Project "Save the Flea!" Winter beater: 2007 Civic 1.8L, 5-speed

[MetroMPG]

3rd fill-up, pre-tail: 47 mpg (US) = 5 L/100 km

With both outside temperatures and the length of the car increasing, the next tank should be interesting!

[COcyclist]

Darrin, That boattail looks too good to end up in recycling at the end of winter. Throw some fiberglass (or at least poor man's fiberglass- bedsheet and house paint) on that thing and give us some long term test data. Then you won't have to scramble to find another winter beater next year.

[MetroMPG]

Winter's officially over!

I spent a couple of days de-modding & tidying up the Civic, got its mechanical inspection & e-test paperwork, and put it on the market.









I'm not sure if I wasted my time on the detailed clean-up or not... the mom & daughter who bought it seemed to barely look it over! Then again, maybe that's because it was so clean.

Then we went for a THREE freakin' BLOCK long test drive, and she said, "that's good enough," and bought it. I can't help but think they were lucky to get a good car from me and not some scammer, because they were very trusting, and not overly car savvy.

The only thing I lied about:

Her: "How's the gas mileage?"

Me: "Oh, it's decent."

I hate to over-promise.

---

As much as I enjoyed my 3000 km with the Civic (it was the nicest car I've owned ... so far), I'm looking forward to getting the Flea back on the road and not having to struggle to get 50 mpg US!

Actually, that's not entirely fair to the Civic: I cruised it a little faster on the highway than I typically drive the Flea, and used cruise control most of the time, which I don't do in the Flea (because its c.c. is busted... oh, and it's less efficient). If I had driven it exactly the same way, I would have had a couple of 50 mpg tanks, I'm sure.

Now I'm already scanning the ads for next winter's beater: a good deal on an older Prius, or a low-miles (unicorn, non-rusted) Metro/Firefly/Swift twinsie. But I won't discriminate against another car similar to this Civic if something catches my eye and the price is right.

Sayonara, Civic!

Next up: rouse the Flea out of hibernation.

[Chrysler kid]

Very clean car on to the next project though

Most people who buy used cars know nothing about them just that they need a good car.