[OhSix]

Guys,

My love affair with 06 RL continues. No plans whatsoever to make a change there. But I am racking up miles like crazy. 24K in last 24 months. I won't bore you with history of loosing primary and secondary vehicles in the last 3 years, but 06 is left to perform all transportation duties. I enjoy her so much, I wanna keep her for the foreseeable future.

So... I've toyed with the idea of sourcing a second car to relieve 06 of intense use. Came across a 2 door, manual trans 2015 Civic LX, less than 7K on the clock. Asking price is $11K cuz she's got a salvage title. Described thusly:

"This car hit a curb and the airbags were deployed. I replaced the driver and passenger air bags, both lower control arms, both struts, all 4 tires, and the bumper. The car drives beautifully and is registered until June of next year. Message me for additional details."

She "looks" nice:

I'm not spooked by financial/resale implications of a salvage title cuz - all things being equal - I'll drive her till the wheels fall off. And I assume asking price has some fair wiggle room in it, seeing as MSRP new is 18 to 22K

Other than having her checked out on an alignment rack, and giving her a good going over with eyeballs, can you guys think of a reason to pass on this "risky" purchase?

Any/all words of advise/experience with such things is appreciated!

 

[bigdogrod]

i wouldn't trust any vehicle with a salvage title. plus there may be issues where you live regarding such things like registration and insurance.

but that's just me.... now where's the weird stuff in the pic?

 

[OhSix]

i wouldn't trust any vehicle with a salvage title. plus there may be issues where you live regarding such things like registration and insurance.

but that's just me.... now where's the weird stuff in the pic?

No shenanigans on that photo Rod! Maybe next time. But I did notice the front bumper cover is a different color than the rest of the body. And the listing photos were all rear 1/4, full rear and side views. Sent the seller a note, but no reply. I'm sketchy on this but it might be worth a look since its local.

My insurer says they'll cover it but in event of an accident, a total loss payout would be significantly less than a non-branded title. Hopefully, crash days are behind me.

 

[speedlever]

Would it be worthwhile having a body shop put it on the frame machine and verify the frame is in spec? That might be some cheap insurance. OTOH, hitting a curb hard enough to deploy airbags had to be a significant crash. My accident a year ago inflicting ~$7k in damage did not result in airbag deployment. But one of the things the shop did to try and track down the right drift was to put it back on the frame machine and verify the frame was in spec.

 

[Flyboy]

As long as you know the risk and are willing to accept it after having it checked I'd say go for it but I'd offer less money. If the "hit a curb" and did 75% damage to an 18+k car then there was significant damage.

 

[OhSix]

Would it be worthwhile having a body shop put it on the frame machine and verify the frame is in spec? That might be some cheap insurance. OTOH, hitting a curb hard enough to deploy airbags had to be a significant crash. My accident a year ago inflicting ~$7k in damage did not result in airbag deployment. But one of the things the shop did to try and track down the right drift was to put it back on the frame machine and verify the frame was in spec.

As long as you know the risk and are willing to accept it after having it checked I'd say go for it but I'd offer less money. If the "hit a curb" and did 75% damage to an 18+k car then there was significant damage.

Thanks guys. Impact sensors responsible for deploying air bags are very sensitive multi-axis accelerometers. There was a video here recently of some punk kids making a "jump" over a paved road intersecting a dirt road. The air bags deployed based on "shock" that may or may not have bent chassis rails, but the fact that the bags deployed is often enough for an insurance company to declare total loss. The laughing smiling kids in that video had yet to see the result of their stunt (cost wise) but I'd venture a guess the frame was OK - although components and labor render the vehicle drive-able were very high - enough to "total it" perhaps.

While pondering this Civic, it occurred to me the overall frame is likely straight as long as hood, fender, trunk & door gaps look even all the way around) but strut frames could be tucked inward at the top. It's easy enough to look at bolts on hinges and such to see if they've been recently tweaked. Tell tale signs of body work on a 7K mile should be pretty easy to detect.

