in that image up one, why does the milage have 138,674?? remembering 1g accords have a 5 digit odometer. it may have been around once without the owner knowing, but personally i think whoever noted the milage fucked up and its actually 38,674.
WOF people over here allways muck up millages when noting them down
Woah now.... The odometer looks legit to me. Aaron is right, that was a mistype in that CarFax report. Whoever took that reading probably just assumed it was 138,000 miles due to it's age. How do they know it was 138,000 and 238,000 or even 338,000? They just going to take the owner's word for it?
You can tell the car didn't get driven a whole lot, look at the mileage between 1996 and 2007. 11 years and only 17,000 miles. Take it's age, divide it by the mileage, and the amount the car was driven per year looks pretty consistent to me.
The reason I say that reading looks goofed to me, is because the reading should not be taken with the ASSUMPTION that the car has 138,000 miles on it. The only thing that should be written down is the actual reading on the odometer. That's how it's always written on the title, the DMV doesn't want you to guess, they just want what it says.
I say look at the car, drive the car, check for major leaks or smoke after you drive it. If it runs, drives, and looks good, go for it. Don't back out because of some odometer reading. The thing with old cars is that you NEVER know what really happened to it. For all you know, the car could have been totaled 10 times and repaired and it was never reported (ask me how I know about fixing totaled cars without reporting it). The history of the car doesn't really matter all that much. What matters with an old car is the condition the car is in NOW.
Last edited by 2ndGenGuy; 10-05-2008 at 12:01 PM.
Hmmm. Well, now I'm confused. If the miles are indeed original and that was a mistake on CarFax's part, then the seller isn't lying and he might not be lying about the other things listed in the description, right?
Luckily, I do have a 60-year-old uncle who knows about engines. I don't know how familiar he is with Honda Accords specifically, but he stayed with my family for about 4-5 months and I know he was constantly out front working on his car. So I think he would be able to help me out in that respect if really necessary.Originally Posted by Dr_Snooz
I don't know if I should walk away from this car or go for it.
I would love to go to Kentucky and look at and drive the car in person, but I am literally across the country and even if I were to fly out there, I wouldn't be able to drive it back to LA by myself. Is there any way I can get someone else to look at it for me so I don't have to take the seller's word?
Last edited by Jess; 10-05-2008 at 12:24 PM.
I have bought cars online before and have had cars looked at by a dealer before I bought. Then, I called the dealer MYSELF to get the results of the checkout. Problem is, that car is so old that the mechanics will fall in love with how it looks and there may not even be an old timer around to really go through it. A Honda dealer, with a tech. who has platinum status and remembers these cars is the only way to get an objective opinion. That will be hard! Maybe ask for a maintenance history, but that may or may not be available. Every tech. who sees that car is most likely going to say it looks great for a 1981 Accord.
I would agree that the 138K odometer reading is someone assuming the odometer had rolled. I run into all the time with my 5 digit odometers and people trying to read mileages. That car should have sold for about $2500 even in wonderful condition; they're just such a niche car that takes a lot of patience/TLC to operate. If you're going to be in LA rush hour traffic, this was a horrible car to buy. People pull out in front of me all the time when I'm in my 81 Accord. I assume they assume the car is a junker and they can just basically ignore me. If you're on the open road, these are fun little cars. They have outlived their usefulness in traffic situations for the most part. Every now and then, I take mine in a traffic situation, but it isn't pretty the way people assume it is a disposable litttle car.
Go to autocheck.com and get a report there. Sometimes, their info. is different than Carfax. The covers on the seats are a red flag as well. I'd want to see the seats without the covers. It's possible, the seats are spotless. Then again, they may be in bad shape. With 64K and that clean paint, the seats should look really good. In the end, you did overpay and I would not think that car is ready to be driven from KY to LA. Good luck and do keep us posted on what you do. In any case, I think it will need some work to make it run as well as it can...
And whoever owned this car last is clueless about old Hondas; that cassette stereo will never fit in the dash properly. The dash opening for the radio is shallow and narrow. The "newer" size radios just won't fit. And I just saw the covers are on the upholstery to protect it. Hopefully, the upholstery is really nice.
Last edited by offthahook; 10-05-2008 at 12:40 PM.
Oh yeah... I guess I didn't take into consideration the fact that the car is across the country. Not so easy to just go drive it and turn it down when you get out there.
