Bye Bye Accord...- rickhamilton620's car search thread....

rickhamilton620

has a fetish for terrible cars
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
16,962
Location
Mount Wolf, PA
Car(s)
2023 Mazda CX-5 Premium
I've been meaning to get to this for a few days but lost motivation. I'm hoping that, by creating the thread, I'll be motivated to follow through and get the Failcord appraised.

As most of you know, my Accord ownership experience has been mediocre at best, with the car breaking literally minutes after signing the title at the DMV.

It's been less than a year and after multiple repairs, a flaky transmission and more to come, I'm done. Consider this thread a chronicle of my car replacement journey, so I don't clog up Random Thoughts Automotive Edition with my bullshit. :lol:

I washed the car today in preparation for taking it to the somewhat local CarMax for appraisal first, rather than Craigslist. I'm doing this for 2 reasons:

1. The thought of dealing with Craigslist buyers sends shivers down my spine and irritation into my brain.
2. They give me 7 days to dither and see if I could do better on Craigslist if they do give a super duper low offer.
3. Is someone other than CarMax going to be willing to buy a car this awful? :lol: I mean seriously, it may need a potentially expensive transmission repair, has CEL and SRS lights on, needs axles, 2 tires, etc.

After I get my shit out of it (not much) and vacuum/wipe down the interior, I'll take it in a day or so from now and let you know how much I get. Hopefully it'll be close to what I paid for it (yeah right haha!)

Oh and the EX badge fell off in the carwash... I swear....:lol::rolleyes:
 
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DHGbD.gif


On a more serious note, check for D21's or, if you're of the mind of something bigger, anything made on the GMT800 or the Panther platform. And if your dad tells you anything tell it to shove it up the orifice of his preference.
 
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I don't care what you buy next, Rick... so long as you learn from your mistakes and follow these rules:

1. Listen to your gut. If something doesn't feel right about the car, or the owner, then just walk away. Be a man.

2. Don't listen to your dad. Again, your money, your decision.

3. Patience.

4. Get a friend to drive you to Maryland or New York. For god's sake, don't buy another horrible Pennsylvania car!

5. Not one word about Saturns. Or vans. Or Mitsubishis.

6. And lastly, in proper Henry Ford fashion, you can have any car you like, so long as it's an 80s era Mercedes diesel.
 
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vintage peugeot... my 2 cents
 
vintage peugeot... my 2 cents

Parts not really available in the US, no dealers, parts you can get are $$$$$. Horrific reliability record in the US, and since they got kicked off USDM Island in the 90s, few are still left. So, no.
 
cough Roadmaster cough



:D
 
I don't care what you buy next, Rick... so long as you learn from your mistakes and follow these rules:

1. Listen to your gut. If something doesn't feel right about the car, or the owner, then just walk away. Be a man.

2. Don't listen to your dad. Again, your money, your decision.

3. Patience.

4. Get a friend to drive you to Maryland or New York. For god's sake, don't buy another horrible Pennsylvania car!

5. Not one word about Saturns. Or vans. Or Mitsubishis.

6. And lastly, in proper Henry Ford fashion, you can have any car you like, so long as it's an 80s era Mercedes diesel.

Also for FSM's sake read and take on board this article that public recently shared on Facebook....
 
I don't care what you buy next, Rick... so long as you learn from your mistakes and follow these rules:

1. Listen to your gut. If something doesn't feel right about the car, or the owner, then just walk away. Be a man.

2. Don't listen to your dad. Again, your money, your decision.

3. Patience.

4. Get a friend to drive you to Maryland or New York. For god's sake, don't buy another horrible Pennsylvania car!

5. Not one word about Saturns. Or vans. Or Mitsubishis.

6. And lastly, in proper Henry Ford fashion, you can have any car you like, so long as it's an 80s era Mercedes diesel.

Pretty much this. If local selection is thin, and no friend is willing to drive you elsewhere, you live near the Keystone Corridor; Amtrak will take you to Philly and if there's nothing there SEPTA has a far reach to other craigslist regions. You're not limited to your local CL selection.
 