Anyhoo, even with frame measurements and confirmation suspension adjustment range can bring caster, camber & toe to spec, doesn't mean it'll roll as designed. Cheap bastard attraction to price comes with risk later on as the thing eats tires and wears joints.

I sent the seller this note:
Is the original accident report resulting in this vehicle being a total loss available for review?
If not, is the insurance adjusters assessment available?
Where were the repairs performed?
Were records of parts purchased kept?
I notice the front bumper cover is discolored/doesn't match body color, is this why there are no pictures of the vehicle front end?
I'm in San Diego county, interested in seeing this vehicle, but as you can imagine am skeptical of its condition and repair.
Please reply with additional information if available.

So far, no reply. And the listing timed out. I'm guessing he either doesn't know answers to questions posed - or is looking for a buyer less skeptical of a branded title car.

No hurry, but if this was a good opportunity to save $, I'd do it. After being without a second car for a few years, I miss the flexibility it affords. Talk about a first world "problem", huh? :grin:

 

[speedlever]

Well, in that vein, I bought this old beater Civic last year which had obviously had a checkered life is spite of the clean title. But it drives straight, uses little to no oil for 156k miles, and tire wear seems even. It's just a beater. But still gets me about 30 mpg and has been useful teaching my youngest kids to drive a manual tranny.

So maybe it's not really that much of a risk anyway. In my case, this was the first gen 6 Civic I'd been able to find with any maintenance history. So covering my eyes to the other, obvious clues of abuse, I bought it. So far, so good. Although I have had to replace an axle with a torn boot, an AC belt that was cracked, and just spent some money to fix up an oopsie my daughter had.. but I got a new paint job out of the deal. It's no longer flat black but is a pretty metalflake black now.

With that 2015 and 7k miles, you only have to worry about the repair you know about. Maintenance should be a non-issue.

 

[Flyboy]

I bought a 2005 Ford 500 in 2009 that had 49k on it that had been in a bad rear end collision. It wasn't totaled but it sat on the dealers lot for over 6 months. The car was 3 hours away so I called the dealer and they were very upfront about the fact that it was wrecked. This is a loaded 500 with all options available at the time except a sunroof. They had dropped it to 8 grand which was wayyy under average retail at the time. I drove up and looked the car over. Whoever did the repair did an excellent job. I couldn't find anything wrong. I bought it and it's been one of the best cars I've ever owned. I've past it on to my daughter now and it has 120k on it. I had the AC repaired on 2010 and the plugs and brakes done in 2013. She told me the other day that all her friends drive beaters and they really like it when she drives, lol.

I'm not afraid of a repaired car done right and at the right price.

 

[OhSix]

So, the seller finally responded. After a couple of exchanges, went to see and drive the Civic.

From 20 feet, she looks new. Up close, little things start coming into focus. There's definitely some repair buggers here and there. But major stuff like drive train, rolling behavior, clutch, shifter, steering response and road feel/confidence are there.

The story is: a distracted driver hopped a curve damaging front struts, lower control arms, sway bar, the bolt on sub frame running X axis in front of the engine and the front bumper cover/grill assembly. Air bags deployed.

He purchased the car from a local bone yard. At that time, she was sitting on donuts. All four OEM rims/tires were absent.

She's too low to the ground to see the general under carriage condition.

Although the seller claims no knowledge, the rear bumper cap appears to have been repainted. The silver tone is slightly off body color, as is metallic content. Same goes for front bumper cap, which he acknowledges was replaced.

Seller has a complete file of OEM parts purchased to perform repairs, all sourced from Pacific Honda. Although I had no way to make copies, sellers records include damage assessment by a body shop and alignment record when new tires/wheels were installed. Visual on the alignment report indicates no problem meeting spec - which suggests frame is OK.

