Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

So, just got back from looking at and driving that Integra GS. The condition is stunning. The current owner bought it about 5 months ago from the original owner, who was 86. The intention was to have the Integra for his daughter, but she just couldn't get used to the stick, so now he's looking to unload it.

Not being a GS-R, yes, it's not gonna provide too much in the thrill department, but if you're going for more of a "time capsule" concept, this Integra is in incredible shape. The seller claimed the interior to be "showroom new" which was surprisingly accurate. The fabric with the blue accents are a great throwback. It drives as well as it looks. Certainly doesn't have the redline of the GS-R or Prelude, but it's still a sweet revving Honda 4 cylinder.

If it were a GS-R in that condition, I would have bought it on the spot for the asking price, but of course, someone else probably would have already. For a GS in this condition, I'd be interested around $5k, but he claims to have had offers as high as $6,800 that he turned down. He said he'd take $7,000 for it.

Just to have that era of Honda styling and aesthetic in such amazing condition, I'm tempted. But not so much at his price.

breld

@stickguy - I like that Mazda6 wagon. If I remember correctly, you could even get the V6 in the wagon with a manual.

pensfan83

If that was a GS-R, in that condition and with that mileage, it would be a literal steal at the asking price.

stickguy

V6 yes, but not positive with a stick in the wagon. Definitely in the sedan.

nyccarguy

breld said:

So, just got back from looking at and driving that Integra GS. The condition is stunning. The current owner bought it about 5 months ago from the original owner, who was 86. The intention was to have the Integra for his daughter, but she just couldn't get used to the stick, so now he's looking to unload it.

Not being a GS-R, yes, it's not gonna provide too much in the thrill department, but if you're going for more of a "time capsule" concept, this Integra is in incredible shape. The seller claimed the interior to be "showroom new" which was surprisingly accurate. The fabric with the blue accents are a great throwback. It drives as well as it looks. Certainly doesn't have the redline of the GS-R or Prelude, but it's still a sweet revving Honda 4 cylinder.

If it were a GS-R in that condition, I would have bought it on the spot for the asking price, but of course, someone else probably would have already. For a GS in this condition, I'd be interested around $5k, but he claims to have had offers as high as $6,800 that he turned down. He said he'd take $7,000 for it.

Just to have that era of Honda styling and aesthetic in such amazing condition, I'm tempted. But not so much at his price.

A GS is still a great little car. In everyday driving, you'd be hard pressed to miss the extra 30 high end ponies that you get with a GSR. I agree, that for $5K - $5,500 that would be an excellent buy. Good condition cars are getting HARDER and HARDER to come by.

Anybody willing to take a road trip to Austin, TX? https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=489442944&zip=06902&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=06902&startYear=1994&numRecords=50&sortBy=relevance&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&endYear=2001&modelCodeList=INTEG&makeCodeList=ACURA&searchRadius=0&startYear=1994&numRecords=50&firstRecord=0&endYear=2001&modelCodeList=INTEG&makeCodeList=ACURA&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=ACURA&modelCode1=INTEG

pensfan83

If you can handle the faded paint and the seats that look like they need some reconditioning, not a bad buy. Those don't look like GS-R wheels though, fairly certain '97's still had the 5 spoke wheels before moving to a blade style from 98-01.

breld

I was about to say the same thing on those wheels.  But yes, could be a decent buy.  

breld

By the way, I’m going to look at one more Honda today.  Flamesuit on for when I reveal what it is.

kyfdx

Type R?

nyccarguy

breld said:

By the way, I’m going to look at one more Honda today.  Flamesuit on for when I reveal what it is.