.. this is def. a tight situation, especially buying the car site unseen for top dollar that your spending.. your emotion and love for the car might have got you in an impulse buy before actually researching and weighing in all the facts. (this thread might have been alot more helpful before a purchase!!) but it happens to all of us at one time or another!! you really need to get an older honda mechanic/specialist to verify the actual mileage and condition based on a thorough inspection top to bottom, an experience mech/specialist will be able to tell you whether the mileage is true and accurate... .... .. we can say this and that about the mileage but without actually putting hands and visually seeing the car in person..we are just adding our personal opinion based on pictures...
another thing you need to take into consideration is that if you plan to drive the car cross country and in L.A. traffic its going to need a decent service (all fliuds changed,fuel filter,cap,rotor,wires,plugs,timing belt,w-pump and radiator checked).. if the mileage is accurate and you do the maintenance your classic accord will be just fine. i drive my accord EVERYWHERE and she's never left me stranded...... i live outside L.A... wish i could have been a help before your purchase, ive seen a handfull of clean 80-81 4 dr accords here within our area....
You really need to find a reliable daily driver car. Under the best of circumstances, a thirty year old car does not fit that bill, much less one that is under a cloud of suspicion. Find yourself something better.
This could be a wonderful car, but the likelihood is not especially great as it stands now.
Dr_Snooz
"I like to take hammers, and just break stuff, just break stuff." - Beavis
1989 Honda Accord LX-i Coupe, 240k miles, MT swap, rear disc swap
Shop manual downloads available here: CLICK TO VIEW
I'm going to have to agree with both of you and look for a different car. I really should have come here before I made the purchase, but I didn't know this forum existed until my friend (whose account I'm using) showed it to me. I suppose you're right in that I was very blinded by my emotions and how beautiful the car looked to me. Thank you for saving me from possibly making a huge mistake; I will probably start looking for a newer Accord, maybe an '88 or something. Now the question is, how can I get my $500 deposit back? I paid through PayPal. The seller sent me a message 24 hours after I won the auction and said I needed to pay the deposit, and since I paid it, I haven't heard a word from him. I know in other listings I've seen, the seller has stated in the description that if the deal does not go through, he/she will take $125 in listing fees. However, I didn't see that in this description. Is it possible that I'll lose the entire $500?
you could open a fraud thing with ebay, just show them the carfax and i'm sure you;ll get your money back
2004-2011?
That would be pretty lame to open a fraud case against the guy if it's CarFax that's wrong and the guy is being truthful. You kinda did agree to buy the car already by bidding on it. That's usually the reason for a quick deposit, to keep people from never picking the car up... In all fairness, I think you're out the $500, unless he is a really nice guy and will refund it.
most auctions state the deposit amount and if it is refundable or not..just be honest with the seller and see what he says?? try to work your deposit or maybe a partial deposit back.?( thought you guys only put a $150 deposit?). if all fails i would definately report the carfax report to ebay... ebay will not "investigate" if the mileage is true or not. ebay is way to big and carfax is well respected in the u.s. carfax reports determine (in most cases) whether a car will sell or not... in other words thier word is as good as gold....... if you dont mind me asking, how much is shipping??
...... if you get your deposit back and your still interseted in a 1st gen accord let me know!!.. if time permits, i will find and prepare you a clean classic accord and make it bulletproof.. L.A. to N.Y no problem... i'll deliver a CLEAN all ORIGINAL. smogged, reg. and up to date maintained 1st gen accord. (not my 81!!)..................... if your interested let me know... i'll show you my honda resume.
I've always run CarFax reports BEFORE I bid on a car. I would say the seller could technically say that CarFax is in error, but it is up to the buyer to do the due diligence (and call the seller on disputed info.).
This has been an extremely interesting thread. I agree with your decision to not get the car. If you already have a vehicle, know/want to learn mechanics, and appreciate actually operating machinery, rather than "getting into a box and arriving somewhere sometime later", then the car is for you. If you're an enthusiast, all bets are off. I paid $350 too much for my Accord, which after about a $10 000 sheetmetal restoration, is driveable. (i did all the work myself, of course.) However I went into the situation expecting this, and already had the tools and know how to make it happen.
In your case, as a student and first-time car owner, you should be finding an inexpensive, economical vehicle that is relatively late model so that when it does fail, parts are readily available, and a mechanic doesn't have to come out of retirement to fix it properly. Parts for even my car (a 2nd gen) are almost impossible to find, and most people that work at the dealership have never seen one like it before. Expect things like rad hoses, relays, seals, coils, etc to fail on this car simply due to age. Also expect a simple repair task to become a nightmare because of one bolt that hasn't been turned in 27 years.
