I went through all the faqs and did a search but didnt come up with much.
the car is a 93 sedan, with 300k kms. Im looking for a cheap, reliable and fuel efficient car that i can work on myself.

im driving a 96 legacy right now which has proven to be within my abilities as a driveway mechanic, and i cant see the civic being much more difficult


I am told the car was recently etested and the price will include the etest and safety.


What should i be keeping a look out for, under the hood, under the car, in the interior

Its a 5 speed, any problems with the transmission/clutch i should be trying to feel for?

thanks for any info!

Alex

 

really take a good look at the rear wheel arch's they tend to rust out. then things like suspension inner/ outer tie rods, ball joints, bushings and shocks. Sounds like it will be needing a timing belt soon with that mileage you might as well do the water pump while it is apart. Good luck

 

The car is going to be less than a 1000, will rear wheel well rust affect anything structurally?

any other problem rust areas? the trunk? the windshield?

 

look for the obvious...any leaks of any kind. Make sure the clutch is good not to spongy not to hard and take a look behind the intake there should be a hose type thing with a connector and valve on the top. make sure it is hooked up with no leaks or else you will lose mileage and have idle issues.also look at the spark plugs and wires and inside the cylinders there in make sure no oil or liquids are in there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by instructor74 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">really take a good look at the rear wheel arch's they tend to rust out. then things like suspension inner/ outer tie rods, ball joints, bushings and shocks. Sounds like it will be needing a timing belt soon with that mileage you might as well do the water pump while it is apart. Good luck </TD></TR></TABLE> good info make sure you pull the rubber things off when you check the real wheel arch's. If the is rust it can be fixed but it can be a pain in the a$$ depending how much it is rusted I know I fix my about a year ago

 

rust is inevitable, i live in ontario, they salt the roads when it rains. The car is pretty expendable, i just want good mileage as gas prices skyrocket.

up here, its getting a little ridiculous, with gas prices increasing about 50% come summertime

 

[QUOTE=breakfasteatre] will rear wheel well rust affect anything structurally?

any other problem rust areas? QUOTE] it not good for resale, I never seen the rust in the wheel wells affect any thing, just look real nasty after it starts eating through the paint

 

well, its kind of the ontario way of life for older cars, unless the car has been oil sprayed from day one, then its going to rust

the car will be around 500, so im not too concerned about resale

ill save more than 1000 on gas alone, let alone insurance

 

You'll have all summer to get it ready for next winter. Once you learn how they are easy to work on.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com for oem parts when needed.

What engine does it have?

 

i havent taken a look at it yet, but im assuming its a 1.5L. which D-series engine, i wont know until i open the hood

Im not too woried about doing any maintenance myself, i worked on my boxer no problem, and i have a multitude of tools, including air