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Basically RN, I have a modified 8th gen, however, I work 2 delivery jobs. So rather not lose precious miles on her, and have a second car for rainy days, or days im gonna add 100-200 miles.

So on cragslist im looking for a cheap, low mile honda that i can add 50,000+ miles for year-two or three without any major repairs.

2 cars i found are both asking for $4,700

2003 Honda Civic EX 60k miles

2008 Honda Civic LX 105k miles (said 100k mile maintenance papers are included)

should i stick to the LX due to recent repairs and 5 year difference, or is 40,000 less miles a better deal

also about .22 cents a mile at my jobs
30 miles to the gallon
$6.60 per gallon paid $1.60 cost.
$5 profit per 30 miles
or about $170 per 1,000 miles

so would be nice to turn a 4k car into $17k cash paid after 100k without any major repairs, is it possible?

 
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Assuming you're getting constant deliveries, it's plausible.

Is there a manual option here? That'll improve your fuel economy depending on your driving habits, but I'd personally take LX given those options. They both seem pretty expensive though for what they are...

 
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but if getting 100k miles out of it, whats wrong with spending 4700 range
vs getting 200k but spending 17,000k if you were to sell the car at the 200 mark

not saying your wrong just wanna understand your think as thats what im looking it as

 
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Both those cars sell all day for under $3000 where I'm located, and that's in Canada (which equates to around $2000 in the US). I got mine for $500 and I've done 60k trouble-free miles since owning it. All I've done is regular maintenance.

 
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where do i find these beside risking those auctions that mostly sell junk dealerships dont want?

I tried KBB for ontario prices for civics 2008 120k miles vs Minneapolis prices, and they were all kinda the same.

I found the 2 listings private seller on cragslist so idk where cheaper is besides risking auctions.

 
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I got mine off Kijiji. It may be a west coast thing because cars aren't expensive out here.

 
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Honestly if you're just using it as a delivery beater I would find a $500 high mileage civic preferably manual with no major body or engine issues. They're out there, they're going to be ugly, but they will work and they will last.

 
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Yeah I'd find the cheapest manual car I could for deliveries. Less money spent on the delivery car will net you more mod money for your 8th gen.

Civic
Corolla
Mazda Protege or 3

 
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I've had 2, $1,000 delivery beaters. One lasted 10,000 miles other one 35,000-45,000, before it either blew up or needed major repairs, and one needed constant repairs, she was called stacy the saturn sloot, she was a nasty girl with everything wrong with her...

anyways, i felt adding couple more thousand and gaurenteeing more miles and less repairs would be the best route.

never bought a used junker that got 120k extra miles and lasted years like how some people do with buicks and stuff lol. I got bad luck in gambling and in cars i guess.

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so say i went your route.

theres 2 civics for $1000 on facebook, one has 170k ones 190k both 1998

otherwise on cragslist for hondas under 1500, theres a private car seller that has like 15 cars under $1,000, but should I trust those types of places? wouldn't i be better to gamble at the auctions myself etc.

idk just my thoughts to spend a little bit more,
but at the same time the 1998 cars bottomed out on price so.
you really think ill be taking a lot better bang for my buck going that route?

also only $500 cars that exist in this highly densed area, is cars that need engine or tranny work
like maybe some old person car with signs on the window you might find gold that way but. a lot of car flippers already thatll take advantage of good deals and know a little bit more then me.
but im still decent test driving it, check fluids, shifting thru all the gears, listening for the creeks on bad roads, any knocks and checking on how rusted out are parts in the engine bay. but idk even with green lights with maybe 1-2 small problems (used cars obv) seems like they always bust after i beat the **** out of them.

 
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Also why is everyone super leaning towards manual, I get the better gas and obviously its fun controlling your car.

but are like the transmissions crazy better then automatics where less things go wrong or need to be replaced.

not against looking for a manual, but I like not having to work to drive, since im not use to it. and like having open hand to flip songs, check phone etc


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for the 8th gen, haha, luckily I looked just at the right time, and found a project car on ebay, so i avoided having to pay a sports shop to turbo, exhaust swap, swaybars, lowered springs, tint, air intake i could of done but,
So about $5,000 in parts, $1500 in labor, $5500 car

all for 7 flat. really happy i got it, the pin and needles after feeling that air push you even farther

It's a awesome dopeamine and addrealine and seroatine rusher, but cant abuse the magic or i'll have to push her harder for the same effect, and ill be sad if i blew a gasket or cracked it being a young adult male lmao

 
Rep Power: 222

I would go with the 1998 civics, those cars last forever mechanically, cheap to fix, and easy to work on. I have a '99 that I bought for $500, it has over 400k kms, doesn't burn oil, trans shifts great and the even the AC still works.

And we're saying manual because it's much simpler mechanically and easier to fix. Whereas with an auto it's pretty much junk if something goes wrong.
Manual if something goes it's usually the clutch, with is like $80. If you lose a gear you can always just not use that gear, but they don't usually fail

 
Rep Power: 125

It only takes half a second to shift gears, but you shouldn't be on your phone when shifting gears is necessary anyway. I understand checking your phone at a light or when you're stopped, but you only shift when you're moving.

 
Rep Power: 243

Will you be doing the repairs on the car? If yes then an older one would be okay. If no then a newer lower mileage one might be better for you.

Honda automatics are pretty reliable but manual cars are easier to fix and cheaper to fix.

 
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what would you go with if i only can do half the repairs, and secondly what would you go with if i cant find manual and both 98's were autos

by half repairs, alternator, serph belt, hoses, oil changes, breaks those kinda things
once it become suspension, tran or engine related, then i dont have enough tools or knowledge to really knock on that.

simple socket work and cords is pretty easy and straight forward

 
Rep Power: 243

Which one I would choose would depend on the add for the car, what the car looked like in person and how it felt mechanically. A car with 200k miles is going to need a fuel pump, alternator, ps pump timing belt done sooner then a car with less miles. Honda's are reliable as hell especially the older ones but things do wear out and break. In your situation I might spend more money to get a lower mileage car. I feel confident in my ability to choose a decent $1000 Civic and be able to weed out the crap ones.

