Get a 4G, what to expect?

If I were to buy a 1988 - 1991 Honda Civic Si or DX, what would be the most common problems and what usually will go on me first, and how much are the problems to repair (most common)?

Also, how much in repairs has everyone spent in the past year on their car? I've spent $2000 Canadian on repairs for my 300zx, and its still a POS.

And lastly, for a Civic around $4000 Canadian dollars, what can i expect in terms of milelage and conditon?

When I got my car I needed...

New Alt=$350
Ball Joint/UCA/Alignment=$350
Tires=$250

At that time I never worked on a car. Now a days I could have probably done the Alt for whatever the cost of one is, Balljoint/UCA is a joke, $70.

Doing your own work saves a lot of money. Labor is most of the cost to put anything in. And on cars these old you won't be able to afford them if you have to have it in the shop all the time. My car minus maybe the starter, main relay, and spark plug seals has never not started on me. It's pretty damn reliable, even with spark plugs drowned in oil it still got moving. They are troopers.

Yea, on my car I had the ball joints done for around $350 as well. New brakes cost me $800, rotors were warped, new all around.

I have no interest in my car anymore, I was stupid with cars when I bought it. If I knew what I did now, I wouldn't touch my car with a 10 foot pole.

FourthGenHatch how much did you pay for your car?

Anyone else want to share?

So far all I had to HAVE to do to mine is replace CV joints, just replaced the whole axle, replaced the clutch, and replaced the radiator. The CV axles only costed me about 100 bucks because my dad works at a tire shop so he got them cheap and had them install it. I know how to do it, but never had the right tools to do it. The new clutch costed me about 250 bucks for the clutch package and got the hook up on the install for about 50 bucks. The radiator costed me a 100 bucks and installed it myself.

Other than those parts, everything else has been normal maintenance, oil changes, spark plugs, spark plug wires. Paid about $2500 for the car, had about 150,000 miles on it then, has 175000 on it now, had it for about a year or so. So far the only place I have seen any rust on it is the hood. The only thing the car needs now mainly is a paint job, its 10 different shades of white.

I paid $3300 canadian (2100 us) and imported the car...It needed a new clutch, mirror and exhaust, the most common problems with higher milage cars are clutch, muffler and rear fender rust (between the bumper and body)...

I have a knocking noise coming from my dizzy and also from my axes which need to be replaced :( ... thats gonna be another 4-500??

Oh, yea I did have to replace my exhaust, wasted my money on this damn ricer exhaust, but oh well, don't have money to fix it.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FourthGenHatch
[B]When I got my car I needed...

New Alt=$350


$350!!! i got mine from pick n pull for $12 and put it in myself works fine. i got 2 amps in my car too

well if you don't abuse it....I can't think of anything besides basic maintence...if you beat the shit out of it...(like me) the weakest thing I think would be the cv's and the transmissions......thats all I've HAD to replace...besides brakes,tires,oil....the regular stuff....oh they're rust buckets too....well half of you don't have to worry about that though...they already salted the roads here and theres no snow...its still beautiful out....its 27 out right now...it was up to like 40 today....

Originally posted by tbk49
I paid $3300 canadian (2100 us) and imported the car...It needed a new clutch, mirror and exhaust, the most common problems with higher milage cars are clutch, muffler and rear fender rust (between the bumper and body)...

I have a knocking noise coming from my dizzy and also from my axes which need to be replaced :( ... thats gonna be another 4-500??

I forgot to mention the clutch also...I replaced mine...oh and dude...driveshafts are simple...you can get them at any parts store with core exchange give them your old ones for like 130 for the pair and its like a 1/2hr job a piece....pop the ball joint and take off the 32millimeter nut on the end of your driveshaft...pop them babies out....actually you have to take off the bottom strut mount too...its an easy job dude...

I bought mine for $1800 (cost me $1404 after trade in, tax, title, etc.) All my car has cost me was $3 for bars leak to fix a hole in the radiator, and I spent $350 on new exhaust when I could have bought just the stock midpipe for like $50 or so. Oh and now I have to replace the front brake pads. Other than that I've had no problems.

Originally posted by civicracer_1990
....oh they're rust buckets too....

Depends where you get the car. The only spots of rust on mine is the hood. Haven't found rust anywhere else, but there could be a little hiding somewhere, yet to find it.

Yea, but your right, don't have to worry about rust that much cause it usually don't snow a whole lot down here.:D

there is a guy that live in town here and he has an 88 hatch...I swear there is nothing left of the car....holes big enough to put both feet through in front of the left rear tire ....no wheel well line just completely gone........SALT SUCKS........thats why I drive a festiva in the winter...251,428miles and still going