WANTED: CIVIC HX, 5spd, near Northern California!
 

I'm looking for and ready to buy a decent, clean title, 5spd Civic HX, near Northern California (above the bay area).

For the right price I can travel to Oregon, Nevada, and Socal, just depends on the deal and whether the car can be held for me.

If you have something decent to offer please reply and PM me! :)

I would also consider salvaged title as well. With the HX's getting so old, it will only take a tiny bump to get them salvaged out. As long as the previous owner has pictures of the damage, and records to prove it was fixed professionally, it should be fine.

You have a point, I automatically dismissed most of them because of salvage titles but there are a LOT. What's a good price for a clean one, and a good price for a salvaged, but clean copy?

I had some issues with my car having hidden damage when I bought it, but a clean title, and I hated the thought of having another car that's been wrecked, in any way/shape/form. I was just sick of finding broken things. :(

Thanks for your help

Click me.

First one on the list looks good.
$3600

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4566541140.html

I don't buy a car uses I take it for a 30 min test drive, consisting of a 25mph, 50mph and 75mph test. After the mistake I made buying the Corolla without doing said test, I will never make that mistake again. I also sit idle and run it for 5 mins around 4k RPM because if the car has any cooling problems that will bring them out.

I might call about that one, it's a bit more than I wanted to spend for a modified car but I wonder what "new engine" means to them.
I might have to wait to find one closer to me (further north) unless I can find a seller who is reliable and will hold it. Thanks for the link though I'll keep using that site to help me sift through cars. I may go to Washington with a friend so that could be a great opportunity to find a car.

Good tips, my car ran fine but it had damage to the sheet metal under the rear seat (big wreck) and we missed a shoddy weld repair on the rear wishbone mount.

Well I've managed to find one within about an hour's drive but it's pricey at $4200 OBO/trade. Hopefully this means he's flexible if I offer him cash...we'll see.

http://i.imgur.com/vAsfdSO.jpg

It's got the 5spd, and around 137k miles, so 140k on the clock.
He said he's replaced the tires last year and both CV's were done two years ago, no damage or major repairs done.

I do see a slight oddness to the driver's side front fender but otherwise it looks clean. I'm waiting for more pictures hopefully.

I asked but it seems that the timing belt and water pump are original and thus would need replacing right?

Wow if that has the original TB,it DEFINITELY needs replacing,if it snaps/jumps time bye-bye valves/cylinder-head and possibly even pistons...You can remove the inspection cover with just a 10mm and take a peek at it.That's a great reason to drop the price a little,see what a shop would charge,etc and - it from the asking price.I think $3500 is reasonable depending on how clean it is,it is hard finding low mileage HX's or any MPG Honda at all anymore!

Best of luck,
matt

Thanks!
I was just told the original owner did the water pump and timing belt, so it sounds like I'm in luck. :turtle: Still steep though. :( It is hard finding them but I do have a want ad up for the exact car (color even matches my ad although I'm not looking for that color) so I'm hoping he is exaggerating price because I'm looking for one and thinks there will be more demand...or that I'll bite.

He's got a mkIV supra and an eclipse so I'm hoping he's not short on cash, and will be reasonable on a car that's 17 years old...

Try to get him to 3,500, if not even 3,750 wouldn't be bad for that. Especially if he has proof when the timing belt was done. That's about a 400$ job right there.

Yeah, most of the time consuming annoying work seems to have been done. All that would be left for me to do would be check it over and drive it.

He did do a lot of the work himself but has paperwork for other things so some of it will be visual inspection.

Just have fun with the guy,showing other people I'm into cars, appreciate it for what it is,and have a good attitude about it generally helps 'ease' the situation and can ultimately bring the price down.Make small talk,etc and then just put it out there hey would you take $3500 cash for it?I'd love to have it,it'd be going to a good home,won't get "riced" out etc and it seems to be the going price,tell him you know where a few more are that are similarly priced but you'd like to buy from him!

It's worth the $,it seems like a solid car.Get a Car-Fax / Autocheck I can get them for free btw PM me if you need one.

matt

I would very much appreciate that I'll let you know :)

I'm hesitant to view the car until I know he's not solid on the price but I suppose showing up is a good way to show I'm serious and help drive the cost down.

Point out a few flaws if necessary,that usually does the trick too.

:p

As long as he/she isn't an ass. The seller has a supra and an eclipse (in the pic) and works on cars so I'm crossing my fingers it will be a nice time. :thumbup:

Update: I accidentally discovered that the seller originally listed car with a stolen image. I happened across the same photo in a for-sale discussion thread, dated 2008. The forum was for car enthusiasts in North Carolina...and the car was a dented HX with 133k miles on it.

