Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for?
10-10-2003, 12:40 PM
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Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (Update: Bought it, got pics... 56k maybe)
Hey all, tomorrow im going down to a dealer to check out a 96 hatch that i saw in the paper. I'd appreciated some pointers on what to look for or to check out so i won't be getting my gf a lemon.
as per the ad, 96 hatch, 5spd, ps,ac,stereo,rerdef... and it has 90k on the clock. i called the dealer and has clear title and carfax for it which i'll verify when im there. asking price is 4k but when i called him up he said he'll offer me a lower price. i figure after i check out the car and is in good shape i'll start with a 3k offer... sound about right?
i will check out the motor for any visable problems, but what else can i do to check if the motor is sound? ie: check oil dipst., check fluid levels? i will ask to take it out for a test drive to see how it runs thru the gears for any tranny problems.
i will also check out the body for obvious dents/misalignments/panel replacement and what not... check the frame to see if it has been damaged. check the interior for wear and tear (i can probably get some $ off if damaged.. right?)
Will this hatch be a good deal for under 4k? assuming everything is in decent shape. any other tips on buying a used car is appreciated.
tia
for you guys
EDIT: bought the car, scroll down for pics
Modified by KiddEng at 3:55 PM 10/12/2003
Modified by KiddEng at 7:46 PM 10/13/2003
as per the ad, 96 hatch, 5spd, ps,ac,stereo,rerdef... and it has 90k on the clock. i called the dealer and has clear title and carfax for it which i'll verify when im there. asking price is 4k but when i called him up he said he'll offer me a lower price. i figure after i check out the car and is in good shape i'll start with a 3k offer... sound about right?
i will check out the motor for any visable problems, but what else can i do to check if the motor is sound? ie: check oil dipst., check fluid levels? i will ask to take it out for a test drive to see how it runs thru the gears for any tranny problems.
i will also check out the body for obvious dents/misalignments/panel replacement and what not... check the frame to see if it has been damaged. check the interior for wear and tear (i can probably get some $ off if damaged.. right?)
Will this hatch be a good deal for under 4k? assuming everything is in decent shape. any other tips on buying a used car is appreciated.
tia
for you guysEDIT: bought the car, scroll down for pics
Modified by KiddEng at 3:55 PM 10/12/2003
Modified by KiddEng at 7:46 PM 10/13/2003
10-10-2003, 12:43 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (KiddEng)
look at suspension.> trailing arms, axles to see how well they have been treated. look under the car for anything bad. ask if you can take off the valve caver and have a look to see if nothings wrong if you plan on keeping the motor.
10-10-2003, 12:45 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (KiddEng)
that seems awfully cheap.
Make sure you have your own carfax account and run the VIN under that account. I think that is the only way to get the protection.
CarFax information is good as long as it is OLD. If there is new information on the car, it may not appear in carfax for a matter of months to a year.
But as long as the interior and exterior condition are upto your standards, that should be a killer deal. Even if the motor was bad, you can get replacements from people that have swapped for $300 or less. At least that is what stock non vtec sohc motors go for in my neck of the woods.
Make sure you have your own carfax account and run the VIN under that account. I think that is the only way to get the protection.
CarFax information is good as long as it is OLD. If there is new information on the car, it may not appear in carfax for a matter of months to a year.
But as long as the interior and exterior condition are upto your standards, that should be a killer deal. Even if the motor was bad, you can get replacements from people that have swapped for $300 or less. At least that is what stock non vtec sohc motors go for in my neck of the woods.
10-10-2003, 12:52 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (TrickHonda77)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TrickHonda77 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">look at suspension.> trailing arms, axles to see how well they have been treated. look under the car for anything bad. ask if you can take off the valve caver and have a look to see if nothings wrong if you plan on keeping the motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>
uhh....if you say so captain. yeah, while your at it take the whole head off and check the pistons, see if the rings are still good. and then check all the wires under the hood to see if anything is missing...
test drive the car of course. see if it runs fine, listen for any noises that might sound off. check the things most people would check, interior condition, exterior condition, and if it runs fine, i'd say your good to go.
regardless, if you buy the car, youll most likely find a querk about it that will rub you the wrong way. but nothing in life is perfect
uhh....if you say so captain. yeah, while your at it take the whole head off and check the pistons, see if the rings are still good. and then check all the wires under the hood to see if anything is missing...
test drive the car of course. see if it runs fine, listen for any noises that might sound off. check the things most people would check, interior condition, exterior condition, and if it runs fine, i'd say your good to go.
regardless, if you buy the car, youll most likely find a querk about it that will rub you the wrong way. but nothing in life is perfect
10-10-2003, 12:55 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (TrickHonda77)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TrickHonda77 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">look at suspension.> trailing arms, axles to see how well they have been treated. look under the car for anything bad. ask if you can take off the valve caver and have a look to see if nothings wrong if you plan on keeping the motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>
righto, i forgot to add in the suspension... thanks for reminding me hah! so while im under the car i would look for torn boots/grease splats/worn bushings
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonyXcom »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that seems awfully cheap.
