I just took my 1991 Integra DA9 to a mechanic and was told that he didn't want to take my money, the car is not roadworthy. At all. There are a fair few problems with the engine, oil leak, leads and plugs will definitely need to be replaced, the belts are all out of whack and not running properly, when the car starts there is a loud screech. The previous owner fucked around with the wiring for the radiator so that was only connected just recently, the wires are thin and look like they can easily break. In my first post I said that I do not have a lot of knowledge about cars and since I've been told by now 2 mechanics, the car is not worth putting money into. But I already paid money to own it and I will only lose money and have no car if I sell it. Its running a b18 dohc. Where I'm from a b18c motor ready to be installed will set me back 3500$. How much more needs to be done if I were to put a b18c into it? There are a few other imperfections with the car, the main ones being a new exhaust system is needed, suspension needs to be changed all around, probably needs new brakes, the transmission seems fine.

I hope I can get as much advice as possible because I really don't want to throw this idea of building up a car so quickly. Any tips or ideas are welcome, I hope by the end of all the bullshit I will have myself a nice, clean car I'm proud of.

 

You will learn a lot by buying a tool set, reading in the FAQ section, and diving headfirst into learning how to do general maintenance on your car. This is where I would start, if I were you.

These cars are not hard to work on, and you don't have a lemon, you just have a poorly maintained vehicle..

 

Thanks mate, definitely what I needed to hear. I'm gonna jump straight into it this weekend, start with a basic service, and go from there

 

I decided to change the title too hahaha.

 

get yourself a shop repair mainual, it will tell you everything you need to know. If the body is good keep the car and fix the mechanicals, if the body is crappy don't waste your money and cut your losses.

 

I work in a panel shop. The body needs a respray and some filler work too to pick up dents and scratches, but thats the least of my worries. I'm an apprentice spray painter so it will be a fun experience to work on the outside aspects of the car. Im trying to focus on the mechanical side solely. The driver's door isn't sitting right, so it won't close properly.

 

get yourself some tools.

 

Most mech. are full of ****, They are lazy and will tell you all sorts of crap cause they don't want to spend there time on a older car. Those issues all sound like general maintenance that's required, Get on Facebook and join a Honda parts group there's lots of people who will chime in on your post and offer real help, The loud screech sounds like a common loose or worn out belt, Replace all your belts there about $10 each at the parts store, Buy new spark plugs wires and wipe down the engine and look for the leak, it might be a easy fix maybe not. Get the engine maintenance done and have the timing checked and re set just in case this is very easy using the timing light gun. You can have a mech. Compression and leak down test done to determine the health of the engine, if the numbers look good then your engine should be fine if its in poor health I recommend buying a used JDM B20 engine to replace the current B18, reason being for the most part it will be a drop in and the engine is dirt cheap! like less than $500 you can find the entire swap. Or buy another B18C or B18 LS(non vtec) which ever works best but the B20 is a great cheap replacement for daily driving.

 

Thanks for the message mate, I appreciate it. This weekend I'll be getting as much done as I can, do all the maintenance I can do and then get tests done I guess. Would you have any good links to parts or even where I could find that b20 ?

 

Everything you mentioned sounds perfectly normal for a 29 year old vehicle

As others have stated, you'll just have to dig into it. Compression test the engine to see if it is worth keeping or needs replaced. Then get to work changing all wear items, fluids, hoses, belts, and basic tune up work. Go through the suspension and brakes, replace ball joints, bushings, probably needs tie rods. Everything you need can be purchased through Rock Auto for a fair price, as long as you aren't looking for any major performance upgrades.

 

I only trust this shop and its well known and recommended by lots of people, I got a nice fresh D series swap from them a few years back for my civic. PS get the high comp!!


https://www.hmotorsonline.com/b-series/

B20 swap,
https://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/b...-number-30028/