With less than 7K miles, she still smells new. Good news too, my fat ass fits in her, with no nasty head ducking in order to fit in the vertical door opening.

One thing I REALLY don't like is the large cat back exhaust previous owner installed. WAY too drone-ish @ cruise speed, and "look at me" dead stop acceleration exhaust notes for my taste. But that could be remedied.

Hood gaps look pretty even, but not perfect.

Looking closer at bottom of driver door/front fender intersection, there's evidence things got tweaked in the curb incident.

And the drive side inner wheel well liner has lotsa overspray, missing clips - and is torn.

The other side wheel well liner is undamaged but detached from the front fender. Without putting her on a lift, I suspect the front splash shield is missing altogether.

Most of that crap is cosmetic and/or lack of attention to detail during reassembly, which is a DIY friendly afternoon in the driveway.

Harry over @ Premier Auto is standing by to put her up on a lift for a under carriage inspection, and drop her on his new Snap On alignment rack.

Seller has "room to move" on price. He's a younger guy (in comparison to my oldness). pretty laid back, employed by a company building 50's/60's era Porsche 365 & Spider kit cars, stuffing Subaru/Mendeola drive guts in a 1,700 Porsche look alikes.

Although cautious, I got a good vibe from the guy.

Pending eyes on the underside and Harry's alignment assessment, I'm pretty sure this little car will join my small stable. It'll be great relief for 06, and give my wallet a break from the 16MPG I've been getting during 60 mile round trips 5 day/week.

With all that, if you guys have any other words of caution, I'm all ear. Thanks in advance. And Happy Friday!

 

[speedlever]

OhSix, I think you have a good plan of action. That's too new a vehicle to leave improperly repaired. My ocd would probably require a visit to a trusted body shop to see what it would take to put it in first class shape.

Else buy a beater like me and don't worry too much about all the niggles as long as the mechanicals appear good. This is a lot cheaper option, but not as pretty either.

 

[OhSix]

OhSix, I think you have a good plan of action. That's too new a vehicle to leave improperly repaired. My ocd would probably require a visit to a trusted body shop to see what it would take to put it in first class shape.

Else buy a beater like me and don't worry too much about all the niggles as long as the mechanicals appear good. This is a lot cheaper option, but not as pretty either.

WORD on the OCD thing Speed. I've already looked into wheel liner and splash shield. ~$60 for both from cheaper honda parts. Maybe $20 for clips and stuff.

I hate the idea of body filler on an otherwise new fender, which this one looks to have had sloppily applied - along with a shoddy paint prep. So checked a replacement out already. ~$350 for that, sans paint. What kind of body shop would let a car leave in such crap condition? I have a feeling the salvage title "flipper" got tired of spending $ on his flipping item, so he deemed things "good enough" <cough>. The Craig's list rims look OK but have some curb scrub. Lead weights on the OUTSIDE rim? PULEEZE. Veento tires? Never heard of them. Google: cheap, cheap, cheap.

A 2015 beater is what it shapes up to be. Cosmetically speaking. So far.

Pending Harry, a low ball seems appropriate. If the seller scoffs, walking away is always an option.

Cranky old guy syndrome might work in my favor, for once.
>

 

[OhSix]

OhSix, I think you have a good plan of action. That's too new a vehicle to leave improperly repaired. My ocd would probably require a visit to a trusted body shop to see what it would take to put it in first class shape.

Else buy a beater like me and don't worry too much about all the niggles as long as the mechanicals appear good. This is a lot cheaper option, but not as pretty either.

OK Speed. You are on the hook for the decision I just made today. After the kid with the 2015 Civic sold it to someone else - whom I imagine was less aggressive pointing out flaw-to-ask price ratio, I continued looking around, but now with a sour taste for salvage title cars.

The S2000 has always been on my lust list but.... after finding mostly salvage title versions on craigslist, and the associated sales talk of how good this particular salvage car might be, I took them off the list. Value be damned, the dice are just to likely to snake eye my ass.

