I'm thinking about buying this 1990 CRX The seller says the motor is zc dohc. I wouldn't keep the car for long (probably just until next March or April). Since I don't know CRX's very well. Would anyone be able to tell me whether this car is worth $2,500 given the info from the ad? The seller also says there are no known mechanical issues except the sunroof not getting power.

 

Value thread up top.

Also, go test drive it. You'll know if it's worth it or not.

And last thing, it would depend on how common the car is in your area. If I had the extra money I'd pick that up. Looks relatively straight and doesn't appear to be missing anything at a quick glance. Most CRXs for sale in my area are missing A LOT and look like crap on the outside.

 

FYI, there is a sticky on the top of the page for this sort of thing.

Flat paint, HID headlights, wheels that don't fit inside the fenders; all things I stay away from. The car seems to be in decent condition. Is it worth it? I don't know. Tough to say. Why are you trying to buy a car that will last you 8 months?

The car has working AC and heat, which is always a plus.

 

ZC is a great little engine. Seats look to be in good shape which is pretty rare. Could probably offer seller $2K cash.

 

Down in alabama prolly go for 1700
Maybe less but up north rust free cars are hard to find

 

Sorry I didn't notice the sticky value thread. I'll pay more attention from now on.

Maybe I'll take it out for a drive and see how it feels. The reason why I plan to hold on to it only until March or April is because I don't want to drive my Integra during the winter here in NY. The salt and potholes are just brutal. I'm looking for something cheap and this one came across my search on CL. I know there are CRX fans out there so to be completely honest, I would feel bad driving this thing around on snow and ice.

Also, why would you stay away from "Flat paint, HID headlights, wheels that don't fit inside the fenders"? What do they indicate? Modifications?

 

That was my initial thought too (about it not going to someone who would love it long time), but you do have to live your own life. What would you do, though - keep buying another car every fall for winter use?

The flat paint could have been to hide rust or bad bondo, HIDs always have wiring issues from what I've seen, and those rims are just too wide because they are. They'd also be very bad in winter time, but a set of steelies with snows I'm sure you'd have to do anyway on any car you'd buy.

Assuming it rides well, looks pretty decent for your needs to me. I would make sure the radio wiring isn't completely hosed now, though - that could affect resale value when you go to resell. But I think $2k in cash would be a good middleground on the sale.

 

You are right. I'll just get something else for my winter driving. This CRX, if in good conditions indeed, should be picked up by someone else who cares more about it than I would.

And this is my first year owning the Integra so I have not quite worked out what to do every winter. Buying a cheap car then turning around and selling it after a few months was the first thing that popped into my head.

 

The problem I see with that is that you're constantly fixing everyone else's problems, dealing with inspection (if you bother), etc. If I were in your shoes, I'd get a Corolla, throw on some steelies with snows, and drive it every winter until it falls apart.

Now, if looking forward to a new project every year sounds like a fun project to you, that's another thing entirely. It certainly would be a great way to teach yourself a lot about working on cars. But financially, every year you'd have a new potential money pit.

 

I didn't realize you were just planning on using it as a winter beater.

Go for it.

Flat paint looks like crap, feels like crap, and is just crap. That's why I'd avoid it. That only pertains to recovering it or making the car your go to. This doesn't apply to you.

HIDs in stock housings are blinding for on coming traffic, offer worse illumination of the road, and are often installed improperly. This is an easy fix but leaves the question, what else is half assed?

Wheels that don't fit are a sure sign of the 'hella flush' mindset that often choses looks over performance. I'm not saying everyone with fat wheels abuses their cars, but most kids don't take care of the engine when they are worried about how wide a wheel they can fit or how much stretch they can get on the tire.

Most of my concerns for this car really don't apply to you if you just need a winter beater. I would suggest any other number of reasonably priced Hondas though. Anything FWD and stock would be my go-to. The corolla is a decent option. I would also find something with minimal rust and possibly a decent undercoating to drive every winter and keep it instead of a vehicle purchase every 6 months.

 

Thanks for the sound advice, tommycrx. I do want to learn about cars. Being a grad student, I need a hobby outside of school. This could be it for me (and of course I do love cars as well). But being a grad student also means I don't have much $ to spare. So maybe I'll get something cheap to drive and work on. Worst thing that could happen is for me to drag the Integra back out and drive it. Or take the bus!

 

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Freemananana. And congratulations on the new CRX! That thing looks so much better than the one I'm looking at here.

 

haha, yes. That's sort of where I was coming from. That CRX I bought is going to be my daily commuter car, hopefully for awhile.

The car is alright. I'd ditch the wheels and HIDs though. Definitely get it for less.