hey everyone, im 16 dont have a car yet but definitely want a ef civic hatchback for my first car. i'd prefer an si but ive found a red hatch (not si, either dx or std) thats sellin for 1000 obo and says "runs great" on the windshield. i looked at it and its a stick, either a 4 spd or 5 spd, most likely 5. has been slammed in the front (i think cut springs) and pretty low in the back. not sure of the mileage. interior seems fine except for a tear on the drivers seat, left side. has a pretty nice dent in the right front quarter panel, however in the back seat of the car is a already painted right front quarter panel, appears to be brand new. why the owner hasnt installed it and then sell it, i dunno. does not APPEAR to have any rust, and the paint seems pretty shiny. ive always wanted a hatch, but buying a dx/std model = slow as hell until i can swap in another motor and tranny, which might be a while. i currently have about 700 saved up to buy my first car, do you think i should borrow some and offer a little under 1000?

 

bring up saftey issues with cut springs, exploit the body work, complain about the teared seats, and hand him 700$ with a smile

no matter what even if it takes time, si, dx, std, your going to swap the motor, so dont get hung up on the model unless you wanted a sunroof and rear disc breaks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thatbluecrx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bring up saftey issues with cut springs, exploit the body work, complain about the teared seats, and hand him 700$ with a smile

no matter what even if it takes time, si, dx, std, your going to swap the motor, so dont get hung up on the model unless you wanted a sunroof and rear disc breaks </TD></TR></TABLE>

will there be any noticeable marks from me installing it? i dont want it to be too obvious. seems like the paint matches so that should be good. is the install very hard?

 

your 16. you don't need a fast car. buy it for $700 and learn to drive it. in a year or so buy a new engine and drop it in. by the way dx and std are the same, its called a dx in canada and a std in the states.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by coot_er &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your 16. you don't need a fast car. buy it for $700 and learn to drive it. in a year or so buy a new engine and drop it in. by the way dx and std are the same, its called a dx in canada and a std in the states. </TD></TR></TABLE>

whoa really? i never knew. i see hatchs driving around sporting the DX emblem, does that just mean they were made in canada? is the only difference between DX and Si the sunroof, obvious engine/tranny, and rear discs? and what about that quarter panel install?

 

Installing a front quarter panel in an EF is a piece of cake. IMO, I'd say to definately buy this and have some fun...the stock DX motor may not be the fastest, but the car's got plenty of potential and it'll be a great car to learn technique with. Plus as a bonus, it'll be easy to have the car grow with you. I really don't see any down-sides to this one.

 

my only concern is just how low the front is. it looks as if its gonna scrape, it's that low. and since chances are he cut springs, i cant raise it up a 1/2 inch or so. plus if hes beaten on it, god knows how much longer that thing will last .

 

true....but springs for this car are easy as heck to find, and those engines are hard to kill and cheap to replace...just have someone drive it around a bit and you'll get a reference for what kind of driving shape shes in. I definately wouldn't give 1K for it though, not unless the drivetrain and interior are perfect. Just take a look at what needs work and subtract it out from his asking price.

 

ok i might have to junkyard shop to get stock springs, then cut them myself but make sure they arent quite as low. sounds like 700 should be a fair price, plus the saying goes "money talks" right? i bring 700 cash and he might go for it

 

yeah, I'd say so. I wouldn't really sweat the springs too much...its the drivetrain you really want to look over.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by scorched0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah, I'd say so. I wouldn't really sweat the springs too much...its the drivetrain you really want to look over.</TD></TR></TABLE>

what are some "trouble areas" i should pay extra attention to? maybe anything notorious for going wrong in EF's? ill check the clutch, hopefully not slipping, how do i find out if the gear is going to grind or not, whats the best way, shift at high rpms? anything else?

 

after you get the suspension all fixed you may want to look into a mpfi swap.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by erebunicrx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">after you get the suspension all fixed you may want to look into a mpfi swap.</TD></TR></TABLE>

mpfi swap is only like $100 right. what does it improve? maybe a few hp, throttle response, mileage???

 

if i were you id offer no more than 700 if it runs good. for bargaining points, look at miles.. a lot of people have no clue that their honda is just getting broken in with 130k on the clock if its higher, then say something about that. the front quarter panel is really really easy to change too. and point out that the front is so low that that will cost you money to fix "to be safe" and note if it has new tires or old ones, because you could say that you need to get new tires right away for it if they are old and so 1000 is not possible. see if it leaks oil or any type of fluid and ask when the timing belt was last changed. every 65-75k miles is a good interval for t-belt changes, and if it wasnt done recently with documentation, mention youll need to get that done for the car not to kill itself soon. just some stuff to think about when you go to look at or buy it. good luck and post picks if you get it.

 

-let the car idle, see if it surges
-after its warmed up, give it hell. shift around 6000rpm and get it up to speed and the break kinda hard.
---check for bogging, not being able to keep constant speed, vibrations, screethes
-take some turns (kinda sharp/not really)
-if it has a stereo, test it then turn it down.
always be listening and alert, tell him about anything and everything you found wrong and then offer $700 cash.

springs shouldn't be much more than $50 for some used ones. i would say don't cut them. when you cut you mess with spring rates and you get a shitty rides. either get after market lowering spring or ride at stock. since i don't autoX stock it good for me.

 

ok thanks so much guys i really appreciate ur help. keep any opinions/tips/things to look for coming.

 

also i remember when i looked inside through the window it appeared as if it had no tach. i could have swore the temp gauge was on the far right and no tach beside it but maybe im remembering wrong. also, is there a chance it has a 4 spd and not a 5 spd??

 

dx and std. are not the same thing the std has less options and a 4 speed tranny that is like saying the dx is like the si just my opinion

 

is it possible that the std would not have a tach??

 

very possible no tach...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sloweredcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">dx and std. are not the same thing the std has less options and a 4 speed tranny that is like saying the dx is like the si just my opinion</TD></TR></TABLE> yup

 

if its a 4 spd and no tach then i dunno if i want it.. do you agree?

 

i still say you are going to swap it out eventually anyway... test it mechanically like you mentioned before, check for grinds, check the axles, ect..

so i say go for it... for 700

edit: 96% sure there is no tach

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thatbluecrx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i still say you are going to swap it out eventually anyway... test it mechanically like you mentioned before, check for grinds, check the axles, ect..

so i say go for it... for 700

edit: 96% sure there is no tach</TD></TR></TABLE>

in this car or in std hatchs?

 

std no tach 96% sure

 

if its standard chances are no tach. just bargain with the guy...hey says 1000 you say 600-700 and meet in a happy medium for you. have driven one and its a really fun/reliable car. just make sure everything with the drivetrain seems up to par!