OK, so I've come across a 1985 Accord coupe, five speed, 140k miles, and minimal rust. The guy wants $300

He says the only problems are that it has a coolant leak (which he says is from an o-ring by the water pump) and it needs the carb rebuilt.

My question is, what should I look out for? How reliable are these? I'm not a n00b to the Honda scene, but rather a n00b to the classic Honda scene. The oldest car I've owned is an '88 and I've never messed with carbuorated (sp?) engines before.

So any info is appreciated!

 

Only one small problem, in 1985 they only had hatchbacks and sedans.

Carb rebuilds can be tricky. Complicated carburetors (if it's an 85 it will be a CVCC carb), lot of vacuum lines to mix up, two float bowls to adjust and set up properly.

Coolant leak is easy, no more complicated than any other car. Just find it and reseal / replace hoses and gaskets.

I had an 84 Accord (same as 85) that ran me 310,000 on the original engine. Only pulled it to swap a B20A. They're quite reliable and more so if you swap on a 2bbl Weber carb.