Here's what I would do.... Honda is a good car but you are looking at nearly 20 year old car. The car is older then the child who will drive it - rather hard!
I would take it to a mechanic and pay him for one hour worth of his time and go over it on the lift - before you pay for it.
As to rust, there is one thing to have a surface rust, but there is quite another to have rust on structural members and suspension/steering components. These cars are before galvanizing process was in common use. When they rust, they rust badly!
Hondas are well made cars but remember, parts are rather expensive if you must fix them, and no 20 year old product of any kind will be trouble free. Preludes were the Honda's technology show piece, so they are relatively complex cars. That means there are more to break and more to fix when they do.
A car may look pristine from top of the engine, but they will reveal its true self once on a life and looked at from under neath by a qualified mechanic. It will be the best 100 dollars well spent. Ask him to put his finding on paper and give you a quote to fix them. Use it as a price bargaining chip, too.
Ask the mechanic if he would be willing to pay $1150 IF he was buying it. It all depends on the condition.
I did this with my car purchase and narrowly escaped from buying one very abused car (and odometer turned back) that looked just fine from casual observation.
2007-11-27 13:19:17
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answer #1
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answered by tkquestion 7
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Honda's are very reliable cars, and if if runs well, $1150 is a little high in my opinion, seeings how it is an '88, but the owner will thell you that it is a Honda, and that it will run forever, which, more times than not, is true. Chech Kelly's Blue Book on line to get an idea of what the value of the car is. With that said, I could see a few problems here. If he were to get it, first off, teenage boys tend to be a little wrechless and heavy footed when they first start driving, and remain that way until probably until their early 20's. I know because I was one of those kids, and my mother had a '98 prelude, and I was lucky that I didn't kill my self a few times(for example, passing a friend of mine on the left side, on the shoulder which was gravel, with on coming traffic in the other lane, and we still talk about that move!) Second, if he was to get into and accident, Preludes are very small and offer very little protection. He would probably be better off getting a 4 - door Sedan that is larger, heavier, and doesn't have as much get up and go! Good Luck!
2007-11-27 13:21:03
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answer #2
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answered by clarkdubya2 4
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Honda is a very reliable car, but 1988 is a bit too old even for a reliable car such as Honda.
I myself own a 1993 Prelude. the water pump gave out a year ago, it was not because poor maintenance, but purely old age on the pump.
Yours is 1988 one can only imagine what other parts are already wear and tear Due to aging. I can imagine (piston Rings, water pumps, radiator, Ac compressor and systems, etc), because those parts will eventually succumb to old age no matter how good is the maintenance.
I suggest get a car in the early 90's, but if you want to stick to the 1988 prelude, make sure you spare a day or two to check it with a good mechanic, and prepare a few hunderd dollars for spare parts.
Again Honda is a very good car, and the prelude is among honda's top model.
2007-11-27 13:49:30
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answer #3
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answered by dewo96 2
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Hondas of that era are known to rust. If it hasn't gone through the metal, he'll want to do something about it before it does.
There isn't a lot to worry about on that car. It's mechanically similar to its contemporary Accord.
The problem is all the idiots who abuse and modify Hondas not knowing what they're doing. The Prelude, even that Prelude, is one of the three most-likely-to-be-abused Hondas. You want to pay extra close attention to this car's mechanical condition. If you see any sign of modification, be especially wary.
The main thing I'd be worried about apart from the rust (go over that car with a fine-toothed comb and make sure that the rust isn't anywhere structurally important) is the headlights. That car should have popup headlights, and I'd want to make sure that they still pop up.
If it's running well, it's had major maintenance (timing belt and such) done on it, and everything works, it is VERY worth 1150.
2007-11-27 14:39:40
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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this wont be as long as there other peoples descriptions, but it will be more helpfull, 1150 is probably exactly what bluebook says its worth and to tell you the truth an import of that year is not worht the money yes hondas and othe importans are very nice cars and have great potential. but that car was made before honda switched over to making its cars in the united states so parts for it are getting a lil pricy.
also it has rust around the gas cap, wich is soon followed by rust following the gas cap down into the tank and that is not worth the chance. plus body rust means more underbody rust, it may look allright, but underneath it all the suspension has alot of wear already and more than likely a deep surface rust. and thats a problem waiting to happen. your 18 year old is the same age as me and i tell you what ya we drive perfect when we first get are liscenses but that ends pretty quick and then its going to start getting driven like a kid owns it, the car is soon to fail. and is not worth the hassle. take it from me i am 18 and i have already owned over 6 carsbecause of mistake like that and finally i went to a dealer and bought a car that i know is going to work for me, find your son daughter wichever a little bit newer car with a clean undercarrige and a clean body and low mileage roughly 100,000 to 140,000 is decent enough for a 18 year old.
2007-11-27 13:44:21
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answer #5
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answered by ziggy 2
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honda is the best car to get the body cancer is ok shows signs of normal wear but caution on speeding tickets those cars haul
2007-11-27 13:12:31
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answer #6
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answered by Pete P 2
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all older Honda's rust there , ck. when the timing belt was changed, how many miles?
2007-11-30 07:18:37
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answer #7
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answered by jo 3
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