To keep or not to keep, that is the ?

K

Kleanride

New member
So the freakin' Bonneville is becoming more of a headache than it is worth. $700 into it this week because the fuel systems went out...pump, and a couple other things. About 2 weeks ago I put $1200 into new struts, brakes, and sway bars...not to mention there is STILL something wrong with the rear brakes!!!!! :angry

So anyway, I think I am ready to throw in the towel...my coworker is selling a 199_ (early 90's) Civic in which he is the original owner. 106,000 miles on it, he recently did the timing belt and water pump...but other then that it is in good running condition. I just want to get something where I can turn the key and drive every day and not worry about what is going wrong next.

I really don't want to add another new car and have 2 freakin' car payments..... ya know...

On the other hand, with all this ching in the Bonneville (1990 w/126k), is there anything else that CAN go wrong?? New parts (meaning newer then the car, not necc. brand new):

Alternator

Tires

Brakes (still has problems)

Struts

Sway Bars

CV Joints

Radiator

and now the fuel system....



What would you do??? We have a 2001 Civic and it is GREAT! Not to mention the MPG, we both commute the better part of 25 miles per day to work, 50+ round trip...



The Civic is sound pretty good...but I just don't know...

Since you are wondering, $2200 for the Civic plus I have to detail one of his other cars....



Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!

:nixweiss :wavey
 
Keep the Bonnie.



I don't know why, I like them better than the Honda.





But then again, you could sell the Bonneville for about $2,000 and the Honda would be "almost" free. Hmmmmmmm
 
I'd say go for the Honda if you want something that is reliable. I can speak from experience. I owned a '92 Honda civic before the one I have now. I put just over 200,000 miles on it and all I had to do was put another clutch and distributor on it besides basic maintenance. When I traded it, it ran very well but just needed some struts and a timing belt change. The '95 Civic I have now has 195,000 miles on it and runs excellent! I've had to replace the clutch on it as well. ('m hard on clutches):) Other than that, it's been very good to me, no other major work. However, I'm going to replace the struts soon. They are long overdue. So over the years, Hondas have proven reliable in my case. Just keep the oil changed, fluids checked etc. Best of luck to ya.
 
Jake, I like your style! Actually, I just got off the horn with my coworker (telecommutes, lucky b____d!) and he is going to let me borrow it over night to give it a whirl. The distributor on the model is a problem, according to Edmunds.com, but he replaced it last year. So it has a new distributor, timing belt and water pump. Gotta like that!

Good, basic, reliable tranportation is what I am looking for...

Supra next! (hopefully!)
 
I figured there was problem with distributors on those civics. I'm surprised they didn't do a recall on those you know. From experience, I would say go easy on the clutch becuase they will go out on you. Only $400-$500, but who wants to waste $500 on a clutch.:) FYI: That '92 I actually bought it with 101,000 miles on it and it ran like a top 'till I traded it. Just gettin' broke in. :D
 
yeah, the clutch is a concern of mine, because I get 25 miles of stop and go traffic from a far north suburb to heart of downtown Minneapolis!! Yes, the entire way! Oh well, if it goes, it goes, but it would be nice if he woulda had to replace it!



When did you replace your clutch, anyway?



Also, his wife was the primary driver of the car, and from what I hear, she works in the suburbs and drives against traffic on the freeway.
 
On the '92 I replaced it at 180,000 miles, the '95 at around 170,000. Neither were replaced before I assumed ownership. I did a lot of high rev shifting though. (A.K.A. racing) :) I think if you don't wind it up too tight, you'll preserve the life of the clutch dramatically. Stop and go shouldn't hurt it too much and if it's an auto you should be fine. A tip I recieved from the tranny shop is when you come to stoplights, stop and go traffic and such, don't ride your clutch. If at a light, let the car rest in neutral opposed to holding your car in first gear, and the same with traffic never ride your clutch, get in the desired gear and stay off the clutch until you need to change again. It's also better to brake in neutral, not only for clutch extension but icy weather as well. You don't have gears resisting the slick surface. So it's easier on the clutch and safer on the roads.:up
 
My sister had a 92 Civic that was okay. She only had it for a year. The only thing that went bad was the clutch, but that was from her new experience of driving stick. Other than the high theft rate and being broken into monthly, there was nothing really wrong with the car. It was a fun little car that drove good until it was totaled. So, I would invest in the Civic.



