HOLY crap. ok, so thanks for the replies everyone. I'm still looking for a car. For results of today's used car check here's the result:
Today I went to see the car and I was disappointed. Not severely because I tried not to get my hopes up and it worked.
I look at the car, it looks OK with some minor issues and a dent in the door from a large car door (scrape and a line where it stopped). There's some rust stain above the windshield in the gutter/moulding thing too.
Then I open the door and it smells a bit...yep the dog smell was apparent. not horrid but not nice either...it made me feel icky and like it was a cheap crappy car.
Then I notice the door panel wiggles a lot when it shuts, I think it's been disassembled because it's so loose and damaged mounts do that to doors. Cheap Honda quality though, perhaps? Bad seals probably part of it. I've driven one honda years ago so I don't know. The passenger door wasn't so shaky. The cigarette lighter socket also wasn't attached, and it had an aftermarket alarm.
Then the seller says he's had both doors apart because the windows don't roll correctly and one falls off track..just as I thought. Then I notice the speaker grille falls off when I give it a pull and the plate blocking the side mirror bolts is loose. Poor removal job bro. Nice aftermarket stereo too, bro. I couldn't have cared less by the way, it was ugly and probably installed in 2002.
Then I check the engine and this is where it gets good. The engine was corroded but that's not a surprise, so I check the oil.
I can't find the dipstick.
Upon asking, he tells me the dipstick pull was broken clean off and points to a little yellow cone.
OOoook...so I pry it up with my nails and see literally about 1/8" of oil at the end and residue along the sides.
".....what the hell is this?!?" I think.
So I clean it and recheck thinking, "there's no way that's reading"
Well, it was. The guy had only enough oil to touch the end of the dipstick a few millimeters up. Not even CLOSE to the lower-level fill line. I wouldn't even run a briggs and stratton on that low an oil level. I figure a quart, if that, was in the crankcase, correct me if you've had one apart.
I asked him when he last checked, added, or changed it and he said he had it changed in May. I advised him that he should definitely buy oil before leaving, and air up the low front tire (minus points there too bro).
We ended our meet shortly after this, telling him "I'll have to think about it."
He left the parking lot without buying oil. ...and we were at walmart.
Glad I dodged that bullet, but the poor car! His for sale sign was faded and read $4000 which is $200 less than the CL ad. Now I recheck the CL ad and it's down to $3500, so I'm guessing his other interested parties don't exist, and that he was lying about other people's interest, or they've made similar offers. He's probably had it for sale on the street for months in his home town one hour away, and I couldn't bring myself to offer $2000 in it's present maintenance state.
Oh and the muffler had a broken exit pipe and the exhaust smelled sweet. I'm thinking it might be burning more than oil.
but I'm not sure. I didn't care at that point.
Thanks for the help everyone, I'll continue my search.
Funny thing was I saw at least three HX's in town and one in the same parking lot. I initially thought was his car, until I read the Oregon plates. It had a badly dented rim and a big dent, and 50k more miles.
Anyway...bummer, and still looking.
