new to imports

[Culberson]

hi let me first off say im new to the import scene. always been a avid import enthusiest! but anyways the 4th gen Civic Hatchbacks have always held a special spot in my heart and now that im back in alabama i have come across one hes asking $2700 for it and i KNOW thats too much. KBB only goes to 1992 and suggest at the most $1800. this car has 213,000mi on it. and a catback exhaust, d16a6 motor. and its stick. and is in decent shape. no dents or dings and the interior is fair. and im absolutely in love with it! my question is now what are some common problems with these cars and engines? whats a fair price for it? and how long do these engines gennerally last? and how much do reman d16's run?


im sorry if i asked any stupid questions but any help would be GREATLY apprechiated

 

[young_]

D16's are pretty solid engines. Not the fastest but great on gas and very dependable.
2700 is WAY too high for that car. I paid 1700 for my 1995 civic ex. I would pay like 1500 for an 88 with 215k miles on it.

 

[00siboy]

Are you asking how long they last because you think the engine is junk, or just in case the engine goes out because of the mileage? With unknown record of maintenance on a high mileage engine there is no way to tell besides compression test, etc. The '92 is a 5th gen though, what year is the one you are looking at?

 

[Culberson]

i appologize...im looking at a 1990 civic...im glad to hear the good news about the engine. and i know theres no for sure way to determine a engines life cause everyone drives and up keeps a car diffrently. i just was making sure that these engines arnt say prone to catostrophic failure around 215,000 or something. and yeah i knew the price was way too high! i just wasnt sure what a resonable price for it would be

 

[00siboy]

i appologize...im looking at a 1990 civic...im glad to hear the good news about the engine. and i know theres no for sure way to determine a engines life cause everyone drives and up keeps a car diffrently. i just was making sure that these engines arnt say prone to catostrophic failure around 215,000 or something. and yeah i knew the price was way too high! i just wasnt sure what a resonable price for it would be

Actually the catastrophic failure happens at about 213,427 miles...lol jk. Hope it ends up well. Post pics if you buy it!

 

[Culberson]

my stomach sank there for a minute.....and yeah definatly if i do i will for sure post up!

 

[00siboy]

my stomach sank there for a minute.....

Haha sorry man didn't mean to scare you. I always recommend taking it to a mechanic to get it checked out before someone buys a used car. Dealers are more likely to let you do that than private buyers, but a mechanic may find something you don't notice or that we can't tell you online.

 

[emerican]

^ x2 if you arent very mechanically inclined ask them if you can take it to a mechanic to get it checked out if they say no you prolly dont want it.
And just to give you some kind of idea i paid 2300 for my 98 civic ex 2 door complety stock 160,000 miles.

 

[mymmeryloss]

I wouldnt pay more than $500 for a 4th gen unless it was mint...

 

[James315]

i paid 1200 for my 89 hatch in similar shape to what you discribe and the most i would pay would be maybe 1500.
The most common things to go on 4th gens are the dizzy and the main relay just so you know.

 

[Mr.Baker]

The 4th gen is getting harder to find in nice shape as they climb in age, many have been hacked, modified, wrecked or rusted!

If it's truly clean, solid inside and out and rot free, $1500-2k would be fair IMO.

 

[connies96hatchie]

Welcome to the site!

Read all stickies, use the search button for any tech related answers, post in Off-Topic to get to know other CC members, and don't forget to check out the South East section for local meets and such! Enjoy your stay!

 

[203CT]

Welcome to the site and I thnk tht you shouldn't pay tht high for a 4th gen...never hope on the first jewel that catches ur eye..I'm sure you can find one in good condition tht is cheaper.

 

[Mr.Baker]

Welcome to the site and I thnk tht you shouldn't pay tht high for a 4th gen....I'm sure you can find one in good condition tht is cheaper.

This is the problem, as they get older, they rot, they get hacked and modified, the numbers of nice, fairly stock examples dwindle.
As long as demand is up for them, prices will rise/stay high.
There are far fewer nice examples of 4th gens kicking around then say the 5th or 6th gens, which are much easier to come across.

To the original poster, look this over well! Check for rotten/repaired rear quarters and lower rockers. I wouldn't worry about the stock d16a6 and the mileage. Parts are cheap enough for it and it's a rock solid motor.
Check the interior, seat belt knicked door panels are common. From the sounds of it, being it has the d16a6, I'm guessing it's a Si model?
I'm not saying jump right into it blindly, but take your time and look it over. You may or may not find a nice one down the road that hasn't been hacked up and beaten on.

 

[Culberson]

wow thanks for all the feedback everyone...im happy to say im a "new" civic owner of a 91 Hatch...i talked him to 500 haha. spent all today sanding it down (got bored) but i took the front finders off to notice adjustible coilovers on the fronts. this thing needs some serious work,head gasket,radiator,tires,cv axels,and ball joints. i catch myself day dreaming what i can turn this into but i always tell myself not to plan for the future untill all nessecary repairs are made. oh did i mention i plan to make this my daily driver (when it becomes more reliable that is). James 315 said "dizzys are common to go out" now im sorry for asking this but what is a dizzy?

 

[mymmeryloss]

Dizzy is distributor.

Glad to see u took my advice!

Go ahead and thank me when u feel comfortable...

 

[Mr.Baker]

wow thanks for all the feedback everyone...im happy to say im a "new" civic owner of a 91 Hatch...i talked him to 500 haha. spent all today sanding it down (got bored) but i took the front finders off to notice adjustible coilovers on the fronts. this thing needs some serious work,head gasket,radiator,tires,cv axels,and ball joints.

Quite a price drop from what he originally wanted and the car seemed to need more work than you described. As long as the body is solid, that is what is important on these.

James 315 said "dizzys are common to go out" now im sorry for asking this but what is a dizzy?

Distributor.

 

[Culberson]

yeah well originally he wouldnt give me the vin or let me look it over. so i walked then some hours later he let me. the body is good and the vin checks out good. i live in alabama so not a huge problem with rust down here. and yes i will replace the distributor