I think I'm at the end game...fix car or buy another one?

[Ns1]

So my current ride is a 1997 Prelude with about 135k miles. It had it's glory days, but those days are long, long, LONG gone. I need to pass smog pretty soon, and I can't do it. I failed last year, but managed to pass using "other" means. There is no way I'm going to pass again this year unless I go through said "other" means.

In addition to the obvious mechanical problem of not being able to pass smog (in CA no less), it has 3 significant dents: front right fender, front left fender, rear right quarter panel. To repair the car into non-ghetto condition would probably cost at least 2k at a minimum, depending on the quality of the paintjob, with a probable cost of 3500 or so.

I could buy another 1997 prelude for like 6-7k...

My PRIMARY question will follow, me babbling about my options are after that, but you don't have to read it if you're impatient.

Something I've been thinking about pretty hard is parting out the car piece by piece (since I can't sell it w/o passing smog). I figure I can get close to 2k on the parts I know about + mods alone. But WTF do I do with the rest of it? Axles, frames, engine, interior...I really don't want to part all of THAT out, and hell I don't even think I have the space to do it. So is the frame/engine worth anything? Anybody who has experience here, your thoughts would be most helpful.

Alternatively, instead of buying another car, I can turn this into a 'project' car. I still really like the car, and INCLUDING repairs I could turn it into what I want for about 6k. BUT it's worth nothing if I get into an accident or it gets stolen, or if the engine goes byebye forreal. I'm still on the OG clutch, and my tranny hasn't died yet (which is a miracle in and of itself).

OR I can buy a 2003 Volvo S60 (10-12k) or a Mazdaspeed of somesort (15-20k) or a brand new Prius (some 500/month in payments). I do/don't want to go this route.


Cliff Notes:
- is the frame/engine of my car worth anything? A rough $ estimate would be nice.

 

[Colt45]

buy a new cat and O2 sensor?

reasonably intact you'd get maybe $1k from a wrecker, i think that's kinda pushing it. If you sell it as scrap metal, maybe $100.

sell the engine to some 1991 civic ricer kid?

 

[fbrdphreak]

I can't speak to the value of the drivetrain, but you can certainly sell it if there is demand. Find a Prelude type forum and look on there - ask questions about it there. You'll need a place to store the drivetrain and of course a cherry picker to get it out of the car.

The bare car stripped of everything would best go to a scrap yard. In NC, my buddy says a car frame is worth $50-100 at a scrap yard.

The other option is to sell everything of value and then sell the rest of the car, including drivetrain, whole. I bought a car like that for project purposes and it was particularly handy that way - it had all the hydraulics, lines, pedals, etc that I would need to convert my automatic car to a manual. If I had just bought a used or new engine & tranny, it wouldn't have all that stuff.

Bottom line - get on a forum dedicated to that car and start reading. Good luck

 

[sniperruff]

i'd either fix it up (sans the cosmetics) or sell it. as long as you can get it to pass smog (or sell it before it needs to be tested), i'd predict a functioning 97' prelude with 135k on it should fetch you at least $4-5k.

 

[HannibalX]

Are you not passing smog because you have gutted your cats or remove them? You mentioned you had some mods, if you put the car back to stock would it pass? Is it paid for?

Spending a few bucks to fix up that car seems a lot better than a lot of bucks for a new car.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
Are you not passing smog because you have gutted your cats or remove them? You mentioned you had some mods, if you put the car back to stock would it pass? Is it paid for?

Spending a few bucks to fix up that car seems a lot better than a lot of bucks for a new car.

nah, there are no mods that relate to the engine. The cat was replaced last year.



Thanks for the replies sniperruff, fbrdphreak

 

[Black88GTA]

www.preludepower.com

^^probably the best prelude forum out there. You can probably sell it in the classifieds there, or figure out how to make it pass smog at least.

 

[BUTCH1]

I would do a compression and leakdown test and go from there, maybe too much
blow-by is causing you to fail. Or maybe sell the car whole and avoid the hassle
of pulling the drivetrain out..

 

[Ns1]

been looking for parts but the sites are pretty slow now (preludepower, preludeonline)

might fix it to pass smog and then part out the valuable mods and then sell it for whatever.

a 2k1 330ci is in my future, i see it now.

 

[swtethan]

Originally posted by: Ns1
been looking for parts but the sites are pretty slow now (preludepower, preludeonline)

might fix it to pass smog and then part out the valuable mods and then sell it for whatever.

a 2k1 330ci is in my future, i see it now.

I was gonna buy one of those... not very good :-(

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: swtethan

Originally posted by: Ns1
been looking for parts but the sites are pretty slow now (preludepower, preludeonline)

might fix it to pass smog and then part out the valuable mods and then sell it for whatever.

a 2k1 330ci is in my future, i see it now.

I was gonna buy one of those... not very good :-(

Buy one of what, a 330?

That car is awesome, AND depreciates like a rock to boot =D

Seriously, depreciation on Japanese vehicles are crazy stupid. I have come to the conclusion that it's better to buy new japanese and used everything else.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Sell it out out state. I'm in TX, and outside of metropolitan areas we have NO emissions tests.