Opinions needed.

[Connal]

First off let me just say that I have been scanning the boards for a while, haven't posted before. I recently purchased a 90 accord LX coupe for 800 dollars. Needed a little body work, 150k on it. Interior is mint for some strange reason. Ash tray has never even been used. Well I am a firm believer in go before show and the guy I got this off of already painted the plastic face around the guages, tossed on a giant muffler, and some clear corners.

What I am wondering though is what you all think I should do. Let me tell you my experience with tools equals=nothing. I can change my spark plugs and oil but that is all I have ever really done. I am thinking of a couple different options.

1) Swap over a five speed and the H22. Wouldn't be too terrible, but I don't have many tools or anywhere to work at. Also it would cost close to a thousand just for the five speed parts in my area. And that is from a junk yard.

2) There is a dealership that has a few 90-93 Accord coupes that are either LX or EX. They have a nice EX five speed with about 100k on it. They want close to four grand for it. I could just trade in my accord with a few fiber glass patches, and make some payments on a decent 5sp accord to swap the H22 in.

3) Finish the body work, get a cheap paint job, a set of headers, and an intake off of e-bay. And then sell it as a "custom" car. I have seen 95 probe's for sale as customs and pull in about seven grand. Use the money I got from selling it to buy a five speed and start the H22 swap.


I wouldn't mind swapping the engine and five speed into it, it is just I have no idea what I am doing and I will admit that. I figure it would be safer to just get one that was already a five speed. Just give me your ideas if you can.

[93accordexcoupe]

# 2

[shawn.hayden]

I'd say a combo, I'd get the one you got right now presentable, but not really go all out on it, then resale it for $2000 or so, and use that as a down payment on a nice one (a coupe in good shape with low 100K miles on it is RARE!)

[ACC0RD22]

If #2 is a 92-93 then I definitley say #2 . . . unless the 90 LX you have now is laurel blue . . . i just have a special attatchment to that color

[93accordexcoupe]

yea dude, 92-93 ex coupe 5spd are rare!!!

[h22sparkle]

I would jsut keep the shit i got now and use that towards a 5speed and cop the whole shit its simple minor shit needs to be changed thats all.

[Connal]

I would jsut keep the shit i got now and use that towards a 5speed and cop the whole shit its simple minor shit needs to be changed thats all.

Even for someone that has no experience doing any kind of work on a car? I'm not kidding, the most I have done is change spark plugs and oil. I know the difference betwen a screw driver and a hammer lol.

I am thinking it would just be cheaper to swap everything.

[Connal]

I'm just wondering what would be easiest on me, and my wallet.

[aero]

What I am wondering though is what you all think I should do. Let me tell you my experience with tools equals=nothing. I can change my spark plugs and oil but that is all I have ever really done. I am thinking of a couple different options.

That is how I started out.. only thing that someone has actually hands-on taught me was my uncle showing me how to change the disc brake pads on his car. From then on, I bought my own tools, changed my own stuff, and learned all I know.

If the one you have now is a pretty good daily driver, just stick with it for now. Dont get in over your head. I am a firm beleiver in the fact that it is pointless to be driving around a car that you dont own... I plan on making sure I never have a lease on a vehicle, just no point.

But if you just use this car as your learning car, you will know where you want to go in the future. Just do little DIY's on this one, learn how to change brake pads, thermostat... whatever little stuff. Jumping into a big project like tranny swap and h22 w/o knowing much about the cars is not a smart idea IMO.

so just stick with this car, save up money and then decide what you want to do. If you plan on starting a tool set, BUY Craftsman or Snap-on. Craftsman in my opinion is better since it is cheaper, and you can exchange them at sears instead of tracking down a snap-on truck. The lifetime warranties on cheap tool sets are worthless, and you wont even want a replacement after you break about half of it.

[h22sparkle]

get a good set of tools preferably from sears. If you rbeak them they will replace it for free. WEll most of the time anyway. As for doin the swap price it out call up and ask around. If you have no experience hang out at a couple of shops and watch them if your cool with them. Observe their situations and ask or pitch in you may learn something.

[90Cb7sleeper]

In the same boat

Hey, im in the same boat to, i bought my 90 lx coupe for 850, as my first car i was kinda skeptical at first to tune it but i thought wat the hell, you only live once and its only money, being sixteen my budget is really really freakin small, so i couldnt go all out with aem,apexi,brembo or stuff like that but i just wanted the show mainly, i kept it simple with basic mods. of course i wanna do the h22 and 5spd swap, but 3k is gonna take me a litle while to save up.
i mean im happy with my car, i love it to death,
my advice is start out simple, read read read threads on this website, this is where i have learnt 90 percent of the stuff i know, and dont forget the haynes manual, it can be a lifesaver sometimes, and just try, decide wat you want to do and work towards it.
thats what ive done and have been pulled over by other accords telling me how "tight" my car is -lol-
Just have fun with it.

[deevergote]

I'm definitely a fan of the 92-93 model. Plus, automatics are worthless for modification.

Although, a guy on the board here (empera) had a 91 LX auto that wasn't in the best of shape. He slapped a body kit and some cheap 17" rims on it, got it half painted (basically flat black primer, I think) and managed to get $3500 for it! He's from PA also. I think he got more than the car was worth though...

You paid $800 for the car, so yeah... do some bondo/glass work on it to fix the body up, take it to Maaco and throw on their cheapest paintjob, toss on some cheapie ebay tuner parts (or find some cheap stuff on the board here!) You should be able to get $2000 for it easily... so perhaps $700 profit.

The newer, lower mileage, 5 speed car is definitely the better deal, even if the price is up there. 4000 is about average for a dealer, especially when dealing with the newer top end models. Also, the less you have to customize (5 speed) the less can go wrong! You can certainly do it all yourself, it's just a matter of how long it takes you. Less skill means more time, that's all.

[Connal]

I really appriciate all the info. I checked at the dealership aagain. They want six grand for it. They change their prices around faster than I have ever even heard. I have asked around and have a heated garage I could do the work in, and almost any tool I could dream of. I'm already out of school (just graduated college) and I got a raise so it isn't really going to be the money thing. It is just the fact that for a 91 with about 100k on it they want six grand. That just blows my mind. I could talk them down, I think it would be alot better to just swap them both over. I don't have any money saved for it right now so I'm not too terribly worried. Just trying to weigh my options. I don't want a ten second car. Just something with a little more oomph. That and I hate the whole auto thing.