Del Sol

pensfan83

Newly listed......even needing a cat it seems suspiciously cheap though I do like Honda's EBP.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=493501270&zip=15025&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=15025&startYear=1981&sortBy=distanceASC&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=HONDA&modelCode1=PRE

nyccarguy

I know there is the nostalgia for a lot of us with the Prelude/Integra, but with (asking) prices rising on those perfect(ish), low(er) mileage cars, it makes sense to go and check out a (brand new) Civic Si Coupe. You'll be spending close to $10K to drive the car for 36 months/36k MILES. Say you are prepared to drop $7K - $7.5K for an "ideal, perfect" Prelude/Integra out there. In 3 years it is going to need SOMETHING. Say $1,500 in maintenance & repairs. Now you are at $8,500 - $9,000. A new Si just needs gas and a couple of oil changes.

tifighter

nyccarguy said:

breld said:

By the way, I’m going to look at one more Honda today.  Flamesuit on for when I reveal what it is.

Del Sol

Beat me to it.

ab348

Back when I was working my assistant had a red Del Sol for a while. I thought it suited her (very attractive and stylish blonde lady who liked attention) but she only had it a short time, hated it. Too hard to get in and out of, too low in traffic, made her feel unsafe, she said.

xwesx

henryn said:

Didn't @xwesx travel from Alaska to Ohio to pickup a VW TDI, back when we were all jumping on those as a get rich quick scheme?

I have done four such trips, and will do a fifth in about a month.

The first such run like this was buying our 2010 Forester out of Seattle back in September 2009. Following that, I bought the 2013 Passat TDI from western Ohio (although, my wife is from the Erie area, so we do visit there somewhat regularly) in August 2016. Then, shortly after in March 2017, I picked up the 2014 Audi Q7 TDI in Houston, TX; that's still my longest such trip to date.

A few days before the Q7 trip, an inattentive driver destroyed the 2010 Forester, so I ended up finding a replacement 2013 Forester in Moline, IL, which my son and I took home in June of 2017.

Good stuff, those trips!

This upcoming trip is, blessedly, not for me. A good friend bought a Nissan NV3500 passenger van for his large family, and we will be picking that up in Salt Lake City, UT, toward the end of September (we hope!).

So, if you want someone to talk you out of some crazy road trip to bring a car home, don't look at me! I'll probably go with you!

xwesx

I suppose I sort of did another take-a-new-car-home run before the 2009 trip, when we bought a 2008 Outback two years prior to that. I took a truck down to Oregon for my mother, so we ended up swinging by the dealer on the way through Seattle to grab it, swapped over to the car in Salem, then toured around to visit family for a bit before heading home.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Anybody willing to take a chance on Frankenstein:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-bmw-330i-3/

Aside from classic hot rods, I have never been a fan of engine swaps between different brands.

stickguy

I was gonna guess an Element.

Del sol, I would get one if they have a sport model. Actually an older dude (mid 60s I would guess) who lives near me drives around in a ratty red del sol. Odd sight

stickguy

pensfan83 said:

Newly listed......even needing a cat it seems suspiciously cheap though I do like Honda's EBP.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=493501270&zip=15025&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=15025&startYear=1981&sortBy=distanceASC&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=HONDA&modelCode1=PRE

Even with 145k it is. That paint, is it original color? Bright.

A scam, or the bad cat is just tip of the ice berg.

breld

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

nyccarguy

pensfan83 said:

Newly listed......even needing a cat it seems suspiciously cheap though I do like Honda's EBP.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=493501270&zip=15025&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=15025&startYear=1981&sortBy=distanceASC&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2019&modelCodeList=PRE&makeCodeList=HONDA&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=HONDA&modelCode1=PRE

It is on Staten Island. Home of lots of shady characters. I just had a catalytic converter put in my Prelude (along with a new flex pipe & new pipe that runs from the cat to the muffler). It isn't expensive AT ALL.

nyccarguy

I saw a White G37X the other day with the wheels from this Maxima on it. Pretty sharp. Definitely modernizes the look of the car. Plus the 18s fill out the wheel wells a little bit more than the stock 17s. Food for though.

nyccarguy

I love the way these wheels look on the car:

stickguy

breld said:

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

Why? Both ends. You already did it, and why is he selling ?

pensfan83

Yes, original color and only available in 2000 and 2001 I believe. Same one that was on the 99 and 00 Civic Si's. I sent an email inquiring, figure it can't hurt.

