engine and drivetrain That poor, poor bastard...

[H_Krix]

So, about a month ago, a friend of mine who is quite addicted to impulse purchases gives me a call and tells me he has just sold his 2003 Honda Civic. He lives in New Jersey, and commutes into NYC by train to work everyday, so he doesn't really need a car. He tells me that a guy in his office is selling a 2002, and wants $4,500 for it. We talk back and forth on the car for a little while, but he never sends me any pictures, and he's not a car guy, so I only have his vague descriptions to go off of.

Despite this, I can tell this is NOT a $4,500 2002. I tell him to offer they guy $1,500, and calmly walk away if it goes much past $1,650.

So, a couple of weeks ago while i'm laying the dynamat in Phoenix, I get a phone call with a distinctive buzzing sound in the background. Seems he's driving his new 1976 2002 on the jersey turnpike and loving every minute of it. He ended up paying $2000.

I got the pictures today.

Anyone know anything about this car? Its a longshot, but it looks like a basketcase to me. Still all the emissions BS to sort through, rust in all the annoying body places which usually means more rust in the typical chassis places... But i'm not from up North, and cars down here rust differently. Does a Northern car go from the outside in, due to the salt and whatnot, or is this a pipedream.

In short, did my buddy just overspend on something thats going to end up being a parts car in another year or so? I'm kind of thinking so. The biggest problem is that between him and his roommate (another friend of mine) they have the mechanical aptitude of a wheel of cheese. I bloody told him to buy a e36 325is, but he wanted a 2002.... ah well, enough rambling - Pictures:

[PSloan]

I've def. seen worse.

[winstontj]

Jersey isn't Assachusetts but it's still New England. I'd say he didn't do great - but then again didn't do all that bad either. Look at it like this: He would have been better off many other ways but now he's got the bug. He's also got a DD that no one has to worry about getting destroyed from the weather and salt.

I'd let him know that it's gonna get cold soon and he better do a few things to that car or else he's going to regret buying it. For starters tell him to buy a can of ether. That car is probaly a basket case. No telling until you look at the floors, shock towers and other places. From the looks of the body it's gonna have rust in all those places.

Tell him to check his alternator, voltage regulator, belts, air filter, spark plugs & points, etc (ignition). Adjust his valves - well wasn't there a winter driving post a little while back that I put up. Tell him to read that and do everything if he wants to drive it in the snow.

Other than that just support him and don't ever tell him he just wasted $2K on a POS......

[NickVyse]

Other than that just support him and don't ever tell him he just wasted $2K on a POS......

Hmm, he's got a good friend whose in the middle of restoring one of these cars and goes and puts his hand in his pocket without even sending him any pictures? Or sticking with his advice? I'd say that was a great source of piss-taking for years to come!

[H_Krix]

Tell him to check his alternator, voltage regulator, belts, air filter, spark plugs & points, etc (ignition). Adjust his valves

Yeah.... Thats going to be tough to do, since I'd more than likely have to go up there and point all of the above out to him before he'd know what any of them were.

I dont wanna sound like I'm bashing the guy, 'cause I'm not. Brian is a great friend of mine, and a hell of a good Graphic Designer to boot. But he has about 2/3's of a Vespa-type scooter assembled in his living room that has lived there for the last 6 months in that state, because something got screwed up with the battery in the assembly, and it was never rectified (I should mention this was a brand-new kit)

I'm guessing the floors are rusted to crap. He needs a new fender, and probably a new door, and definately a new trunklid just to get the outside in straight order. And thats saying nothing of the shot-out suspension, frame rails, shock towers and pedal box.

He really wants to know what I think of his new ride... I wanna tell him to toss it on eBay and send me some pictures of the damn thing before he buys another one...

[Brandon]

Looks like your buddy paid a lot of money for a pile of rust....I personally would have walked away from that one...

[mcmil]

your instant parts car!

[Delia]

I'm from Michigan, so rust is a "requirement."

Did he over-pay? Not sure. But if he gets a $2,000. kick out of owning and driving it, well so what?

AFAIK, $2,000. is about the same as Ted Kennedy's bar bill.

Let him enjoy it, and if he likes, he'll soon dump it and get a nicer one.

Just my $.02

Delia

[ClayW]

I found CARDBOARD stuffed into my rocker panel to support the Bondo around the jackpoint on my car. I'm now seeing rust coming up from under the "new" paintjob. I even found a piece of duct tape covering the rust hole in the pedal box! ..........and I regretably paid much more than this guy.

Sloan knows what and who I'm talking about!

I can't think of anything I'd rather not deal with than rust........

[H_Krix]

kick out of owning and driving it, well so what?

A kick out of driving it is one thing, but I'm worried about a ball joint seperating on him or one of the rear shocks punching through into the trunk while we's on the turnpike...

If you had bought this car, what are the fist things you'd do to make sure its "Safe"? Ball joints, shocks, brakes, radiator flush, brake system flush... anyone have a recommendation for a shop in Jersey that doesnt mind wrenching on rustbuckets?

[winstontj]

He needs a new fender, and probably a new door, and definately a new trunklid just to get the outside in straight order. And thats saying nothing of the shot-out suspension, frame rails, shock towers and pedal box.

If he ends up keeping the thing or deciding to get some new panels I have a set of really nice doors (not sure if I really want to sell them but I'd entertain it), hood, trunk (rust free), and some other odds & ends.

Soon I'll need to move the parts because they are not welcome where they sit now. (at my parents house) Contact me if you are interested.

[dubois]

this says it all: "Seems he's driving his new 1976 2002 on the jersey turnpike and loving every minute of it." For some, $2k is just cheap fun. It looks like a small price to be introduced to the wonderful world of 02's! Now, if you just don't have $2k laying around, then it becomes an expensive proposition. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong, it is a matter of perspective.

[PSloan]

I found CARDBOARD stuffed into my rocker panel to support the Bondo around the jackpoint on my car. I'm now seeing rust coming up from under the "new" paintjob. I even found a piece of duct tape covering the rust hole in the pedal box! ..........and I regretably paid much more than this guy.

Sloan knows what and who I'm talking about!

I can't think of anything I'd rather not deal with than rust........

That still sucks about your bum deal. Seems like your making the best of it though. Cant wait to see your ms setup. Hopefully mars knows who we're talking about, too.

[pecsok]

Where in NJ?

[H_Krix]

Where in NJ?

Jersey City