Maxximus

Hey, i've been wandering around the site for about a week reading here and there, and I figured it was time to register and post some questions....

I'm relatively fresh to the import side of the automotive world, spent most of the last 3 years working on my Airbagged 72' Chevy Truck...but now I want to do something different...please, bear with me...

...Onto my questions...

The other day my friend offered me the keys to his 95 Del Sol on the way home from lunch. His car is a factory B16a3 (DOHC VTEC) with the 5spd, mostly stock except fro an aftermarket intake setup. It was also lowered, yada yada yada... Anyways, needless to say after letting the Vtec Kick in and shifting through the gears between 7-8k rpm I was instantly hooked.

So now I'm on the hunt for a nice Del Sol with the b16a3 setup....what can I expect to find and pay for one with under say 100k miles, mild mods (exhaust, intake etc) already done? Right now my budget is sitting at about $8k-$9k MAX. Also what should I look out for when checking out cars in person before I buy? (Mechanically and Cosmtically). Also, any idea what i can expect to pay on insurance? I'm 18...

Any help on this stuff is greatly apreciated, Thanks!

Kenny

AzntaggeR

if you look you can probably find a del sol VTEC for around $6k-$7k, considering it has low to average miles, clean title, mechanically sound, pretty decent shaped exterior and interior. if its a 94 or older make sure if it has the problem with the leaky targa top.

oh yeah, del sol VTECs are pretty hard to come by so good luck with your search.

xZeler8

i'd jump on this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...&rd=1

xZeler8

or this...i'd prolly go after the other one first, now that i look at it it doesn't have stock sol seats...hmmm, and you always gotta be careful about florida cars...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...&rd=1

joetrisman

Buy a 95 Vtec, IMO. 93s and 94s have shitty seals that leak. In 95, the seals were changed and usually don't leak at all. Also, 95 still has the ("foglights") aux lights, as oppose to the 96-97 models, who dont. Finally, in 95, the VTEC trim level was offered in two shades of green, whereas every other year, it was only offered in red or black. So, IMO, getting a 95 VTEC del sol in green is the best idea.

jerbear!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by joetrisman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Buy a 95 Vtec, IMO. 93s and 94s have shitty seals that leak. In 95, the seals were changed and usually don't leak at all. Also, 95 still has the ("foglights") aux lights, as oppose to the 96-97 models, who dont. Finally, in 95, the VTEC trim level was offered in two shades of green, whereas every other year, it was only offered in red or black. So, IMO, getting a 95 VTEC del sol in green is the best idea. </TD></TR></TABLE>

look for a 97 del sol vtec, RARE.

Maxximus

so what I've gatherd is;

*Dont buy a 93-94 becuase of the Targa Top sealing issues...
*Factory DOHC Vtec models were only ofered in Red, Black, and Green(95')

One thing I'm still kind of concerned about still is insurance, considering the car is a two-seater and has the performance engine...

Any suggestions where to look for a car online? I would prefer something somewhat local, so I could at least see/drive it before buying.

Thanks for the help

Kenny

Maxximus

Your car is amazing, however, my funding is going to be limited as of this time to about $8500 cash...not trying to low-ball you, that just all i've got right now. However, that could change in a month though Mind emailing me the specs etc on your car? those pics made me speechless lol!

maxximus_thunder@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Kenny

stevecockrill

Insurance is irrelevant for a del Sol, regardless. If you look at the registration, it usually says "Civic". For me, the DOHC VTEC was $1 more per 6 mo than the SOHC VTEC.

Don't disregard the 93 and 94 models due to bad seals though....they can be replaced, and if not taken care of properly (i.e., siliconed regularly) even the good seals go bad.

You could always look for a car that already has a swap. Mine's a 93 Si model so it has the same "creature comforts" as the DOHC VTEC, but originally came with the SOHC VTEC engine. I hydrolocked that (stupid monsoon in Texas), and swapped in a B16A2 from a 99 Civic Si.

Anyway, the point being, if you can get one that you like that is clean and straight (and not ragged on or neglected), it doesn't really matter. I have 130k chassis miles, and still runs like a champ.

Steve

joetrisman

Seals can me replaced....for $500 :-P and that's with you doing labor. Hparts.com had the kit for 360, but the website has seemed to disappear the last time I checked.

xZeler8

i noticed i had just a little tiny bit of leaking tonight on my seals...any other good places to get a kit, etc.? also, what type/brand of silicon is good to use on the existing seals?

AzntaggeR

http://www.teamdelsol.com has a good DIY info for taking care of the seals.

Maxximus

Yeah i finally bucked up and called the Insurance Co., actually not as bad as I thought it would be...so nothing to hold me back there...

I wouldn't mind a car that has a DOHC Vtec swap in it already, It just seems like I've been looking around for the last week and havent found much locally, seems like most people either dont want to sell their SOL's, dont have what I'm looking for, or not close enuf...patience pays off i guess...I've looked on Auto trader and on this forum...any other ideas?

Thanks for the help guys,

Kenny

joetrisman

Maxximus,

Might have a look at any of the following sites

http://www.darksol.com
http://www.solsociety.com
http://www.hondavision.com

I haven't looked lately at sols for sale, but these are the main sol websites that are visited other than the individual sol chapters of teamdelsol. Also, ebay is always an option. Good luck