Oh my....

[VTEC_Inside]

My 18yr old cousin went with his gf to look at a '93 Civic 5spd with 240,000kms last week and she ended up buying it. Problem is that no one else looked at it first....

Here goes the list:
- Its leaning to the left. We measured, its about an inch lower on the left side. My guess is that its the result of a budget drop attempt.
- Drivers door rubs the fender when opened despite the fact that it looks fine otherwise closed...
- There is electrical tape over the "PRND21" lights on the guage cluster because it USED to be an automatic. I confirmed this with the VIN.
- There is evidence of bondo pretty much everywhere
- There is a 9v battery holding the passenger headlight from wobbling
- IAC valve was dirty causing wandering idle
- Coolant level is low. May be contributing to the idle still wandering a bit when warm. Thought I smelt coolant, but may have just been the little spilled when removing the IAC.

Now for the stuff thats a little harder to spot,
- I pulled back the trunk liner and you can see through the right side to the ground
- Front plastic undertray is missing, as is the thin metal shield that is supposed to cover the backside of the flywheel.
- Flex line leaking at the passenger front caliper, more on this later.
- Bent over rivet through the castle nut on the passenger lower ball joint.
- Pretty much every suspension bushing is cracked and/or visibly worn.
- The interior carpet is friggen soaked EVERYWHERE. I suspect cowl leak for this and/or potentially the door seals.
- One or both of the rear wheel bearings is shot.
- Both driveshafts are clicking fiercely
- Brake warning light comes on when stopping hard because the level is low (see caliper comment)

He originally called me to help him change the passenger side driveshaft. Torque spec for the axle nut is 134lb-ft. My 1/2 breaker bar was useless even with me standing on it. Of course that was after popping the center cap and putting the wheel back on to hold it there because I was turning the whole thing even while he had his foot on the brake, recall the leaking line.

I was about to call it a day and wait for them to get the air tools going (new garage) when my uncle showed up. He had a 3/4 breaker bar in his van. Still no go. It took a 10ft metal pipe on the end of that bar with me holding the socket in place and my uncle pulling down on the end of that 10ft bar to break that sob loose. I guesstimate that was over 500lb-ft of force before it loosened.

Anyways, the rest of the job went pretty smooth. I was all set to watch my uncle show me how he pops ball joints with just a couple of hammers, but no luck. I smart ass asked him if he'd finally like to use the puller I brought with me, :P

While under there I showed him the leaking brake line, he grabbed a ratchet and went to tighten it, IT WAS LOOSE... The thought of that being possible never even entered my mind, who the fuck does that.

To make things worse, my cousin drove the car across town the next day without putting a cotter pin in there (the rivet broke when we removed it), and without torquing the damn wheel on properly. I had only snugged the lugs as it was in the air.

$1500 she paid for this thing. I'm tempted to call the guy they got it from and try to get $500 back from him. It was sold without a safety but this idiot let them drive home 45min on the highway in this death trap.

I will probably update this thread as the repairs go on.

[CJ]

Woah.

[CJ]

To that car, I say:


see more loldogs are funny dog pictures!

[Secret Chimp]

Man, if people would by THAT piece of junk, I'll have no trouble unloading mine :P

[CALL_911]

Man, if people would by THAT piece of junk, I'll have no trouble unloading mine :P

[2o6]

Ow. I'm sorry, but these glaring imperfections didn't give her a warning sign that the car is not in good shape?

[the Teuton]

If your cousin bought this without hesitation, oh nevermind.  This just sounds like he bought a POS with a Honda badge.

[VTEC_Inside]

Ow. I'm sorry, but these glaring imperfections didn't give her a warning sign that the car is not in good shape?

I would be about the 3rd to give him shit for not asking me to come have a look at it.

Neither one of them knew any better.

[VTEC_Inside]

If your cousin bought this without hesitation, oh nevermind.  This just sounds like he bought a POS with a Honda badge.

His gf bought it just with my cousin there as a judge.

Thats basically it though. Its got 14 inch aftermarket alloys and a fart can exhaust on it.

That exhaust has been welded to the factory cat. I can only hope that the flange is salvageable.

It also has the dreaded fire extinguisher on the passenger A pillar..

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Half the the problems are most likely a result from a front end collision(leaking cowl, door fit, bondo, etc).

It's got 240K on it, so i wouldn't have expected much. Personally for that kind of cash i would have looked for one of the millions of pontiac/buick/chevy clones.

[the Teuton]

Half the the problems are most likely a result from a front end collision(leaking cowl, door fit, bondo, etc).

It's got 240K on it, so i wouldn't have expected much. Personally for that kind of cash i would have looked for one of the millions of pontiac/buick/chevy clones.

Some of us bought decent cars for under $1,500.  It can be done.

[GoCougs]

Sounds like it's a lost cause. Probably best just to get rid of it at whatever price.

[VTEC_Inside]

Sounds like it's a lost cause. Probably best just to get rid of it at whatever price.

I'm going to suggest that. Clean it up a little, address the easy things and try and broom it.

If it was just worn out parts it might be worth fixing but the shell of the car is just too rough.

[Cookie Monster]

Ouch!

[Rupert]

[Eye of the Tiger]

Sounds like an awesome street racing machine!

[Danish]

Sounds like an awesome street racing machine!

I hear it eats Jettas for lunch

[Eye of the Tiger]

I hear it eats Jettas for lunch

Let's see...

A Jetta with a slipping clutch 

VS.

A Civic with a wheel that's about to fall off



I WIN 

[280Z Turbo]

It's worth more dead than alive.

That stupid little "H" has a strange effect on the youngsters.

[TheIntrepid]

No pics?

[Eye of the Tiger]

No pics?

+1

I DEAMAND PICS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL MACHINE! 

[VTEC_Inside]

No pics?

Thought hadn't even entered my mind. I'll be sure and get some, but it will probably have to wait a week. He has gone to Ottawa with the air cadets I think for the March break.

On that note I'll get some of the gfs new '08 Civic shortly.

[Cookie Monster]

Thought hadn't even entered my mind. I'll be sure and get some, but it will probably have to wait a week. He has gone to Ottawa with the air cadets I think for the March break.

On that note I'll get some of the gfs new '08 Civic shortly.

Stick or auto?

[Soup DeVille]

Stick or auto?

That question should really be in your sig or something.

[Secret Chimp]

Stick or auto?

WHAT ABOUT THIS OPTION ASSHOLE

OH YEAH NO RESPECT FOR PEDAL POWER HUH

[TheIntrepid]

Stick or auto?

His gf got a 2008 auto with a sunroof.

[Cookie Monster]

That question should really be in your sig or something.

[VTEC_Inside]

Thread with pics:

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=13800.0

[VTEC_Inside]

I was under the impression that the car would be sitting in their garage all week. Turns out that his gf is driving the thing back and forth to school... eek..

[3.0L V6]

I was under the impression that the car would be sitting in their garage all week. Turns out that his gf is driving the thing back and forth to school... eek..

How'd they get plates on it? You need a safety check to get plates, right?

Or is it just temp tags? If the cops catch you with temp tags and you're not taking it to a garage, you're issued a ticket.