I went and test drove a '98 civic ex 2dr today. Drives and shifts great, but here's the kicker. The engine bay looks pretty damn neglected. The pulleys are rusty, along with a few other things under the hood. I'm not really sure if I want to go ahead and get the car. I'm currently driving a '94 corolla and my engine bay looks nothing like this car, which is 4 years newer than mine.
I'm thinking something happened and the dealer isn't telling me, even though there is a one owner carfax report. And he's pushing the, "It's a Honda" line on me, which isn't making me very relaxed. And there's a HUGE 8 month gap with absolutely no records. Any input will be greatly appreciated, seeing as there are a good number of auto-tech savvy people on here. Thank you.

 

If the car sat for a while or has a junk yard motor or if the car is from a cold snowy area than that could be the big reason for all the rusty stuff

 

If you are skeptical about getting the car, don't waste your time and money. More than likely a neglected vehicle will only lead to trouble down the road. Buying a used vehicle will never have any guarantees that it will not mess up on you because you were not the original owner. From experience of owning several Hondas, they are great vehicles indeed. It's just too bad some people think they are indestructible for some obvious reasons. Take the time to check out other cars instead of that one. I'm sure you'll find the one right for you.

 

Thank you for the replies. He's honestly overcharging me for the car even though it has 87k on the motor. There's an 04 with about the same mileage for 8k at an actual Honda dealership, which is what I'm probably going to do in the end. Just testing the waters, as this will be my second car. I just want something newer and a bit more fun to drive. And yeah. Finding a decent Civic around here that hasn't been abused is very hard because I live i an area with more than 6 colleges and all these guys f em' up and sell them.

 

04 civic's are junk... 01-05 are the biggest turds ive ever worked on. Not worth picking one of them up. i would get a 96-00 if anything. But i def wouldnt pay over 6k for a 00