That 03 with 60k miles sounds great but 7th gens are known to have head gasket issues so there is a risk there. That 08 could be decent but I hesitate with high mileage automatics unless I know they have been maintained. Any Civic pre 2005 has a timing belt that needs to be replaced every 90k miles. This is another thing to consider when buying one used. Was it done? When? By who?

edit: 105k miles is not much at all I thought it had close to 200k for some reason. If they had a transmission service done I might go with that due to the 7th gen hg fear. My 01 had 200k miles on it and never had a hg issue but it is problem with that gen. If safety is a concern the 08 will be safer.

 
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It's your money tho so get whatever you feel confident in buying. I never hesitate to buy a Honda tho they have always been great to me.

 
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I changed a trans in the driveway with only hand tools

 
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Yeah my first car didnt have issues when buying, but about 10,000 miles in a control arm started making noise, then 10,000 starter out, then 5,000 tie rods and ball joints, then alternator went out and i can probably think of 3 other things my saturn had to get done within a year of owning it, literally just a money hole not even a pit a black hole with no end.

second car, no issues with test drive besides small creek on passenger could tell probably tie rod or something, but I wanted a cheap $1,000 winter beater and it was chevy prizm (aka toyota corolla engine)
one thing i couldnt notice during test drive tho is after 800 miles the oil was completely dry gone empty no drips on driveway nothing. that thing decided to burn tons of oil at 147k 2002, anyways head gasket blew on top, probably overheated the engine from not enough lubrication since some nights i put 250 miles on my car.
then Rod knock the **** out of her til she blew up

so anyways, my used car journey has been a peachy one, thats why im so hessitant about 1998 170k, just because the car can have something that its pretty non noticeable until xyz happens.
Also only doing basic repairs also kinda worrys me, even tho hondas are easy and cheap to work on.

but yeah i guess my main question is,

is getting $1,000 honda a lot better gamble then 70k less but 4x more

 
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In my opinion, 100% yes.

 
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Agreed

 
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alright cool thank you guys for changing my route and helping me better understand. Now i guess since im annonying asf with continuous questions, Is getting like $300-400 fluids flush worth it and doing a tune up to it ? will you really get that much more milleage for the money or is it best to ride til the rims on beaters?

also putting like 70k miles on them annually

 
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If AT, drain and fills only. Don't go with a flush. Tune up, sure, much cheaper if you have the capability to DIY a lot of maintenance items. Decent socket set (bonus points if it includes a spark plug socket), and a set of wrenches will give you the capability to do a lot on a civic. Hell, you can damn near take the car apart with no more than 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, and 19mm tools and a couple screwdrivers, and really, the 10mm and 12mm will be doing most of the leg work

Jeeeessssuuuuusssss

 
Rep Power: 224

And I thought my 20k a year was a lot.

 
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haha, yeah I have 2 socket sets, car jack n stands all the basics.
plus autozone does rent a tool anyways, if it was ever complicated part.

what fluids can you just drain and fill, I think breaks you have to bleed and coolant you have to burp if i remember. or unless those are basic to do and cant really mess it up, but since im new getting into cars, rather not do risky repairs if done wrong such as suspension for example.

and yeah I work at dominos monday thru friday nights and jets pizza friday saturday sunday
8 hours shifts so like 120-150 miles a day, and 250-350 fridays. Then personal driving and eerons.

I like turning cars into money makers 10,000 miles = $3,600
10,000 miles is 333 gallons at $1.70 = $566 so 3k wear and tear pay per 10,000 miles and if it makes 50,000 miles no problem $15,000 for a beater plus you can still sell it.

 
Rep Power: 125

How does insurance factor into this? That would take a considerable chunk out of that profit, unless you're just using normal insurance and are trying to get away with it.

 
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insurance is ummm what one would call.... like personal driving liability
DEFINITELY NOT FOR WORK
$110 a month for 2010 LX liability
20 y/o male clean record, (one pending speeding ticket.) no crashes in past 5 years.

so i guess find out how many 150 miles fit in 30 days
so 4,500 ill call it 5k for easy
$1,500 wear and tear -$110 insurance monthly

so not bad, i'm a really good driver, just like going 20 over. But if i stay in my lane, stay in yours, and if i start zig zagging during heavy highway traffic just let me fill gaps and nothing will happen.
always check blind spots and at least hit the blinker for one click at minium.

so I'll be fine til a DUI retard nails me or distracted driver.
But dash cams are next investment and im willing too hire an attorney to screw them over if they screw me over.

but you are right you technically need "delivery/work insurance" since you are more of a "risk." even tho i know girls that went to my school who crashed 3 times already like what lol.

got this week off so gonna be watching CL/FB marketplace hard this week.

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whats the highest year I should aim for again i know you guys were saying 96-98 have beast engines, wheres the coolant leaks and other engine problems the newer ones had?
and should i really 100% stay away from autos if thats the only option after looking for a few days, or they just a little bit more risky to invest in?

 
Rep Power: 125

Any D-series civic is a pretty safe bet. That would be anything from 1992-2005 (it went earlier, but this is your sweet spot). Any of those will be reliable.

The manual transmissions are more reliable than automatics and they're easier to do maintenance on. It's that simple.

I was entertaining doing some delivery jobs but the cost for insurance was more than I found reasonable (considering I would only be doing it part-time next to the job I have now). A lot of places around here required proof of insurance so there was no way around it.