Things I should look out for?

[JDMWhore]

Hey guys,
After working my arse off as a cashier in a newsagency for the past 2 and a half years.. I've finally whiped up enough dosh to start looking into buying an ITR.. I'm intending on buying a DC2R rather than the DC5R but i just want a heads up on what it is exactly that i should look out for seeming as some of these cars can be over 8 years old..
My main concern is probably transmission, then probably structual damage.. mostly because they can be costly to fix, or sometimes not fixable at all.. I've bought a car that was a cut n shut job ages ago and got pretty pissed off only to find the problem when i started working on it.. so can someone gimme a hand into what i should look out for and how i should spot them..

cheers people, any help is much appretiated.. I'm quite excited about the whole thing actually hahaha its my dream car xP

[NightKids]

Great to see someone who actually saves for their dream car instead of it being handed to them by their parents. I drive an EG so can't help you but just wanna say good work & I hope you get the perfect ITR

[vishta]

Do a REVS (https://online.revs.nsw.gov.au/revs/public.htm) check before you buy the car maybe? You can see if that car has been written off or under finance, or if you really like that car, pay for NRMA check.:thumbsup: Good Luck

[cymax]

look out for crunching sound on the transmission when test driving the car.Gear box can be costly to replace or sometimes shortage in the market.

See if there's oil marks on the seal of the rocket cover. If there's oil leaking out from there, u might need to reseal it or something might be really wrong. Lookout for oil leaks at the engine block (Around the engine block number) as well. My mechanic didn't want to issue pink slip to my friend because of that.

Finally, check if there's any obvious coolant leak under the radiator.

Good luck and all the best.

My 2 cents worth

[marky53]

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18699

heaps of helpful info

[Zilli]

Good points above, if you see that stuff that it is a complete heap of rubbish... but i truly dont think that you will see things like this from a car of this calibre and age unless it has been meddled with too much by an overexcited owner etc...

Structural damages are difficult to see, unless you get underneath and check for obvious cut and shut work... previous accident damage you can tell by inconsistant paint finish in colour and physical properties such as orange peel, check for panel gaps as a sign as well... check the log books for regular servicing, and check your diptsick/oil/under oil filler cap to see if it is covered in black carbon indicating irregular oil changes.

the gearbox shouldnt crunch into gears, should be direct and smooth, the clutch should bite well with no slippage, listen out for clutch noise when disengaged vs engaged for clutch fork/release bearing issues which plague most Honda's. Do the obligatory figure 8 turn test under slight gas to check for CV noise and or engine mount issues...

In the interior, look for loose plastic panels, and overly creaky and vibrating panels indicating someone has messed with peices and broken clips, bearing in mind the DC2R from the factor was stiffly sprung, and Honda provided no warranty on vibration and rattles (true story, i found out the hard way!)... make sure all the panels are there and the badge under the handbrake console... look for worn bolsters on the recaros, and for sun damage to the top of the steering wheel...

All in all, you need to understand that it's an 8 year old car, and im not sure whether you are willing to compromise or if you are looking for an absolutely immaculate car... also note that these cars are currently being molested by P platers unfortunately, so there are going to be a fair few raped examples out there...

Good luck mate.

[cymax]

Oooohh.... New things learned! Especially the figure of 8 thingy....

I think most importantly, be patient when looking for your car. Don't be too impulsive in making decision. Give yourself more time to decide in terms of the condition of the car, how much you are willing to compromise and how much you are willing to pay for such compromisation.

Remember, you are not oblidgated to buy the car when inspected it. You have the right to walk away if you think the car don't suit your budget or the condition you want.

I look forward to the coming of your DC2R....Welcome to the team DC2R team!

[teggiboy]

I would stay away from anything that has heavy modifications... stuff like I/H/E is ok, but any more performance mods would probably mean its been raced and thrashed. Also don't just go for the cheapest one you find on the market... sometimes its worth paying a few grand extra for a car that's been looked after better.

When I bought my DC2R back in 2005, i could have got a stock 1999 model with 90,000kms on the clock for $24k.... but i decided to go for a 2001 model with yellow recaro's, I/H/E, oem bodykit and 56,000kms on the clock for $27.7k. It was almost 4k more than the other one, but this was immaculate.

It has been my dream car since it came out in 1999 and I was so happy the day I drove it home.

Good luck in finding ur DC2R... i had to see a few b4 i bought this one, so take your time and a decent one will turn up!

[SuiJin]

ur in melbourne just get a racv check and u'll get everything u need to know about the car

[Zilli]

^ LOL... those things are a waste of money, anyone with half an idea about a car can do the same thing...

[cymax]

I've never thought of doing that..haha...perhaps i'm still noobie...haha...

[mrwillz]

if a racv report says a car is ok and it turns out it isnt all ok, i heard that racv can be liable for damages? dont quote me tho

it might be worth getting a 2nd opinion about cars
spend the odd 150-200bux for a full inspection rather then finding out for urself after u've purchased a car

[ekvtir90]

if a racv report says a car is ok and it turns out it isnt all ok, i heard that racv can be liable for damages? dont quote me tho

it might be worth getting a 2nd opinion about cars
spend the odd 150-200bux for a full inspection rather then finding out for urself after u've purchased a car

RACV Offers a Pre-Pruchase inspection for non members for $215 and $165 for racv members, Members also get a 30 day mechanical guarantee meaning if they haven't detected anything wrong with the car and afterwards in the 30 days you drive the car and something goes wrong you have the warranty to go back to racv. Can't really go inspecting every car you see it will be a big waste, Only order a racv inspection when you are very certain that your going to buy the car.

[AzKik-R]

buy mine if you like!!!!
58km's on the clock - this must be a record low km's for this car.
it's yellow, with yellow recaro's
the black suade seats in the back
FACTORY ENGINE
factory exhaust/headers,
I have a carbon fibre power intake thingy, and the factory intake if you're fussy
i have the factory rims, and a set of buddy club p1's
yes, the factory rims are carved up, the buddy's are clean both have good sets of tires
this was a demo car for Darwin Honda
so it has factory option a/c and anything else a honda showroom would put on the floor as the demo car.
purchased by a 50 year old copper who recieved a work car shortly after purchasing this car
I purchased it from him and it's been my pride and joy for about a year now.
Have replaced the factory speakers, an area honda seam to overlook, factory ones appear to deteriate.
pm me if you're interested

gets polished/waxed cleaned regularly
has 2 very minor dents that only i notice when i polish,
about 3 small stone chips on the bonnet, and maybe the bottom lip could use a re-sprey

[TypeS]

Get a compression and leak down test done, it will give you a great indication on the health of the engine.

[JDMWhore]

Thanks for the help guys.. REVS check is awesome btw.. huge help from that..
cheers

[JDMWhore]

Hey guys.. just one more question.. if the car is under finance, does that mean that the creditors will come after me if the seller doesn't pay off his loan.. and does it mean that they can take the car from me as well.. I've read up on what i need to do about it, like pay of the sellers creditors and give the seller whats left over, but people are telling me a different story.. I'm being told that the car has nothing to do with the sellers loan, and that if he cant pay it they'll find other things to compensate for it? can anyone verify that?