questions on getting a 1995 Honda Accord its a 5 speed. what should I look for? what may I not know of? or miss?

I have a chance to get one for cheap, & I am sorta desperate for a vehicle that gets decent gas mileage.



I made a sorta mistake last March I bought a big truck that has a big engine & is very thirsty for gas. especially in winter. I had not really noticed it as I had ridden my motorcycle most of the time since I bought it, then it broke down in December, & then I had the flu & not tried to fix, & my truck is eating me alive in gas to point I realise I have to find something economical, & I am not really in the mood to fix motorcycle to ride rest of the winter.



anyway how reliable are these? are ignition modules "ignitors" still a problem? I know many people love them, but I have alot of bad memories from early days when I was working in a car dealership that sold american cars & Honda cars, from 1989-1993, & remember so many customer complaints for failed ignition ignitors, they were on national back order, and car lot had loaned all their loaner cars, & had many cars sitting with customers not able to get a loaner, and no time for ignitors to come in, & it was several weeks if I remember correctly. many unhappy customers, & seeing how people were treated is why I have never owned a Honda.



I had driven Toyota trucks most of my life, I had 2, a 85 & 86 & had blown the engine in the 86 last March, & sold to get down payment plus sold my beater Plymouth Neon, & now I am financially strapped, spending upwards of $100+ a week for gas to go to & from work, & heating fuel, & higher electric bill & I know I have to do something on a budget, & a friend is offering me a beater Honda accord I can get it for $600. I dont have to pay right now.



the car is completely unknown it had been wrecked bad, & towed to my friends shop last year, & customer ordered parts, then wouldnt pay, nor pay for towing, after 6 months of sitting at his shop, my friend filed paper work & got a legal title, & now it has been fixed, I welded in the new radiator support several weeks ago, and we help each other from time to time, he does mechanic work, where I prefer body work, but have done mechanic work on older stuff, & he offered it to me for what he has in it but I know it needs a release bearing as I can hear it squealing, as well as a battery, otherwise maybe a new timing belt,? unknown history, plus right now its just in primer. it does look like it has been lowered & has some new fangled 17" wheels, & like new tread, no idea how it rides, I need a back & forth to work vehicle as a daily driver, I still like my big truck, but I dont want to ride it everyday, & as soon as spring gets here I will fix bike & ride it when not raining.



should I go for it? or keep looking? I need something getting closer to 30mpg, dont really care what I get, as long as dead reliable, & at present cheap, I dont want to try to finance another vehicle, I am paying on wifes new car, plus my truck, & house payment, utilities, insurance etc. & thats where problem is, when I bought my truck, I didnt have her car payment on me, her truck blew engine bad, & she needed a vehicle & we got her a brand new car, & didnt account for driving my truck 6 & 7 days a week, as my job is sometimes making me woork 7 days for 40 hours, & I have a 50 mile round trip commute, & winter I am getting 10 to 12 mpg, summer 15 to 18. my wife works part time & in our area is just glad to have any job.



if I pass I will have to wait until I file taxes to buy a cheap beater vehicle,

 

Hard to say, not sure what the price is. Ballpark number?

If you know the clutch has to be done, add the timing belt job since you don't know when it was done. Don't know if you are going to do those or pay someone.

So those two plus the price of the car......compare that to what you would get for something else - craigslist or someplace like that.

Personally, I think the 5th gen Accords (94-97) are very solid cars. Nothing really to worry about...ok if the car spent time up north, rust will be in the rear tire arch.

But agian, you are on an Accord site so we do kind of like them

 

price is $600 to me.


all labor would be mine or my friends & would be free.


since car doesnt have tags, it has only been driven a couple hundred feet on the shops driveway, & I dont know anything about.


timing belt is unknown, & wondering if should replace water pump as well if I buy?


as for the clutch, it is brand new, 0 miles, but didnt replace anything else, & there is a noise & it sounds like release bearing, my friend had another part time mechanic working for him that was going to get car for work done, & mechanic put clutch disc in, & he caught him stealing money & fired him, so new clutch disc, but old pressure plate & didnt resurface flywheel, & didnt replace pilot bearing, but did replace slave cylinder.


no rust in rear arches.


yes I know its an accord site, & came here to ask from those alot more knowledgeable than me.


most of my life I have worked on older American cars, V8s, with newer american cars 4 cylinders & v6s, some foreign, & alot of Toyotas, as well as Neons, & alot of other brands, but Hondas I havent for some reason, but have done alot of body work on wrecked Hondas.


so a battery, release bearing, & maybe pilot bearing, timing belt, & water pump? & probably wouldnt hurt to do a tune up. plugs & wires. no spare tire or jack & wrench. but for $600?


I know I may can find a nicer vehicle for maybe $1000 or so after I do taxes, but I hate the thought of blowing my whole tax refund, but this one he will give me title to immediately & I actually will just do more work for him & not give any cash, & after $600 in work, he would start paying me, the problem is some weeks business is slow, & I dont work there at all, & I have had alot of weeks where I dont make but $30 to $50, but I have had good weeks too, but not since last fall, its just a small shop, him, & his son & wife.

 

Yes, should have been clear, when doing the "timing belt job" there is more to it. Many offer a "kit" that comes with both belts, wp, tensioners/idler. Some will do the seals and oil pump o-ring while there...others only if there are "signs" of a leak.

Again, with no history you have to assume anything and everything is due - tune up, fluids, ect.

If taken care of, the 5th gen's (94-97) are solid cars and will run for a long time. Any car will have an issue somewhere down the road but these have been around for a long time so there is plenty of support.

At the end of the day you have to make the call. Sounds like you have a bit of time so research the car a bit more....look around for other cars and go from there.

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.