Found a local guy selling this 2003 with a newly rebuilt motor (asking price $10K) I figured out I fit in them OK, BUT... once there's a passenger sitting next to you, and a suitcase in the trunk, there's no room for ANYTHING else.

She was pretty from 20 feet, but closer = rougher. The rebuilt motor lacked silk and the list of body mods, like bumper cap replacements and new top complete with goober sillycone all over the lower glass edge just turned me off. PASS.

Besides, the idea of a real beater appeals to me. Save $ and still get from A to B without drama is the real goal. So I stayed with craiglist and learned the lingo of shysters and guys selling salvage titled cars that were only salvage due to minor parking lot mishaps. HA!

There's something about the profile of Civic and Accord coupes appealing to my eye. Narrowing my search to those returned a plethora of cars between San Diego and Los Angeles. What I noticed, cars down south, right close to the border are described and priced as "to good to be true". Same goes for the generic "LAX" area up north.

PASS on those.

Long story short, a 2001 Accord coupe caught my eye. One of the things attracting me was the description stood out- very different from the dozens and dozens I'd read. It was the typical happy talk by sellers on the scam laden craigslist universe. Along with the description below, there were enticing glam shots of the Accord in her earliest days of mods, when everything was fresh and new. Here's what the seller described:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Up for sale is a baby of mine that's been with me for 13 years. Took great care of it, and this can be vouched by many. There are lots of GOODIES with the car, as well as some not-so-goods given that it is a 15 year old car. Most definitely a head-turner, and it is uniquely modified. H22A engine and 5 speed manual transmission (80k miles on it). TONS of money has been put into it. My loss is your gain. Priced at $3800 firm. Car will be sold as-is.

PROS:
Engine/Performance:

-Honda Optional 2.2L Engine with optional transmission =)
(obd2 h22a4 and transmission swap by a very reputable local guy)- Very fun to drive, passes smog with no problem. Only have 80k miles on them.
-AEM Blue Short Ram Intake
-Greddy Evo2 Exhaust
-NGK plugs
-NGK wires
-NGK battery tie-down
-Innovative motor mounts 75A

Suspension
Ksport pro damper coilovers - GREAT feel. can adjust dampening stiffness in addition to ride height.
Sportmax 961 with custom blue lip rings
Muteki Anodized Blue lug nuts with key
DA c-pillar bar

Interior/ICE
Leather everything, power everything (EX model)
Moon roof in perfect condition.
Pspec Short Shifter (very rare, and highly reviewed short throw shifter for the accords)
Skunk2 Weighted Shift Knob
JVC headunit with auxiliary output
2 x Phoenix Gold 10 inches Xenon sub
1200 watt Boss Amp
Monster cable
Blue LED Courtesy door lights
Blue LED doom light
LED Trunk light kit (surprisingly bright)
Scangauge II

Cosmetic
ETERNAL BLUE PEARL - Rare color..especially in this condition
98-00 Rear bumper swap (will also include stock rear bumper)
Optional Sideskirts (may need to be repainted, will also include stock sideskirts)
OEM Optional Rear Lip
black housed RETROFIT headlight with TSX Projectors clear lens and custom shrouds
painted eyelids
Red/White tailights (will include stock)
Mugen style front lip POLYURETHANE (may need to be repainted)
Yellow OEM fog Lights
HID 3000k foglights and 5000k low beam
Yellow Nokya highbeams
Window Visors

CONS:
Wear and tear; 15 years old car. However, a pretty good condition compared to others this age.
1)Some clear coat peels on the driver side top
2) there appears to be air in the clutch system, and it may need to be flushed. Currently drives fine.
3) Driver and passenger seats have wear and tear (15 year old, duh).

