new del sol owner, couple questions...

[imagineaudio]

Hi, im new to the forum. Just bought my del sol last week. Never owned a honda before. I think I got a good deal, wondering what you guys think. It's a 95 si with the SOHC Vtec, 107,000 miles. Paint is oxidized on the targa and the trunk. Needs CV Boots, alternator.
Also it has been lowered, and the wheels aren't straight up and down so they seem to be wearing on the inside pretty bad. Engine and Auto transmission seem to be in fantastic condition. I paid $1700.

How much should I expect to pay for cv boots, alternator, and how much should I expect to pay to put the stock springs back on? I have the springs. Also A/C works but blows hot.


On a side note I only had $2000 to spend to get some transportation, im not much of an entusiast and a honda seemed to be the best bet. I hated the car the first couple days, but it has grown on me. I figure if i shell out another $1000-$1500 the car should be perfect, and I still got a good deal? Let me know what you guys think

Ryan

[94SolGrl]

check www.knology.net/~jediklc for parts.. he's a good friend of mine and usually has parts cheap.. even if the part isn't listed, email him and ask what he's got.

Spring/shocks are cheap as crap, but if I were you, I would just see about getting the camber fixed. Lowered cars handle better, and the tilt of the wheels is called a "camber" which is why it's wearing unevenly. You can usually pick up a camber kit to fix it with for about $100 max.

And watch out with that growing on you thing.. they're like a cancer or something.. they stick to you and then before you know it you're completely obsessed... I've owned 5 of them, ranging from a little ol' base model to an imported JDM (japanese spec) racer.

A/C probably just needs a recharge. shouldn't be more than $50. Check the yellow pages for a shop that does A/C recharges.. if it's something more than that, HIT ME UP.. I have a whole A/C system (no hoses) just sitting here and I need to get rid of it.

And about the oxidized paint, you'd be surprised how much the appearance of the oxidation can be minimized by a good detailing. Spend a day on it.. break out the clay bar and the swirl/scratch remover.. a good detailing is gonna take you about 8 hours, but it's so worth it when your car is spotless.

Yes, I would say you got a good deal.. 95 is probably the most desired model year, and the miles are low for a car that old (most places assume 12,000 miles a year average).

OH YEAH!! VERY IMPORTANT! Find out if the timing belt/water pump/belt tensioner/accesory belts have been changed. If they haven't, DO IT IMMEDIATELY. There's nothing worse than snapping a timing belt. It'll cost you about $550 to get it all replaced at the dealership, but you should be able to find a local shop to do it a bit cheaper. You'll save a lot of money if you work on your car yourself, so I'd recommend a Helms manual (the one for the 92-95 civic and del Sol). It's about $60, and the same manual that the dealership guys use. Definitely a good investment. No use spending $100 on labor to change a starter (for example) when you can do it in your driveway in 30 mins.

Last thing, welcome to the world of owning a sol. Check the FAQ for some good sites to bookmark.

[imagineaudio]

Originally Posted by 94SolGrl

check www.knology.net/~jediklc for parts.. he's a good friend of mine and usually has parts cheap.. even if the part isn't listed, email him and ask what he's got.

Spring/shocks are cheap as crap, but if I were you, I would just see about getting the camber fixed. Lowered cars handle better, and the tilt of the wheels is called a "camber" which is why it's wearing unevenly. You can usually pick up a camber kit to fix it with for about $100 max.

And watch out with that growing on you thing.. they're like a cancer or something.. they stick to you and then before you know it you're completely obsessed... I've owned 5 of them, ranging from a little ol' base model to an imported JDM (japanese spec) racer.

A/C probably just needs a recharge. shouldn't be more than $50. Check the yellow pages for a shop that does A/C recharges.. if it's something more than that, HIT ME UP.. I have a whole A/C system (no hoses) just sitting here and I need to get rid of it.

And about the oxidized paint, you'd be surprised how much the appearance of the oxidation can be minimized by a good detailing. Spend a day on it.. break out the clay bar and the swirl/scratch remover.. a good detailing is gonna take you about 8 hours, but it's so worth it when your car is spotless.

Yes, I would say you got a good deal.. 95 is probably the most desired model year, and the miles are low for a car that old (most places assume 12,000 miles a year average).

OH YEAH!! VERY IMPORTANT! Find out if the timing belt/water pump/belt tensioner/accesory belts have been changed. If they haven't, DO IT IMMEDIATELY. There's nothing worse than snapping a timing belt. It'll cost you about $550 to get it all replaced at the dealership, but you should be able to find a local shop to do it a bit cheaper. You'll save a lot of money if you work on your car yourself, so I'd recommend a Helms manual (the one for the 92-95 civic and del Sol). It's about $60, and the same manual that the dealership guys use. Definitely a good investment. No use spending $100 on labor to change a starter (for example) when you can do it in your driveway in 30 mins.