I'm also a machinist, which helps me with a lot of the "repair parts" problems.
On the flip side, these cars offer potential for (custom) modification, endless tinkering, great handling, and a "je ne sais quoi" that a new car just doesn't have. People on this board stick by them for a reason, mine is a great commuter car for short distances, and up to the task of long trips, in rebuilt trim.
Then:
Now:
ICHIBAN!
"Now, even more better!"
You will need to communicate with the seller first. Indicate that there is a very compelling reason to believe the car is not as advertised. Request a full refund of your deposit. You don't have to be a hardass. He might genuinely be in the dark, so you don't need to pick a fight. If you have to, mention in an off-hand way that this could be a fraud issue, but you don't want to see it come to that.
If the seller is unwilling to refund, then you should take it up with eBay. Here are the relevant details for disputing eBay auctions:
eBay rules
PayPal's details are here:
PayPal rules
A CarFax report is about the best evidence you can get that mileage is being reported inaccurately. I suspect that eBay will be very activist in your cause and get you a refund promptly.
Keep us posted on the outcome and good luck!
Dr_Snooz
"I like to take hammers, and just break stuff, just break stuff." - Beavis
1989 Honda Accord LX-i Coupe, 240k miles, MT swap, rear disc swap
Shop manual downloads available here: CLICK TO VIEW
So, I've tried to communicate with the seller. I sent him a message through eBay on 10/5 requesting a refund of my deposit and stating that I had an issue with the odometer reading. I offered that he could keep $125 for the listing price. That was two days ago and I haven't heard back from him... I haven't heard a word from him since Saturday morning when he told me to send the deposit, actually, so I'm not sure what's up. I suppose I'll wait a few more days before opening up a dispute.
Now, I have a question about another possible purchase, since all of you are so helpful and well-informed about these cars (although I know I'm straying out of 1geez territory right now). I am looking at an '89 Accord LXi sedan located in Seattle, WA (the location isn't a problem because my dad offered to fly me and my boyfriend up there to drive it back down to LA, which will be a really fun road trip for us). I emailed one of the guys at the dealership asking a few questions and he wrote:
http://www.cdmdata.com/cdmdigitallot...25282&dID=5619All of our cars are tradeins from new car stores, and we sell 100 or so a month. It fires right up, doesn't smoke.
Sunroof works fine. Tried all the power windows, the driver's side rear doesn't work. Turned on the a/c, I'm not
sure it's working because it's chilly out today. Heat works, the dash fan knob won't go to the highest setting but
functions otherwise. Outside body in good shape, straight, good paint. It's missing a small piece of trim just back
the passenger rear door, and there's a small (3"?) or so rust area that's been touched up also on pass. rear. Tires
are not bald, but average at best. The seats and interior look real good. Small piece of dash just above glove box
is missing, but not unsightly. All in all, in very good shape considering the year. Tried to be detail concscious
considering you don't live here. Sorry to be so long winded. Let me know what I can do.
How does this sound? It's ok that it's imperfect. Are many of the problems repairable? How much would it cost to get a new set of tires and to fix the A/C if it doesn't work? Again, seeing as how that car is about $6000 below the budget my parent's gave me, I can afford to spend some money for repairs. Should I negotiate down the price if it turns out the A/C is broken? Also, would it be possible to find someone in Seattle to make these repairs so the car would be in great condition to drive down to LA? The fact that it's in Seattle is actually a plus for me, because my boyfriend and I have always wanted to drive down the coast. Thanks.
edit: I should add that though I've read that manuals are much better for these cars, I need to drive an automatic.
Here's the CarFax report. I have no idea what the theft thing is about, since it was "stolen" and "recovered" on the same day (12/21/07).
edit2: A/C does not work.
Last edited by Jess; 10-07-2008 at 02:14 PM.
