Rep Power: 0

Hey guys im new to the forum and Hondas in general.

Im looking at a 97 Civic Coupe EX 5speed with a VTEC 1.6 Motor. It has 160k and i think the guy got a couple DWIs and has to sell it so i negotiated him down to $2000. He was only asking $2300.

Body has two minor dents which my friend can take out for FREE and very minor rust right below the gas cap which we should be able to minimize or get rid of completely im told.

What kind of things should i be looking for other than overheating, belts, smoke out of exhaust, gear slippage (so far so good on those things tonight is my second time looking at it and i will bring cash in hand and intend on purchasing it)?

Not going for power or anything yet i just need something reliable mostly and next year i plan on doing the fun stuff like motor swaps n what not.

Any help, advice, or suggestions are highly appreciated!

Thanks

 
Rep Power: 0

btw i forgot to mention the car is all STOCK except for a horrible sounding muffler (go figure)

 
Rep Power: 243

For that price I would take it. If the clutch is good and there is no smoke out the tailpipe then I would say go for it, especially if your planning on swapping motors and what not. It does have 160k miles on it so something could break like the alternator or ac but there are a lot of people on this forum that know how to fix things and can point you in the right direction. If the car feels right when you are driving it then buy it!

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks for the input man. my biggest concern is something going wrong in the cooling system. so i plan on letting it run for a solid 30 min and driving it on the freeway to speeds upto 80mph to see if i notice any shaking or overheating.

Alternator and those thing i can fix myself.

I currently own a 00 BMW and a 66 Mustang(restoring) so im aware of the physical work and not too worried about basic stuff like that.

 
Rep Power: 284

It sounds like you have a pretty solid base of knowledge to assess it without our help

Just make sure you start and drive it cold, and do all the basic inspection stuff.

 
Rep Power: 243

Taking it on the highway is a good idea! That will be a good way to check the cooling system! That's good you can do work yourself. Another good thing about it being a little older is that its not as complex as the newer cars with a lot more computers. Chances are if something goes wrong it will be easier to track down.

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks everyone! yes i have very good general knowledge but i love to over analyze things and get outside opinions! Good thing i guess!

The thing that bothers me is i see Civics with 200k plus and they are going for $3000 plus. and im just wondering if there is something i truly dont know for the reason of me getting it for $2000

 
Rep Power: 0

I am located in MPLS, MN dont know how much that can impact the value a car is being sold for, but im assuming quite a bit.

 
Rep Power: 243

Yea that would be a red flag for me too. I tend to over analyze also. You have to judge the person selling the vehicle and see if you can tell if they are being honest or not. The guy could of had a turbo on the car and took everything off and is telling you that it's stock. Or he really needs to sell it and is offering a good price. Taking it for a good test drive with high speed highway driving and slow traffic style driving is the best way to tell.

 
Rep Power: 284

It's hard to say, pricing on older Civics can be a bit odd. In my honest opinion, the multiple DWIs the seller has likely plays a role in the low price.. I can't think of any other reason though.

There's not really one stand out major issue you need to be worried about with older Hondas.

 
Rep Power: 0

thats part of the issue hes a mexican guy with a thick accent and barely speaks english...but stereotypically they do all the maintenance themselves which could and could not be a good thing..but the inside of the car is sooo well maintained and clean i was actually very impressed!

Sorry to offend anyone thats not my intentions lol

No license plate on the car just a 45 day permit which expires in a couple months so im pretty sure its because he has multiple dwi's.

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks i appreciate the feedback

 
Rep Power: 0

im sure you dont over analyze like me i had an anxiety attack last night thinking about this stuff LOL

 
Rep Power: 243

KBB for 97 Civic EX Coupe 5 speed w/ 160k in Delaware is $2500 in good condition. $2900 for excellent condition and $2000 for fair. So him asking $2300 was a little low for a starting point but he may need to sell it. I got my 01 lx 5 speed for $1000 under KBB because the dealer was doing a customer of theres a favor and they were having problem's selling it because it was a 5 speed.

 
Rep Power: 0

Good to know Thanks man!

 
Rep Power: 243

LOL, no I'm not that bad!!

 
Rep Power: 0

Got the car for $1900! No overheating just a couple more minor things popped up like the drivers side door doesn't lock the think doesn't flip to lock..seems jammed or stuck. Small stuff like that. Thanks for all the help!

 
Rep Power: 243

Good deal!! Congrats on the new car. Hope everything works out good for you! Keep us posted with the engine swap and what not.