is the Honda worth $200

[1996camry]

I need you guys opinion buying a car $200 bucks..

It's 98 Honda Accord V4
Has oil leaking
the owner says the transmission bad
has CEL catalytic converter
has some electrical problem
the body look good
the car has 191,000 miles


the car can crank and run, but the owner mention...it's hard to engage in gear when you at p (parking) to D(drive). is this sound transmission problem?
he wants $200 for it...you think it's a good buy...

I heard 98 Honda is bad on transmission..Honda is worst about they transmission.... What you guys think?

[360glitch]

I'd say it has potential to be a good buy if you can do a majority of the work yourself. Price out a rebuilt transmission (unless you are brave enough to tackle that yourself) along with whatever else you may need and go from there.

For what it's worth, the engine is and I4, not a V4. No such thing. :P

[PortugalFocus]

Transmissions for these cars are notorious for failing. It's uber common. Your real options are 5-speed swap or another AT.

It's not a bad purchase.

- Oil leaks are no big deal, especially since you will have to pull the trans either way. With that many miles, it's either a rear main seal or oil pan.

- CEL for the Cat Converter, just get a "test pipe" and add a O2 sensor spacer to keep the light off.

- Find out what the actual electrical issue is. Window regulator not working is much better than "car shuts off at cruising speed unannounced".

Find out what the true issues are and it's a good deal. Good luck.

[uibalnme]

Buy the car, part it out(you'll get 4 times your money back or more), then put that money towards a Toyota. $200 for a car should tell you something about it's true condition. You'll end up spending way more than it's worth to fix it.

[uuuuu]

Originally Posted by 360glitch

For what it's worth, the engine is and I4, not a V4. No such thing. :P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V4_engine

Honda does make such things, but not for the Accord :P.

[360glitch]

Originally Posted by uuuuu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V4_engine

Honda does make such things, but not for the Accord :P.

:O

Interesting fact there, lol.

[2wickedtoyz]

Originally Posted by uibalnme

Buy the car, part it out(you'll get 4 times your money back or more),

it's actually not easy parting a car out.

$200 for a car should tell you something about it's true condition. You'll end up spending way more than it's worth to fix it.

Hey!!! i bought my coupe and my avalon for 500 each aswell as the wagon i got back from my ex wife

what is that supposed to say about my cars?

[uibalnme]

Both of your cars are Toyota right? Then it was worth it. When Hondas go bad, they go bad in a big money way. I've had Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins who've owned Hondas. They all own Toyotas now. There must be some reason why none of them bought Honda again.

[the_professional]

Part out to the Honda ricers, call everything JDM, & make thousands.

Not worth the investment. Toyota is where it's at. Even though I have a 2000 Accord Coupe fetish, (well an accord coupe fetish in general)

[1996camry]

thanks all the inputs from you guys...I know Honda are really bad on Transmission, and if I get an use transmission...

I don't know how many years I can get out an use transmission before the transmission went bad again... Nobody knows this answer, but I try to weight in all the costs that I might get myself spent too much $ on a junk car.


I ask the guy (seller) today, he wants $500 for it....and not sure if I want to spend that amount $. All my cars are Toyota, and I never have a Honda car before. Is Honda a reliable car at all?

[Novice_cardude]

$500 is not worth it... at all. The $200 would have been a good buy, but an extra $300 so you can spend more money before having a drivable car ... nah. $500 will buy a running tercel that needs the a/c fixed.

The transmission could be as simple as a pinched shift cable, but it's most likely a bad transmission. One thing Honda still to the best of my knowledge hasn't gotten correct is the automatic transmission. They've always been hit or miss.

The catalytic converter could be something as simple as an exhaust leak or a o2 sensor, but with that mileage I wouldn't doubt a failed catalyst.

And as 2wickedtoyz pointed out, parting a car out is not easy. All the parts that people commonly need will go fast, then the car will sit in your driveway for months before anyone asks about a part it still has on it. The common parts are most likely going to be the cheapest anyway, as the transmission is shot and the engine won't pass emissions (due to the cat).

I'd say skip it at $500, but $200 and a little elbow grease wouldn't have been altogether that bad.

[07civiclx]

except who wants a tercel.
look on craigslist. locally we have a bunch of 91-93 accords for sale in the 500-900 range with nothing wrong with them
from experience the F22a1 motor and a manual transmission is about as rock solid of a car as you can buy (and unlike the competing 5sfe, there is much better performance parts. if u care lol)
the f23 i think came in the 98. while a solid motor. some of the added sensors, as with all cars, caused more problems
a manual transmission is a must for a cost effect car.

or better yet. im about to pick up a RUNNING 1990 prelude. u know with flip up headlights. and i already have one sitting in the driveway waiting for a motor. not even lying, ill sell the RUNNING one for 700. its black. standard quarter panel rust lol it just comes with a second motor that i so desire and the guy wont sell that motor seperate. such a toool lol