Once again I would steer clear... $2000 is way too much for that car; the dealer has probably $500 in it. It started in Pittsburgh and made it's way out west. Not a huge deal, but I would definitely want to see the maintenance history. It's probably never been in a Honda dealer for service because most dealers are now in bed with CarFax and their services show up on the report. Someone traded that car in, the little guy bought it and cleaned it up, and is trying to make a profit. Goes on all the time when dealers take in trades that they can't put on their own lot. Now, do you think someone traded in that car in great condition? Well maintained? No, because the dealer probably gave them $100 "trade in" value for it. Then, the dealer sent the car to an auction or disposed of it with their own wholesale "death row" car auction. The salesguy at the small lot is used to dealing with people who need temporary cars and he knows nothing about these cars at all (or any of his inventory). Sure, he cleaned it up and gave it the quick walkaround tour... People with really nice, well maintained older cars sell them to family members or sell them on their own most times. The used car lot lot is just a guy who buys up beater local trades at auctions and tries to resell them at a markup. Trust me, that car is not for you. I doubt it would make it from Seattle to LA. I could be wrong, but I've worked in detail and at a Honda dealership. The cherry cars, even this old, get snagged up by the techs, the salespeople at the dealership, etc. Every now and then one will slip through, but each Honda salesguy has a list of people looking for cheap/decent old cars; that's where some of the older Hondas end up. This one you're looking at ended up on some little guy's lot..
Last edited by offthahook; 10-07-2008 at 02:50 PM.
That, again is way too much to pay for a 3rd gen Accord up here. Compare prices to these:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/870189387.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/869271006.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/869271006.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/863846925.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/ctd/866197354.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/865565583.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/865024814.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/864935739.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/864549447.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/864448825.html
This took me about 20 seconds to find on Craigslist. Not to mention there were about a bajillion 4th gen Accords listed at those prices as well.
How come you don't look for a car in your area? There have to be millions of them running around down there in the land that rust has forgotten. Then you can at least go take a look at the car in person. Unless there's something super-particular you're looking for in a 3rd gen?
And please... stop looking at it as "I have $X to spend so I can overpay for an older car and fix it up." Think what the car is WORTH, not that you have a lot more than that to SPEND...
Last edited by offthahook; 10-07-2008 at 02:52 PM.
Oh also, our cars up here have a tendency to smell musty all the time. Usually because of all the rain in combination with leaky seals that happen to old cars. Febreeze only lasts so long before the smell comes back.
I'm sorry, I'm just really frustrated with finding a car that will be right for me. I am really (probably irrationally) picky about color, and that makes it impossible for me to find the "perfect" car. There is an '89 Accord in my area that has around 145k miles and seems to be in good condition (and I could go in for a test drive), but I don't like the color. It's really stupid, I know. I wish someone on this forum was selling an '87-89 Accord that I could trust. Thank you for the advice, everyone.
Well there's really nothing wrong with wanting a particular color. It is your choice. I wouldn't buy a pink Accord, probably ever, no matter how nice it was. Yes, you might pay a bit more or wait longer to find a cherry one in your favorite color, but probably both. So you'll either have to be more patient, or get a color that you're not terribly fond of.
I just think you should take your time a bit more and look for one in your area, it really is the best part of the country to find a clean car. Not only that, but you can look at it, and drive it before you make your decision... Everybody wants a California car! People up here boast when their car was from California!
Last edited by 2ndGenGuy; 10-07-2008 at 03:35 PM.
Amen my brotha. The south and west/southwest are the best areas for older import cars. If you're not in a hurry for a car, slow down and find the one you want at a fair price. It'll come through or you'll expand your parameters. Nothing wrong with expanding your options, but do NOT buy in a hurry or impulse (I know, too late). If you need a car tomorrow, your options are limited and your parents will not be happy with the car you bring home. Craigslist probably has the best crop of private sellers, but always carfax VIN's and beware of guys posing as individuals, but who are just flipping cars. A Honda dealer would be a longshot, but if they had an older Accord on their lot, it probably would be decent. The laws are fairly strict about what shape of a car a franchised dealer can sell, even if it is an older car. They would want a hefty sum for 3G because they probably serviced it and they just don't like to deal in old cars. The little lots can be a goldmine, but usually are not. Again, they buy the misfits from auctions and maybe change the oil and mark it up
This site might not be too bad if someone has an Accord you really like and they've been on here awhile. If it's someone's first post and they're bragging about their Accord, take a pass. In your case, you want either an "lx-i" or "se-i" trim; they are both fuel injected and you do not want to mess with that carb. mess. I've seen quite a few people take the badges from an "i" and stick them on an LX/DX trimmed car and try to pass it off as the higher end trim. Educate yourself on what a carb'd motor and a FI motor look like under the hood. Carfax should tell you what motor is in the Accords you look at since you carfax them all. Keep us informed and don't think none of us hasn't been exactly where you are. Some of us were in your place with NO Internet. No shame.
keep us posted on the sale of the accord... if things dont work out with this car and she still would like to purchase an 81 accord drop me an offer for mine!!!! i might even hook up the shipping=)
this is 100% off topic...but this picture is now my computer background...shit i love your car
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