mat420 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Heres the deal sorry about posting such a boring topic but I suck at decisions and don't feel I know enough about cars to answer this for myself. 1995 honda civic ex 130k listed for 2500, i call and he just like, basically said he wants his money back, he wants an apartment, ithink him and his girl broke up etc. etc. suppodly got it from an auction 3 months ago, and it mustve overheated since they replaced eeeeeeeeeeverything this car has a new head gasket (with shaved head), new thermostat, new cat (it blew), brand new tires, its got rims on it, aftermarket tail lights, low protires, radiator relay switch or something (that was teh actual cause of overheating), new plugs+wires, new water pump + serpentine belt im forgetting at least 1 or 2 things i tink, and i dont even think he told me everything but you get the point. now my problem: ...the things that scare me about the car cold air intake + rims+ low pro tires + cold air intake = car possibly beat on. (but does it matter that much with everything thats been replaced? i dont think besides like tie rod ends, suspension..and maybe a few other things, that it really matters price scares me too, that hes willing to sell it for $1500, but, his story sounded honest enough. hes got receipts for the parts (at least some) but he already admitted his uncle runs the shop so any labor receipts are now useless. last thing that scares me is that it overheated.... if he shaved the head and replaced the gasket (as well as everything else) i assume im fine... am i still at risk for something to of gotten warped? what could somethin like that cost if thats the case? please answer to the best of ur ability asap hey if ur really enthusiastic IM me on AIM on the screenname "mcg" i need to get this car quick because i have a feeling its going to go very quick (if its not gone already) this car is exactly what i want at right about the price i paid for mine (all stock dx with 10k less miles i paid 1300) thanks so much people thanks pballer in advance cuz i assume hes gonna reply to this for me :oP btw my other option is the same car, all stock, with ugly stock spoiler but hes asking $2000 really no pluses to that car besides the alarm (who cares) and the fact that its all stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismo4life Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 thats definitely a good price but if your gut tells you the car has been beat on, then chances are it may have been. also have you seen pics of the car or just this description? if i was you i would try to meet up with the guy and see the car, thats the only way to tell for sure if its really what you want. the one plus to the stock car would be that its a clean slate so you can really make it yours. hope this helped a little good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat420 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 yeah ive seen small pics, its all craigslist allows/ pics dont hlep that much considering i want to throw a paint job on it anyway tho :\ http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/cto/1437662771.html only reason my guts tells me its been beat on is because the cold air intake/exhaust/tires probably a good reason to think it though i guess, no? they did those...sh*tty modifications for speed meaning they like to go fast what makes u go fast? flooring it. especially fun when the car is about to not be urs anymore. does all the parts replaced mostly fix the fact that it was beat on? i didnt find many things (oranything that sounded expensive at least) that could also be damaged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismo4life Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 well just because those things have been replaced doesnt mean everything/anything has been fixed, if any damage has been done at all. is it a younger guy? some kids put pipes on there civic and think they have a v8 killer and drive crazy so i can see where that fear would come from. the overheating could be caused by several different things, cracked radiator, clogged line or a leak somewhere else. personally, i wouldnt buy it if you have that much doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat420 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 SHOULD i have that much doubt is more the question though yeah right? yeah he sounds a bit younger i THINK but hes only had it 3 months tho who knows why i was in the acution though \ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown330 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 this car has a new head gasket (with shaved head), This is as far as you needed to go before passing this car to the next sucker. Can't just shave a head and slap it back on with a new gasket. Even a few 0.010's of an inch will mess up certain geometries within the combustion chamber unless it is done carefully. You have no idea how much material was removed or if a gasket other than OEM spec thickness was used as a replacement. Basically you can wind up with a car that is detonation prone. Not good, don't buy this car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat420 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 thanks so much. couldnt any of these cars of had this done though? why would he admit to this happening (just leading me to look for leaks and be extra cautious) if it wasnt done right? his uncle (not dad like i may have said) does own the shop...idk if thats a good or bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeryon Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 As you already know, treat all opinions with suspicion. Blown330 is a smart guy but he doesn't even own a Honda, or ever has if I am not mistaken. Shaved head on a civic is a semi-common modification to make to slightly raised compression in the engine and achieve a marginally higher power output. When done correctly it will have no negative effects on the car, if shaved far enough you may need to run a higher grade of gasoline in the car for it to run smoothly, shaved too far and all the valves will be damaged (car would not run right at all so that isn't this case) Intakes, exhaust, header, blah, blah performance modifications mean little to nothing when it comes to determining if a vehicle has been abused. Personally, I am more scared of the 'my daughter drove it back and forth to college for four years' then I am of the guy that attached every bolt-on he could buy from eBay. Buying a used car is a dice roll. Buying any car for $1500 is a dice roll. It is a $1500 car, not a new car, not a $10000 used car. Putting this much thought and effort into a car this cheap is amusing, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat420 Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 well 2000 isnt much different and im completely comfortable buying that one. the head was only shaved (as far as i know) cuz the head gasket when it overheated. he didnt even tell me it was shaved till i asked (even tho he wanted to stress the fact it had performance parts) idk im pretty much just arguing what everyone says on here so...gues its kinda just... go with it or dont. thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeryon Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Engines are cheap. A novice can replace a civic motor in an afternoon for a couple hundred. Sometimes less as many people just give away their old 1.5/1.6 engines. It is far more difficult and expensive to repair body damage. Every Honda I have ever purchased I generally ignored the mechanical condition and focused on body condition; rust, dents, crash and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lceah Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Get this car inspected by a good mechanic nearby? It's good that you are questioning things because it's a used car! Also, look on hmotorsonline.com...they have very good reliable engines with low miles (less than half of that 130k miles). If you buy a cheap clean shell and put a motor from hmotors in, you can have a reliable car for around $1500. Just my opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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