buying my first car tomorrow

[triska]

Hey guys-

I am a bit inexperienced when it comes to car however I did do a lot of research on my vehicle and about the process but I would like to hear anything that you guys might have figured out during your own experiences

vehicle- 2003 honda accord coupe silver- great condition with all service and oil changes- very well maintained-

so tomorrow I will be getting a cashiers check and I will be meeting this person to exchange title and money-

I will be going with her to the dealership to get a 75k warranty transferred to me-

I've test driven it twice- both times, both very smooth and no qualms about performance

It got a 120 pt inspection at Pep boys- internal and external and it did very well

I have the DMV papers for Cali where I am now residing- and well I was just wondering is there anything else I should do before I pick up the car?

Thanks guys- very excited...=D

 

[T2urtle]

pepboys? for an inspection..... i would say pepboys is not a reputable place to get a car looked over...

 

[sniperruff]

always been a fan of the accord coupe's styling. good luck, have fun and post pics!

 

[evident]

nice car... i would know!

 

[triska]

Me too- I found out the 03 is no longer in the cards- however I might be in the cards for a 04 and an 06 honda accord coupe

Also- I will be changing the inspectin from pep boys- who I thought did a good job- to a certified Honda dealer-

Will post pics as soon as i get it!!!

=D

 

[Throckmorton]

Why buy an Accord coupe? You get the gas mileage and handling of a midsize sedan, with the utility of a coupe

 

[Audiotherapy]

make sure you have the seller Smogged the car prior to selling it. save u 40 bux...

 

[bruceb]

Only thing to be aware of, is Honda uses a Timing Belt on it's engines
and that is a scheduled replacement at around 90 to 100K miles. If it
is not done at that time and it fails, you could be looking at major engine
damage as the engine is what is called an Interference Fit engine. This is
where the valve timing and piston to valve clearance is very small. So just
be aware of that. It will cost about $400 or so to change the belt as it is
somewhat labor intensive.

 

[dud]

If I was buying my first car I would consider a maxi-scooter first. With gas prices going through the ceiling you should consider the life-cycle cost of owning a vehicle. Would you pay $10K for a vehicle knowing it would cost $50K to own/operate said vehicle over it's life cycle?

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: dud
If I was buying my first car I would consider a maxi-scooter first. With gas prices going through the ceiling you should consider the life-cycle cost of owning a vehicle. Would you pay $10K for a vehicle knowing it would cost $50K to own/operate said vehicle over it's life cycle?

WTF

 

[alpineranger]

The K24 in that generation accord uses timing chains (the v6 still is on belts)

 

[dud]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: dud
If I was buying my first car I would consider a maxi-scooter first. With gas prices going through the ceiling you should consider the life-cycle cost of owning a vehicle. Would you pay $10K for a vehicle knowing it would cost $50K to own/operate said vehicle over it's life cycle?

WTF

Does anyone EVER consider the life-cycle cost of ownership when buying a vehicle. Most probably do not. In my line of work I buy things ... highly technical things. When we budget our resources we use a general rule-of-thumb that for every dollar we spend to BUY somesthing we budget $7 to MAINTAIN it over it's useful life. With respect to a car, if you plan on buying a $10K car you can plan onspending MUCH more than that on gas, repairs, maintenance, etc. over it's useful life, depending upon how long you own it. THAT is why, depending upon the OPs driving habits I suggested something OTHER than a car. If he/she is only driving a few miles to and from campus ... a scooter/motorcycle might be a better alternative.

 

[Thump553]

Sounds like you did a good job. As others mentioned, in the future I'd stay away from Pep Boys (learned from experience) for either repairs or inspections.

I assume you have your insurance all squared away and the title is clear.

PS-in my state (which is unusual) we have property tax on cars. If not paid current the DMV will not transfer title. If you have that type of tax, get proof of payment of those taxes (call town tax collector if nothing else) or the best way, if possible, is to arrange to have your "closing" at the DMV and hand over the $ when you are sure title is clear. This is not necessary when buying from a dealer.

 

[StageLeft]

Pep boys inspection should be fine. All you need to inspect on a used car anyway is tires, brakes, suspension, cv boots, oil, coolant and not a heck of a lot else, maybe emissions but it isn't rocket science.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: bruceb
Only thing to be aware of, is Honda uses a Timing Belt on it's engines
and that is a scheduled replacement at around 90 to 100K miles. If it
is not done at that time and it fails, you could be looking at major engine
damage as the engine is what is called an Interference Fit engine. This is
where the valve timing and piston to valve clearance is very small. So just
be aware of that. It will cost about $400 or so to change the belt as it is
somewhat labor intensive.

DEAD WRONG on the I4. The K24A8 engine uses a timing chain and never needs to be replaced

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: triska
Me too- I found out the 03 is no longer in the cards- however I might be in the cards for a 04 and an 06 honda accord coupe

Also- I will be changing the inspectin from pep boys- who I thought did a good job- to a certified Honda dealer-

Will post pics as soon as i get it!!!

=D

i like the 06-07 coupe's rear end alot more. the LED brake lights really do the job for me

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: evident

Originally posted by: bruceb
Only thing to be aware of, is Honda uses a Timing Belt on it's engines
and that is a scheduled replacement at around 90 to 100K miles. If it
is not done at that time and it fails, you could be looking at major engine
damage as the engine is what is called an Interference Fit engine. This is
where the valve timing and piston to valve clearance is very small. So just
be aware of that. It will cost about $400 or so to change the belt as it is
somewhat labor intensive.

DEAD WRONG on the I4. The K24A8 engine uses a timing chain and never needs to be replaced

Chains are not lifetime. They need to be replaced when they start making noise usually.

With proper oil changes they should last 200K miles on many cars or more.

 

[bruceb]

The OP never posted the Engine version that was
in the car. All he mentioned was year & make. Sometimes
more than one engine choice is offered and internals will
not always be the same. It was just something to consider
since some Hondas do use timing belts.