YSSMAN's Infinite Crisis: Blackest Night (Post #816)

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It's a terrible idea because it's a 13 year old car with over a 100k miles on it and has a bunch of stuff that doesn't work. Not having A/C in Michigan during the summer is hell, 98% humidity and temperatures getting close to 95...trust me, it's uncomfortable. Also according to the AutoTrader ad the dash lights don't work and neither does the radio.

$4500 for that is stupid, that car at most is worth $3000, $3500 at the very most.

Seriously, put a down payment on the Mazda 3. A new car will last you much longer then a really old used car with a lot of miles on it. Would that Civic be good for a project, sure I don't see why not, but to drive it every day? I don't think so.
 
Perfect Balance

EDIT: Have you noticed that you and Joey are the only ones so far that thinks it's a bad idea? The price is a bit high, but if you can get it down to low 4ks, for that condition, it's a good price. It has low enough miles that reliability should not be close to an issue, and it's also the "better" model.
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We're also the only sensible ones who replied! You're a Honda fanboy, Keef is driving the next generation, and Toronado's just crazy. We have perspective dammit!

BTW Sniffs wasn't too thrilled about the price either. Who would be?
 
The price is too high, but it wouldn't be a bad car if he doesn't mind the no AC part. The dashboard lights could be fixed. I'm pretty sure he would want a new radio anyway. Even if the radio wasn't half-broken, who uses tape anymore?

Lowering it would be a bad idea, since it would make it almost useless in the winter.
 
Joey D
It's a terrible idea because it's a 13 year old car with over a 100k miles on it and has a bunch of stuff that doesn't work. Not having A/C in Michigan during the summer is hell, 98% humidity and temperatures getting close to 95...trust me, it's uncomfortable. Also according to the AutoTrader ad the dash lights don't work and neither does the radio.

$4500 for that is stupid, that car at most is worth $3000, $3500 at the very most.

Seriously, put a down payment on the Mazda 3. A new car will last you much longer then a really old used car with a lot of miles on it. Would that Civic be good for a project, sure I don't see why not, but to drive it every day? I don't think so.
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Can I have the autotrader link? I didn't know that the dash lights don't work, but everything else you listed isn't a problem.

13 years old (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
Over 100K (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
Radio doesn't work (50 bucks gets you a new radio, probably with a cd player and MP3 capabilities.)

M5Power
We're also the only sensible ones who replied! You're a Honda fanboy, Keef is driving the next generation, and Toronado's just crazy. We have perspective dammit!

BTW Sniffs wasn't too thrilled about the price either. Who would be?
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You're not the only "sensible" one's you replied. You write off a Civic because it's a Civic, when it meets his criteria better than most other cars.

That Saab you posted has over 100k miles.

That Passat has over 100k miles, not to mention they have reliability issues.

That BMW has WAY over 100k miles, and it's only 1 year newer than the Civic.

That Porsche has over 100K miles too, not to mention old as hell.

That BMW also has over 100K miles, and older.

Same with the Acura, and the Civic is probably quicker. Similar power and the Civic is lighter.

The Outback, again more miles.


None of those cars had less miles than the Civic, except for the Integra, and none of those cars gets better fuel mileage than the Civic, none of those cars are cheaper than the Civic, none of them are more reliable than the Civic (except for maybe the Integra.)

Some of them are more fun to drive, but worse in snow.

And you say you're the only sensible one.

It's a bit overpriced, but the way gas prices are heading I'm not surprised.


BTW, I'm not a Honda fanboy, don't let the sig fool you. I like Hondas, but not for the fact that they are Hondas. I wanted a 240sx/FC RX-7 or a Miata. (and before you say something, it wasn't to be a mad tyte dryfter.)
 
Perfect Balance
Can I have the autotrader link? I didn't know that the dash lights don't work, but everything else you listed isn't a problem.

13 years old (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
Over 100K (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
Radio doesn't work (50 bucks gets you a new radio, probably with a cd player and MP3 capabilities.)
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http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...doors=&transmission=&max_price=5000&cardist=7

Yes 13 year old car is relevant even if it is a Honda, that is a lot of time to be living for a car especially in Michigan where we get horrible weather throughout the entire year. I'm guess the car was garage kept since there is no visible rust on it.

Over a 100k is relevant to, I would never suggest to someone to buy a car with that many miles on it. Things aren't built to last that long, especially with Michigan winters and the stupid amount of salt we put on the roads.

The A/C is still the biggest thing, why anyone would want a car without it is beyond me.
 
Surely there are better cars that you can find for around $5000 than that crappy looking hatchback Civic.
 
Joey D
The A/C is still the biggest thing, why anyone would want a car without it is beyond me.
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I guess that's one of those things that only becomes a problem if you've always had it.

MustangSVT
Surely there are better cars that you can find for around $5000 than that crappy looking hatchback Civic.
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It actually looks VERY good for a civic of that age. It's rare to see one in such good condition.

