Found this civic...

[UCCRacing]

uuc i am sorry but craigslist is full of scammers and most people that dont post multiple pictures of the same car tend to be hiding something. why are there no shots of the motor or the inside of the car? most likely due to the fact that its roached and that its throwing codes so it wont pass smog.3k for a car that he claims books for 5700... another red flag is the lack of proper english on the ad, i am going to say that you should stay away from this car. a low milage car with a "fender" messed up seems unreal. please give us the follow up on this car. also the ad does not state that this car is an ex, there is no sunroof on the car so i am led to believe that you are not going to check out an ex civic just as a heads up.

I agree but it also has legit people just trying to sell a car, craigslist only allows 4 pictures... Although you can use photobucket, the guy may just not know....

It seems legit because of the listing and pics... As far as the CEL yes you need to get that checked out because that could fail emissions.. Also CEL doesn't come on by accident....

But for the price again it could be a great deal

 

[SketchyyySi]

well, since it doesn't have a sunroof, does that mean it's a dx?

 

[UCCRacing]

Probably.

Does it have power anything?

 

[SketchyyySi]

Probably.

Does it have power anything?

He said that it has power everything.

 

[vjf915]

Then I would think it is an LX. Check for local shops in the area, and call ahead. I actually took an Integra to a local shop once, they didn't even dig that far into it and they advised me not to buy the car. They managed to point a couple things out that I hadn't noticed. It really is a good idea to have ANY car checked out, not matter how clean it looks.

 

[SketchyyySi]

Then I would think it is an LX. Check for local shops in the area, and call ahead. I actually took an Integra to a local shop once, they didn't even dig that far into it and they advised me not to buy the car. They managed to point a couple things out that I hadn't noticed. It really is a good idea to have ANY car checked out, not matter how clean it looks.

I will for sure man. And is the only difference between the ex's and lx's the SOHC VTEC and no sunroof?

And thanks to everyone who is posting and helping me out. I'm sure you guys get these threads all the time. So, i really appreciate it.

 

[buzzbombtom]

nope these threads are not common, this is what we are on here for, so we dont mind handling an individual case by case buy like this. your english is better than a 5th grader, you refuse to type in leet and you listen to what we have to say, stick around for a while guy. the difference from ex to lx is the motor and a sun roof i believe in that year. maybe painted moldings you will have to dig a bit deeper for that answer, i am not too savvy on the 96+ years. as far as "a good deal" i would say that in my area 3k for any trim 99 civic is a decent price a bit on the lower end but not a great deal. dont get sucked in because you perceive this to be a good deal. if you can wait to get EXACTLY what you want

 

[SketchyyySi]

nope these threads are not common, this is what we are on here for, so we dont mind handling an individual case by case buy like this. your english is better than a 5th grader, you refuse to type in leet and you listen to what we have to say, stick around for a while guy. the difference from ex to lx is the motor and a sun roof i believe in that year. maybe painted moldings you will have to dig a bit deeper for that answer, i am not too savvy on the 96+ years. as far as "a good deal" i would say that in my area 3k for any trim 99 civic is a decent price a bit on the lower end but not a great deal. dont get sucked in because you perceive this to be a good deal. if you can wait to get EXACTLY what you want

Thanks for the compliments. And yes, i try to type like i talk and not sound too terribly ignorant. And i will stay around. Trust me. Back on topic, i will keep looking. And, this is exactly what i want. I mean, if it was an ex it would be even better. But, it's a manual, neutral color and has the SI rims, which i love.

 

[vjf915]

One thing I think you should really do is decide what is worth taking from this guy. I can almost guarantee you will show up and find one of those "Oh, yea I meant to tell you about that" things on the car. Determine what you are willing to accept BEFORE you go, and if the car is less than what you will accept.....literally turn around and walk away. Remember, you don't owe this guy anything at all, so don't be ashamed or bashful to be direct about what you think. If you can, it might be a good idea to bring a friend along.