Regarding the new vs. used route if spend $7K on a car there's no car payment outside of the initial cost of entry. Yes there's always the chance I'll be spending upwards of $1,000 in maintenance right out of the chute, in fact I expect to, but if that's the only non-routine maintenance I need to do for close to 4 years or even 5 then it's not as close as it appears. Of course there's always the chance it turns into a money pit, however with the way these cars are coveted I think there will always be a buyer if one had to jettison the vehicle in short order.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

I think @breld mentioned something about one side of the rear bumper cover being mis-aligned. I swear this is of ALL 5th generation Preludes. Hit or not (mine has been replaced).

Was your Prelude assembled in Japan or Ohio? Both of our Civic's were Japan built, and both provided no fuss or muss. The VW Alltrack has been very Honda Civic like in that regard.

andres3

breld said:

So, just got back from looking at and driving that Integra GS. The condition is stunning. The current owner bought it about 5 months ago from the original owner, who was 86. The intention was to have the Integra for his daughter, but she just couldn't get used to the stick, so now he's looking to unload it.

Not being a GS-R, yes, it's not gonna provide too much in the thrill department, but if you're going for more of a "time capsule" concept, this Integra is in incredible shape. The seller claimed the interior to be "showroom new" which was surprisingly accurate. The fabric with the blue accents are a great throwback. It drives as well as it looks. Certainly doesn't have the redline of the GS-R or Prelude, but it's still a sweet revving Honda 4 cylinder.

If it were a GS-R in that condition, I would have bought it on the spot for the asking price, but of course, someone else probably would have already. For a GS in this condition, I'd be interested around $5k, but he claims to have had offers as high as $6,800 that he turned down. He said he'd take $7,000 for it.

Just to have that era of Honda styling and aesthetic in such amazing condition, I'm tempted. But not so much at his price.

If he'd take $7K sounds sort of silly they'd of turned down a previous and assuming earlier offer of $6,800.

nyccarguy

andres3 said:

nyccarguy said:

I think @breld mentioned something about one side of the rear bumper cover being mis-aligned. I swear this is of ALL 5th generation Preludes. Hit or not (mine has been replaced).

Was your Prelude assembled in Japan or Ohio? Both of our Civic's were Japan built, and both provided no fuss or muss. The VW Alltrack has been very Honda Civic like in that regard.

All Preludes were built in Japan. I had a 2010 TSX assembled in Japan and am now on my 2nd American made Honda Pilot. The Pilots are both screwed together extremely well.

Did you get your Alltrack fixed yet?

kyfdx

breld said:

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

Hey... that was my guess!

stickguy

YMMV, but. I Think those wheels are too frilly for that car.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

YMMV, but. I Think those wheels are too frilly for that car.

Those are the stock 18" wheels for the S(port) model. Same ones that were on my wife's G37XS

tifighter

breld said:

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

Well, I didn't see that one coming...

kyfdx

I guess I should call my insurance agent, to check on Golf R rates..

breld

kyfdx said:

breld said:

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

Hey... that was my guess!

I think you were so quick with your guess that I missed it - well done, you're getting to know me too well, I suppose!

nyccarguy

breld said:

Wrong end of the spectrum...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2018-honda-civic-type/6678441879.html

You have GOT to be joking (although I know you are dead serious)

28firefighter

@breld I...I...what?

breld

So...the story on this Type R is much like my own. I chatted with the owner for quite a while. He's 60 years old and, among other things, has owned many Honda products, including a couple Integra Type Rs and S2000s. He was able to get the Civic Type R last December and has put about 398 miles on it in that timeframe. So, it doesn't seem to make much sense for him to maintain the vehicle he never drives.

