Need help with buying CRX/Civic
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Need help with buying CRX/Civic
Hi, so I'm looking to buy my first car and want to get a Honda because its what my parents had and it never did them wrong. I want to get either a CRX or a Civic between the years of 1987 and 1992. Also I'm looking to get it for around the 1000-2000 dollar mark.
What I want to know is what I should look out for considering the car will be 20+ years old. Stuff like how many km is too many, and what problems to expect with its age.
What I want to know is what I should look out for considering the car will be 20+ years old. Stuff like how many km is too many, and what problems to expect with its age.
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Re: Need help with buying CRX/Civic
Welcome to the site and congratulations on preparing to purchase your first car, Zechs.
In the $1000-2000 price range, I would highly suggest you focus the search on Civics (although a CRX is technically a Civic, but I digress). CRXs command a price premium as a result of rarity, and you'd have a difficult time finding a great one for less than $3000.
What to look for in the Civic?
-Body rust, everything on the car will be relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, except rust.
- Tires, easily overlooked, but a new set will cost you $500-600 and that's a big hit for a young guy.
- Push down on one corner of the car, it should rebound once and stop moving, if it bounces up and down a couple times the shocks need to be replaced.
- Listen for any clunks or pops and pay attention to dead spots in the steering, make hard turns when test driving it to help test this, this could indicate things like worn tie rods, ball joints and bushings.
- Check all the fluid levels, if any are low, don't buy the car.
- Ensure they start the car cold! You want to listen to the engine start and run cold, as there may be problems that disappear when it warms up.
- It shouldn't blow any smoke.
- I'd say your safe buying anything with under 300k kilometers.
Post up the ads to any cars you're looking at, I'll give you my thoughts.
In the $1000-2000 price range, I would highly suggest you focus the search on Civics (although a CRX is technically a Civic, but I digress). CRXs command a price premium as a result of rarity, and you'd have a difficult time finding a great one for less than $3000.
What to look for in the Civic?
-Body rust, everything on the car will be relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, except rust.
- Tires, easily overlooked, but a new set will cost you $500-600 and that's a big hit for a young guy.
- Push down on one corner of the car, it should rebound once and stop moving, if it bounces up and down a couple times the shocks need to be replaced.
- Listen for any clunks or pops and pay attention to dead spots in the steering, make hard turns when test driving it to help test this, this could indicate things like worn tie rods, ball joints and bushings.
- Check all the fluid levels, if any are low, don't buy the car.
- Ensure they start the car cold! You want to listen to the engine start and run cold, as there may be problems that disappear when it warms up.
- It shouldn't blow any smoke.
- I'd say your safe buying anything with under 300k kilometers.
Post up the ads to any cars you're looking at, I'll give you my thoughts.
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