im getting ready to buy a del sol. i thinking about getting an automatic. what things should i check for and how should i do it to make sure that is legit. are del sol cheap on repairs and maintenances. how much mpg do you guys get? what common problems do u guys have with del sol?

 

A Del Sol is pretty much the same as a Civic coupe/hatchback. Yes, it's heavier than a hatchback because of the reinforcement necessary for the targa top. Since you're trying to get an automatic, check for the shifting of the gears. Check it out just like any other car (tires, previous body/frame damage, rust, etc....).

 

mine gets like 25-to 30 with a swapped out motor. I used to get close to 40 with my D series. Not too bad on repairs either, common problems are roof leaks, door panel wrinkles, ashtray is conveniently placed where you can smash your funny bone off. other than hitting a deer ive never had an issue with mine

 

One interesting thing to check on mileage is check the pedal wear. If it says 100K but the rubber on the pedals are really worn out with metal showing through they maybe unhooked their odometer. My best advise is to take your time on a purchase. Wait for the right car from that little old lady that drove the manual EG hatch to the grocery store and jump on it.

 

You have a valid point, rycrkt. A 15+year old car with under 100K miles is suspicious as well. The dang car could have been sitting in some yard for years waiting for some major repair.

 

Something a lot of people don't realize is that the pedal rubbers are only about $5 each from honda (canadian at that, its probably less than half in the US) its a pretty cheap way, combined with rolling back the odometer to make a car look like its got fewer miles than it really has. Look at everything, if some things seem to be worn far more than others then somethings probably up.

The targa top is prone to leaking IIRC on earlier models. Del Sols are heavy compared to civics. If you're concerned with mileage its in your best intrest to go with the base model Del Sol S with a manual tranny.

 

i saw a few del sols with like 50 to 90k miles on them. and they said it all original. how realistic is that? how can i check to see if the odometer is not tampered?

 

Its not unheard of. But its far from common.

Check and see that the numbers line up properly, although its my understanding that these cars are quite easy to roll back, I doubt you'll be able to tell.

Just as a heads up mileage isn't nearly as good an indicator of how long a car will last as people think. I would far sooner have a well maintained high mileage car than one that sat for most of its life, parking a car is about the worst thing you can do for it.

 

How do i check for rust? like what places on the car should i check? what would happen if there is rust? these cars are 15-18 yrs old, so is it common to find rust?

 

The obvious rust places are above the fenders, especially in the rear, and there is no fender liner in the rear so you can see the inside part pretty well too. Definitely check the roof seals, mine are starting to leak and it sucks, because they are expensive as f*ck to replace even for a honda employee. Other than that its an awesome car with great mileage and reliability. If it has rear disc brakes be prepared to replace them often as they don't start out with much pad surface.

 

all valid points, all good reminders, the targa seal is uber important, because when he says it isn't cheap, its no joke, if im not mistaken it's somewhere in the area of 3 bills, another thing to take a look for is someone elses mods, it sucks to buy a decent car and drive it a little while to find out stuff has been messed with and now your stuck fixing it. Just be sure to ask LOTS of questions, don't hesitate to ask anything, the car is over 10yrs old so anything goes if the seller is anything but happy to answer the questions then they might be hinding something.

 

thanks for the tips, is there anything else i should know about? anything will help. how would i check to see if the roof is leaking or not?

 

Just look at the seals for cracks or wear, sometimes too where there are contacts they permanently press in a little and let water past. Speaking of the seal pricing, try around 350 for the rear one, around 225 for the front and about 75 a piece for the side ones. I even lubed mine regularly with what honda recommends, but they just go eventually either way and it sucks.

 

Mine has slight rust around the trunk bay, where the trunk seals against the car. Also, check the roof locking mechanism, that it properly locks and unlocks

 

I have found the windshield pillar seal for 130, and the targa sides for 80 each. The rear pillar seal is around 150.
Different dealerships around the country have dif prices. shop around guys.
But yes they are pricey.
If your getting a del sol i would suggest a manual though. An automatic kind of defeats the purpose of this car.

 

Grab under the lip of the rear fenders, feel around for bodyfill.

Rear fenders are the worst area, and the floor under the driver's footwell. If there is rust then obviously you'll want to get it fixed, body work is expensive, keep that in mind. In California rust probably isn't going to be a big issue, in eastern Canada where I am its a huge issue.

Could not agree more, the Del Sol is meant to be fun sporty looking car, its really not something you would ever want an automatic in.

 

well, i had a ep3 for 5 yrs and i'm getting tired of shifting thats why i prefer automatic, plus, most likely an automatic wouldn't be modified or abuse like a manual.

 

If you find shifting tiring, or involving thought you're doing something wrong

Somewhat likely, but i've seen my fair share of automatic civics that have been abused in ways that would make people cry, i've also seen people try (moslty in vain) to mod their automatic civics. Sure its more likely that the automatic has just been used as a grocery getter by an old lady, but don't take it as a guarentee of easy use.

 

i think u got me wrong, i'm pretty efficient with shifting and i know it. i live it socal and the traffic sucks.

 

tired of shifting???? I have been for like ten years and i am still loving it!!!