California smog test records have an entry for the car I'm looking at tomorrow, dated 2000 and 2011...so the seller might have a little explaining to do. I'm hoping it was an honest and dumb mistake and not the sign of a shady seller.

Anyway he's put up new images that show the real car (I can verify the location as being local this time) and it looks good, save for a few small things.

It looks like there's some scuff marks or clearcoat issues on the hood, and a good amount of unsightly aluminum oxidation on the engine. I will probably ask about this, because a friend of mine tells me oxidation is a sign it was sitting for a while. I happen to agree, so we'll see what the owner says. I'm a little curious why he bothered listing the car with a fake image.

http://i.imgur.com/k4z7GPJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/A3i1dNk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wxOo584.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZSS4yyc.jpg

Well I've contacted a previous owner who bought it in 2000, she said it was backed into twice on the front and passenger side but was fixed by a reputable shop I know of. She had regular oil changes ever 3k, and replaced the brakes and ignition switch.

Other than that though it's just sittin' at 140k miles and should have a timing belt replaced. It may also smell a touch like dog but we can hopefully clean that smell out.

I'm going to have a look at it, see how it is.

Oh wow, well if it was that we'll taken care of, and it wasn't hit hard enough to tweak the frame, then it's no big deal. I would still try for 3,500.

That much oxidation is a good indicator that the car was somehwere where they used salt on the highways in winter.

regards
Mech

Which means it's probably a 49 state car.

Could be, I know it's been registered in California throughout it's life. Below is the history report. I know it doesn't exempt it from travels on salty roads but we live near the ocean here so that could have something to do with it? Does that level of oxidation automatically mean salt? I'll be looking under the car too.

It's a california car as far as I know.

http://i.imgur.com/UDXdnKQ.jpg


The owner said he didn't know of body work and thought he purchased it from the original owner, both aren't true, but he sounds honest enough. I am curious what all the lien tags are from though, and the owner before the current owner claimed to have purchased the car in 2000, which seems to match the line with "Title Lien Reported."

I suppose I could be talking to a fake "previous owner" but anyway, I dunno what to think about the fourth Title entry in 2005 though. Perhaps a change in named owners within the family?

Welp, I priced a timing belt replacement, something I don't feel like doing myself, and current prices from my local honda dealer/parts/repair shop made me tell the seller I can offer $3000, and that's it. Also the mileage is now 155k miles, not the 137k or so I was originally told....

I managed to contact the previous owner who said the car WAS hit twice, I guess backed into on seperate occasions and professionally repaired.

Costs for needed maintenance are;

63 - belt
88 - tensioner
133 - pump
29 - thermostat

plus 255 labor brings it to about $569. If I do it myself (GUH), I'm still out $315 and some hours and change.

We'll see how it goes, I may still see the car tomorrow if he's still interested in selling to me.

$3000 seems fair.

It is what it is :)

Looks really clean though and that so happens to be my favorite color for the HX,looks snazzy.

I dunno how to interpret 'it is what it is' but I hope its a good deal. The seller still wants to meet thursday and is going to check for rust for me underneath just encase. Then I'll put it on a lift and look if we continue.

How many colors were there for the Hx anyway...three?

I wonder if I should ask why he used an image of another car initially or just water under the bridge for that hiccup..

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.":rolleyes:
He left the parking lot without buying oil. ...and we were at walmart.

:eek::snail::snail::snail:

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. :rolleyes: 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. :turtle:

Crap like that really makes me angry. I would have offered him 1,500 just for him wasting my time. Just keep looking, I'm sure something will turn up eventually.

Wow,a good one will pop up :)

Seriously what an idiot though,geez.
I fail to understand some people.

Oh and no the door shouldn't feel like that.A well taken care of Honda feels nothing like a cheap economy car IMO,Hondas are good quality automobiles.

+1 my HX feels nice and solid. And the driver door even got taken apart because the previous owner said he broke the door handle by accident.

Yea for one to feel that bad it's got to have missing/very loose screws or been in a pretty serious accident.Having severely worn hinges could have an effect too,don't lose hope though man a clean OE HX is well worth the wait!Id LOVE to have one.


:)

Oh and I got the heart out of a wrecked one (D16Y5 & ECU)a few weeks ago at our local PNP for under $200,w00t!!