Make sure you have your own carfax account and run the VIN under that account. I think that is the only way to get the protection.
CarFax information is good as long as it is OLD. If there is new information on the car, it may not appear in carfax for a matter of months to a year.
But as long as the interior and exterior condition are upto your standards, that should be a killer deal. Even if the motor was bad, you can get replacements from people that have swapped for $300 or less. At least that is what stock non vtec sohc motors go for in my neck of the woods.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yeah when i saw the price it struck me as low too...aren't 96dx going for around 4.5-5k from dealers? from the pic in the ad, the one side i see looks ok however the other side that i can't see could be dented up to all hell... hahah..
good tip about the carfax...do the reports come with dates on them? i'll be checking to see how recent that report is.
as for the motor, we plan on keeping tha dx in until we get a built y8 ready to install...so should i still pull the valve cover anyway? i do need the dx motor to last until we can finish up the y8. however i doubt the dealer would let me bust out my tools in the lot
righto, i forgot to add in the suspension... thanks for reminding me hah! so while im under the car i would look for torn boots/grease splats/worn bushings
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonyXcom »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that seems awfully cheap.
Make sure you have your own carfax account and run the VIN under that account. I think that is the only way to get the protection.
CarFax information is good as long as it is OLD. If there is new information on the car, it may not appear in carfax for a matter of months to a year.
But as long as the interior and exterior condition are upto your standards, that should be a killer deal. Even if the motor was bad, you can get replacements from people that have swapped for $300 or less. At least that is what stock non vtec sohc motors go for in my neck of the woods.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yeah when i saw the price it struck me as low too...aren't 96dx going for around 4.5-5k from dealers? from the pic in the ad, the one side i see looks ok however the other side that i can't see could be dented up to all hell... hahah..
good tip about the carfax...do the reports come with dates on them? i'll be checking to see how recent that report is.
as for the motor, we plan on keeping tha dx in until we get a built y8 ready to install...so should i still pull the valve cover anyway? i do need the dx motor to last until we can finish up the y8. however i doubt the dealer would let me bust out my tools in the lot
10-10-2003, 12:58 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (JUN EK9)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JUN EK9 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
test drive the car of course. see if it runs fine, listen for any noises that might sound off. check the things most people would check, interior condition, exterior condition, and if it runs fine, i'd say your good to go.
regardless, if you buy the car, youll most likely find a querk about it that will rub you the wrong way. but nothing in life is perfect</TD></TR></TABLE>
yeah im sure there will be some little knitpicking thing that will bother her...thnx for the input!
one more thing...in general do dealers give out like a 30 day warrenty or is that solely up to the dealer? if i do purchase i might bring it to a mechanic to get it up on a lift and get a second opinion...but i don't want to do it if i have no way of bringing the car back. know what i mean?
test drive the car of course. see if it runs fine, listen for any noises that might sound off. check the things most people would check, interior condition, exterior condition, and if it runs fine, i'd say your good to go.
regardless, if you buy the car, youll most likely find a querk about it that will rub you the wrong way. but nothing in life is perfect</TD></TR></TABLE>
yeah im sure there will be some little knitpicking thing that will bother her...thnx for the input!
one more thing...in general do dealers give out like a 30 day warrenty or is that solely up to the dealer? if i do purchase i might bring it to a mechanic to get it up on a lift and get a second opinion...but i don't want to do it if i have no way of bringing the car back. know what i mean?
10-10-2003, 12:59 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (KiddEng)
around here, I have seen 96's go for 6k at dealers.
With regards to the carfax, the date is not important, as it will of course have the date you ran the report on it. The point I am trying to make is that all the information on the report will be accurate, but there may have been things that have changed in the past few months to a year that haven't made it into the carfax report yet.
For example, if the title was just changed to salvage a week ago. you can run a carfax today and it wont be on there.
