Hey guys,

I am thinking about buying an accord i just checked out. I got the guy down to 1100 dollars. The accord is a 95 lx coupe and only has 44,500 miles original miles on it. It was broken into and needs a tumbler and possibly a door panel or two(small stuff). The main problem is that it overheats and the guy has no reason why. He said it overheated driving it on the way home and that it overheats about 15 minutes after he starts it out front of his house. Their is the proper level of coolant, but the engine oil is pretty dirty and there seems to be a lot of blow by when you take the oil cap off. Also, the radiator has some sort of stuff that resembles glue or a wax-like substance or something on the top left of it(not sure if its damaged or not considering it was in an accident 4 years ago, but don't know where it was damaged). Does anyone have any idea what it could be? I'm hoping it's not a head gasket because that is a pain to do and can get pricey depending on the condition of the head and how warped it is. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

I can tell you what it could become, a black hole for money.

Low mileage(if actual) means diddly if it is as damaged as you think it is.
I would say the car was stolen/driven, and not just 'broken into'. The info given just comes across as sketch. $600 bucks if the tub is not bent/rusted and he has the clear title in hand. The engine is in need of work, transmission may be damaged, and it's cosmetically challenged. Sounds like more trouble than its worth, unless you have a parts car.

I would say to look around for another coupe. You could easily spend another 2500 on getting the car back to par and then you would have a 2500 car that has cost you 3600 which was wrecked and stolen. F that noise.

 

the body is in very good shape and the guy has other cars for sale, so i know he himself didnt steal it. he got it from his impound lot and the guy is legit. i understand what you are saying though, but i have a feeling it might just need a coolant flush/purge and an oil change. The car is clean on the interior and exterior, so im still thinking about it.

 

It sounds like the car needs a lot more than an oil change and coolant flush. If you truly want the car, but can't diagnose this yourself, tell the guy you want it diagnosed at a shop before you buy it. Even if you have to pay the labor yourself, it's better than buying a car that needs a new engine. If you still want the car after you know what's wrong, use the problems they tell you to get the price dropped.

If the guy won't let you have it checked out, just walk away it's not worth the risk.

 

Good advice above. Sounds like a lot of risk.

If this came from an impound yard, then it likely was stolen or abandoned. Are you getting a clear Title or a salvage title? Ask! and clarify this before going into the transaction. Nothing wrong with a salvage title but there is a reason it was salvaged and none of them good. A '95 without a clear title is worth a few hundred bucks at best.

The guy may well be legit. But he is a business man. His job is to match a buyer to a unit that meets his needs...cheap transportation. He cares not what the history of the vehicle is. Go on to craigslist and search for accords between $11 and $1100. You will see many many options on good cars with clear titles that need 'a little work'. Good cars that need some love.

An impound lot reject (that no one cared to claim or was totaled by an insurance company) for full price is no bargin. Run away. Don't look back. Find a private seller that has a clear title. You will find a lot of options in your price range.

 

Whether these types of deals work out or become a total disaster depend entirely on the buyer's ability to fix the problems themselves. If you don't know what you're doing, you're better off spending $2500 for a car without major issues. For me as a professional mechanic, if the body and interior really are in good shape, I'd probably pay $800 even if there was a hole in the block.

 

The problem with impounded cars, there could be all sorts of issues with it that he would have no idea about.
How do you know it wasnt in a high speed chase involving running along the rail road tracks? Not only should you have a professional mech look at it but also a frame shop, especially since you know it has some accident damage. But therein lies the crux, money already spent on a questionable car that you don't even own. He probably got it for ~$500 and hes looking to double his money. I don't think I can quote Lord Humongous enough.

Verify that the odometer reading is correct, if your state has Smog/Emissions testing or road worthy tests the local DMV should have a record of all these checks and the mileage.

 

If you don't think you can handle some semi-major repair, or know someone who you can bug when you desperately need it fixed (for cheap), I would shy away.

I found my coupe on craigslist for $1400 asking. I talked him down to $1000, which I thought was a good deal after driving and looking the car over. The body is less than desirable, but very very minor rust. The interior is damn clean, and the powertrain runs nice. I had the car for less than a week, and the transmission blew up. The passenger seal on the output shaft is incorrect and leaking (still is, I need to get under there and replace that darned thing!). Would have cost upwards $500 (if not more) to have the transmission fixed at a shop. I opted to do it myself, cost me $80, and a weeks worth of bumming rides to/from work. That's the price you pay...

 

If the deal is too good to be true, usually it is too good to be true. With that said, it does sound like the car is experiencing several problems. Now with that said, how good are you with cars? Is the guy willing to let you put a diff hose on it and more oil and test it? If not, don't touch it. If yes, then spend the $40 bucks and see if it runs better.

The glue stuff could possibly be some **** someone put in the radiator to try to seal a hole. Maybe the thermostat is bad? And its not reading temp right, but that seems weird with only 44k on it. Is the check engine light on or is it throwing any codes? Maybe the glue stuff is not allowing the radiator to cool correctly and it needs a new radiator. My car didn't ever overheat, but my temp gauge was mid to 2/3's up when I first got my car. After oil/air filter, cleaning the egr it barely ever hits 50% now. So general maintenance will help, but if its overheating, there is something going on. Did you feel the hoses, are they kinked? Or allowing flow of fluid?

 

I bought an accord once, for about $3,200, when the street value would have been $4,500. I drove it to school, about 10 miles. I was super happy. I was going home the evening and realized it started overheating 1/2 way home, with about 3 miles to go. I drove, stop, cool off, drove stop, cool off, and 'made' it home (or so I thought). Over the weekend, I checked out the car, and realized the thermostat was bad. I changed it, for $7. I drove to school 3 more days, and on the 4th day, the car just refused to start. The head gasket was blown, 4 days after I repaired the problem. Even though I did not push it into the red zone, I was pushing my limits, and the head gasket gave out. The damage was already done from overheating.

I do not 'play' with overheating issues after that. It is overheating, STOP driving, and fix the problem. Overheating brings TONS of unforeseen problems. I would walk away from any car with any sort of overheating in its past.

 

The only way I would be buying that car is if the guy let me do a compression test on it and it tested out ok.

Then, if he tried to up the price I would just remind him of all the things that are still wrong with it.

Cooling problems are nothing compared to engine changes/head gasket replacements(which I don't do anymore I just swap engines).