You can call or text me at show contact info for more details. Overall it's a great, reliable, unique/sexy car, especially for college students. If ad is still up then its still available. Serious inquiries only, no cash no test drive.
--------------------------------------------------------------
She isn't exactly the kind of car I imagined as a beater, especially the "look at me" stuff that appeals to younger dudes. For me, too many do-dads = fugly. The trash can sized exhaust pipe and likely noise it makes is a major turn off too. Still, I was enamored with the idea this might be a car worth bringing into the stable as a daily driver. So I call the guy. Sounds like a young man, making me question how he's had the car 13 years. First thing I say is: I ain't no college kid and don't need sexy, but I do need a fun reliable ride to haul my old ass back and forth to work. He chuckles and says, uh.... I better send you some recent photos.

He sends them. Although the glam shots were clearly meant to attract buyers, I knew she couldn't look like that - the asking price is way to low. I wasn't put off by her current cosmetic condition. I'm after her bones, not her lipstick.

We arrange a time and location to meet. Interestingly, fellow forum member Carsmak and I had been talking about other things whduring the time I was talking to the kid with the Accord, so I invited him to join the hook up. That happened this morning. Mak gave me the double thumbs up and said I'd be nuts to pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity. So that means both Speed AND Mak are gonna hear from me if this thing turns out to be a polished turd. :wink:

Transitioning from 06 to the Accord is a bit of a shock. She's currently sitting mighty low.

The car is rough but not grotesque. Kinda like a good looking bar maiden who's getting on in years. Once a beauty queen and still a looker, but her patina is showing thru. No metal rust could be seen. The once pristine engine compartment has all the signs of a neglect. Road debris finding its way onto every surface, and tell tale signs of leaks under development. Heat/cool cycles have taken their toll on the shiny shield that dominates the space between exhaust manifolds and radiator. But she runs. Strong. And make 4 banger throaty-ish noises. She idles mighty low when the AC is engaged, and that vibes the car like something is wrong. She rolls straight and corners flat. Although her rear rubber show distinct signs of bad alignment. I'm ASSuming that to be an easily fixable deal. Further ASSume the fronts were recently rotated rear.

118K on the chassis. H22 had 50K on it when installed. At that time, the odo read 80K. In that regard, she's less used than 06, who turned over 128K today.

Anyhoo... Here she is.

Glam shot from the craigslist post:

The engine compartment, both glam and current. This motor has spark plug wires!

In the drive way this afternoon. She's a stately gal that will get some love and attention over the coming months. 06 will appreciate the break from daily drives. And having a second ride again affords the opportunity to take 06 down to the level needed to complete the long delayed audio project. SCHWING!

Her age shows and I don't care. Vinyl will cover her blemishes.

Nice rims.

 

[OhSix]

BTW: the young man who sold the Accord to me is first generation Vietnamese American. After we visited my bank to arrange payment, we chatted a while. Very interesting story of a 31 year old who discovered why he didn't do well in school and what fueled his teenage anger. Family stuff involving being raised by aunt and uncle, distance from his bio parents, cousins/brother/sister and stuff like that. But he found his way. After completing community college recently, he's off to SDSU in 3 weeks, Focus on economics. We went to lunch and chatted about life and growth and sorrow and learning. Great guy. I like him very much. We agreed to stay in touch and I promised to send him progress reports. He's inviting me to 6th gen Accord forum where he chronicled the build of my new-to-me-car. Perhaps I'll link to those threads with updates on my efforts to continue this Accord's evolution.

I've got a rough image in my head, something along these lines... So much for beater huh? We'll see what really happens.

 

[Carsmak]

Other that to Keep it Simple S... I'd probably pick a vinyl close in color to the previously painted, Blue. Door openings would require less work to cover and convert to a significantly different color.


Overall looks like a good project car, I'm guessing it's got decent power when driving, and it will most likely pick up some power when you convert to a "stock-ish" exhaust. Unsure if the H22, will directly bolt the stock parts, previously removed. Idle did sound low and smelled rich, will the changed motor have any "SMOG" related issues. I'm thinking, if you still have the "OEM" break fluid reservoir that you pulled earlier from the RL, it may once cleaned up bolt directly into that reservoirs location.