EDIT: Where did I get the idea that he wanted 4700 for it? If it's only 4300, that's not really a bad price. If he can bring him down to 4k, it's a very good deal.
 
Perfect Balance

13 years old (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
Over 100K (it's a Honda, irrelevant)
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:odd:

You're not the only "sensible" one's you replied. You write off a Civic because it's a Civic, when it meets his criteria better than most other cars.
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I wrote it off because it's 15 years old and costs $5k... not to mention the fact that most of the interior doesn't work, evidently. Why the hell would anyone even consider this vehicle except a salvage dealer?

That Saab you posted has over 100k miles.

That Passat has over 100k miles, not to mention they have reliability issues.
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It troubles me that you mention the Passat has reliability issues, but skip this comment for the Saab.
 
I'm going to throw a little tidbit in here that's kinda random...


Brad, you should get this car. That way I can trade you my seats for the seats in the EH3. Those seats look so much more supportive than mine. :lol:

And also, getting the guy down to $4,000 shouldn't be a problem. I think that's very reasonable, because it's half the price of mine and has way fewer miles. But of course every used car will have its problems. I'll venture to say this one won't have any more problems than a 2000 model Subaru or anything German. Were you looking at a 944? Talk to John if you want to know what it costs to maintain one of those!
 
M5Power
I wrote it off because it's 15 years old and costs $5k... not to mention the fact that most of the interior doesn't work, evidently. Why the hell would anyone even consider this vehicle except a salvage dealer?
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Why? Because it's cheap, it has a stick, it will run for another 200k miles if maintained properly. It's 4700 not 5k and before you say there is no difference... there is.. For 300 you can easily fix every the AC and get a new CD player... maybe :D Also the car is priced slightly high is because Honda has a super duper uber high resale value because they are beasts...

I know someone that has a 28 year old Accord 400K+ miles, runs great, has a stick, could use a little power, but has had 0 major problems. Not once has the car died.

HONDAS.
DON'T.
DIE.

Other then Del Slows... But this is a Civic... And with some nice 15's and a little lowerage (i made that up didn't i?) you could be super JDM...

Not to mention this Civic will likely outlast all the said cars above put together.
 
I would personally try and get him to $3800-3900. I think the price he wants now would be fine if everything worked, but if stuff is starting to blow up in the interior (and no A/C) I would tell it like it is to this guy.


@ Doug: 944? :lol:
 
Toronado
I would personally try and get him to $3800-3900. I think the price he wants now would be fine if everything worked, but if stuff is starting to blow up in the interior (and no A/C) I would tell it like it is to this guy.
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Yep, I would probably start my offer at $3400 or even $3000. I don't know how much the dashboard light fix would cost. Probably have to set aside at least $100 for a new radio.
 
$3,000 is way low, and $3,400 probably is too. I would start at $3700 and see if he bites. If not, work from there.
 
Toronado

@ Doug: 944? :lol:
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Basically I just threw 'manual' and 'less than $7000' into AT and posted whatever came up. Don't tell PerfectBalance that though - he'll have a (blue) fit.
 
$4500? Srsly? The guy is asking over a grand too much, at least. Trying to sell on the hype that it's a Civic Si way too much. Go find a B13 Sentra SE-R or something - faster, cheaper, and they had an LSD. That was the win compact car from that era for the US.
 
Toronado
I would start at $3700 and see if he bites. If not, work from there.
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I'm calling tomorrow to see if I can have a look at it and will start at that exact same point. The big question here is if it has had the 90,000 mile service or not, which is about $500-ish with labor. If it has had it, I'll be willing to wiggle on price a bit more... If not, not so much.

And yes, it was lowered to $4300 today, so they must be having problems selling it. I need to move fast if its what I want.

TO EXPLAIN:

While I certainly may be able to afford a 2008.5 Mazda 3i Value Touring, with the relative instability in the economy matched with my own billing issues (wanting to have a decent sized nest-egg is good if anything happens), the affordability question is what pushes the Honda into the lead.

Some of the basic gripes to address...

- Too old: Not really, actually. Our Toyota is a 95 with nearly 200K miles, runs like a champ. Better yet, we've got a 88 Prelude with more miles that runs like a champ.

- Too many miles: See above. Thats about perfect if you ask me, the car's life isn't even over yet. I've had a hard enough time finding 2000+ cars with under 100K miles, so I'm willing to work with this one. When I bought the Jetta back in 2005, that already had 130K on the clock... And that was a '96.

- No A/C: This holds no relevance whatsoever. My Fox didn't have it, the Jetta's barely worked, so its all decidedly "meh." I like being hot anyway, so its no big deal. Plus, it saves weight. Less weight = more gas mileage.

- Get something newer, something German:

INSURANCE PRICES ARE TOO HIGH

It'll be $90 a month or less for the Honda, I can deal with that.

=========

I'm going to hopefully go look at the car tomorrow, I'll update more then. Apparently my Grandmother's car dealership has a GTI on a trade, a newer one, that they'll give me at cost. I could go that route, but if isn't a 2003+, I'm going to skip it.
 
