hondaman

i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.

-jeff

Elle

Is what you're paying consistent with the used car appraiser
prices at www.edmunds.com ?

I think buying a car this old with this many miles is a huge
roll of the dice. Sure, it could last 100k more. It might
not.

I'd check the coolant in the reservoir and see how clean it
looks. I'd test drive it for half an hour on the highway and
half an hour local driving.

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote
>i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it.
>the timing belt and water pump have already been replaced
>probably for the 2nd time in its life about 40,000 miles
>ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to be
>extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on
>it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
>miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>

Elle

Is what you're paying consistent with the used car appraiser
prices at www.edmunds.com ?

I think buying a car this old with this many miles is a huge
roll of the dice. Sure, it could last 100k more. It might
not.

I'd check the coolant in the reservoir and see how clean it
looks. I'd test drive it for half an hour on the highway and
half an hour local driving.

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote
>i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it.
>the timing belt and water pump have already been replaced
>probably for the 2nd time in its life about 40,000 miles
>ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to be
>extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on
>it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
>miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>

Elle

Is what you're paying consistent with the used car appraiser
prices at www.edmunds.com ?

I think buying a car this old with this many miles is a huge
roll of the dice. Sure, it could last 100k more. It might
not.

I'd check the coolant in the reservoir and see how clean it
looks. I'd test drive it for half an hour on the highway and
half an hour local driving.

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote
>i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it.
>the timing belt and water pump have already been replaced
>probably for the 2nd time in its life about 40,000 miles
>ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to be
>extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on
>it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
>miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>

TeGGeR®

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net:

> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing
> belt and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd
> time in its life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is
> there anything to be extra concerned about with a car with that high
> of miles on it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
> miles that old.
>



A car with that many miles may be just as reliable as one a lot younger,
but it will be a HOBBY and require LOTS of TLC to keep it in top shape.

If you're looking for a buy-it-and-drive-it, forget this one.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

TeGGeR®

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net:

> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing
> belt and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd
> time in its life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is
> there anything to be extra concerned about with a car with that high
> of miles on it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
> miles that old.
>



A car with that many miles may be just as reliable as one a lot younger,
but it will be a HOBBY and require LOTS of TLC to keep it in top shape.

If you're looking for a buy-it-and-drive-it, forget this one.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

TeGGeR®

"hondaman" <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net:

> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing
> belt and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd
> time in its life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is
> there anything to be extra concerned about with a car with that high
> of miles on it engine wise. the body is better than some with lower
> miles that old.
>



A car with that many miles may be just as reliable as one a lot younger,
but it will be a HOBBY and require LOTS of TLC to keep it in top shape.

If you're looking for a buy-it-and-drive-it, forget this one.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Jason Johnson

In article <Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net> , "hondaman"
<jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote:

i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.

-jeff

You may want to have it checked by a mechanic. A compression check should
be done. Many engines that have 274,049 miles have what I refer to as "bad
rings" and that's an expensive problem to fix.
You may also want to run a carfax report on it--don't buy it if it has
ever been involved in a accidents. Bent frames are VERY expensive to fix.
You might have someone else start the car while you watch the exhaust
pipe. If black smoke comes out--don't buy it.
Mechanics can easily determine if an engine has a cracked head
gasket--therefore, have the mechanic check that--that's also very
expensive to repair.

try carfax.com or google Car Fax or carfax

Jason Johnson

In article <Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net> , "hondaman"
<jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote:

i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.

-jeff

You may want to have it checked by a mechanic. A compression check should
be done. Many engines that have 274,049 miles have what I refer to as "bad
rings" and that's an expensive problem to fix.
You may also want to run a carfax report on it--don't buy it if it has
ever been involved in a accidents. Bent frames are VERY expensive to fix.
You might have someone else start the car while you watch the exhaust
pipe. If black smoke comes out--don't buy it.
Mechanics can easily determine if an engine has a cracked head
gasket--therefore, have the mechanic check that--that's also very
expensive to repair.

try carfax.com or google Car Fax or carfax

Jason Johnson

In article <Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net> , "hondaman"
<jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote:

i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.

-jeff

You may want to have it checked by a mechanic. A compression check should
be done. Many engines that have 274,049 miles have what I refer to as "bad
rings" and that's an expensive problem to fix.
You may also want to run a carfax report on it--don't buy it if it has
ever been involved in a accidents. Bent frames are VERY expensive to fix.
You might have someone else start the car while you watch the exhaust
pipe. If black smoke comes out--don't buy it.
Mechanics can easily determine if an engine has a cracked head
gasket--therefore, have the mechanic check that--that's also very
expensive to repair.

try carfax.com or google Car Fax or carfax

jim beam

hondaman wrote:
> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
> and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
> life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
> be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
> wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>
>
as stated by others, if you know about cars and can fix them yourself,
go ahead and buy it. it'll be fast, probably reliable and comfy. cheap
to insure & gas too.

quick & dirty:
check inside the oil cover. gummy deposits are a bad sign. excess oil
consumption [if you test drive it long enough to find out or the seller
is honest] is a bad sign. excessive blow-by [oil filler cap off with
the engine running] is a bad sign.

radiator cap, oily is a bad sign. dry is a bad sign. bubbles are a bad
sign [once fully bled].

touch wheel hubs after driving. fronts should be warmer than rears, but
any difference in temp side to side means binding brakes and the need to
recondition. if you're handy with that stuff, look to recondition the
brakes yourself pretty much right away after purchase.

beware steering system oil leaks of any kind.

jim beam

hondaman wrote:
> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
> and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
> life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
> be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
> wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>
>
as stated by others, if you know about cars and can fix them yourself,
go ahead and buy it. it'll be fast, probably reliable and comfy. cheap
to insure & gas too.