Again it was good to see you and the kid seemed like a young version of either of us, with enough time he'll later laugh at the $ burned...

 

[speedlever]

Lol, OhSix! Your definition of a beater and my definition are two different things!

But hey! My old beater has new lipstick now and looks pretty good from 20 feet away! And yeah, mine has a distributor cap and spark plug wires too. The PO replaced the seal on the distributor just before he sold it due to an oil leak at the distributor. I haven't opened it up yet to see if it actually has points and a condenser. I have no clue where my old timing light is, nor even if it works with the old Civic.

I enjoyed test driving an S2k recently, but it is not practical for the usage I intend. The RSX/s drove very nice too, but I do not like lowered cars. That RSX scrubbed tires if you sneezed hard. And I was surprised to find that the S2k and RSX were geared the same such that at 70mph, the tach read 3500 rpm. That's a lot higher cruise rpm than I expected in a six speed tranny.

Good luck with the glam beater!

 

[Carsmak]

Speed, No points on your '99, just like my '96 and previous '97. Pull the Plugs and check the gap and re-torque accordingly, then open the cap, and verify the cap and rotor have no burnt marks, if so I'd just replace. I don't remember the torque spec, but I believe the RL torque would be adequate. At least on my '96, I just replace the plugs, rotor, cap every 50-60k, they are cheap. Thinking of the '99, do you inspect the exhaust manifold, my '96 & '97 cracked atleast 3 between the two of them in about 300k miles, use a mirror and inspect all the way around. Unless it was replaced with some sort of headers, which is most likely easier there than in CA, emissions inspection (SMOG Check) they actually check it and removing the stock manifold would most likely cause a fail, unless you can find the right shop.

As for definition of beater, You see Glam, and I see projects galore. I believe the price was right, but I could easily see putting $5k to "bring it up to snuff". I'm not sure returning it to Stock I'm not 100% sure it's possible.

 

[speedlever]

Thanks mak. My plugs are fairly new. As is the distributor, and TB/WP, etc. It has as non-stock exhaust header too. I assume I'd hear it if it was cracked?

 

[OhSix]

Other that to Keep it Simple S... I'd probably pick a vinyl close in color to the previously painted, Blue. Door openings would require less work to cover and convert to a significantly different color.


Overall looks like a good project car, I'm guessing it's got decent power when driving, and it will most likely pick up some power when you convert to a "stock-ish" exhaust. Unsure if the H22, will directly bolt the stock parts, previously removed. Idle did sound low and smelled rich, will the changed motor have any "SMOG" related issues. I'm thinking, if you still have the "OEM" break fluid reservoir that you pulled earlier from the RL, it may once cleaned up bolt directly into that reservoirs location.

Again it was good to see you and the kid seemed like a young version of either of us, with enough time he'll later laugh at the $ burned...

Lol, OhSix! Your definition of a beater and my definition are two different things!

But hey! My old beater has new lipstick now and looks pretty good from 20 feet away! And yeah, mine has a distributor cap and spark plug wires too. The PO replaced the seal on the distributor just before he sold it due to an oil leak at the distributor. I haven't opened it up yet to see if it actually has points and a condenser. I have no clue where my old timing light is, nor even if it works with the old Civic.

I enjoyed test driving an S2k recently, but it is not practical for the usage I intend. The RSX/s drove very nice too, but I do not like lowered cars. That RSX scrubbed tires if you sneezed hard. And I was surprised to find that the S2k and RSX were geared the same such that at 70mph, the tach read 3500 rpm. That's a lot higher cruise rpm than I expected in a six speed tranny.

Good luck with the glam beater!

Good to see you too Mak. Thanks for the support.

