Along with VitViper (who I'm sure will be in here within 20 minutes), I too own a Ford ZX2. I went the wrong route, and modified a Ford. As such, it's broken about once a week. I'm looking for a daily driver to get me around most of the time, including while fixing my Escort. However, I have no idea what to look for or what to get.

I found a few cars near me (zip 66202), and wanted to see what the best of the best thinks of them. I'm not so much looking to modify for 300whp, but I wouldn't mind an extra 10-15mpg (which usually brings more horsies to the ground as well). Gas mileage, and reliability, are key here. I'm not going to be swapping, camming, dropping, winging, or farting it. Just need something to get me to and from work, day after day ... with little and easy maintenance. I've never worked on a Honda before, I'd like to keep it simple.

Here's one I found:
http://autotrader.com/fyc/vdp....st=58

Is that a good price for the car? It's a little high on my budget, but I could afford it. I have a hard cap of $1,900 ... to ensure enough for insurance / titling. I like the color, and the goodies (power stuff, A/C).

Any other suggestions?

 

Crap ... I didn't see the terms of service. I hope this post doesn't violate the "No FS/WTB" rule.

mods: I apologize if it does

 

I would get the owners' service report first. The mileage is kind of high, but that's nothing to fret about in a Honda. Plenty of peeps around here will vouch for their high-mileage motors still running strong. The price isn't bad, you should try to talk them down a couple hundred. Other than that, I would say that it's a great commuter car, as long as you can handle the gutlessness of the stock motor until you have the time or money to upgrade it. Also, you'll want to keep in mind, that if the car hasn't been maintained recently, (i.e. timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, etc.) you're probably going to want to replace those as they can help a dying motor or bring back to life a tired one. Just my offering, hope it helped

 

I've only got 3 posts left for today, I need to make them good ones.

Do Hondas typically use interference engines? How difficult are the timing belts / water pumps / fuel filters / coil packs / brake pads / clutch / [other things here] to replace?

My Escort is like a big pile of Legos. Just a lot heavier. Plug and play ...

Also, my Escort has a few simple mods for removing intake baffles and such. Are those types of mods readily available on a Honda? Can I boost the power of the motor by 10hp or so with under $30 in mods? (with the next 10hp being $300 in mods)

I've gotten my ZX2 to crest 40mpg easily, I'd want to push this Civic to about the same.

 

Yes they do have interference engines, that's why it's a big deal if the timing belt breaks. But it's really fairly simple to work on and replace all of the above mentioned parts. The timing belt and water pump should be replaced together, since you've got to take off the belt to replace the pump. Fuel filter is very easy. Hondas have distributors and just plug wires, so that's all easy. Clutch is also fairly simple, just a little time consuming if you're working in your garage. But if you're patient, read up on what you're doing, and do a little research, it'll go a long way. Also, if you want the best manual on the planet, check this out Helms manual. Pretty much step-by-step instructions for how to do everything on your car. Lots of diagrams and pictures, too.

You can get a cheap intake all over the Internet for next to nothing anymore... Finding one shouldn't be a problem. But you're not going to get a whole lot of free HP out of your motor. I would suggest just getting a fairly nice intake, with a good filter (that's the important part), and just ditching the factory airbox and ****. Other than that, the power should boost a little just by keeping it maintained and giving a little TLC. You shouldn't have a problem getting close to that gas mileage with a Civic. Especially if it's a lot of highway.

You can IM me too, if you want to save your posts that badly. Just click the IM icon below my name and click the link

 

Transmission: Automatic

Personally I'd pass if your looking for good mileage, and ease of diy work. I just checked autotrader w/ a 300mi radius and didn't find to much. Have you searched the classifieds here on H-T? How far would you travel?

 

i was going to agree with forgetting that car because it's an auto. The manual will yield much better gas mileage and are easier to work on (imo).

I'd say also look at like first generation crx's if you're just looking for a cheap car to get around in and don't need the back seat. A nice one can be had fairly cheap.

 

I sent a few emails to various people in the For Sale section. I'll see what pans out, and post the results here for you guys to approve.

Thanks for the help!