I found one I like but a lot of the exterior is real fucked.

The paint job is horrible. If I get a maaco paint job with clear coat I know it will look good initially. I had one of these before and it started getting splotchy and chipping off after a few years but I never waxed the car. If I wax the car twice a year will the paint job stay in great shape or is it still bound to fail?

The headlights had some sort of scotch tape like pieces all over it and I wasn't able to get it off with my fingernails. Anybody know what this is and how to get it off?

The clutch still hasn't been changed and the Honda has 110,000 miles. The Honda people said honda clutches last real long (2-300,000 miles they say ). Obviously he would say that since he works for Honda, anyone know how long it will last realistically ("It depends how you drive it", I know and I don't drive bad or too aggressively)?

The sunroof sounds like its vibrating when it opens and does to some degree but still opens fast and closes without any noise; do you think this will cause problems?

The inner piece of the hub caps covering the bolts fell off on two wheels. Are these available online or is a junkyard my best shot?

Thanks for all the help.

4/11/2009 10:50:13 PM

What exactly did you like about the car?

4/11/2009 10:55:58 PM

It drives well, gets good gas mileage, and would look nice if it could get fixed up.

I found the center caps BTW so disregard that question.

I am not so worried about the clutch because I drive smoothly.

I just need to know if I need new headlights (The scotch tape like residue may not bother some people but it does bother me) and if the Maaco paint job with clear coat will stay in good shape if I waxed twice a year.

4/11/2009 11:00:25 PM

Nah, 1-2 years is pretty typical of a Maaco paint job, or any paint job without good prep. If you're really concerned with the car's looks, budget $800 at least for paint, and that's still bargain basement for decent paint. Factory paint is really surprisingly good. Waxing won't help much, it's poor adhesion underneath the paint that's usually the problem.

Clutch could go anywhere from 120k to 200k, who knows. Drive it top gear and really nail the gas, if the RPMs go up without a similar increase in speed, the clutch is slipping. You can also check how far the clutch cable has been adjusted.

Sunroofs leak. I've sealed most of mine with caulk. So, um...

I'll bet he had some tacky ass ricer blackouts on the headlights. Razor blade and rubbing alcohol does wonders.

LKQ pull your own parts junkyard is located in clayton on hwy 70. If this car is at least 6 years old that'll be the cheapest place for misc. parts like hubcaps. Headlights are around $40 each there.

[Edited on April 11, 2009 at 11:04 PM. Reason : .]

4/11/2009 11:02:41 PM

what kind of honda is this?

4/11/2009 11:13:56 PM

Prelude
I found some black headlights on eBay that are pretty sweet for 130$

Also found some taillights to match

The damn foglights are like another 100-200$ though so I'm not sure if it will look good if its not "smoke".
I'm going to have to try that with the clutch, and use a hose to see if any water leaks from the sunroof.
Who does $800 paint jobs and how long do they last? I don't mind if it doesn't look perfect as long as its not chipping and getting splotchy over time. My non clear coat paint job from Maaco lasted at least 2 years without it getting splotchy and chipped with no waxing.

If I can just get the scotch tape off though I may do that. How do you use razor blades on it without scratching it up? Is there anything I can use that doesn't take so much precision?



[Edited on April 11, 2009 at 11:31 PM. Reason : addf]

4/11/2009 11:26:50 PM

Good paint jobs start at around $1500 for base/clear. Alot depends how much prep work the car needs.

Dont worry about the clutch if it drives good.

Headlights can be cleaned/polished/replaced easy enough.

Quote :

"Sunroofs leak. I've sealed most of mine with caulk. So, um... "

4/11/2009 11:41:54 PM

So any ideas on how long a Maaco clear coat paint job will last waxing twice a year? As long as it doesn't go dull, splotchy, or chip its fine to me.

4/12/2009 12:44:43 AM

I really wouldn't expect more than 18 months from their cheapest paint job. I haven't seen it last longer than that on the old used cars we had that we got painted on the cheap. Their nicer paint jobs weren't bad, but I'd really recommend you go to somebody who is a proper professional and NOT maaco if you plan on keeping this car for a while. If it's only for a few years, shoot, just paint it with maaco's midgrade paint service and don't worry about it.

If you really care about the car and want it for a while, get a nice paintjob. If this is something you're keeping for 36 months, go with maaco and don't worry about it.