Speed: changing the definition of beater will not absolve your responsibility for the decision I made! And since Mak is relatively close by, he'll know what it means to be involved in my bad decision, should things go awry. LOL.

Seriously, you did plant the seed of going on the beater hunt. One of the dangers of getting to know a little bit about someone (for me) is starting to care. The seller is off to complete his education @ 31 years old - I admire that and support his efforts. Which resulted in the thought bubble "Dedicated college kids need all the support they can find". So I just shook his hand - DEAL. $3,800 for a low mile ride is good enough. He's delivering the stock exhaust (thank GOD), stock tail lights, rear bumper cover and running boards in the next 2 weeks, which is awesome. Pending their condition, they'll be among the first things to go back on as 01 is de-do-dad-ified. In the meantime, easy stuff is coming off. 10 minutes invested so far.

I've always liked the function of window deflectors but detest the look. That "add on" thing just bugs.

The Scan Gauge functions nicely but, uhm, er.... the double stick tape and cable route needs some attention.

There's a Viper alarm system in there. IME: alarm installers sometimes employ questionable wiring techniques. I dunno. Did hundreds of alarms systems back in the day - scotch locks, peeled factory looms, hit-and-miss wire probes are very common. Cable routing is a personal OCD thing too. This system will likely be worked over. And the entire audio system will be pulled / trashed. Projects galore, which is opposite of why we buy beaters, isn't it. SHEESH.

Most of the big stuff hasta wait for life events to settle down. Monday might be a good day to get eye balls on 01's hidden condition.

Soon as she gets on the road, 06 will be gutted and audio system upgrade will finally get done, which is the REAL reason 01 sits in the driveway now. WOO-HOO

 

[OhSix]

Speed, No points on your '99, just like my '96 and previous '97. Pull the Plugs and check the gap and re-torque accordingly, then open the cap, and verify the cap and rotor have no burnt marks, if so I'd just replace. I don't remember the torque spec, but I believe the RL torque would be adequate. At least on my '96, I just replace the plugs, rotor, cap every 50-60k, they are cheap. Thinking of the '99, do you inspect the exhaust manifold, my '96 & '97 cracked atleast 3 between the two of them in about 300k miles, use a mirror and inspect all the way around. Unless it was replaced with some sort of headers, which is most likely easier there than in CA, emissions inspection (SMOG Check) they actually check it and removing the stock manifold would most likely cause a fail, unless you can find the right shop.

As for definition of beater, You see Glam, and I see projects galore. I believe the price was right, but I could easily see putting $5k to "bring it up to snuff". I'm not sure returning it to Stock I'm not 100% sure it's possible.

The learning journey continues...

H22A was a "Japan only" motor found in 90's and early 00 era SiR trimmed Preludes and Accords. They make somewhere around 200HP. Apparently, Japanese regulations form a sort of perpetual "cash for clunkers" law that cause used vehicles to be shipped out of country or junked prior to 50K miles. A cottage industry that grew around that practice results in Japanese crate motors being shipped into the U.S. and elsewhere. Amazing. Never knew that tid-bit. You'd think a schlub with as many turns of the clock as I would have known this chit going into this deal, but NO.... Fugging moron.

When the kid signed over the pink slip, he mentioned being careful about finding the right smog shop because of the mods. I was too stoned with a car purchase and ideas of returning her to smoothness to pay his comment much mind. With the passing hours, it sank in that, on the surface it looks as though I bought myself a bag of snakes when smog check time comes. Luckily, there are station owners around who will "look the other way" on the visual check - caring only that the engine pass emissions standards. Good that there's one such station close by. On the other hand, she does smell rich @ start up and when idling for extended periods, which suggests a vacuum leak or other (hopefully) minor "adjustment". I'm thinking vacuum mostly cuz she seems REAL sensitive to engine drag like engaging headlights (loading the alternator) or A.C. which turns the car into a vibe machine.

