94 vtec for $3000??? - Honda Prelude Forum

munscher · 03-08-2002, 11:59 AM

OK, here's the deal.... 1994 Prelude vtec..... the salesman on the phone tells me this:

-its got over 100k miles, but not sure exactly... no warranty basically was his point
-keyed down one side
-gonna need a new right front fender
-gonna need a new head gasket
- $2995

at first glance, this seems an amazing deal...even replacing the head gasket plus labor is like 600-700, not bad... new fender from junkyard for 200 maybe... the paint i'm not worried about cuz i'm gonna get it repainted after i get a kit put on, prolly within a year..... i've looking to spend around 3500 on a Si but this seems good to me ASSUMING nothing else is wrong. However a head gasket isnt something honda's have problems with which might mean the car wasnt taken care of i'm thinking. I'm going to look at the car tomorrow, test drive it, try and see if i cant take it to a honda dealer and have them look at it. Anybody have any thoughts or comments? anybody know of anything that commonly is bad in this sorta situation? I'm gonna check for maintenance records tomorrow while i'm there and ask questions. ANY HELP??

92sleeper · 03-08-2002, 12:09 PM

First of all let everything the salesman tells you go in one ear and out the other because most of them are 100% full of sh*t. Secondly if you look into this deal evaluate everything on your own and have the car gone over with a fine toothed comb by a Honda dealership or a mechanic you trust. Proceed from there.

munscher · 03-08-2002, 12:15 PM

do dealers usually charge for that sorta thing? to give it a look

j92s · 03-08-2002, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by munscher
do dealers usually charge for that sorta thing? to give it a look

I agree, I woulnt even consider the car until a dealer or good mechanic gives it a look over. Don't skimp on having someone check it out, or you'll prolly regret it. Good luck!

Mark94 · 03-08-2002, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by munscher
do dealers usually charge for that sorta thing? to give it a look

Yes they will charge you to look over the car. Nothing comes for free, especially at the stealership.

Mark

ZorinVIII · 03-08-2002, 03:47 PM

Definitely have a mechanic you trust look it over. At the same time, if a mechanic or honda tech looks it over and says it's good, then still expect to do spend some money on preventative maintenance. When I bought mine, even though the mechanic said that it looked like the car was pretty well maintained, 2000 miles later the car started blowing gigantic bursts of blue smoke if I stayed in idle too long.

Later on I took it to a different mechanic, told him the situation and he took the engine apart basically to find that the engine was abused pretty heavily, but the dealer put a ton of "no smoke" or "motor honey" in it to hide the fact the engine was actually sh*t. Thing is, a standard inspection wouldn't find the problem, I should have had them take it apart like I did later. I fully agree with 92sleeper on having it gone over with a fine tooth comb.

The good side to the story was, it gave me justification to get the JDM H22...so it's all about what your long term goals are for it, and what you're willing to spend in case it's everything you never expected to get. But never trust a car dealer to be totally honest with you. I know from experience.

ME · 03-08-2002, 05:26 PM

I would call some import mechanics and explain the situation, see what they say. You want to really have them look the car over. Also take it to a body shop and have them give you an estimate and they can spot if it's had bodywork before. Lastly, run the VIN through carfax to see if it's been totalled etc. The low price is a red flag so you really want to do your homework. Fight any urge to buy it without doing these things first.

VeeTec · 03-08-2002, 11:22 PM

If it needs a head gasket it may need a full re-build as well!

red92s · 03-09-2002, 08:16 AM

If the guy is hesitent to let you take the car somewhere to have it looked at, there are people who can do it on the spot for about $150 or so. My friend used a service like this when he bought his trucka and it was VERY through. The guy diagnosed a mis-firing 3rd cylinder in a Chevy 350 by ear before opening the hood, and then confirmed it through testing.

Blown head gaskets can be a result of overheating. . .which is usually sign on engine abuse.

asian1 · 03-09-2002, 12:13 PM

well firstly if there are that many problems with the front check out the engine , i was unfortunate young and naive and bought one with a blown bottom end, needed a new engine shiet but i sold it and have a vtec now and it hauls ass

munscher · 03-09-2002, 06:10 PM

stupid ass salesperson.... so i drove 2 hours to go see it today..........

first of all its an automatic... so obviously its not vtec.... turns out its an S, i was pissed

NirVTEC · 03-09-2002, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by munscher
stupid ass salesperson.... so i drove 2 hours to go see it today..........

first of all its an automatic... so obviously its not vtec.... turns out its an S, i was pissed

Car salesman suck! I used to be one! They'll lie, cheat, & steal from their own mom for a $1.00