Also, this car doesn't sound like it was maintained well at all. Are you getting an outrageously good deal on it to justify putting up with all this crap that's wrong with it?

4/12/2009 3:49:17 AM

\-/ondas are a dime a dozen. Wait 2 more days and just find one that doesn't have clear coat failure. It may be hard though .... \-/onda paints their cars for absolute shit. I've never decided if its because I dont see 20 year old domestics or if \-/onda really screwed up. I see clear coat failure on old yota's, nissans, and hondas but I dont notice it as much on the domestics. Maybe a GM fan boy can clear up this mystery.

4/12/2009 8:25:30 AM

any type of popup sunroof is going to vibrate or have other problems. it's just an inherent problem with that design. only larger cars can fit the kind of sunroof that doesn't pop up.

as long as it doesn't leak you should be fine. the drains can clog up too. if it's leaking, replace it with an OEM seal. don't dick around with sunroofs or you will have water in the car or rust in the sunroof area.

4/12/2009 11:30:06 AM

^^^Its was a pretty good deal but after all the repairs and such it will be an ok deal.

4/12/2009 7:37:24 PM

I read that Maaco paint jobs last a lot longer if you get prep work done. Apparently they don't sand (or prime[not sure though]) unless you pay extra for it which is bullshit but I hear its the most important part.

Whats the point of the clear coat?

Are there any other places around here that do cheaper paint jobs?

It doesn't have to be mirror finish as long as it shines, and doesn't become dull, splotchy or chip.

4/12/2009 8:31:08 PM

Clear coat keeps it glossy and gives it a wearing surface for stuff like road debris, gravel, people lightly scratching the car, etc. Gives you something to buff damage out of.

4/12/2009 10:19:45 PM

The car has low mileage compared to other cars and the other cars cost more too. I just had a horrible experience with my last Maaco paint job even though I never waxed it and it was on top of 2 other layers of paint (which came with it).

How long will a clear coat Maaco paint job last with prep work?

How much are better paint jobs, what do they entail, and how long do they last? (try not to surpass 1000$ and the cheaper the better)

4/12/2009 10:46:31 PM

Quote :

"I see clear coat failure on old yota's, nissans, and hondas but I dont notice it as much on the domestics. Maybe a GM fan boy can clear up this mystery."

Not a GM fanboy, but I can say you see it on domestics too. Late 80's to mid 90's Ford products get it BAD. The girlfriend has an '00 Olds Alero that the clearcoat is failing on, though only in patches--still unacceptable IMO for a < 10 year old car. So GM is definitely not innocent (seen it on other GMs too) I don't see it much on Chrysler products, though I've noticed in on a handful of Intrepids and minivans, but then you just don't see many Chryslers that old anymore.

[Edited on April 13, 2009 at 1:36 PM. Reason : d]

4/13/2009 1:35:55 PM

^ My 1990 jeep had it bad as of about... six years ago?

Got it repainted after that. My 2000 Jeep is starting to have the same issue on a couple of select spots. I'm probably just going to repaint this heap once I get a decent paying job around here.

4/13/2009 2:45:30 PM

Well I'm not buying that car.

Do you think I"ll be able to find a 8-12 year old Honda with a good original paint job still on it?

4/13/2009 3:56:31 PM

Quote :

"\-/ondas are a dime a dozen. Wait 2 more days and just find one that doesn't have clear coat failure. It may be hard though .... \-/onda paints their cars for absolute shit. I've never decided if its because I dont see 20 year old domestics or if \-/onda really screwed up. I see clear coat failure on old yota's, nissans, and hondas but I dont notice it as much on the domestics. Maybe a GM fan boy can clear up this mystery. "

93-97 Preludes almost universally had trunk/roof/mirror paint fading and clearcoat peeling issues. Unless you find one that has been garage kept all its life, not very likely to find one with uniformely bright original paint. white ones seemed to last the best and red ones the worst

4/13/2009 4:06:19 PM

I love seeing the paint on Dodge Neons, huge chunks of gray and rust mixed in with whatever color the car was originally intended to be.

4/13/2009 4:17:36 PM

Quote :

"Do you think I"ll be able to find a 8-12 year old Honda with a good original paint job still on it?"

Yeah, check craigslist for cars that were garaged all their lives.

4/13/2009 5:40:45 PM

yep, Honda cars are notorious for paint fading. