This a good buy?

[Leet0nee]

Looking to buy a used car for about 5000$ total, taxes and everything included. Currently looking at a 2002 honda civic coupe that will be inspected and licensed till april next year for about 3900$.

The only thing is the seller says the car has around 30,000 km on the motor because he had the motor replaced with a 2005 from a car that was rearended and unuseable. The odometer shows 200K Kms, but the car is seemingly rust free and very clean looking.

I've asked the seller to provide proof that the engine was bought and replaced but he said the engine seller was a classified ad in quebec which isn't there anymore ( reasonable ) and he was terrible with reciepts. So I asked him to get the mechanic who installed the motor to verify its youth and its installation.

Here is the ad.

http://www.nlclassifieds.com/classifieds/Automotive/CarsandTrucks/Honda/811048



My only concern besides if the motor wasn't replaced and he is outright lying is that I am not sure how long the car could last at 200,000km already. I don't know how he drove the car, it is a 5 speed standard coupe and it would come with 18inch rims and some other aftermarket looks so I would assume it was driven harder than the average 5 speed. At the same time, it will come inspected and road ready so I am not sure what to think of it. The last part of the ad " Everything works on the car including the handbrake. " Kinda threw me for a loop, not sure what to make of it. My natural assumption would be that the handbrake working was obvious given the car is a manual.

I've communicated with the seller quite a bit over email and text messaging and he seems to be an honest person but then again, who wouldn't be when trying to get 4000$.

One of the emails I had sent was asking a series of quesitons about the car which all came back with answers that flowed with the ad so I can post those if needed. ( basic was it in any accidents? rust, interior damaged? those type of things )

I'm 20 years old and this would be my first purchase of this size. I NEED my car for work purposes so obviously I can't be stuck with a dept I cannot pay because of non working car that can't get me to work. ( lol that sentence reminds me of Dennis Leary's "Asshole" )

I have tuesday-friday booked off to drive out ( 9 hour drive out and 9 hour drive back ) to pick this up so I am limited in my time to decide to go for this or not.

What do you guys think. ( Reminder, I have NO experience in buying used cars so I need all the input I can get )

Cliffs:
Buying car for 3900$
Seller states motor was replace but don't have proof
If motor wasn't replaced it would have 200,000 km
Car would be inspected and road ready
Is the car worth the purchase ( would it go 100,000km without trouble?)

Thanks in advance and sorry for the Novel!

 

[MaxFusion16]

pass

you gotta ask yourself, why did he replace the original engine?

probably neglect, so the transmission and suspension must be bad too.

and just a personal preference, I'd never buy cars with aftermarket rims, especially on a civic; for one they are almost always atrocious, and more importantly, it was likely owned by some tasteless teenager and driven hard.

 

[Leet0nee]

Well he had told me through email that the previous engine overheated and died while on the highway, so I took that into consideration.

Edit* This is the email with the questions I had asked him.

Well the car is quite the looker. I apologize for the amount of questions I have but I am in Corner Brook and as I can not just hop on the bus and come take a look, need to do it over the web. Also this would be my first major purchase of this size.

No Sweat man, i understand completely. i will try to get you some pics saturday i'll borrow girlfriends camera.
>
> Just wondering, in the ad you stated the motor had been replaced with less than 30,000kms so the odometer would read as such correct?

Ya the motor suddenly went one day on the highway, it was really weird. so i was tryin to find a new motor but you cant find anything around here with less than 150kms and i really didn't wanna go through the trouble to puit in a half worn out engine so i wnet online and found on in quebec from a 2005 civic which had been rear-end with just 22,000kms. when the engine came in on a pallet, it was so clean you could eat off it, every nut and bolt was shiney like brand new. so i had a senior professional engine builder/ mechanic install it and it runs absolutly perfect, just like a new car.... it will last for many years. the odometer in the car shows the cars milage on the body, it doesn't recognize the engine has been changed. its readin 200000 today
>
> Why are you selling it ?
selling because i have 3 other vehicles besides this one (my trans am which is goin thru major overhaul, and my integra which im doin up) and i need some cash to fund those two projects. i really don't want to sell it and im really gonna miss it.

>
> If it is inspected would it pass inspection, what would it need to pass?
i have already paid for a inspection and the guys told me when i get the stuff done that she needed, just come back and they'd write me the slip. therefore yes, once shes inspected, she will pass inspection.

>
> Any leaks? Are the belts and timing chain all ok?
no leaks, the engine is like brand new, only 30,000kms!

>
> Any mechanical problems had & do you have Service Records/Logs
no mechanical problems besides when the old engine went. other then that its just been brakes, and a couple of wheel bearings. i am not a organized record keeper by no stretch of the imagination lol i usually throw out all receipts pretty much right away, however i may be able to find some

>
> Been in any accidents?
never in any accidents, all origional paint and body oarts
>
> Anything wrong with the clutch? Doe's it slip or grind on occasion?
brand new clutch was installed when motor was put in (about 8000kms ago), its very grippy, basically the same as a new car and no strange noises!

