I've been methodically (I'm not in a position of desperation) going through the used car market in search of an Accord EX coupe. There is no shortage of these cars on the market, of course, but it seems to me that the attractive ones (reasonably low miles, 95-97 models) get sold right away. The others are either out of my price range (98's and up), or the folks have asking prices so ridiculous that my initial offer would come across as insulting (even though I have done my homework and in fact my offer would be fair). Funny thing is, I don't see a lot of these cars re-listed with modified asking prices, so there must be a lot of dumb/desperate folks out there. Maybe I'm misreading the market, but then I again I feel my expectations are reasonable, and I believe in a mutually beneficial exhange. I also aknowledge the existence of countless variables. Anyway...

I have an appointment tomorrow morning at a used car dealership - green '96 Accord EX coupe; 108K miles; 5-speed. Besides the color (which I can live with), it is exactly what I want. However, I haven't seen the car yet. Is there any way to determine the factory paint color from the VIN? My interest is in discovering any repaints. If I can verify that the original color was something else, I won't even bother going across town and looking.

Also, I'd be happy to take any tips on things to check or watch out for on a car from this era and this mileage. The Carfax report is satisfactory.

The guy is asking $5,988. I know I won't pay that for the car, even if I fall in love with it. Anybody care to chime in with their opinions of what a reasonable price would be? I'm thinking $5K in a best-case scenario (considering a sale from a dealer is likely to cost more than with a private party for a similar car, no matter what).

 

i got my single owner 95 accord LX 5 speed with 88 kmiles for 3.9K in pretty good condition with all service records, so you should be looking at 4.5-5 G's, depending on condition and number of owners. Dealers of course will add up on price. 6 G's is toooo much. Plus when you buy from dealership, usually you don't get any records or history on the car.

Look around, there should be one waiting for you. just be patient and you'll find it.

 

$6K is WAY to high for that car, no matter how much you like it. I just bought a 96 EX Coupe 5-speed with 129K miles (one owner) for $4300 with brand new timing belt, tires, and exhaust system.

As far as your original question, no, the VIN doesn't have original paint code information in it, only body style, engine, transmission type, year, assembly plant, etc.

Just some advice - if you come across a car you like but they are asking too much (like you said they might take your low offer as an insult), give it a try, especially if you are paying with cash. Say something along the lines of "The blue book for this car is $4,500 so I'll give you $4,500 cash" even if they are asking $5,500. It's hard to turn down all that money if they know that's what the cars worth. So take a chance, you will get a good deal if you wait, just keep checking the classifieds every day, that's what worked for me! Good luck!

 

Yeah, the VIN won't tell you the color, but it will tell you the style, engine size, transmission, where it was made, etc.

Have you for sure ruled out the 6th generation ('98 through '02)? They really are seemingly significantly bigger than the 5th generation (which is what the car you will be looking at is).

Also be sure to ask about the maintenance records, if the previous owner was the type to not care about the cost and had all of the maintenance done at a Honda dealer and the dealer has the records, this is worth a little bit to the price. If there are no records, keep in mind that you will want to do all of the maintenance items in the owner's manual to "zero it out" and start from fresh, that will cost some money. In fact, that can be a negotiating tool with the dealership, "I'll pay you $5,000 for it. Since there are no records, keep in mind that I will have to spend quite a bit to do all of the maintenance work on it".

 

wow. i got my 98 black coupe LX (5speed) a few weeks ago, from a private seller for about $6800 @ 87000 mileage. A few dings and dongs, but its a fairly nice car. Clean title. Not a bad find if I must say so, considering how long I've looked for a vechile. But best of luck with your purchase and searches. And trust me, my parent's original amount of $ they would allow for a car was ridicilious as well. Best of wishes man.

 

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Yeah I can vouch for this. My mom drives a 99 Accord EX Sedan Automatic 4cyl, and my 96 EX Coupe sits much lower to the ground and in other ways is much smaller than her car. Since I don't have a family to drive around, I like having a smaller car, but if you have many people then I'd look at a 6th gen - the back seats in her car have tons of space, a slightly bigger trunk also. Good luck!