EDIT: since typing above, looking more closely, the motor is an H22A4, found in U.S. 5th gen Prelude. Which is interesting in terms of model year stuff. An "older" engine in a "more modern" chassis. It appears front motor mount is the only real "mod" needed to adapt the motor/trans assembly into the Accord chassis. With that newest knowledge, sourcing parts like this missing cap covering the (equivalent of) bell housing opening is possible.

On the upside, last night around 7:30 life settled down enough to pull out of the driveway and take her for a quick lap down to the grocery store. This is the first drive since the very short test that cinched the deal. OMG! A blast from the past. That short throw 5 speed was a time warp to younger days driving Ghia's, X-19's, Dino's, Spyders and such. She wraps up to 5K right quick, and pulls WAY harder than expected. Very very nice throttle response. The exhaust system is not nearly as drone-ish as expected, in fact, it makes rather pleasant pipe music. Not sure how long it'll take for pleasant to turn annoying, but for the moment, it's no where near the intrusiveness expected.

Although she sits lower than stock, it's not prone to driveway scrapes or hump crawls. In the current set up, she's stiff but not overly so and body roll doesn't seem to happen at all. Steering is a bit on the light side, not much to do about that. No annoying squeaks or rattles of concern. It was a fun 5 minute cruise with a few sprints to see how she responds. So far, I like.

BUTT, there's throw out bearing noise. And I spotted hydro leaks at the clutch slave. I'll get eyes on the master later. In fact, there's evidence of hydro leaks @ P.S. pump, and I caught a glimpse of oil build up/dirt at the front of the block.

The Moribito projector conversion is horrific at several levels. The sprayed on clear coat over lens face is gone. When the OEM housing was baked open to install the projectors, then resealed, it looks like Doctor Sillycone had a seizure. The wiring and ancillary power control boxes were installed by a colorblind guy with way too many wire ties on his hands, and there are broken tabs hither and yon. Luckily, the installer DID'nt drill into sheet steel for this. Daisy chained wire ties everywhere. This is what happens with "tuning shops" car stereo dudes. Stuff might work - and the things you see are alright, but lifting the curtain has the most gravity. Inner beauty doesn't seem to matter much - most of the time - IME. Like women, big breasts and tight hinneys might be a turn on, but when beauty queens starting talking, things sometimes devolve quickly. Cars talk in more ways than one, some guys don't listen too well.

Not only that, the drive in darkness last night was a real MEH experience. Projector beams my bee-hind. If dull, listless, definition free illumination was the goal - mission accomplished. EVERY SINGLE plastic thingy on the outside of the car is loose, flopping and in various stages of disintegration/missing parts.

That stuff will hafta wait until mechanics are baselined. Today, she get raise, wheels off, nose, splash cover, wheel house liners removed. engine, tranny, suspension given a bath. While shes apart, eyes on everything and general clean up so rubber stuff can be seen in the light of day. She'll go back together as-is and driven a bit to get a better sense of oil leaks and such. Then off to Harry's to see about the throwout bearing, get some time on the alignment rack so the tires sit flat and get some input on the rich exhaust smell. She's gonna need new rear meats cux the inside tread is WAY worn, but I ain't spending any more $ until she's good for driving duty.

If she checks out @ Harry's, there's a growing part list to get her outside poop in a group. Parts in the aftermarket are amazingly cheap, and cheap is what beaters get. As an example, a new nose cover, 2 headlight assemblies, new splash, wheel house liners, clips and fasteners is right at $300. I'm thinking if she doesn't cost a bunch at Harrys, and I can address the rest, this beater will be acceptable and I'll be in her for less than $5K. Is that still beater range?

If Harry delivers bad news, you and Speed will be getting an ear full. :grin:

Onward!

 

[speedlever]

The learning journey continues...


If Harry delivers bad news, you and Speed will be getting an ear full. :grin:

Onward!

Haha! Bring it on. My wife says I can't hear anyway. >