New Here and would like advice on Integra :)

[amc5]

Hey guys, Im new to the board and trying to get my first Integra, but need some good advice from you all....

I am looking into buying a '95 LS (133K miles) and it seems to be a pretty nice car. You can see it has had some body work done to it and Carfax shows a fender bender a while back. Apparently, the previous owner (1 lady owner) didnt change the timing belt and it snapped. So, right now it is getting the whole topend from a '96, new belt, water pump, and cv axle (1). The car looks to be in very good condition, interior is perfect, brand new tires for $4995.

So I guess my question is, do you guys think its ok to buy? Is there anything bad about buying a used car that the belt has broke on? I wondered about the pistons and compression. Please help!!!

[9of9]

try lookin for a GSR....

[kfar09]

i wouldn't pay more then $3 for that car. $5000 is a ripoff for that. my 96 GSR (stock) only blue books for $5900 but i could get more then that for it. keep searching, there are better deals out there

[KAUAI KANE]

thats abit steep for the ond. of the car i'd try and talk em down or search for another better deal

[bluetwo]

Welcome to HAN.

I'm with kfar09. There are better cars out there. And don't confine yourself to one area. Drive a car a thousand miles to get it home if you have to. That's my opinion. I know I would drive a long ass way if it meant getting the right ride at the right price.

[94JR]

That engine has a lot of miles and I wouldn't buy a car if the timing belt actually snapped on it. That can really mess stuff up. I got my LS with 74k miles for like 17 hundred dolars more than what she is asking with no accidents and maintnance records. I actually had to race to get the money cause some other guy was getting his money to buy the same car. He showed up as I was driving out of the parking lot. Wait until you find a good car at a good price it will be worth it

[TheOtherDave™]

If the previous owner didn't think to replace the timing belt, then I'll bet a lot of other service items were skipped due to negligence.

There are enough Integras on the market now, that you can afford to be picky.
Keep looking.

[amc5]

thanks for the responses. I was hoping you would say it was a good deal :/

I have been looking for about 3 weeks now and havent had much luck. I search through the autotrader.com daily and most the cars I see out there are around the same price. Is there a better way of finding one? Thanks

btw... they do have a stack of papers 3 inches high of records if that makes a difference.

[RboYi]

Yep, also got my GSR for 6k 87k on the Clock. Bargain them down a grand or so, or just look into others.

[hj788]

amc5..doesn't sound too good to me either. I recently purchased a 96 GSR, very very well maintained all stock with 60K miles for $6200, but it did need new tires...

[amc5]

do you all think its not a good deal due to the price, or more of the fact that the timing belt snapped? What I mean is, if he was to come down a good bit, would you still run away from it due to the head issue?

[KAUAI KANE]

the money thing does play a big factor but the fact that the belt snapped is what wouldv'e made me ask alot more questions/walk away/ ask for a whole lot cheaper price

[hj788]

I know how it is..when you are anxious to get your hands on something you want you might tend to get a little impatient and settle for something you might regret later. I'd just be patient, something good will come your way and you'll be glad you didn't rush it. What is your price limit?

[TheOtherDave™]

do you all think its not a good deal due to the price, or more of the fact that the timing belt snapped? What I mean is, if he was to come down a good bit, would you still run away from it due to the head issue?

Like I said in my first post...
if the previous owner ignored the timing belt, what other parts were "ignored"?

There are a lot of people that run their cars "into the ground" out of laziness or ignorance.

So if you're buying used, you need to be particularly suspicious of cars like this one. Search for cars where the previous owner was careful and meticulous about maintenance and appearance.

A car with a sound body and motor backed up with thorough maintenance records will be a better investment than one which already shows evidence of neglect.

[amc5]

well, it seems with unanimous decision that this is not a good car to buy. I will keep my eyes open for other options. Thanks for your help. You probably saved me thousands.

[KAUAI KANE]

[BONE]

thanks for the responses. I was hoping you would say it was a good deal :/

I have been looking for about 3 weeks now and havent had much luck. I search through the autotrader.com daily and most the cars I see out there are around the same price. Is there a better way of finding one? Thanks

btw... they do have a stack of papers 3 inches high of records if that makes a difference.

try www.cars.com and your local newspaper, I would skip that other car and keep looking, I purchased my Integra brand new so didn't have to worry about looking for one but when I purchased my Accord I was looking for a couple of months until I found the one that was perfect for me clean, low mileage and certified used and the color I wanted. Good luck keep us informed.

[SP00NFed]

Welcome to Han..try to get a GSR

[jamesmeister]

if the timing belt snapped, bad things may have happened mechanically that won't come out til later

[EviLLLLSiNz]

get a gsr... i got mine 1995 6000 bux with 61k miles (odometer is off a lil bit tho cuz he was runnin on some 205/50/15s)

just wait it out...ull find osmething good. try looking everywhere. as they said dont confine yourself. i found my car on teh place i least expected it, yahoo motors.