This is my first civic, and I love her. She's a '94 Coupe EX named Lynn, with a b18b1 swap. When I was slowly creeping over speed bumps in 1st, she stalled out, and would not crank back. I took off the starter, and it's fine. I put a ratchet with a cheater bar onto the crank pulley, and she is locked up. I am not mechanically inclined, and I do not have the money to get a new motor or a shop to rebuild mine. Is it worth trying to tear the engine apart myself and see if I can find the problem, or I should I just try to sell her as a project car and get myself a daily driver, which is what I need?

 

You would be best served in the long run buying a DD beater, keeping your current car, ripping out the motor, and learning how to overhaul it. You would be best served in the short run selling your current car for whatever you can get, and buying a DD beater.

Your most optimal solution would be to pull the motor and keep it, sell the shell, and but a DD beater to get you to/from work while you learn to overhaul the engine. If you're a student, ride the bus/get a bike, keep the car, and learn how to fix it.

 

I don't think I can get enough for just the shell to get a daily driver. I'm considering going ahead and tearing down the engine, because I could still sell the shell and engine, even in pieces. It just sucks because I dropped $1500 for it, drove it one day to get the insurance, registration, and plate, and it locked up the next day. I got screwed. Here is a picture of her though, with the hideous wheels the previous owner put on.

 

Well, nevermind on the image, I can't get it to show up. Might be because I'm still a trial user.

 

Nope, it's because you're putting a website URL inside of an image tag. Photobucket is a **** when it comes to hotlinking images. Either use the URL they give you, or their scripting ***** it up.

If you don't have any experience with cars and don't want to learn, just sell the thing off. If you want to learn, at least keep and rebuild the motor. Rolling shells alone can still pull a grand, if they're in halfway decent shape.

 

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely want to learn to work on Hondas. I just don't know if I can at this point, because of the tight spot I'm in, my lack of experience and tools, and the amount of money that I would need to put into this car. I'm supposed to go look at a '95 Prelude sometime this week, but who knows what that will end up looking like. I've had the car on craigslist for a week or so now, without a single bite. I really do not want to part it out, because, to me, that's disrespectful to the car, but it's looking like that might be the only thing I can do, in my financial situation.

 

 

YESS!! I got the image to work!!

 

Wait. Don't have the money to swap/rebuild BUT you're going to look at a Prelude now? I thought you were broke?

 

Freshly (cheap) painted. You probably bought that at a used car lot and it's most likely been in accident. Drain the oil and if it looks very heavy, the seller may have put 90 weight oil in it because the crankshaft or rods are toast and kept the engine quiet long enough to sell it (just a guess).

When you torqued on the crankshaft did you go clockwise or counter clockwise? I believe a 94 is counter-clockwise rotation (when running) but not 100% about that. Can you hear the fuel pump engage or you can disconnect at fuel rail or filter and turn key to position 2 to find out if it's getting gas. We know you are on a tight budget but talking to a local mechanic (non franchised) and explaining your situation may help.

I feel for you as I got dicked on pretty (fresh paint) piece of **** F-150 that I bought in high school and lasted about 3 months. I was actually pissed at my dad for not going with me at the time I bought it because he had enough automotive experience to know it was a turd. That was years ago, God rest his soul and please forgive me for blasting my father while he is in his grave. He was a wonderful person and provider.

 

OP: I was kind of in the same situation as you are in once, and in a way, I still kinda am.

I love Hondas, and just like you mentioned yourself, I wanted to learn how to work on them too. I'm somewhat at a lack for tools, knowledge, and of course money, but if working on Hondas is something you really want to do, you would figure out a way to do it, just like anything else. I'm basically doing my project all on my own, even tho I have a brother who built his own B16 turbo ej coupe right in the backyard.

Just be mindful that when you buy a honda, or any car even, it's important to know its history as much as possible. Buying a car bone stock is your best bet because you don't want to deal with the failed project of someone else which seems like you're going thru now.

In any event, you have this wonderful site filled with honda gear heads to help ya out

 

Sometimes the guys on here are even closer to you than you think.
The one person who could help you with the engine might be around the corner from you.
Ask and see who near you could help you check the motor and help you decide what the best course of action is.

 

The Prelude is being offered to me for a steal by a mechanic at the local technical college where my mom works, and I used to attend. If I sell the civic, I can buy the Prelude. Or I might be able to work out a trade.

 

Even worse, I bought it off craigslist. When I dropped the oil, it was really thick, and blacker than Samuel L Jackson. I tried turning the crank both ways, and there was no give either direction, putting my entire strength and weight into it.

 

I'm thinking that this civic is just karma, because I just recently sold my mom's Odyssey, because I knew the tranny was going to fall out before long. Now, I've purchased a lemon, and gotten what I deserve, so my karma should be clear, so that this prelude will turn out to be a badass oem body, jdm h22a with an h23 tranny.

 

get some build school your self u will be surprise what u learn

 

I wouldn't say craigslist is bad way to buy a car as long as people stay away from buying on that doesn't have a clear title. People who are selling rebuilt titled cars on craigslist are typically scammers and jerkoffs that offer a car that is too good to be true and rarely ever is. I bought mine off craigslist and feel I got a very good deal. The only thing that needed repair in the past 9 months was a cracked manifold, VTEC and distributor O-ring gaskets. All together less than $100, JC Whitney manifold was $50 new with free shipping. When buying a used car that is not warrantied it's always a roll of the dice.

Good luck on your decision and hope things work out for you

 

Yeah, sometimes you get a badass deal, and sometimes you get the car that they were trying to get rid of because they knew it was about to have a catastrophic break down. Much appreciated, man. If I get this prelude, pics will be up ASAP.

 

Get your ma to lend money get the lude, sell the civic and keep the lude

 

Wait, if I was going to sell the civic to get the lude, why get someone to loan me money, instead of just selling the civic, and using the money to get the prelude? lol

 

You don't make any sense. The money to buy the Prelude could be spent swapping a bigger, better engine into the car.

 

I say borrow because you arent going to sell jt today nor tomorrow nor the next day its a project and not everybody wants a project to sit on

 

I'd be more likely to find a buyer for a project, than to find someone to loan me enough money for a car, though.

 

Well it also depends on where you at because im in nlrth tx and nobody rocks imports and ive jad my del sol for sale as a project for practiy the year and still not sold so...

 

just give me the car ill buy you a