quick & dirty:
check inside the oil cover. gummy deposits are a bad sign. excess oil
consumption [if you test drive it long enough to find out or the seller
is honest] is a bad sign. excessive blow-by [oil filler cap off with
the engine running] is a bad sign.

radiator cap, oily is a bad sign. dry is a bad sign. bubbles are a bad
sign [once fully bled].

touch wheel hubs after driving. fronts should be warmer than rears, but
any difference in temp side to side means binding brakes and the need to
recondition. if you're handy with that stuff, look to recondition the
brakes yourself pretty much right away after purchase.

beware steering system oil leaks of any kind.

jim beam

hondaman wrote:
> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
> and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
> life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
> be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
> wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>
>
as stated by others, if you know about cars and can fix them yourself,
go ahead and buy it. it'll be fast, probably reliable and comfy. cheap
to insure & gas too.

quick & dirty:
check inside the oil cover. gummy deposits are a bad sign. excess oil
consumption [if you test drive it long enough to find out or the seller
is honest] is a bad sign. excessive blow-by [oil filler cap off with
the engine running] is a bad sign.

radiator cap, oily is a bad sign. dry is a bad sign. bubbles are a bad
sign [once fully bled].

touch wheel hubs after driving. fronts should be warmer than rears, but
any difference in temp side to side means binding brakes and the need to
recondition. if you're handy with that stuff, look to recondition the
brakes yourself pretty much right away after purchase.

beware steering system oil leaks of any kind.

jim beam

Jason Johnson wrote:
> In article <Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net> , "hondaman"
> <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
> and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
> life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
> be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
> wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>
> You may want to have it checked by a mechanic. A compression check should
> be done. Many engines that have 274,049 miles have what I refer to as "bad
> rings" and that's an expensive problem to fix.

come on guy, how much honda mechanical experience do you have? be
honest. you can have /very/ high mileage hondas that are almost
perfect. similarly, you can have near new ones that are duds. chances
are, if the vehicle's got this far, it's ok. it's all about
maintenance standards. nothing else matters. and compression testing
is pretty much a waste of time unless you've got some academic interest.
minor variance means nothing. substantial variance you can usually
hear on cold cranking. low compression is apparent from excessive
blow-by, and even then, if the car's cheap and only going to be run for
a year or so, so what? it'll still work, and keep on working for a
/long/ time.

> You may also want to run a carfax report on it--don't buy it if it has
> ever been involved in a accidents. Bent frames are VERY expensive to fix.

again, on a car this vintage, wtf does a carfax mean? if it had a
reported repair year one, but has lasted the subsequent 14 years ok,
then what? is it a lemon because it was repaired, even if the repair
was factory standard? how does carfax help you differentiate between a
good repair and a bad one??? carfax is utterly irrelevant at this stage
- it's only possible value is on a nearly new car to see if it's a
re-build or not, and even then, only as a price factor.

> You might have someone else start the car while you watch the exhaust
> pipe. If black smoke comes out--don't buy it.

if the cat's cold, maybe. but if you're looking for oil consumption,
oil gives blue smoke, not black. black is excess fuel, and that could
be normal operation. catalysts mask a multitude of sins.

> Mechanics can easily determine if an engine has a cracked head
> gasket--therefore, have the mechanic check that--that's also very
> expensive to repair.

that's stating the obvious - advice on diagnosis would be much more helpful.

>
> try carfax.com or google Car Fax or carfax

don't waste the money.

jim beam

Jason Johnson wrote:
> In article <Ze2eg.82467$F_3.12351@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net> , "hondaman"
> <jeffscomp@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> i may be buying a 1991 accord that has 274,049 miles on it. the timing belt
> and water pump have already been replaced probably for the 2nd time in its
> life about 40,000 miles ago. the auto trans shifts ok. is there anything to
> be extra concerned about with a car with that high of miles on it engine
> wise. the body is better than some with lower miles that old.
>
> -jeff
>
> You may want to have it checked by a mechanic. A compression check should
> be done. Many engines that have 274,049 miles have what I refer to as "bad
> rings" and that's an expensive problem to fix.

come on guy, how much honda mechanical experience do you have? be
honest. you can have /very/ high mileage hondas that are almost
perfect. similarly, you can have near new ones that are duds. chances
are, if the vehicle's got this far, it's ok. it's all about
maintenance standards. nothing else matters. and compression testing
is pretty much a waste of time unless you've got some academic interest.
minor variance means nothing. substantial variance you can usually
hear on cold cranking. low compression is apparent from excessive
blow-by, and even then, if the car's cheap and only going to be run for
a year or so, so what? it'll still work, and keep on working for a
/long/ time.

> You may also want to run a carfax report on it--don't buy it if it has
> ever been involved in a accidents. Bent frames are VERY expensive to fix.

again, on a car this vintage, wtf does a carfax mean? if it had a
reported repair year one, but has lasted the subsequent 14 years ok,
then what? is it a lemon because it was repaired, even if the repair
was factory standard? how does carfax help you differentiate between a
good repair and a bad one??? carfax is utterly irrelevant at this stage
- it's only possible value is on a nearly new car to see if it's a
re-build or not, and even then, only as a price factor.

> You might have someone else start the car while you watch the exhaust
> pipe. If black smoke comes out--don't buy it.

if the cat's cold, maybe. but if you're looking for oil consumption,
oil gives blue smoke, not black. black is excess fuel, and that could
be normal operation. catalysts mask a multitude of sins.

> Mechanics can easily determine if an engine has a cracked head
> gasket--therefore, have the mechanic check that--that's also very
> expensive to repair.

that's stating the obvious - advice on diagnosis would be much more helpful.

>
> try carfax.com or google Car Fax or carfax

don't waste the money.