The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Bored so making a topic to chit-chat.
We've all seen it, but it still boggles my mind how quickly the cost of "golden era" Hondas is shooting up. EF, EG, EK, and Integras are all sky high. I've seen the same thing happen with Ford Foxbodys, and I'm sure we'll continue to see that roll into essentially all import and domestic tuner cars of the 90s and 00s.

I routinely see GSR Integras for sale between $20K -> $30K now, LS Integras around $15 -> $20K, and EM1 Si's $20K+. EG's fluctuate more, but even the most clapped out base models I see now selling for $6K+. Clean EG's either stock or well built sell closer to the EM1 price.

I'm sure we'll still get the occasional cheeky comment "lol I picked up my Si for $5 and a stick of bubblegum", but it's safe to say the era of being able to pick up cheap and affordable tuner cars is over. You can run full nationwide searches on these cars now, and only get a few results.

Integra GSR for $30K - https://www.ebay.com/itm/11575522857...=&toolid=10049

Integra LS listed for $23K - https://www.ebay.com/itm/22549198152...=&toolid=10049

Abandoned half finished EG Si project for $7.5K - https://www.ebay.com/itm/17568521347...=&toolid=10049

Mostly stock EK4 for $24K - https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/8...paign=atempest

EM1 for $28K - https://www.truecar.com/used-cars-fo...id=autotempest

I love my Honda, but no way in hell would I pay prices like this for one. On the other hand, I'm hoping these prices help drive away all these budget-build idiots and haggard garage esque half assed owners - Which is funny because owners like that who hacked up their rides are partly to blame for the skyrocketing prices.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

my personal garage currently house a 2000 GSR sedan, and a 1998 DX hatchback in factory DAP.

These cars came in my possession in horrible condition. I have spent countless hours and a lot of money sourcing replacement parts.

It has been super difficult to find things like replacement roof moldings and weatherstrips. The only way i found the parts i need was from buying a shell (running or not).

due to the price increase of these cars, everyone thinks that they are sitting on gold.
I would find rusty/crashed and almost bare shells for 2k+.

do i like the prices currently? yes and no.
i like the fact that it makes people take better care of these cars.
i dont like the fact that everyone thinks their clapped out pos is worth way more that it should be.

bringatrailer kinda ruined it for everyone

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

It really is a shame for how many there were to how many there are now. Taken for granted and abused or modded terribly then getting into a minor fender bender and off to the scrap yards just because they "were" a dime a dozen.
I will always be a true lover for the Golden Era Honda's, I am the only one in my city with a CRX, it's mint, I fully restored a couple years ago with hard to get parts that don't exist today, its boosted (15years strong) and still on the road but only being a summer car because I take care of my shit.
Told the wife it's my coffin but she wont do it..

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Yep, a wide range of replacement parts are OEM discontinued with no good aftermarket replacement, and becoming very difficult and expensive to find.

My EG also has many parts on it that are long discontinued. Makes me nervous about it ever getting into an accident, this town is filled with aggressive and very stupid drivers.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Food for thought... just on raw inflation alone, if I paid the exact same amount for my 92k mile '00 LX as I did back in '07 it would cost ~$7k in 'today dollars'. This isn't factoring in any additional rarity or anything. If I could find a <100k mile '00 EX sedan, I'd happily pay $8k for it in 'today dollars'. I found one in manual, the same color as my LX, just before the pandemic and not too far away for something on the order of $6k and I'm still kicking myself to this day for not going and getting it immediately.

These cars are way past the point of where depreciability ends - that typically bottoms out for any car of any level of desirability around the ten year mark. Now that the vast majority are shagged, crashed, clapped out, covered in mold or rust and smell like vape juice and dirty diapers, the rarity tax kicks in and we see the prices we see.

I don't really think the prices are ridiculous, honestly. I think that selling a decently clean one for 4-5k is really the thing screwing the market up. Go find a clean unmolested 60s/70s domestic car that's been subject to twice as much time in the wild and come back with critique of what those cost.