>
> Stock exhaust ?
all stock except for a little tip on the end.
>
> Good on gas?
i have owned 4 or 5 honda civics and 3 integras and i can honestly tell you shes the best car i've ever had on gas. shes a real miser!
>
> Are there any blown speakers or any cracks or rips in the subs?
the subs are not blown, no cracks or tears anywhere. when you have the stereo on really really low volume the bass is a little distorted but when its on regular, medium, or high it sounds excellent
>
> Rims would come with the car ? Is it a 4 bolt or 5 bolt pattern?
18" with summer tires and 14" with winter tires both come with car, shes 4 bolt pattern.
>
> Any stains, rips or damage to the interior? What kind of material is the interior made from?
charcoal cloth no stains, rips or damage (i'll get pics)
>
> Does it have AC and does the heater work good? Defrosting take forever? ( my car abosolutely sucks for defrosting the windows )
>
Sorry no AC in this one, heater works excellent, she does heat up fast (aluminum engines usually do)
>
> Is the shifter knob loose or does it move in anyway ? ( My current knob spins and comes off the shifter stick. Seriously annoying. )
shifter is nice and firm
>
> Do you come to Corner Brook ever?
never been there, may pass thru in the future thou lol

>
> Last but not least, depending on the answers above, would you lower the price to match what I have to pay for a bus ticket/ gas to drive home ( 150-200$ ) and could you take a few more pictures for me to have a look at?
would you be interested in the car as is with parts for 3500 or 3900 for licsend and inpected? either way they are both kind of my bottom price i could take, i paid 8900 two years ago and shes a steal at this price, however i can tell you she would only burn 60-70 gas (or less dependin on your speed) to go right from st.john's to corner brook and i wouldnt sell a car with an empty tank so she'll be ready to go for most of the trip. if you could just get a ride in with someone comin to town it wouldnt cost ya much more then that. also i'd be willing to write the bill of sale out for less amount so you could save few hundred on taxes if you like
>
> If you can answer my questions than you may have a buyer. I am excited and anxious to hear back from you.
>
> Just so you know Justin, I am not a lowballer ( whatever that is ) I am honestly interested in this car ( hence the million questions ) I haven't bought a used car before and I am looking at this one because it peaks my interest.

lol dont worry, a lowballer is someone who came and offered 2500 for the car when i was askin 4000 which is really just wasting mine and his time
>
> Thanks for the reply Justin, look forward to future dealings.
>
> Braeden.
>

no sweat buddy, took a bit of typing but i'll survive, i'll try to get those picsfor you on saturday.

 

[vshah]

i'd pass. lack of service history + flashy aftermarket parts just screams irresponsible owner.

 

[MaxFusion16]

I guarantee the seller is a liar and this car has a ton of hidden problems.

engines don't just suddenly go or overheat, and even if the engine somehow overheated, just put in a new headgasket and redeck the heads.

my guess is the old engine probably ran out of oil.

either way, pass on it, or maybe offer him $500 just for fun.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

i'd pass. lack of service history + flashy aftermarket parts just screams irresponsible owner.

Yup, I'd never buy a car that looked like that. Always assume it's someone with more money than brains.

 

[Leet0nee]

I'm just looking at a mechanical standpoint here. If the car passes inspection and is road ready? Wouldn't that be suffient enough or is there something I'm missing in terms of what goes on with an inspection?

Far as I can see, if the mechanic who installed the motor sends me an invoice for the work done to it which says installed a new motor, it passed inspection and a new clutch was installed then I would think its a steal. Regardless of what was done to the previous motor or why it was replaced, its irrelevant now because there is a new motor in it? Right? Am I missing something?

Wouldn't that be a good buy?

 

[xSkyDrAx]

agreed. pass.

way too sketchy. if i had to replace the motor and was planning to sell you'd be damn sure i'd keep the receipts and paperwork as proof.

on top of everything else he had on it...i'd save your money

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Red flag to me: Cherry motor you can eat off of with 22k km installed by certified mechanic would probably run ya close to the asking price of the car total. Sounds like bs to me even if he has someone send you an invoice.

I know you've got your heart set on that car which is why you keep looking for any reason to buy it. Listen to your head though and it will save you much trouble down the road.

 

[Leet0nee]

Thanks Oil, I never realized that I was so into the car. I do really like the look fo it, it flows good. Using my brain and after all these confirming posts plus, all the negativity I have had from family members and what not I sent him a message stating that unless he could get the original reciept for the motor plus the reciept of the instalation that I wasn't interested. Thanks for your opionions everybody.

 

[Doppel]

ricer car is all you need to know

 

[alkemyst]

On a $3900 car having receipts is a real bonus. A simple compression test and a knowledgable mechanic would know if the engine was more like 20,000KM vs 200,000KM.

 

[alkemyst]

agreed. pass.

way too sketchy. if i had to replace the motor and was planning to sell you'd be damn sure i'd keep the receipts and paperwork as proof.

on top of everything else he had on it...i'd save your money

Usually people pour the money in and then regret it so move on. All the other little things become sad to them.

Down here you can find a lot of the Mustang/Camaro/Firebird lineup with recent fresh engines and a seller that just fell on hard times and can't afford to feed them gas. They usually start off high (KBB+most of the swap price), but then fall into the kbb range.

 

[alkemyst]

I guarantee the seller is a liar and this car has a ton of hidden problems.

engines don't just suddenly go or overheat, and even if the engine somehow overheated, just put in a new headgasket and redeck the heads.

my guess is the old engine probably ran out of oil.

either way, pass on it, or maybe offer him $500 just for fun.

A lot of times the machine work required plus internals break down is a lot more money than just throwing a known good engine at the thing.

No way we can tell without seeing it and just doing a simple inspection and compression test.

We are talking a low cost car, not a lot to scam with as far as uber profits.