Rep Power: 0

I took my 98 Civic LX to the shop today for what I thought was routine maintenance. They gave me a call a little bit later saying that they found that my exhaust manifold was cracked but that there was a little bit of an issue:

Apparently my Civic was made in Canada and my exhaust manifold and catalytic converter are all in ONE piece (unibody). Therefore in order to replace the exhaust manifold, I have to replace the entire piece. (the part is about $1k no labor)

I also cannot purchase the part from a junkyard because it is illegal to sell used catalytic converters.

Soo...should I sell now (has 128k on the odo) or will it hold until the next inspection? (which is when I was planning on selling it anyways)

 
Rep Power: 0

Problem solved, found the part new for $300 instead of the $950 I was quoted.

 
Rep Power: 0

aftermarket? bad idea. you can get a OE honda cat/mani for ~560 shipped if you search around on honda dealers online. I know, I had to replace mine. For efficiency and longevity reasons, this is definitely a part to stick with oem on.

 
Rep Power: 0

I'm selling the car in less than a year and it would be harder to justify that into the overall price that the car could fetch. For my purposes the aftermarket part should last me long enough.

 
Rep Power: 236

OEM cat for $445 plus $20 shipping: http://www.hondapartscheap.com/index...FOLD%20%281%29

You get that one and the next owner won't be cussing you like I am now. People like you is the reason people are so skeptical when buying from a private seller.

 
Rep Power: 813

but its to be expected, not just from him. there is always a reason someone is selling their car and it isnt because it runs perfect and they used quality parts to fix and maintain it. you should see what the parts shop uses if you just take the car in and say fix this. most oil change places use the cheapest filter they can buy, which is usually a $1 powerflo thats not even available to the public. looks like something i could make in the backyard. in many cases, its not even the owners fault. any shop except the dealer will use aftermarket parts and guess what, they will use whatever will give them the highest profit margin. i've seen things in repair shops that would make you sick. like sears charging someone $1k for a brake job and then getting advance auto's cheapest junk rotors and pads at $20 a piece. we actually memorized the shops that always wanted the cheapest part we carried so we wouldnt have to ask each time. every once in a while, they would ask for the mid grade part.

if i do ever buy another used car (doubtful), i would need to spend a full day just looking it over.