Basic fourth grade level capitalism. If the prices are higher than the market will bear, the cars don't sell. There's not really such thing as a ruined market unless the car companies, mob or gov are fixing prices somehow.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

To be fair, there could be a bit of debate there on those external influences. But yeah these cars cost what they cost for a reason, as do all classic and enthusiast vehicles, it's just very interesting to me to watch this happen with a 30 year old economy car.

I'm window shopping for a new daily, and I really like both the C5 Z06 and Foxbody Mustangs - And the price for either in good condition right now is close to the same despite the 10 year age difference and the vast difference in performance - Which makes it really hard to justify buying a Fox when a Z06 costs the same. Hell, base model C6's are also selling for about the same.

And then of course in 5-10 years the price of the Chevys will also be sky high. Interesting that we actually see the prices change slower on cars that were already "upper class" or clearly aimed at enthusiasts, versus things like Civics. A cheap entry fee in the beginning lets in all the jerkoffs, then inevitably we hit a spike when the rarity hits. Cars that cost more from the beginning help weed out some of the bad owners.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Precisely where we are.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Good discussion :thumbup:

For about a year now, I've been on the hunt for an EG shell after being out of golden era Honda's for over 15 years. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel like me, it looks like the only place to find them is in FB marketplace and I'll have to spend 3 to $4k to get one that has a straight body, little to no rust and a title. It seems like a fair price considering how much the nice EG's are going for.

If I didn't already have a near mint '92 Si interior ready to swap into a shell and a desire to rebuild the car from my youth, I'd probably end up with a 5th gen Civic sedan. I can still find them unmolested, running and driving for under $5k. It will be a project to make a sedan in this price range looking good again, but you won't be starting with someone else's project.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Now you guys have me trolling used cars. Great.

If only this was a manual....2000 Honda Civic LX - $8,500 - CarGurus. Would def pay $7500 for it.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/honda-t...f790e62570.png

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

$8.5K for an automatic EK sedan. Hot dayum.

Granted it is low mileage and in very good condition. In a lot of ways it may make sense to start targeting automatic Hondas rather than manuals since they're more likely to be OEM and casually driven.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

this makes me wonder how much stinky is worth. 1995 LX 5sp 430k miles I tried the carmax and they said they would give me $50. for it

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

You'll get paid market rate for it if you happen to get in a no fault accident. I might have to buy another cheap ek sedan. I got $4700 for my 99 I had less than 1k into.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

I wonder how much is selling private vs how many are listed. I don't mind that prices are going up because of demand, I just wish there was a better solution to the discontinued parts issue on some of critical stuff that is hard to get. But there definitely has been an uptick in higher quality cars within the last 5 years or so, and the drop off of the age old Honda trash seems to be diminishing a lot more year by year.

Though I don't really like the IG and FB raffle groups. I don't fault people selling their cars to them (A friend of mine took the money for his Integra, one of the raffle groups offered him), but the people running them seem shady in their business practices, and I recall seeing another friend's hatch being raffled twice by two different people less than 2 years.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

I'm hopeful that as 3D printing and scanning machines continue to improve and become more accessible to people we may start seeing some home grown "remanufactured" parts.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Glad I've held onto the CRX after coming close to selling it multiple times. Even modified ones can be worth a good amount if they're taken care of and in good shape.

I think the market for the 90's cars especially is being driven up partially by millenials becoming nostalgic and wanting to get back into the cars of their childhood. And most can afford to spend a lot for a clean one. There's also something to be said for the quality and simplicity of these cars that just can't be found in any other era or brand of cars. It's still a relatively cheap way to have fun and go fast on the street or track with unmatched likeness to a street legal gokart.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

A new Integra windshield cowl and assorted side pieces is high on my list of wants as mine is showing cracks from the Florida heat, though I wonder if the Carbon fiber ones are any good and allow me to keep my wiper blades. ( I would plastidip or paint it black as I hate cf trim)

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

There are some CF cowls out there that let you retain the wiper blades, I think(?) Carbon Creations may have one.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

I'm glad I got a second del Sol VTEC a few years ago for 3K....
Both are pretty stock and are going up in price every year!