My God he's actually going to buy this thing.

Joey... Azuremen... brace yourselves.
 
YSSMAN
I'm calling tomorrow to see if I can have a look at it and will start at that exact same point. The big question here is if it has had the 90,000 mile service or not, which is about $500-ish with labor. If it has had it, I'll be willing to wiggle on price a bit more... If not, not so much.

And yes, it was lowered to $4300 today, so they must be having problems selling it. I need to move fast if its what I want.
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Wouldn't you want to start lower. Sure they lowered the price, but that's for a reason.
 
M5Power
My God he's actually going to buy this thing.

Joey... Azuremen... brace yourselves.
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Clearly Brad has lost it... it looks like he is defending Toyota right here...

Brad losing it
- Too old: Not really, actually. Our Toyota is a 95 with nearly 200K miles, runs like a champ. Better yet, we've got a 88 Prelude with more miles that runs like a champ.
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Pfft who would defend Toyota. Same brand that made that ugly-ass 138-horsepower mid-engined convertible in the early 2000s. Laughable!

:D
 
Eh, I'm kinda indifferent about this one. 107k isnt that much for a Honda of that age, my Prelude is a 97 and it has 107k. But, I'm not a big fan of the no a/c. I would go for it if it had the a/c, and if the radio worked, and all of the other stuff wasnt messed up. If you can get it for a lower price, and dont mind not having a/c, I say go for it, but you could most likely find something better for the money. Thats my take on this 👍
 
M5Power
Basically I just threw 'manual' and 'less than $7000' into AT and posted whatever came up. Don't tell PerfectBalance that though - he'll have a (blue) fit.
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:lol: I sort of figured that much out on my own.


Go Brad go!

EDIT: I actually wouldn't mind a blue Fit.

 
Azuremen
$4500? Srsly? The guy is asking over a grand too much, at least. Trying to sell on the hype that it's a Civic Si way too much. Go find a B13 Sentra SE-R or something - faster, cheaper, and they had an LSD. That was the win compact car from that era for the US.
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I'd go for it for $3000. Not a penny over.

I know Hondas are desirable as gold, even with 100,000 kms on it. That particular engine is as close to bulletproof as you can get in small I4s... I've seen one overheat half-a-dozen times (as in, zero coolant overheats) with absolutely no damage. But $4500 is just so far over fair price (considering the rust issues on this year model... heck, I prefer the later EK because of the rust...) that it's not funny.

Said SE-R that Azureman is suggesting? Hell, if you're lucky, $1500 for something in the same condition as this. It's faster, torquier and the engine is just as robust. SR20s can last to 300,000 kms or 20 psi of boost before blowing... whichever comes first. It does have its own issues, including a clunky gearbox, not-as-good-fuel-consumption and the fact that it's also 15 years old and probably just as rusty... but heck, it'd be much cheaper.
 
niky
Said SE-R that Azureman is suggesting? Hell, if you're lucky, $1500 for something in the same condition as this. It's faster, torquier and the engine is just as robust. SR20s can last to 300,000 kms or 20 psi of boost before blowing... whichever comes first. It does have its own issues, including a clunky gearbox, not-as-good-fuel-consumption and the fact that it's also 15 years old and probably just as rusty... but heck, it'd be much cheaper.
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+1

The Infiniti G20 had that engine and up until a few years ago, it had the highest percentage of one-owner cars still on the road. Very very reliable. Only problem is the SE-R Sentra is freaking impossible to find - when was the last time you saw one?
 
I agree with the "Going from a 2008 Model New Car to a 15 Year Old Civic is insane" side.

Chicks don't dig guys with rusty hatchbacks, not matter how much you say "Oh, OH, But it's an SI. Right ladies?!!?!"
 
M5Power
+1

The Infiniti G20 had that engine and up until a few years ago, it had the highest percentage of one-owner cars still on the road. Very very reliable. Only problem is the SE-R Sentra is freaking impossible to find - when was the last time you saw one?
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They also usually cost more that 1500. More like 3500 from what I've seen, I was looking for one before.

Actually a good bit more.

4,600 with 285k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...rs=&transmission=&max_price=5000&cardist=2191

4,300 with 123k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...rs=&transmission=&max_price=5000&cardist=2254

3,500 with 180k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...ansmission=&doors=&max_price=5000&cardist=639

It's hard to find them anywhere in America, and they all have a 5th gear pop out issue, on some Se-R forum, (can't find it right now) they said it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of "when" and you have to tear apart the transmission to replace the synchronizers (I think) with a redesigned part.



I did mention finding a G20 though, I think they're great cars.

The only thing is though, he needs a car now.

EDIT @Omnis: Personally I think buying a brand new car is one of the best ways to waste a crapload of money.
 
Cars arent for impressing chics.

If some chic disses my coz of my ride, id go to the atm, get a balance statement, show it to her, and then never speak to her again. I have enough money in there to keep me for a year. And thats just one of my accounts.


It hasnt happened yet.
 
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