hey all.
Buyers advice 101 - for the newbies who want to know what to look for etc.
1) BODYWORK.
The most important bit of the car - a good base (ie:one that needs little work or has little problems is / and will save you money and effort in the long run)
As said many times before- high milage won't and does not rarely kill Hondas, but rust does. These 2 photos show where rust is most likely to form and cause later problems if left untreated.
The big killers are the rear arches and bumper joins (where the bumper screw goes into the rear quater panels) these build up alot of dirt and over time they begin to rust and if not caught very early then rust will become very apparent very quickly especially on the early models. The best cure for this if it has not started is prevention, any form of underseal will help reduce the chances of rusting as will a good regular wash - really get stuck under the arches until no more dirt is trapped - and keep it that way. The only true fix for rusty rear quaters is new quater panels- not cheap at aroung £600 for a pair straight from Mr.H. (that's UNFITTED!)
Other places where rust can form is inside the door frame on the `A` pillar behind the ends of the front roof seals, the glue holding these down can peel away and allow water to become trapped - causing a very large hole to appear behind the seal.
Also underneath the roof seals rust can begin to form, just pull back the seals to check- a few litle bits are common in the UK - if they are very large or you can poke your finger through worry! Other more uncommon places for rust to start forming is the front end (bonnet and both wings), normaly starts as small stone chips then simply due to neglect by the owner are left to rust and spread.
2) ENGINE:
Fairly bullet proof (of course it is - it's a Honda
)
Check for oil leaks, main one is on the VTEC solenoid oil seal (or cam seal - whichever you like to call it) it's a common problem and a cheap fix at £25.
There should be no leaks anywhere else, so have a look at the powersteering pump and area for power steering fluid - this can blow in rare cases.
Always try to buy an engine with a full service history, oil should be changed every 4000-6000 miles - also the engines are good well up to 250000 miles, also check the exhaust - most are still on the original system and they can rust all the way through- the rear can is stainless on Hondas- it's the centre pipe that is mild steel that rusts just before it joins the rear can, you can easly see the can join from the drivers side rear arch- get a screw driver to it and give it a poke (new OEM units run up to £250 for the cat back system)
Listen for alternator squeaks and also check the radiator condition - most original radiators now will have most if not all the fins missing from the unit (the fan will come on very regularly!! if it has) Atermarket replacements are readily available.
3) CHASSIS:
Always check the brake callipers!, they are extremely prone to seizing and are an expensive fix, two ways to test for a frozen calliper- do a stop so the ABS comes on (where fitted) - if it does not then that COULD be due to a seized calliper, also take the car for a drive and feel the wheels after - if they are red hot or the is a bad burning smell then its probably callipers again- also very very bad scoring lines on the disks are due to frozen callipers.
New rears are around the £100 each mark, fronts are £75 per unit, (NB: non Honda prices - oem run up to £250 a piece!!)
Also have a look at the rear trailing arm bushes for wear- again a real nightmare to change and can cause an MOT failure, as can other bushes on the car.
4) INTERIOR:
Depending on age expect seat wear (more so on the driver's side seat) make sure all the interior lights work- especially the heater control lights- if they have blow then most of the dash has to come out to fix. Also, when starting the car make sure almost ALL the lights come on start up (abs,cel,oil etc) if they don't then its possible the person selling has got problems they are trying to hide from you (especially if the cel=engine check light does not come on for a second) smaller bits that commonly break is it ashtray cover - an easy and cheap fix so don't worry if its not there.
The vinyl doors cards on many Sol's often show age and can crack along the arm rest. This seems to be more common on imported JDM models. While this is unsightly is it not uncommon and is purely cosmetic - there's no easy quick fix for this one.
5) OTHER:
Other common problems are the rear driver's side electric ariel, these become damaged very easly and can stop working (should raise when the car radio is turned on - and lower when off)
for those wanting Transtops cars the Transtop should operate smoothly, and not be overly noisy (any high pitched squeaking - 'chewbakka' noises are ok
), if the Transtop is broke then walk away- they can be expensive to fix and failure to keep the Transtop in good order might hint at other maintenance shortcomings. If fixing a Transtop DO NOT USE HONDA FOR IT! they will try to sell you a new roof mech (for around a grand
) plently of independent specialists are around that we can recommend. Normally they will tell you what is wrong and how to fix it yourself, often just a faulty micro-switch or broken roof gears (both RRP at around £20)
Also check the roof seals, some wear is OK - if they are very very badly perished then barter, as they can cost £400+ a set from honda and it's another Honda only part.
6) CAR AGE VERIFICATION (Imports)
Checking the year of registration of an import is not easy. The seat belts have a year of manufacture label, these will be within a month or two of the car year of build so in most cases will correspond to the year. EG: if the seller claims the car is a 1994 model the seat belt will have 1994 on the label.
7) CAR MILEAGE (Imports)
Small and maybe obvious point, but JDM imports have the odometer calibrated in KPH, most reputable importers change the speedometer to MPH, but the odometer will probably state KPH. Generally JDM imports have a slightly lower mileage than UK cars or similar age.
AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS
There's nothing wrong with modifications that have been professionally done or competently done by the previous owner. Common modifications include alloy wheels, (often larger diameter with lower profile tyres) lowering/stiffening of the suspension, induction kits, aftermarket exhausts and bodykits. Ask the seller what if any modifications have been done - not all may be obvious and many can effect insurance premiums a little. Modifications don't add any value to the car, a totally original car is worth at least as much as a modified car of the same condiiton.
9) Thats about it.....
Thats about all I can think of at the minute. As for the seller's asking price you should buy on condition, if it looks like a dog then it probably is! Walk away as the are plenty more out there. Always check for service history, you really need to see things like the 60K service, which should show the cam belt change etc (it's a big £350 main dealer service) TBH it does not really matter who did the servicing, rarther you can see it was done! prices vary a lot- £3500 should see a avrage condition car, anything above this mark should be very good condition- anyone asking more than £5000 upwards should have a mint car (i mean mint).
cheers
Aaran
NOTE: DelSol UK is run by enthusiasts on a not-for profit basis - any information on this forum is given in good faith but without liability. Errors and omissions excepted. ANY jobs/mods done by yourself etc are carried out at YOUR own risk, delsol-uk accepts no responsibilty whatsoever!.