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

I'm attempting to possibly put up my 1999 GSR for sale soon as I rebuild the engine and trans. I want to ask for a stupid high price and see if i snag a fish! will have some rare goodies, The short block was Purchased for $2,800 brand new in the Honda box some years ago but these are no longer available, and the cylinder head was purchased for around $1,900 new out the box from Honda and the trans was around $2,900 brand new out the box from Honda and last RDOT used long block swap from HMO sold for I think $20k...

Heres what the list should look like

RDOT B18C5 short block, CSS piston and rod setup for boost 0 miles-
RDOT B18C5 Cylinder head ported and rebuilt. 0 miles
RDOT B18C5 USDM ITR gear box fully rebuilt carbon Syncros etc... 0 miles
Brand new High boost Pro Charger supercharger kit 12-14psi- ($6,000 value!)
Hondata S300 V3

Clean paint job 7 year ceramic coating
Interior 9-10 with Recaro JDM seats 9.5-10 cond. red CDM rear seats

JDM ITR 4 lug conversion/ wheels

Prolly tons of little things but I just wonder what stupid price I could ask say on a site like bring a trailer!

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...jg&oe=64447E51
https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...rw&oe=64684B5B

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...Pg&oe=64683484

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...4w&oe=64684EC8

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...lw&oe=64684D42

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...bg&oe=646724CA

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...XA&oe=64684BBD
https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...1Q&oe=64684E37

I also recently sold both my EK hatch backs!

I sold my 2000 spec EK for $6,000 cash! and my 96 spec EK K20A swapped for $8500 cash.

The 2000'' EK hatch i picked up for $1,200 cash, I pretty much restored it, new paint, engine bay re spray, cleaned up the interior etc. new brakes and sold her one day.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...WQ&oe=64673853
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...3g&oe=6467430C
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...MA&oe=646733D3
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...NQ&oe=6467268E
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...4A&oe=64674A8E
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...bg&oe=64674951
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...GA&oe=64675377
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...cg&oe=6467216A

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Damn Wunfast, you've had the Procharged GSR for as long as I can remember on these forums. Getting out of the "Honda game" completely?

Both the GSR and the EK look amazingly clean. Personally I wouldn't take less than $35K for the GSR, loosely speaking.

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Thanks brotha! yea its been over 10 years its been a long road with this car, I doubt I will ever get myself to sell it, there's too many memories and blood sweat and tears that have gone into this car, I used to daily it delivering pizzas for years! and it was procharged during those times haha I was the fastest delivery boy haha.

I currently have 2 other new cars I purchased after selling the hatch backs. I got a 2019 Jeep SRT 6.4L hemi! Its AWD with bolt ons and I love driving it on the weekends. I also had to buy a new daily because driving the Jeep as a daily is crazy with its big ass V8. So I found a 2020 Civic LX 2.0 with around 15k miles so it was still fresh and under warranty. It was a certified Honda at the dealership. Im Just not sure if I want to keep the Integra after spending another $10k into this car, I just feel Iv spent soooooooo much money over the years its starting to become a problem. I hate that the engine blew its just the worse time for me financially because of the new cars I recently purchased.

I rather put that money into something else as im getting older now and even if the Integra was running, I barely have time to drive it! I was driving it twice a week to work and back and I put I dont even remember how much I recently spent on putting a new Cc FX300 clutch kit but I barely got done with breaking it in and I blew the engine with the new clutch haha.




https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/honda-t...7b323f9244.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/honda-t...7e85c46b2f.jpg

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...Cw&oe=64464947

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...Zg&oe=64457A9C



https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...4g&oe=644530CD
https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...EQ&oe=644551C9

Re: The Cost of Golden Era Hondas
 

Keep the GSR and make it a weekend track car! That is how I justified keeping the CRX ;)