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Buying a car... far away... here's the situation.

P

Phuz

Diamond Member
This Tuesday, I'll be going to look at a car that is about 3-4 hours from where I live.

The car - 92' Accord EX-R w/ 168k. (I'm ok with the milage), Silver, 5-Speed, 5-star alloys... blah blah blah.

edit: $4200CDN w/ the rims and rubber and the old mags.

I'll be taking a ONE-way train ticket, and hopefully driving the car back. Obviously, I'm fairly confident (aka hopeful) I'll be getting the car.

I've been looking for months, and a local purchase isn't as likely... small town area.... I need a car within the week before mine leaves stranded on the highway. I've talked to the owner, the whole situation seems good.. he's been upfront with the few problems the car has and is only selling it because his business is affording him a new SUV.

Problem... I don't know what "troubles" to look for in a car. I'll be looking for the obvious, possible rust, good paint, boyles/bubbles developing, loooking at the pannels, especially the rear quaters (notorious area for accords)... etc, but I'm just NOT mechanically inclined and I don't know how to test the car.. other than push the car and give it a good hard drive.

Also, Canada has tough emmision laws, and when we/if transfer ownership, the car will have to be "e-tested" as well as pass a safety test... I'm just wondering what other things I should look for... the Safety test can accumulate expenses very quickly.

TIA.





 
Since you aren't mechanicaly inclined, my suggestion for you is to take the vehicle to the local auto shop and have them inspect the car.
 
That would be ideal, but I've never been in the area so that might be hard to do.

btw, its 168KM.
 
Originally posted by: SlowSS
Since you aren't mechanicaly inclined, my suggestion for you is to take the vehicle to the local auto shop and have them inspect the car.
Click to expand...


Agreed



On a Honda with that many miles I guarantee I could pick out a bunch of things that need attention but if you and the guy are already settled on a price then there is no point in trying to point out the maintenance work it needs so I would look for the following on that particular car.

Drive it and make sure the clutch is good, make sure its not slipping.

Look underneath it for oil leaks , it should be bone dry.

When you take it for a drive make sure and test it under heavy load conditions , such as up a hill , make sure it has plenty of power and while you do that look at your rearview mirror and make sure you seen nothing coming from the tailpipe.

Since its a Honda it should idle smooth as a kitten , the engine should barely vibrate.

Basically make sure the drivetrain is in good shape the rest of the car you can use your own judgement on since it sounds like you have some knowlege on the Honda you are looking at.

Common sence should guide you thru the rest of it, check all of the electrical, make sure nothing has been tampered with, engine light , odd noises etc...
 
Awesome site SlowSS.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I was really excited because getting a car @ 170k (km) is a really low millage for me... especially for a Honda... 😱

He wanted $4995, and the lowest I could get him without too much negotiation was $4000 w/o the alloys, and $4200 with. I figured its worth it since that would be the price of 1...
 
check the power antenna. the accords from the vintage were notorious for having those things not work properly. they get gummed up and certain sections get jammed inside other sections. my particular one won't go all the way up and sometimes not all the way down, and makes horrible clanking noises when it gets stuck. i guess if you catch it earlier and oil them up then they can work again, but mine is way too gummed up to fix.
 
Buying a car from a long distance is very difficult. You could possibly argue him down further because you are taking a much larger risk than if the car was local. If I were you, I'd say buy it and just be prepared for any problems that comes along with it, meaning have some money in your bank account. I wouldn't imagine that there would be anything outrageously expensive to fix on it.
 
Dude, that's a $1500 US car with that kind of mileage!!!

$4000 cdn sounds like a hell of a lot of money for an 11 year old Accord with 170,000 miles.

If you've talked to the owner, why is it pictured sitting at a used car lot?

Not worth the trip!!!

Keep looking.
 
You're traveling that far for an Accord!?

wow. I took a train to pick up my Daytona, but there were less than 450 of them ever made! I figure an Accord would be a dime a dozen up there
 
When I buy a used car, this is what I do.

1. Look it all over, very closely. Does the paint look the same all the way around? Orange peel consistent all over? This is a good way to check for possible collision damage. Look under, for oil leaks. Check the cv joint boots while you're there. Look over the interior. Does it look like it should, given the mileage? Look at the accelerator and brake pedals, are they badly worn? Sometimes this can give away a car that has been rolled back.

2. Look under the hood. Place your hand on the radiator cap. Is it hot? You want to hear it start when it's cold, not when it's warmed up. Look the engine over. Look under the oil cap, is it milky? Look at the dipstick, is it full, milky, or gritty?

3. Have the owner start the car. You stand at the back, looking at the exhaust. Check for burning oil.

4. At this point, I take it for a test drive.

5. after the drive, look it over again, etc.

The important thing is to not fall in love with any car. If something doesn't seem right about the vehicle, move on to the next one.

 
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