'87 Honda Civic Advice

Not unless you're getting it as a "backup" car.

david wrote in news:Xns980CA22043BEDweddle@24.94.170.102:

Serious cooling problem or crappy head gasket replacement.

Only if you *really* like automotive adventures!

Completely, utterly meaningless. The car's nineteen-year age is much more important, as is the care it's had during those years. By the sounds of it, this vehicle will be a disaster for you.

Why'd the last one fail? 153K is awfully young for tranny failure. Sorry but my BS alarm is clanging quite loudly just now.

Not with this car. Past eight, ten years, the vehicle becomes an individual. That it's a Honda means little now. It's a Honda with 19 years of abuse and neglect on it. With enough effort, you can beat even the best horse to death.

Do yourself a favor. Leave this mechanical experiment to someone else. This is NOT the car for you.

It's not gonna cool any better in reverse...

Agreed. Sometimes it's best to just walk away. However, one time I had a little fun. I was considering getting an old 'Lude that didn't run as a project car but the owner thought she had gold and wanted too much money for it. So, just for fun, I did as much of an inspection on the car as I could without taking the wheels off, getting under it, etc. and handed her a work needed list for her "golden" 'Lude that was about two 8.5x11 pages full and then walked away. About a week later the same car was advertised in the local paper for a lower price but it was still too high!

Find something that runs dependably. Personally, I would suggest avoiding the '84-7 Civics and find yourself a nicely maintained '91. You'll pay a little more but I think you'll be better off in the long run.

Eric

The air would blow out instead of blowing in the engine compartment.

Yeah, but then it's pulling the air off the driver's feet... eeeeeewww!