Last thing, welcome to the world of owning a sol. Check the FAQ for some good sites to bookmark.

Thanks for your reply, seems to be some good info in there. I get paid friday and will do the alternator this weekend, after that it looks like the timing belt/hoses/belts/water pump, etc.....then the cv boots.....really starting to get excited about this car, actually. It's fun as hell to drive, and i've had two offers to buy it already!

By the way, how much should i pay to have the camber kit installed? should I have it done when I do the cv boots?

Thanks again!!

[94SolGrl]

yeah do it when you do the axles.. that way they already have the wheels off and the suspension somewhat apart.

[imagineaudio]

can you recommend a camber kit?....I did search and the ones I found seemed to be $275-300+. (skunk2, etc)

[94SolGrl]

you can usually pick em up pretty cheap on ebay... skunk2s are definitely the best I'd say, but they are blingish. If you decide that you want to just put it back on an OEM setup, I have a set of shocks and springs off a integra GSR that will fit. They're a little better than stock sol springs (a little stiffer), and they'll eliminate that camber problem.

Any idea what kind of shocks/springs are on your car now?

[imagineaudio]

not sure what kind of springs are on there now, they are yellow, i know i saw some writting on them somewhere, I'll have to look tomorrow when it's light out. I got the stock springs from the previous owner, I think the shocks are stock.

I am having a difficult time figuring out how much it's been lowered, and as I see it you need different camber kits for different heights? It has 13" wheels and i estimate in the front there is about 3-4" from the top of the tire to the bottom of the outside edge of the quarter panel. Anyways, I'll measure the gap tomorrow and look to see if the springs are branded. I'll post back with more info.

By the way, I contacted kelley through that website and he/she(?) is sending me an alternator for $20 + shipping. I hate buying online, so I hope it works out, thanks again for all the help.

[imagineaudio]

I recieved an email yesterday, it said gomez268 has posted a reply, I don't see it here so:

before you buy the complete camber kit, you can do what i did on my. pull the back wheels off and there are two bolts, you'll see them directly in front of you on the back side next to the shocks. that hold a metal bar, pull one of the bolts off go to a hardware store (i went to Ace hardware store) and get the same thread but a little longer and buy 2 washers (make sure there thick) per bolt for the rear so it would be a total of 16 washers. stick the washers behind the medal bar and put the new bolts in they will push the top end of the wheel out fixing your alingment. so you'll just have to buy the front camber kit. if you go to mach1car.com you can get skunk2 front camber kit for 169 shipped.its also easy to install i think i have instructions on how to do it, i can email you if you want them it will take you a couple of hours to do it since youve never done it before. after installing the kit all you need to do is take the car to an ailingment show, but do that after you!
get knew tires. the ac dont go to a store instead go to autozone they sell the kit to recharge it its simple or they can also do it for you for free. the cv axle will usually cost between 90-120 per axle depending on where you go. if the axle clicks when you turn replace the whole axle not just the boot. i would recomment that you replace the whole axle anyway because you dont know how the original owner had the car.

Thanks gomez, for the info.....cv joints seem fine at this time, so would it make sense for me to just fix the camber now, or wait until i run these tires out and do the cv axle and camber at the same time? would it save labor as I probably wont end up doing it myself?


On a side note I put the car in the shop yesterday to have the alternator, water pump, belts, timing, and a couple of seals replaced. The mechanic called to tell me that I had one broken motor mount, which he changed for $35, and one missing motor mount in front by the headers. Not being much of a car guy, I hadn't noticed the previous owner had installed after market headers. I googled the part and came up with the 4-2-1 2 piece header from DC sports. What is the purpose of changing this part? Is there anything negative I should know about it? It's part number HHC5013 and has an MSRP of $435....

Well anyways
Thanks again guys

Ryan

[gomez268]

you can do the rear camber trick that i told you, for now. it doesnt really matter as long as you dont change your tires until after you fix the camber. or if the shop that changes your wheels also installs the front camber kit if you dont want to do it yourself. you'll usually get a discounted price on labor if you get sevaral things done at the same time. the reason the headers were changed is because it inproves airflow throw your engine helping it breath better giving it more horsepower. this piece goes together with the full exhaust system, do you know if you have an aftermarket exhaust also and intake. all these help improve airflow throught your engine, meaning added power and also depending on the exhaust it also means your car will growl louder. if your not sure try and post some picture of the engine bay and your exhaust and i can let you know if its aftermarket or not.