For me...I don't think I've shared too much here, but I do miss the Type R and, interestingly enough, having the Golf R actually accentuates by contrast how much I enjoyed the Type R. While the Golf R is incredible in its own right, and I do appreciate its relative stealthy character, I prefer the driving character of the Type R.

But, any of those "compromises" are made up for with the fact that my wife enjoys the Golf R, so it's a true shared car, whereas the Type R would not be.

Having said all that, I made an informal offer of $35,000 for the ever so slightly used Type R, the owner respectfully said his bottom line was $36,000, and we left it at that.

breld

kyfdx said:

I guess I should call my insurance agent, to check on Golf R rates..

Wouldn't hurt.

breld

andres3 said:

breld said:

So, just got back from looking at and driving that Integra GS. The condition is stunning. The current owner bought it about 5 months ago from the original owner, who was 86. The intention was to have the Integra for his daughter, but she just couldn't get used to the stick, so now he's looking to unload it.

Not being a GS-R, yes, it's not gonna provide too much in the thrill department, but if you're going for more of a "time capsule" concept, this Integra is in incredible shape. The seller claimed the interior to be "showroom new" which was surprisingly accurate. The fabric with the blue accents are a great throwback. It drives as well as it looks. Certainly doesn't have the redline of the GS-R or Prelude, but it's still a sweet revving Honda 4 cylinder.

If it were a GS-R in that condition, I would have bought it on the spot for the asking price, but of course, someone else probably would have already. For a GS in this condition, I'd be interested around $5k, but he claims to have had offers as high as $6,800 that he turned down. He said he'd take $7,000 for it.

Just to have that era of Honda styling and aesthetic in such amazing condition, I'm tempted. But not so much at his price.

If he'd take $7K sounds sort of silly they'd of turned down a previous and assuming earlier offer of $6,800.

Exactly what I thought.

nyccarguy

Deck construction has officially begun.  Here’s he before picture:

28firefighter

I still don’t understand about the Civic. 

corvette

28firefighter said:

I still don’t understand about the Civic. 

Please refer to the title of this thread.   

Also, it’s not unprecedented for him to buy the same (or almost the same) car
multiple times. 

tifighter

28firefighter said:

I still don’t understand about the Civic. 

What, you aren't planning your second Stelvio yet?

tifighter

But seriously, I could maybe see it. Sometimes we let one go that we later regret. It happens.

qbrozen

Breld wins the award for most expensive way to test drive cars. 

28firefighter

@tifighter hit it home. I miss my GTI and would probably get another. 

ab348

The Velcro license plate idea is making more sense by the day. 

Drivingfool

Sorry folks, this new sign-in, whatever they call it is for the birds. So, I've changed my screen name/e-mail/password and will give it one more shot. If not, guess I'm gonna say goodbye to Edmunds.com. Been here a long time and after that screwed up change many years ago, the one that lost all my history, decided to give things one more shot in here. Well, yesterday or Saturday, all my info was gone again and signing in was impossible. I'm not techy at all and if things get somewhat complicated in anything I log into, I'm usually just gone.
So, no more "The Sandman" and we'll try "Drivingfool" and see how things go. And if I'm still having issues, I'm gone. Definitely hurts to do that as this is my favorite website, bar none, but if it ain't gonna be easy to use, I'm outta here for good. So, let's see what happens going forward. Maybe it is a good time to change everything going forward, who the hell knows. But I'm not to optimistic here as this site should be easy like it used to be. Anything complicated on my computer, I just click off and move on to something else.
So, let's see where this leads!!

I am, The Drivingfool

stickguy

what, user name "Sandyfool" was taken?

I keed, I keed.

at least you are back. Your old identity still exists deep in the Edmunds servers. Someday you might find it again. If not, Drivingfool it is!

breld

qbrozen said:

Breld wins the award for most expensive way to test drive cars. 

Oh I’ve had my share of some choices that came with some high monthly depreciation.  The Type R was not one of them.