull the transmission from their racecar in 20 minutes.... and that same tech (or anyone else who has worked on Subaru transmission a few times) could pull the transmission from my STI or a random little 2.5i.

Gotta love Scooobs!

i didnt say trans, i said motor and trans. thats also pulling the car into the garage, putting it on stands, removing wheeles, draining fluids, removing the hood and other stuff while labeling and bagging the loose parts, then pulling the motor and trans and having it on a small rolling stand by myself with the basic tools, i know its not that impressive but just was saying its not as hard as others make it out to be and can be done pretty quickly.

[CJM]

I like working on trucks the best, so super easy to do stuff since you can actually get tools in thier and have room to work in the engine area.

Course big trucks (medium duty and up) are even more fun and simpler to work on unless its one of those dang super computer newer ones.

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by CJM
I like working on trucks the best, so super easy to do stuff since you can actually get tools in thier and have room to work in the engine area.

Course big trucks (medium duty and up) are even more fun and simpler to work on unless its one of those dang super computer newer ones.

all except a tacoma v6, i think i need another elbow in the middle of my forarm to get into some of the places under the hood.

[ATVMX33]

Originally posted by Canadian144
3 Hours! You can pull the transmission from any Subaru Impreza in 20 minutes if you know what you are doing! Seriously! All Imprezas made up to now share this feature, since it was necessary for Imprezas competing in the WRC. A WRC Subaru tech could pull the transmission from their racecar in 20 minutes.... and that same tech (or anyone else who has worked on Subaru transmission a few times) could pull the transmission from my STI or a random little 2.5i.

Gotta love Scooobs!

yeah..they made them easy to disassemble cause you need to work on them so much:D

[CJM]

Older toyota trucks are very easy to work on, new ones are..welp fun lol.

[destey]

Originally posted by goldfish
One thing to consider is the fact that its a 5 speed with aftermarket wheels. If it's a younger guy who's selling it, there's a decent chance he drove it hard.


Definitely. Guaranteed he slammed the shifter into each gear, so the sychros are probably on their last legs. Probably will need a clutch soon as most people abuse their clutches.

I wouldn't pay $3000. I wouldn't pay $300, but that's just me. With a car that age, it all depends on condition.

Originally posted by destey
Definitely. Guaranteed he slammed the shifter into each gear, so the sychros are probably on their last legs. Probably will need a clutch soon as most people abuse their clutches.

I wouldn't pay $3000. I wouldn't pay $300, but that's just me. With a car that age, it all depends on condition.

you can sure as hell tell the american car owners lmao. Start driving a Honda or Toyota and 15 years old and 150k miles is like new.