is this good or bad????

I'm looking to spend about 3000.00 for a new car and i found this one..but i dont know if it's a good or bad thing if tall that has been done to it, and suggestions would be great.:biggrin:


1993 HONDA ACCORD LX, 4 door, pw, pdl, am/fm, CD, cold AC, auto, 167K miles, NEW: timing belt, head gasket, water pump, radiator, pwr. steering pump, 3 new motor mounts, front strunts, rear pass. window motor, control arm, lower ball joint & tire rod end, $2,850, 832-875-2090
http://images.autotrader.com/images/2005/2/12/177/698/1270182438.177698818.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.562x421.jp g

Go see if you can get a Honda Certified used car. They ussually aren't TOO expensive and then you can have a warranty, from what I understand...

try on the web (autotrader.com) for comparable prices. It seems a little high to me, but (a) they've replaced a lot you won't have to and (b) prices vary by geographical area.

Judging from the description and location of the equipment that's been replaced, reading between the lines I get that it was mostly totalled on the driver's side front and repaired?

Probably why the pic is from the right side.

It doesn't read that way to me - Most everything listed WOULD need replacing around 160k. Steering pump and lower ball joint & tire rod end not so likely but posisble.

Anyway, that should be very easy to see from the paint under the hood.

Well, think of it this way. A good hard slam on the left front would destroy all the suspension on that side, including control arm, ball joint, tie rod, 1 strut would need to be replaced, so you'd do them both, and if that side of the motor got mashed, you'd need mounts, timing cover and belt, power steering pump, water pump, maybe an A/C compressor, or at least a repair to the system that would explain why it works with that kinda mileage.

I could be wrong. But I worked a long time on used car lots. I know how to read between the lines. When you see a lot of new stuff, concentrated in one corner of an otherwise older car, it throws a flag up. When I worked in a shop, I had a customer bought a newer Accord for 10K, about 5K less than it was worth. While doing the inspection, I found that it had no airbags, the light had been disconnected, and the whole car had been crushed in about 8 inches on both ends. It had been sandwiched in a wreck, and repaired half assed. just good enough that the average joe wouldn't notice anything. The body had new parts, but the unibody was still crumpled underneath, evident from under the car. The tires were already starting to wear screwball, indicating entire unibody twisted. It drove noticeably doglegged down the road when I watched him drive away. He got rooked. Just trying to open your eyes. If you don't know what you are looking for as far as damage, have it looked at before buying.

I am very good at finding good solid cars used. My family and friends trust me implicitly to evaluate their used cars before buying. I've yet to have them buy a turd.

I always am sceptical of an older car that has had hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of recent repairs, and now they want to sell it.

Besides the possible accident angle that I've already discussed, there is this:

That makes me think, this car has been eating them outta house and home for repairs lately, and they just found out that it needs another costly repair. They planted their feet and said "Screw this car, I'm not puttin' another dime in it".

You can gamble that the period of mechanical failure is just about over, and you might end up with a nice older car with a lot of great new stuff that might go another 50K miles without trouble, or (more likely), you are getting into a money pit that's gonna bleed you dry too, and they are gonna laugh about the sucker that bought their rolling disaster.

Why else does a person fix all that, then get rid of it? Would you do that?

I can't think of any situation where I would, other than the two possibilities I've brought up.

At least ask questions regarding this, and see if the answer seems plausable.

Good luck with your car hunting.

P.S. This isn't on a car lot, is it? I can tell you everything you don't want to know about the used car retail business. You will be shocked.