pmjr0987

posted here about getting my $900 01 ex with 211k

well my girlfriends got a 99 cougar nothing but problems.

tried to find anything under $2500 to replace the car and found nothing

This 2002 civic LX has 216k miles but is one owner, a 40 (she was 30 when she bought it) woman who commuted from upstate NY to the outskirts of nyc with is everyday for the past 10 years. so most all miles are highway 4th gear

here is the kicker its original timing belt. anyone know of anyone going 216k miles on an original belt? she had the headgasket, thermostat and cooling system flush done last year with receipts and paid $900 for it. yet he didnt change the belt. she said he told her it looked new. transmission fluid is also original 216k miles. that is scary, but the fluid does not smell burnt at all, and although not pink, its red and see through.

she is about to drop it off for $2300 after asking $3000. car is mint inside and out body wise and drives exactly like my sisters 03 that has 36k miles on it. transmission shift smooth at partial and wot shifts and locks and unlocks like new

this coming week we will be doing timing belt and transmission pan drop and a partial drain with new fluid.

so what do u guys think, good or bad deal?

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

holy cow!
we have a winner!
running TB, running auto trans? under these conditions?
is the fact that the fluid not neing changed the reason it's still running??!?!? (joke!!!!)

lowlife9

probably i bet it will start slipping after the new fluid goes in.

pmjr0987

pretty typical. going to just slowly nudge 2 or 3 quarts in at a time until its pink. drove the car a few more miles today after she dropped the car off. she drove it for 40 minutes to the house and without shutting it off i drove it around the block and it drove the same as when i drove it cold yesterday, nice smooth shifts both part throttle and wot. car starts and runs like brand new. she didnt sound certain it was not done, im kind of thinking it was to be honest from the receipts she has it seems like anything a mechanic recommended replacing she did. Im kinda hoping it was recommended and it was done and she just doesnt remember because a few things were done at once


i really hope not! ive been through this before a few times with old cars im just going to be careful with it. I know the way my girlfriend drives the car most likely it will never see even 3k rpm lol so its got a fighting chance to last a long time

got2run5

Just make sure to replace that timing belt asap. Otherwise you're just asking for something bad to happen.

lowlife9

yup its not worth the gamble because its not going to matter how smooth it shifts with a blown motor also considering its a fairly easy job for an experienced mechanic.

pmjr0987

yea thats already ordered. the timing belt will be done very soon, along with a complete tune up including the "forgotten" tune up crap in the thread on here. im kinda curious to see how long this car is going to last, i swear it drive identical to my sisters 03 with 35k miles

traveler286

you've got an excellent deal. The car lasted that long so I'm sure you will have many more miles to go on that car as long as you do the regular maintenance. I agree that you should replace the timing belt asap but dont forget to replace the water pump as well. It is more cost effective that way trust me because if you try to save few dollars with just the tiiming belt replacement, should the water pump go soon you will end up paying for a costly labor again. So, my suggestion is do it at the same time. Have fun on your civic.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

^yep, agree on that, WP looked just new on my car, but again, it was at 98k miles mark...

pmjr0987

she said when she got the head gasket done the mechanic told her the timing belt looked brand like new and not to worry about it. i cant believe a mechanic said this based on the fact it was required maintenance 110k miles before the head gasket went lol

i havent ordered the belt yet ill be ordering it soon i will be doing WP too plus some gaskets and a full tune up

any aftermarket brands to avoid? i know people always say OEM is best and that's an obvious answer but that does not mean aftermarket belts are bad i know every car though has a certain aftermarket brand to avoid though so if anyone ant point me in a good direction on that it would be appreciated!

iridehonda

Gates belts are good.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

hodapartscheap will have a complete kit