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First car

Ok so I have a couple choices of what i want to get for a first car,
I figured i would ask you guys
smile_m_32.gif
A male dominated forum ive seen a few people on hear with knowladge of cars. So ill keep this updated and you guys let me know what kind of car you think is good. Basicaly i cant Get a 6 cylinder the insurance would kill! But i planon test driving it to see how it drives.. Oh its also got lots of new stuff like a CAr alarm new speakers and stero..

1993 Honda Accord LX Sedan
4 cylinder
mileage 122,000

hears a photo of the car...

252728572.199099869.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.565x281.jpg


Its interior is in great condition... Im just wondering if its an ok car.. for around 3955!

Cheers and thanks any one who can help me out.
 
Betcha it's time for a timming belt/water pump... That will prolly set you back about $600-$1200. If they "say" it's been done but have no reciepts... have a mechanic check it out... You should have a mechanic do a "Pre buy inspection" on any car you are "about to buy" anyway. Here we charge about $50 for that service. It can save you tons in the long run though.

As far as are they charging the right price for the car... Check out kelly blue book dot com. You'd want to look at private party prices if it is a normal person selling the car.
Good luck!
Andrew
 
I'm a four-time Honda owner, and can vouch for their inherent reliability and quality. Andrew is right about the timing belt/water pump, though. Check that out. If that's done, there's no reason the car can't get over 200,000 miles on it.

I'm always worried, though, about cars with fancy wheels or other modifications that might indicate it's been driven hard or raced. You don't need that!

Capslock
 
I think the price is a little high. I would go for around $2000.
 
NICE! i saw a jeep wrangler(my favorite affordable car) in my classifides today. its a 1992 that has recently gotten a new top, 4 cylinder and i think it has about 72k miles on it.its only 3200$!. im only 14 right now(but i turn 15 on friday!!!) so i dont know what i am doing looking at cars right now....oh well
good luck!
alex
 
Not a bad deal at all, but as mnetioned previously, have the works checked. I didn't on my old Chevy way back when and repairs over 9 months cost me more than the car itself. Never again.

I can't wait to get my factory new Suzuki 125 Intruder on Tuesday though...!

Cheers
Amori
 
$3k for a Wrangler with less than a 100,000? where do you live? i need a road trip
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ive got a '95 Cherokee that i trust more than the shops 2003 F150 truck, that jeep is a freaking tank. need a wrangler to entertain myself with till the wife inherits her dads CJ7
 
not a guy, but i definietly have an opinion. especially when it comes to cars. here are a couple of guides that may help you in purchasing a used car.

Kelley Blue Book

N.A.D.A.

good luck! keep us posted.
i've had many hondas/acuras before and i think that it would be a decent first car.
 
  • #10
Thanks ive checked out Kelly Blue book, it says its about $2,920 and they want about $3,995, I know a couple of people who would be willing to look at it with me and they are all super car mechanic people And its a car i really like and As for racing, i dont want to, if i had my choice i would get normal sized tires on it, the rims look ok, but if it looks ok and It drives well and takes me from A to B im fine. But this cars preaty nice looking. Thanks for the input!

Cheers
 
  • #11
I've yet to purchase a car of my own, but being in the market for the past several months I've compiled a decent amount of advice from various sources.
As for your pick, I can say Honda = Good, Aftermarket Modifications = Bad. Hondas are great. All my friends with Hondas hold them in very high regard, and Honda's popularity is no coincidence. However, cars with aftermarket parts are harder to maintain - nonstandard parts means nonstandard service. And, you have to consider the type of driver who would bother to modify their car; an enthusiast, someone who has probably pushed their car to the limit. Car-types are great people - they're typically very knowledgable, skilled and friendly - but chances are that their used vehicles have seen a lot more wear and tear than your average commuter car. This is not to say never buy such a car - just be aware, ask lots of questions, and make sure to have the vehicle thoroughly checked by an expert. $100-$200 to have a mechanic look it over beforehand is a lot better than the thousands you could have to pay to fix a lemon.
Or worse, you could be getting a car from someone who just wanted it for show and did a cheap installation to add flashy, expensive parts. This happened to a friend of mine - he bought a Prelude at a decent price with a nice custom stereo in it, low mileage, ran well for about a week. Everything but the stereo was factory, and the stereo apparently worked well enough when the seller demostrated it to my buddy. But one day he tried turning the stereo all the way up and poof! A hacked wiring job to power the subwoofer shorted out most of the electrical system and burned a big hole in the upholstery, not to mention ruining the stereo. Total cost, after paying $6000+ for a mid-ninties Prelude: something to the tune of $2000 for parts, an upholstery kit, and a new stereo. All of the repairs were done by my friend and his family - fortunately they were all mechanically inclined and had a garage full of auto tools. I can't imagine what it might of cost had he taken it to a shop.
So be wary! Find a friend who's good with cars and have them coach you on what to look for and ask, or take them along and just have them do the talking for you. I have a very tall, intimidating roommate with a decent working knowledge of cars who saves me a lot of time at auto dealerships.
Best luck,
~Joe
 