 

[SketchyyySi]

One thing I think you should really do is decide what is worth taking from this guy. I can almost guarantee you will show up and find one of those "Oh, yea I meant to tell you about that" things on the car. Determine what you are willing to accept BEFORE you go, and if the car is less than what you will accept.....literally turn around and walk away. Remember, you don't owe this guy anything at all, so don't be ashamed or bashful to be direct about what you think. If you can, it might be a good idea to bring a friend along.

Yeah, i know about the whole walking away thing. But, what will bringing a friend do? Just curious.

 

[vjf915]

Several things. A friend may catch things that you don't catch right away. It is also a good idea for safety since you will be far away, dealing with a total stranger, and don't know the area.

 

[SketchyyySi]

Several things. A friend may catch things that you don't catch right away. It is also a good idea for safety since you will be far away, dealing with a total stranger, and don't know the area.

Ahhhh, gotcha. That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[TigBitties]

A friend will also give you a bit more confidence to say what you really think, and you can get his opinion on things your not sure of. I never buy a car the first time i look at it either. It can let the seller think your not as interested, so they sometimes lower the price a bit

 

[SketchyyySi]

A friend will also give you a bit more confidence to say what you really think, and you can get his opinion on things your not sure of. I never buy a car the first time i look at it either. It can let the seller think your not as interested, so they sometimes lower the price a bit

Well, the car is an hour and a half away, but that's no big deal. I'm hoping to go look at it some time next week. I just got hit by the snow and gotta work all this weekend. When i go look at it, what are the basic questions i should ask on the first outing? Do i get him to take it to Autozone to check out the CEL on the first trip or no?

 

[SketchyyySi]

Ok, so i asked the dude to send me pictures of the engine bay either tonight or tomorrow. He responded by saying what is that? I kinda lol'd.

 

[TigBitties]

I would say thats a sign he probably didnt take much care of it. I would ask him anything and everything. Ask him about how often he changed the oil, if he got it serviced, tune ups, past problems. And yes i would definately get that looked at right away. that could be a instant no to the car

 

[vjf915]

Asking questions is kind of overrated. Most of the times they will not give you a straight answer. Give the car a once over yourself. Bring a rag to check the oil. Check the coolant to see if there is any oil in it. Listen to the engine for any knocks. Look underneath the car to see if any of the chassis looks crinkled. Look at the body panels to see if any of them look newer than the others, as well as the headlights.

 

[TigBitties]

If you ask the questions correctly, you can often catch their slip up, but i gotta agree. If anything is wrong they will most likely not tell you. Check everything over yourself. Make sure the clutch is in good shape and not slipping. When you start the car, see if it smokes. Look for rust anywhere. tread on the tires i even check. check the book for any service records

 

[SketchyyySi]

Asking questions is kind of overrated. Most of the times they will not give you a straight answer. Give the car a once over yourself. Bring a rag to check the oil. Check the coolant to see if there is any oil in it. Listen to the engine for any knocks. Look underneath the car to see if any of the chassis looks crinkled. Look at the body panels to see if any of them look newer than the others, as well as the headlights.

Ok, will do. Again, thank you for being patient with me.

If you ask the questions correctly, you can often catch their slip up, but i gotta agree. If anything is wrong they will most likely not tell you. Check everything over yourself. Make sure the clutch is in good shape and not slipping. When you start the car, see if it smokes. Look for rust anywhere. tread on the tires i even check. check the book for any service records

Ok, i will also do this too. And smae for you, thanks for helping me out.


Everyone else that has posted and helped me out, I owe ya'll. Also, i will be looking at the car on Monday with my friend. So, we'll see how it goes from there and if it's worth going back up there.

 

[vjf915]

No problem. That's what the forums are for. I would rather take the time to answer and explain things than have someone get ripped off because they didn't know what to ask for. If you have any other questions make sure you ask before going.