Good luck with whatever your choice is.
 
Are you sure you really want a car with that many miles on it? I try and stay away from cars that are over 100,000 miles because that's when things start going wrong with them and not only that, it just means you're going to have to get another car sooner than you might want. Honda's are good cars, but look at the longevity of the vehicle and take in all possible costs that could occur, especially living in Minnesota, and also the fact that no car has the same history as the next. I'd be cautious.
 
DetailGirl



Yeah, I know what you mean about having to get another car soon enough, but the problem is that I don't want 2 car payments...so, assuming this one will out last the payments of the other car, thats what I am looking for. The friggin bonneville won't be making it that far, assuming it ever starts again!



I have owned 2 foreign cars and 3 American cars...from my personal experience (and most on the forum!), the 100k mile rule, to me, applies to American cars as apposed to Jap cars.



I dunno, I just need to win the lottery!
 
Yeah, I would definately agree that those foreign cars do have a lifespan greater than American made cars, that's for sure! Although, my jeep had nearly 200,000 and she was still running very well! That thing could climb trees if you popped it into 4-wheel drive, even more so because of the tires I had on it!



Have you ever checked out CarSoup or even looked in the startribune or pioneer press in classifieds? A lot of times you can find a lot of good deals in there. Even in AutoTrader. But, if your comfortable with it, purchasing from your co-worker might not be a bad idea if you want to save some time and the hassle of looking around and dealing with multiple parties, especially if you're just looking for something to get you to work and back.



I spent my entire year last year researching cars after I made an impulse purchase on my car and I learned a lot about purchasing, leasing, and what cars are good and which are not so good. (My car is fine, it's a 2002 Saturn SC2, but the fun wore off after about a month, I got it because of the story behind it and the uniqeness..it's one of 4 in the country...but that's a whole other story!) If you go with an older car with high miles, the Honda is probably your best bet. Do you live in the Twin Cities area?
 
FUEL said:
Dale you still at the same job that you were this winter?
Click to expand...



Yeppers, well, that might change today....I have a verbal offer from a competitor, but I want to see what the written offer looks like, which should be today! Score!



DetailGirl, yes, I live near Maple Grove, NW of the Twin Cities about 25 miles. I assume that you are in western WI. Do you work in Minneapolis area?
 
Dale- I live in the cities while I'm going to school, but I'm staying here over the summer this year. I live in Blaine right now.



You'll have to keep us informed of what you decide to do with your car!



Good luck with your possible job opportunity!
 
Well, actually, I just got off the phone with the shop that has it (my family is friends with the regional manager of Midas, it pays to know people!) and they have NOW found that the Crank Sensor is shot to ____ and the car is getting no electrical...

They are replacing it for free, thanks to our friend...about $170 job.

BUT, after that, up for sale, we picked up the other Civic last night. Man, that thing is a giant Go Cart! I had so much fun tearin' home on the freeways last night! I think I need to do some small tuning to it...seafoam, plugs/wires, amsoil...but it starts and runs smooth as can be! Gotta like that!



So, after all is said and done, and the Bonneville starts and drives again, do you think that the fuel system actually needed to be replaced? I am kinda wondering.....



DetailGirl: Where do you go to school? I imagine the U or Dunwoody or something like that. Whats your major?

Where is Webster?
 
Dale, I can't say enough good things about Honda, and the Civics and Accords in particular.



I bought my 1990 Civic with 121,000 miles on it in 1999 for $1,500. This last January, I sold it with 240,000 miles on it for $1000. The car was solid and reliable. True, imports can cost more to repair because of parts and a lack of knowledgeable mechanics, but in general they'll save you money on upkeep and fuel economy.



When you purchase this Civic, I'll give you one other pointer to think about. When you go over the car's interior, pull up the carpet under the passenger side front floor mat (it pulls back from under the dash). When you do this, you should see a LED light. This light is an indicator used to trouble shoot the car's computer. If it's blinking, that means the computer is "throwing error codes". Make sure that the light is off. In case the computer has just been reset, start the car, let it run and check again to make sure there are no new codes thrown.
 
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