Yeah I agree, I could have but honestly I don't really want to nurse a car back to health, let alone one with previous body work, possibly BHG and assorted interior issues. That's what my current car has!!!

Great to know, thank you! I believe if you know where clips are and pay attention a door can be disassembled and reassembled without issue. Are your window seals fresh? that can also cause extra vibration and I'm not sure what to expect for a car from 1997. My 1986.5 has bad seals...but by mom's 1996 doesn't...so I guess hit or miss depending on garaged or not?

Thanks for the reminder on the hinges and tips, I'll keep that in mind. Good score on the engine, is it solid and do you know the mileage? Not bad when an ECU costs about $80-$120 on ebay...


I'll keep looking and bumping this thread now and again. I may be going up to Washington with a friend if I find good options up there and the trip isn't a hassle. I'd love to have a road trip where I drive a new car home!

Also it's nice that I know what neglect looks and feels like in a Honda. Do you guys have any backlash in the drivetrain when you let off the gas or does your drivetrain pretty much have no play?

This car felt like it had some play in the CV joints or tranny but I don't know what's normal. My supra has horrible backlash but it's also got more joints and more age.

Wow. You did the right thing not buying a car that'll just give you the heebee geebees. Stink? Evident neglect when your showing it? Yeesh, forget it. Still, as long as that was the stock dip stick, with just a broken off handle, it sounds like it had three or the four max quarts in it. The dipstick only measures the last quart, maybe slightly more. Each time I change it on my 1998 Civic... same deal, no oil on the stick til about the last quart.

Ok cool, so I guess it was fine to drive out of there? Still kinda sad though, and the tires weren't all inflated correctly. basically he didn't try very hard and I want a car that was maintained so I don't have to fix it. No timing belt by 155k was baaaad enough I should have known he wouldn't maintain the car.

OH and the description he gave of putting wd40 on the squeaky pulley was actually the external pully for the power steering like I thought, NOT the timing idler. I was wondering how he could take everything down the the idler and get oil on it without hitting the timing belt but then not replace the freaking belt!

So he didn't know squat about cars apparently and looked like a punk.

I thought these things only held three quarts?

I'd like to re-ask, do your cars (5spds) have backlash when you let off throttle? Or should you immediately feel road drag and no backlash between coasting/engine breaking and throttle?

FWIW,my JDM D15B takes ~3.8 quarts iirc...

No backlash, and mine holds 3.6qt. I put 3.6qt in and it only went to about 1/2 on the dip-stick, but I'm to lazy to add more.

My CRX HF trans has back-lash,buuuut it also has close to 300k on it.
ISB is howling,and it can sound like a dog-box at times,lolz.

Still going strong though,no complaints in that department.
I've got my eye on a spare HF trans...

Good to know, thank you! FYI oil filter changes may require more oil, the specs usually state two amounts, one with and one without a new filter.

LOL, do you ever pretend you're racing? I wish Forza motorsport was less on the dogbox noise, I know they're loud but sheesh it's a game! I'd rather hear the turbo...

Anyway, still lookin!

FUNNY thing I went to a yard sale, and I saw the HX I passed up! Looks like a new owner happily (I hope for their sake) bought it, and it sits next to a geo metro! I swear I almost knocked on the door to inquire about purchase until I realized it was the very same car!

I may try my luck in Washington later... I hope I find a car soon though, I'll be itching to travel soon! Already am...

BUMP!!


hahaha..guess what? The car I looked at before where there were several little issues, that I noticed after it sold while at a yard sale?

Well...it's up for sale again! this time it's "the third owner" and a guy who bought it because his car was broke and he realized he actually could fix it, so he's selling the honda.

He even replied to my want ad! I was super disappointed when he sent me a picture and it was the SAME CAR I test drove before with shoddy bits here and there. He wanted 200-500 more because he added two new tires. :rolleyes:

STILLLLL looking! :turtle::turtle:

I have one 466,500 mi and still have original clutch,wheel bearings,ball joints ,starter,power steering and have only replaced the head gasket one time. Still runs great,compression starting to drop finaly so bore job in near future and clutch while I have it apart. not for sale good luck in your hunt.

wow, cool! how's your car doing now though? You haven't updated your fuel log in four years, I'm curious how things are going. when did you need new O2 sensors?

I'm down to39mpg now I only fill with strait gas no ethanol,primary o2 changed 1 time almost 300k or so and secondary 2times, mine is under the car as I have a full stainless exh. system so not a stock exhaust. also cold air intake. The lower compression is killing the mpgs. Car still runs good though 145psi-165psi comp.