Parts not really available in the US, no dealers, parts you can get are $$$$$. Horrific reliability record in the US, and since they got kicked off USDM Island in the 90s, few are still left. So, no.
appropriate for rick then?
 
Inspection services are available. I'd recommend a Peugeot 405 Mi16, but there's a Lemons team that has like four of the things and they've consumed every engine in the eastern US. And probably all the intact cars as well.

Notes for non-locals participating in this:
Buying a less-than-pristine used car from a private party in the state of Maryland is a terrible idea. There are no periodic inspections. And people there are, on average, dirtbaggier than usual. I once looked at a car that looked great online, but the opposite corner from the one the photo was taken at was smashed in.
 
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Inspection services are available. I'd recommend a Peugeot 405 Mi16, but there's a Lemons team that has like four of the things and they've consumed every engine in the eastern US. And probably all the intact cars as well.

Notes for non-locals participating in this:
Buying a less-than-pristine used car from a private party in the state of Maryland is a terrible idea. There are no periodic inspections. And people there are, on average, dirtbaggier than usual. I once looked at a car that looked great online, but the opposite corner from the one the photo was taken at was smashed in.

A co-worker and fellow FG member (paging jibduh) has a Mi16. I'll let him speak on that motor.
 
A co-worker and fellow FG member (paging jibduh) has a Mi16. I'll let him speak on that motor.

Thanks for the heads up, I was looking for a place to vent...

vintage peugeot... my 2 cents

Inspection services are available. I'd recommend a Peugeot 405 Mi16, but there's a Lemons team that has like four of the things and they've consumed every engine in the eastern US. And probably all the intact cars as well.

Notes for non-locals participating in this:
Buying a less-than-pristine used car from a private party in the state of Maryland is a terrible idea. There are no periodic inspections. And people there are, on average, dirtbaggier than usual. I once looked at a car that looked great online, but the opposite corner from the one the photo was taken at was smashed in.

Good Lord, what is wrong with you people?

Parts not really available in the US, no dealers, parts you can get are $$$$$. Horrific reliability record in the US, and since they got kicked off USDM Island in the 90s, few are still left. So, no.

Maybe it?s just part of the pain of dealing with a non-runner right now, but I?m not going to recommend one as a daily driver for a single vehicle owner. Loathe as I am to admit it, ownership of my ?91 has been a bit of a hassle.

Of my own struggle, I just repaired the starter solenoid, which involved the removal of the intake manifold just to get to. (A new one from would have come along with the rest of the starter and required shipping the lump from the UK), and now I?m still on the hunt for the source of my ignition issues (which seems likely to be the CPS? and doesn?t seem to match internet documentation or be available for purchase.)

As far as the car itself, it?s was a blast to drive when it was running. Even at 13X,XXX miles, The motor revs happily and feels far faster than it?s actually going. Visibility and stowage is wonderful, oweing to the age and lack of safety encumberments. Rust, though not non-existant in this Michigan car, has been limited, thanks to the galvanizing. The shifter, pedals, and seat are all quite well positioned and enjoyable to use. Driver-centric, I think the marketing speak goes?

Don?t plan on the electronics working, and you?re guaranteed that the plastic trim will be loose and rattling.

As far as the motor?s reliability, from what I?ve seen, motors end prematurely in a chain reaction culminating in an oily fire and a rod through the block. This demise is by way of munching valves, which is just dessert following the timing belt. Service interval is something like 60k. I?d recommend 50.

Being in the Midwest, locating parts for routine maintaince of an isolated series of something with a dealer network as isolated (coastal) as Peugeot?s and a run as short as that of the USDM spec 405 MI16 (Series 1)?s (No, looking for 205 GTI parts is not any better) requires research equivalent to a thesis defense with finally finding the correct part is more akin to winning the lottery of trial and error than anything approaching a sane definition of routine.

So again for a person with vehicular luck like Rick?s, I?ll ask: What the heck are you people thinking, even talking about an MI16 in this thread?
 
So again for a person with vehicular luck like Rick?s, I?ll ask: What the heck are you people thinking, even talking about an MI16 in this thread?

Yeah, WTF?

He'd be better off with a T16.
 
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