I May Have A New Pizza Delivery Project Car Soon...

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I went to look over a friend's 1995 Honda Civic DX Coupe today that was leaking water badly. Well, the water pump is bad, the radiator is shot ( has been for years), and the coolant has bubbles in it. Also, it has had 2 head gasket jobs in the past. I told her that after 180k, it isn't worth fixing the old engine and she needs to either replace it or get a new car. Now, I have about a 3-4 year history with this car as I installed the stereo, axles, brakes, hoses, fixed the A/C, etc. when she used it to deliver pizza, and when she was one of my assistant managers (back when I was a General Manager.) I also know it needs a transmission soon, and the back brakes need new drums as I have never seen a set that warped. I gave her two options: I will install a used engine for $100 in labor plus parts ( A good guy deal if there ever was one), or I will buy it from her for $400 to fix and use as a delivery car, and she keeps the stereo. It is a car with only one small rust spot, and it has never been wrecked. Now, am I being an idiot to buy it? It is a EG Civic, after all, which is one of my two all time favorite subcompacts. Plus, parts are cheap and plentiful so I could conceivably fix it for a few hundred bucks, and have a 30mpg beater. I would eventually swap out the automatic trans for a 5 speed too, which brings it up from 25mpg to 30 mpg in the city. Opinions?

 

[Coveted]

180k is young for a honda.
barly broken in.
However with 2 past headgasket jobs, id say its probably warped either the head or the block.
Id say for 400 its a good deal, they make good delivery cars, and you could see 35+mpg easily.
I was a honda guy haha, Eg's are nice, expecially if they are clean.

 

[montessaj]

Go for it! Sounds like a sweet deal, especially if it will save you money.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I have always liked the EG Coupe's styling. This one needs a bit of help to be clean though, as the only straight panel is the roof, the front bumper needs to be reattached in one corner....again, and while it has no major dents, it does have more than it's share of dings. My plans would be either to pull the head and just change the gasket ( it runs on all 4 right now, so I may get lucky...but with an open deck engine, probably not), pull another D15B7 from a junkyard car, swap to a D16Z6 SOHC VTEC, or the most ambitious: a B16A/5 speed swap using parts from the Del Sol VTEC or a JDM Civic. As for cosmetics, it will either stay as is, or be painted white, lowered moderately, windows tinted, fitted with a small lip spoiler on the trunk, and fitted with some 15 in wheels in gunmetal or black with a polished lip , oh and get a set of Red and clear SIR style tail lights( It's not like I have thought this through or anything...). It probably will not stay stock as I generally can't help myself when it comes to getting the cosmetics decent as it tends to keep the cops away. Then again, I would have to play with the excellent chassis too, at least putting poly bushings on it, DC or DA Integra 4 wheel discs, and Integra sway bars too. And therein is the problem: I can't stop playing with cars when I have them. I always have to find ways of making them work better. Which is why I had cleaned and degreased the engine for her, and me and a friend put an APC CAI and STB on it because we found them on clearance for $10 ea. I gotta stop this addiction! Is there a 12 step program for Caraholics? Caraholics Anonymous perhaps?

I will also add that she has not agreed to sell it to me yet, and that I haven't got the money either. I told her to look for the parts and that if she decides to sell it, I will do it next month.

 

[Coveted]

I lose sleep over thinking about cars, ill sgtart thinking about what Im ghoing to do to the car as I lay in bed.
Withing minutes ill be up and rapidly pacing lost in thought.

 

[hujass]

I had a 95 DX Coupe, easily got 35 mpg with the 5 speed. The lines on those coupes were great, nice looking cars. Swap in a B16 and call it good!

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I looked at Ebay for a B16 swap, and people are smoking crack to think a 160-170hp 4 cylinder from a wrecked Japanese market car is worth that much ( $2500-3k). It's basically a 99-00 Si engine, and those cars are only 16 flat stock. I can get a complete B13 Sentra SE-R for less than the engine swap in the EG and start out with a faster car. Better yet, the BBDET swap is around $1,000 for the SE-R and it has a turbo, and 205hp stock. So, I guess I will just put another D series in it should I get the car. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a good D16Z6 instead of the D15B7.

 

[Coveted]

d16z6 for the win.
get the p28 ecu with it aswell.

the d16z6 is 135hp once you throw an air itnake and a header on it, so you cant go wrong.
Yes the prices of a bseries have gone thru the roof.

 

[Uncletruck]

I agree with the one reply that 180k is nothing for a Honda. The head is likely warped if it has gone through 2 head gaskets though. If you buy it, I would pull the head and measure the bores. If they are OK, I would just get a replacement head which will cost a whole lot less than what a used or rebuilt engine would cost, and it will probably return it to a like new engine. Other than that, a little elbow grease could yield you a decent work car. And you must REALLY like this girl if you would do an engine swap for her for $100 😱 I still do a lot of car work for friends, as I enjoy it and sometimes feel sorry for them for being so clueless with cars. 8)

(Oh yes, you'll be able to get your fart can and lots of Type R stuff at 'Da Zone LOL!!)

-UT-

 

[78mali350]

sounds like a pretty win win situation. as long as you can get the car from her next month i don't think i would stutter and just get it. it's alot cheaper then buying a new car like you were thinking