anything specific to ask? would you buy off ebay or autotrader? or would you buy from a private dealer?

 

hmmm... good question.
I definately would ask:

What's the Vin Number? (run a carfax report)
Are you the original owner?
Are all repairs and service/maintenace fully documented?
How old are you (the owner - generally, the older the better)?
Has the car ever been tracked?
What mods are on the car?
Do you have the original documentation (pink slip/window sticker/owner's manual, etc...)?
Do you have any pics?

then go see the car - do a walkaround, test drive, and if you are not mechanically inclined, bring it to a competant mechanic for a checkup - make sure they do a compression check and a leakdown test. Check the body panels for cheap repairs, crappy paint, presence of body filler, etc... Check the interior for obvious misuse - torn fabric, missing panels, etc.

Be careful, it's a rare car, but remember - there probably a nicer one for sale somewhere, besides the one your'e looking at. Good luck

 

Very good suggestions by Philly_NBP_R.

I just wanted to add that I would not buy an R from ebay for a couple of reasons.
1. Unless you live in the same city/area, you can't check out the car before bidding.
2. If you win, there is a "contract" which you must abide by. In most cases, it's a downpayment within a week or two. Once again, if you can't check out the car, why should you be forced to make the downpayment???

Autotrader is much safer, since you can call 'em up, check out the car, and it's not a contract until the money & title changes hand.

There are several typeR's on Honda-Tech that should fit your budget and around your area. And, since most R owners on the board know each other, we can tell just about anything & everything that's been done to them. A definite plus from a buyer's stand.

 

 

bought mine off of autotrader.com. went pretty smooth. ofcourse, i don't have her anymore...

 

Bought both of my R's from Autotrader

 

Hi all,

I'm a prospective owner living in Vancouver, BC. Been lurking for at least a few years but I've finally came around to looking for an R. I found a few R's but all have accidents.

There is one that I'm particulary interested in but previous front end damage had an estimate of $10,000 to repair. Is that high for a car like the R? Apparently the passenger side front fender was all smashed in. Frame damage is something I'm concerned about as well since the R does depend on its chassis quite a bit. The owner right now said the previous owner had smashed it and before he purchased it, he ran a frame straightening test on it.

Basically I want to see your guy's opinions and if you'd consider this car. I haven't run the carfax reports yet. Thanks in advance!

 

10k in front end damage is alot.
Frame damage blows, it will never be the same.
Pass it by...find something better.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by andyt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">10k in front end damage is alot.
Frame damage blows, it will never be the same.
Pass it by...find something better.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agree, there's quite a few R's for sale, just keep you eye on the look out and you'll find some with no accidents or salvaged titles

 

Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it. I've decided to pass on that car.

After further R hunting, I came across another one. It is a theft stolen recovery though. What should I look for when getting one of these? Any key points to make sure its not a GSR or LS or another integra model? The seller is a certified mechanic, and has done most of the work himself. Is a CarFax the only way to verify if it really is an R chassis?

Another downside is it doesn't come with all the stock parts. Thanks in advance!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Deepstriker &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it. I've decided to pass on that car.

After further R hunting, I came across another one. It is a theft stolen recovery though. What should I look for when getting one of these? Any key points to make sure its not a GSR or LS or another integra model? The seller is a certified mechanic, and has done most of the work himself. Is a CarFax the only way to verify if it really is an R chassis?

Another downside is it doesn't come with all the stock parts. Thanks in advance!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Key points mentioned before. Check the vin. All itrs start with the same vin, jh4dc231. The bottom was copied and pasted from another thread.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by canuckr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

JH4DC231 cySnnnnnn

1=Vechile Grade
1=Type R
4=RS
5=LS
6=LS with moonroof
7=GS
8=GS-R

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd probably check it on all parts that have the vin to make sure nothing has been replaced. Never know if the person got into a wreck and never reported it or something.

 

Interesting, I was just going to ask about this. Are all the vin's exposed on the body panels? or does anyone have a pic of where to look for all of them?

 

It's pretty easy to locate them. Just look along the edges of the panels.

And holy old thread.

 

get underneath the car like you would to change the oil, and look at the chassis. you will be able to tell if it has been in an accident.

Also, if you test drive it, drive it slow and listen for any sounds that are out of the ordinary. drive it in each gear and test it thoroughly.

 

Sweet thanks for the information guys,

I went to take a look today. The car is in immaculate condition and the owner has taken care of it. A few things bother me though, the interior was stolen as well as the engine and transmission. So the center console is missing the faux CF, and the bottom end of the block is a B18C1. How much would this depreciate the car if at all?

I know the owner has the Type R head on it, seeing the intake manifold and the radiator hose position. He's also willing to show me the Type R bottom end parts that he swapped into the block.

Thanks once again for the helpful information!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jgirard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Agree, there's quite a few R's for sale, just keep you eye on the look out and you'll find some with no accidents or salvaged titles</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Keep in mind that R's tend to make a lot of noise, so listening for awkward sounds is very difficult.

Especially if the R your driving has aftermarket suspension or motor mounts. Or a stripped interior