buying a vti-r teggy

[Limited]

Hey guys and gals,

I am currently in the market for a Vti-R integra, i have seen a couple and like its performance and looks. I have sold my 89 LS integra and want to upgrade to a Vti-R I am going to look at one tomorrow, its a 94 Vti-R integra, its done 190,000kms, its had 2 previous owners i think.. so i will either be the 3rd or 4th owner, apprently its been serviced regularly but the guy has not kept all the records... and no accident history. Some things wrong with the car: ariel does not extend, some clear coat is peeling off near the sunroof. The guy wants $8,500 for it. Abit worried about the high kms, has any other Vti-R owner experienced problems with their car with this high kms? Anything to look out for? Many thanks for any help i recieve! ~Michael

Ps: sorry if this has been answered before, (i did do a search and didnt find anythin relavent) maybe i didnt look hard enough sorry in advance if this is the case!

[Shraka]

Something to look for: stuck thermostat. If the car doesn't heat up normally within about 10 minutes, you'll need to get that fixed. Lots of Integras have this problem. My 75,000 km Integra had that problem.

Other than that it's just general stuff. Check for rust in the tailgate and wheel well.

[Angie]

I bought a vtir last year in november, I looked at 3 before buying and they were all very different, in the end I found a 96 up the central coast.

Just make sure it is NOT the first one you have looked at, but they are hard to find as there were not many around when I was looking.

[Zilli]

with our motors regular maintenace including oil chages are what determines how long they last... if its been looked after properly with the correct oils thn it should last a while longer yet, but if the guy hasnt kept records then how are you to know?

[JDM_VTIR]

check the engine for any leaks. check cv joints/shocks as they may show signs of age. could cost a fair bit to replace later on. without a service book history it's hard to determine what state the car's in. just saying that the car has no accident history doesn't make it so, without documentation to back it up. take it for a test drive and see how she runs.

imo have a look around for some other alternatives that have evidence of service history before closing the deal. sure it looks like a bargain but are you sure you're getting your moneys worth? there's no rush in getting the 'right' car. take your time. do your research. cheers.

[JamB]

check for CV BOOTS, and Clutch wear

[Limited]

hey everyone, i appreaciate all the advise. I have taken a couple vti-r's for a test drive, so hopefully this one is good *fingers crossed*
some extra info about the car:

Tyres - Toyo High Performance (8 months ago)
CV Joints - Both completely replaced (8 months ago)
Battery ( 6 months ago)
Suspension (8 months ago)
Idle Air Control Valve (4 months ago)
Exhaust - 2.5 through

Will take it to my mechanic to get a inspection before i buy it, hopefully its not a lemon... been after a vti-r for awhile but theres not many on the market in adelaide for the price i wanna spend!

Also, can someone tell me why the idle air control valve was replaced? or possible reasons. Is it a good thing that it was replaced or could it be due to problems etc.

[Spunkymonkey]

ok..some common integra things to look out for:

• thermostat as already mentioned
• the antenna is a common thing - just replace it with a s2k one
• radiator top tank
• water pump
• sunroof stutter (usually means too much driving with the sunroof open...greasing will usually fix)
• power windows shuddering...can be fixed...there is a thread on it somewhere....
• check for leaks in exhaust
• check for oil leaks

I haven't had any problems with the cv joints and mine is on 225K

that's all I can think of atm...but their the main things anyway.

Goodluck with the purchase

[Angie]

I know with the one I bought that I took it to honda the next week to have a major service done, they had on thier system excatly when that integra had had honda look at it for a service etc, which was good because it had been looked at throughout its life.

So that might be an idea to get done, they should give it to you over the counter?? I have had no mechanical issues but the antenna was ****ed so has a s2k one now, overall happy with it.

[Shraka]

Yeah mine has a full Honda service history. I'm only the second owner too. I love my DC2. Pulls a little better than most other DC2 VTiRs, and quite a bit smoother aswell.

[connections]

Also, can someone tell me why the idle air control valve was replaced? or possible reasons. Is it a good thing that it was replaced or could it be due to problems etc.

this is not a problem at all they get clogged up with junk from general use, its a problem that can happen to any car.

[Limited]

Hey everyone, i went and had a look at the integra today, as a few of you said the thermostat is a common problem and this was the case to this car too. My friend checked the car out (knows his cars well, close enough to a mechanic!) did a full check, took him like an hour and a half, overall its in good nick... has a small oil leek (need to change a washer or somethin small), major service due soon, and thrust bearing will need changing soon (maybe in 6 months). Body is straight, no rust and drives nicely. I've put a deposit on her and will be picking her up tomorrow! Cant wait! Picked her up for a bargain too! Im so happy, thanks to everyone who gave me advice
Will post pics up soon!