With regards to the carfax, the date is not important, as it will of course have the date you ran the report on it. The point I am trying to make is that all the information on the report will be accurate, but there may have been things that have changed in the past few months to a year that haven't made it into the carfax report yet.
For example, if the title was just changed to salvage a week ago. you can run a carfax today and it wont be on there.
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10-10-2003, 01:04 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (tonyXcom)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonyXcom »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">around here, I have seen 96's go for 6k at dealers.
For example, if the title was just changed to salvage a week ago. you can run a carfax today and it wont be on there.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i see what your saying...so even if i had my own account and such...ran the carfax, and comes up clean, i still won't know if the title will have changed right(going by your scenerio(sp))?
it would prolly be good to compare my carfax to the one the dealer has? but if his version is almost the same date as my carfax, we BOTH should see the same report, b/c the changed title may not show up still? am i interpreting the report situation right? again going by ur example only.
thnx again!
For example, if the title was just changed to salvage a week ago. you can run a carfax today and it wont be on there.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i see what your saying...so even if i had my own account and such...ran the carfax, and comes up clean, i still won't know if the title will have changed right(going by your scenerio(sp))?
it would prolly be good to compare my carfax to the one the dealer has? but if his version is almost the same date as my carfax, we BOTH should see the same report, b/c the changed title may not show up still? am i interpreting the report situation right? again going by ur example only.
thnx again!
10-10-2003, 01:15 PM
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bring it to honda and have them do there all point inspection and have the guy pay for it. Since you are going to buy the car. Make sure its all good.
10-10-2003, 01:19 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (KiddEng)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KiddEng »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i see what your saying...so even if i had my own account and such...ran the carfax, and comes up clean, i still won't know if the title will have changed right(going by your scenerio(sp))?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Correct, thus the reason to get your own accuont so that you will be afforded the protection provided in the carfax. If you go off the dealers carfax report, and then then you find out a year later that the odometer was rolled back, you can't get any of the guaratee money from the report the dealer paid to run.
I believe you have to pay for and run your own carfax to be protected.
i see what your saying...so even if i had my own account and such...ran the carfax, and comes up clean, i still won't know if the title will have changed right(going by your scenerio(sp))?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Correct, thus the reason to get your own accuont so that you will be afforded the protection provided in the carfax. If you go off the dealers carfax report, and then then you find out a year later that the odometer was rolled back, you can't get any of the guaratee money from the report the dealer paid to run.
I believe you have to pay for and run your own carfax to be protected.
10-12-2003, 11:53 AM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (Update: Bought it, got pics 56k?)(tonyXcom)
well went down there yesterday and picked up the hatch... here are some pics of it... think we got a good deal out of it.
its 96cx 122xxx, clean body, old people driven highway miles and i got all service records for oil, and tuneups... haha got their reciepts with CC account numbers on them
so $3600 later we drove her home
its 96cx 122xxx, clean body, old people driven highway miles and i got all service records for oil, and tuneups... haha got their reciepts with CC account numbers on them
so $3600 later we drove her home 
10-12-2003, 12:20 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (jdmtoadstool)
3600 from a dealer is a smoking deal. congrats.
10-12-2003, 12:28 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (tonyXcom)
yeah there are some little things wrong but nothing that cant be fixed. chip in window, climate control **** busted...thats about it.now its time to save up for a built y8
big ups to Al Marino at Burns auto group 2, in langhorne PA.
1888-243-9674, he told me they usually get a few hatchs in every few weeks...you can request a car too. nice guys
thanks for all the help
10-12-2003, 12:52 PM
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Re: Going to buy a 96 hatch... what to look for? (tonyXcom)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonyXcom »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">3600 from a dealer is a smoking deal. congrats.</TD></TR></TABLE>
beats the 8,500 I spent at the damned dealership
beats the 8,500 I spent at the damned dealership
10-12-2003, 04:25 PM
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Re: (jonas)
i paid $9000 for my 96 coupe at a dealership; because, it had less than 50k, all the dealer maintence records, a lot of work done to it just before i looked at it (plugs, tune up, valves, brakes, etc etc); also, some old lady who worked there was the previous owner, and she assured me she took care of it. bottom line - you get what you pay for; if your uncertain maybe you should save until you can buy with peace of mind like i did (although i probably didn't get much of a deal ). good luck
). good luck
10-12-2003, 04:41 PM
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Re: (jwn7)
yeah the previous owners were an old couple too and seems like they only used it for hwy driving... i have all their service records for oil changes and tuneups so i know they been taking care of it!
peace
peace
