Only Bikes, Never Cars

[FoiledAgain]

That is, a '73 CB750 and a '72 CB500. Apart from them, old VWs and really old V8s are my wheelhouse, and old BMW bikes too.

Now there is an '88 Acccord LX 5-speed, 180,000. It is a free car, and I tend to find free cars the most costly but we'll see.

It has an overheating issue so I am busy determining the culprit. Just performed a compression check, 170/160/160/160 with all but the 170 rapidly dropping on the dial. Will do a leakdown test. Hoping it is not a compromised head gasket.

No indication when valves were last adjusted. No fluff on the plugs but uniformly sooty. Vehicle appears to have been neglected but not abused.
Gnarly-looking paint of a silver shade, vehicle was a darker blue/grey originally. Vehicle appears complete. Engine does not have weird/alarming noises, clutch works properly, timing belt replaced a dozen or so thousand miles back.

Being unfamiliar with Honda cars but old enough to remember 600s ripping around I look forward to learning about them with the help of this site. I certainly admire the bikes.

Thanks for reading, and in time I will have a lot of questions and observations.

One odd detail: Vehicle's key fob has a Shure-Fine logo on it. Shure-Fine is a store-brand grocery line, generic, as in sure, fine...whatever. Significant? I'll find out.

[FoiledAgain]

Oh, forgot another Honda in the garage, a '96 VFR750.

[Dr_Snooz]

I tend to find free cars the most costly but we'll see.

Too true. They aren't cars, so much as bills. From what you describe, though, I think you're going to be just fine. Spend some good time inspecting everything to make sure your fluids are good and nothing is leaking, but after that, spend some quality time driving it so you can fall in love.

And post some pics soon.

[FoiledAgain]

Thanks, I'll do that. I appreciate your Dropbox manuals.

A friend who put in some years as a Honda dealership tech back in the day pointed out replacement water pumps often have a plastic impeller that detaches and causes grief, and they are sometimes schlepped in at the time of a timing belt replacement. Timing belt was not undertaken by a Honda dealership according to PO.
Water is circulating though, bottom radiator hose heats up readily. I plan to retorque the head to see if that makes any difference in compression. If not, teardown ahoy.

[Dr_Snooz]

Mmm. Plastic impellers are not likely on these.

[FoiledAgain]

Izzat right? Okay, I'll scratch that off the list of possible culprits, though a quick scan of available water pumps of this year/model did include a number of plastic-impeller pumps.