  • #12
a lot of times, people will add in the cost of rims and tires to the book value of the car, and try to get their investment back. to them, the rims/tires are a selling point. keep in mind that those tires may not be very good in the snow, and the cost of replacing them with like sized tires could become quite costly. are they including the original wheels & tires in the purchase price of the car?

are there any other modifications done to this car? i'm not really a fan of buying a car that has been modified previously, but am all for modding it after you buy it. will the car pass e-check (if you have it)?

my experience with hondas is that they'll rust out before the engine dies. how much rust is on the car? has it been wrecked? can you get a carfax report done on it?

when buying a used car, there are lots of variables to determine the cost of the car. sometimes, when buying a car from a private owner (as opposed to a dealership), you might get a book of reciepts for work done to the car. i consider that to be a big plus, as those owners are usually a little more carefull about having needed work performed when it's time (like regular oil changes).

it might be benefitial to go onto a honda based web site (as mentioned above) and see what they can tell you. they'll know what kind of problems are common, and what kind of things to watch out for.

lastly for now, if the tires have a different overall diameter compared to the factory rim/tire set up, your speedometer will not be accurate. on the flip side, you could always just by new rims from a junkyard, and sell those on ebay.

tech...
 
  • #13
The only mod I see on that car is the rims, it dosnt even look like its got springs. I seriously doubt that car has been modded to the point that its unreliable.

Besides, it's a Honda. Even if it was seriously modded they are a dime a dozen, stock parts are readily availible and cheap.

Also if you want to get a faster car thats still a 4 banger look for an Acura Integra or Honda Prelude.
 
  • #14
I went and grabbed a auto extra.com mag... ive found a few Car's ill update with a list and what they say... im sure i will be doing a deal of calling up people over the week.

The idea for the rims does sound like a good idea, but! It will be expensive for tires wont it?

cheers
 
  • #15
based on those pathetically lame wheels, I would totally avoid this particular car. The previous owner obviously wanted a sports car, and tried to make a 4-door sedan look as "cool" as possible (and he failed miserably)
but anyone who is so concerned with "coolness" that they will waste a thousand dollars (or more) on lame wheels for a 4-door sedan is obviously someone who isnt concerned with conservative and proper care of the car..

to me, those wheels just scream "dont buy me! my owner is a moron!"
sorry..

Scot
 
  • #16
Excatly what I was thinking Scott, but I couldn't find the words. I guess we're just too old. I just don't get it.
 
  • #17
[b said:
Quote[/b] (scottychaos @ April 09 2006,12:04)]based on those pathetically lame wheels, I would totally avoid this particular car. The previous owner obviously wanted a sports car, and tried to make a 4-door sedan look as "cool" as possible (and he failed miserably)
but anyone who is so concerned with "coolness" that they will waste a thousand dollars (or more) on lame wheels for a 4-door sedan is obviously someone who isnt concerned with conservative and proper care of the car..

to me, those wheels just scream "dont buy me! my owner is a moron!"
sorry..

Scot
You cant call the owner a moron over the rims. You don't know any of the facts.

Maybe the owner bought the car like that. Or maybe the factory rims were damaged and he had those collecting dust in his garage. Don't be so quick to cast judgment on another guys car untill you know the facts.
 
  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] (rattler_mt @ April 08 2006,2:14)]$3k for a Wrangler with less than a 100,000? where do you live? i need a road trip
smile_n_32.gif
ive got a '95 Cherokee that i trust more than the shops 2003 F150 truck, that jeep is a freaking tank. need a wrangler to entertain myself with till the wife inherits her dads CJ7
KENTUCKY BABY!!!!! when i think about it that is definantly rely low for under 100kmi. somthing must be wrong under the hood. reminds me of a time i saw a white 1994 Vett for 800 bucks! it was to good to be trure but when i looked at it....
smile_t_32.gif
. the seats were basically no more and there was a hole going from the floor to the out side! i will never judge a book by its cover from now on.
alex
 
  • #19
I have seen modification on cars and my first thought was what an idiot. Like the new moron fad of taking a caprice and putting the huge rims on it to lift it about 3 ft off the ground.
I saw a truck yesterday, the front tires were normal, but the back was so low the bumper was dragging the ground.

The only reason I can think of to do any of those things is because you have to follow fads. I've never followed fads and I never will. There are no other reason to lower cars, or put stupid looking rims on it, and that's so people will think you're cool. There's no way any of those things can make the car drive better. Remember, if you have try and convince others that you're cool, you're really not.
 
  • #20
Check out those wheels carefully.  Are they painted?  Are they cracked?  Are they oversize compared to stock?
Honda tuned the suspension for the original equipment wheel/tire combo.  They know what they are doing.  Most people do not.

I am not positive but those look like low profile tires.  Unless they are a high end brand, you will get a very choppy (uncomfortable) ride.
 
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