help a wannabe teggie

i am looking to buy this


91 Acura Integra GS, 2 dr
5-Speed Manual Transmition
170K miles
Red color
Power windows, Power locks, Power Steering,
Power mirror, Air bag, Cruise control, Moon roof, ABS, etc.

no accidents, VIN: JH4DA9369MS013017

asking for $1,900


is this a good price? i checked kbb,etc but need an expert opinion.

I am basically a poor graduate student who is looking for his first cheap car to run and maintain. And also have some fun while at it!


anything specific that I need to check out before I buy the car?
any nagging problems?

inorder to checkout car what should i do myself?
i.e i need a self check-list to examine car


midas/bon-rohrman/autozone/local grease jocks for a checkup?

help a fellow noob spend his hard earned money


aditya

bump for a student
comon somebody take pity and offer a opinion

the price is all dependent on the condition of the car, ie whether or not it is in good running conditions... your best bet is to probably find someone to give the car a run through and see what type of condition it's in mechanically unless you yourself are good with cars in which case you can do that yourself... but otherwise the price doesn't sound that bad provided the car is in good condition but you might be able to talk him down a little.

anyone have any comments over that specific model of that specific year?

are the integras cheap to maintain ?

i am not all looking to mod this car...

will they go over 200k?


aditya

anyone have any comments over that specific model of that specific year?

are the integras cheap to maintain ?

i am not all looking to mod this car...

will they go over 200k?


aditya

ha it will last well beyond 200k, just need to take car of it, plus get someone like a mechanic you know to take a look at it for you.

True that it will last well beyond 200k. Mine is already at 210 500kms. Prepare at least 500$ in case anything happens within the next few weeks after you bought the car. I bought my Integra from this guy i dont know and within a month, i already at to change batterie (approx. 90$), rotor (approx 15$) and ignition coil(approx. 95$). Not to mention that mine needed new tires (winter tires).

I bought a 91 LS 5 speed off of Ebay a couple of months ago. The car has 245k miles but has a factory rebuilt engine with about 35k miles on it so I cant vouch for how the origional factory engine will do between 170k and 200k miles. I can give you some kind of an idea of what to look for on the rest of the car. I have been through my car with a fine toothed comb after finding a few problems that the ebayer that sold it to me failed to disclose so here goes a few...

1st thing is to get it looked at by a decent mechanic that has experience with Acuras. If the seller won't accomodate this then go elsewhere, it isn't worth it.

Always check for rust, anywhere and everywhere, especially around the hatch, inside and out, and the trunk area around the spare. Look for any sign of water leaking in. Check the back seat cushions as well, I have heard more than one story from Integra owners that have had leaking problems in these areas. Mine has this problem and it has taken me a while to track down and stop the leaks.

Be sure to check the drive axle boots to see if they are intact or broken and leaking lubricant. They will run you about $170.00 installed each depending on the quality.

Check for typical exhaust installation. Lots of folks will take short cuts in trying to modify their exhaust and you could end up with fairly expensive cost to repair/modify/upgrade. Standard economy type exhaust system could start at $160.00 and go up from there depending on what kind of tricks you want to add. In addition to this, if where you live requires emission testing for vehicle registration then take it through the test (free where I live unless you actually want the registration). A new high flow cat will run you about $150.00 installed.

After you test drive the car, allow it to idle for as long as the seller will allow. Continue to check the temperature gauge and oil pressure/temp if equiped.

Check the operation of the power antenna, the HVAC indicator lights and AC operation.
Because people like to 'modify' their cars, be sure to see if all the belts are on the motor. I have seen a few cars with AC drive belts removed. Sometimes this could signal a failed compressor.

check all your lighting, turn signals etc... Verify that the cruise control works, as do the power windows. Also test the sunroof and look for any leakage damage there as well. Also check wipers, front and back.

Also, doesnt hurt to carry a small magnet in your pocket so you can check for bondo on the body that might indicate accident repair that the seller might be trying to hide. Sounds a bit extreme but it has actually saved me a couple of times. Just use it when the guy isnt looking and that saves having to explain!! :)

This just covers a few areas and should help you start your list. Just try to not fall in love with the car and keep an open mind about it.
By the way, I love driving mine even with all the problems and the parts havent been too expensive and pretty easy to find and I am getting great gas mileage which is why I bought the car in the first place. I have a long commute and the 5.3ltr V8 in my 03 Z71 Silverado was killing me on gas. So now I just drive it on the weekends!

2grand seems pretty high for it. I got a 93 teg 150k for $500 but it didn't ahve al the power stuff, but if you could get them to lower the price on it mayb to 1500 ot a lil lower then it wouldn't be bad if there wasn't any major problems.

Thank you for in depth replies everybody

I will look into everything you have told me Backstop.

I will also try and negotiate the deal with him as told by integraboy