Honda Civic

Damn, a 1999 or 2000 for $1,300 is a complete steal, what is wrong with the car in the first place? I paid $2000 and I have a 1993 Civic.

Anyways, your question is if he should remove the stick, and change it to an automatic. Well, if your son really wants the civic, he is much better off keeping it a manual. Trust me, i always drove automatic, and then bought a stick for the first time, and knew nothing about it, and now I am in love. I will never buy another automatic as long as I live... at least I hope...

If he changes out the transmission, it will cost around $3,000 or so and I honestly think it would be a huge mistake. If you can get the car for $1,300 you got the best deal in the world, and why take the chance of ruining it?

How old is your son anyways? (I am 24), and if he is a teenager, he will enjoy the manual so much more, and in the long run manuals suck less gas, and cost less to fix.

mopa wrote: : Damn, a 1999 or 2000 for $1,300 is a complete steal, what is wrong : with the car in the first place? I paid $2000 and I have a 1993 Civic. : : Anyways, your question is if he should remove the stick, and change it : to an automatic. Well, if your son really wants the civic, he is much : better off keeping it a manual. Trust me, i always drove automatic, : and then bought a stick for the first time, and knew nothing about : it, and now I am in love. I will never buy another automatic as long : as I live... at least I hope... : : If he changes out the transmission, it will cost around $3,000 or so : and I honestly think it would be a huge mistake. If you can get the : car for $1,300 you got the best deal in the world, and why take the : chance of ruining it? : : How old is your son anyways? (I am 24), and if he is a teenager, he : will enjoy the manual so much more, and in the long run manuals suck : less gas, and cost less to fix.

He is the same age as you. It will cost 100.00 for the person putting it in and what ever the cost of the transmission. he is doing this for me not himself. I am disabled. Some days I am driving one handed so as you can see, it has to be automatic. I don't know if anything is wrong with this car. He is the one buying it. I will give him a call later and get the specs on it. It is sitting in someones yard with a for sale sign on it.

a '99-'00 Civic will sell for MUCH more than that unless it's only being sold as a parts car for some reason.

I'd imagine switching from manual to automatic will cost more than it's worth.

It is a *very big* deal to change from a manual to an automatic - don't even think about it. I'm not sure, but I believe the wiring harness and the ECU are different between the two. Besides the transmission, it requires a controller computer. The radiator has to be changed because the existing one does not have a heat exchanger for the auto transmission fluid - you get the idea. Once the manual transmission comes out, the odds of it ever getting back on the road again are small.

If the car really is a great deal at $1300 (why is it so low, anyway?) it would make far more sense to buy then resell it and use any profit toward a car that already has an automatic transmission. Personally, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Something's not right.

Mike

This is what I thought Mike. Thank you. ...and thanks goes out to everyone else too.

maybe, but for only $1300, there's plenty of room to fix an awful lot of "not right". but i agree with your general position - it's /way/ too much of a deal to convert. just buy a car that's already got the auto.

It could be a decent project car. I'd expect to replace the engine at least (my instincts are telling me the head is warped or crashed and I wouldn't be surprised to find it had been run on tap water in the cooling system), but buying a matching parts car that had been wrecked could make it worthwhile.

Of course, that's for gearheads like us. For somebody wanting to buy a car to actually *drive* sometime soon, I doubt $1300 is the price we would expect to pay.

Mike

The best solution is to find a car with an automatic. You'll be far better off in the long run if you need a car with an automatic transmission, to but one that came with an automatic initially.

I am not getting that car. I will look for another one. Thanks everyone for the info. Much appreciated

Weebit,

I am just wondering, what does the car even look like? for $1,300 I would buy the car, and just resell it. Even a 1999 Honda Civic EX Sedan

4D that is in very fair condition means that the vehicle has some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing but is still in reasonable running condition. This vehicle has a clean title history , the paint, body and/or interior need work performed by a professional. The tires may need to be replaced. There may be some repairable rust damage, and even that would sell for $6,410

If this car is in good shape, its worth about $7,770, if so I would just buy the car for $1,300, and resell it for about $6,000 and that will give you $4,700 for free, and that is more then enough to get you a civic.

Do you have any pictures of the car?

oh yeah, and come to think about it. I never heard anyone change a manual to a automatic, but you always hear automatics changed into manuals. This should really say something.

personally, I would only buy a manual!

mopa wrote: : Weebit, : : I am just wondering, what does the car even look like? for $1,300 I : would buy the car, and just resell it. Even a 1999 Honda Civic EX : Sedan 4D that is in very fair condition means that the vehicle has : some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing but is still : in reasonable running condition. This vehicle has a clean title : history , the paint, body and/or interior need work performed by a : professional. The tires may need to be replaced. There may be some : repairable rust damage, and even that would sell for $6,410 : : If this car is in good shape, its worth about $7,770, if so I would : just buy the car for $1,300, and resell it for about $6,000 and that : will give you $4,700 for free, and that is more then enough to get you : a civic. : : Do you have any pictures of the car?

No pictures. My son saw the car all I know is its a silver four door My son thinks its a 95. Who ever has this car hasn't drove it in a long time. That to me is a red flag that something is wrong with it. If a car is in good shape you drive it you don't park it and then put a for sale sign on it. I am willing to bet they parked it because it is messed up, and conserved what ever is left of the car so they could get rid of it as fast as they can without the car messing up on them before they did sell it. In other words sell it now before it's completely tore up.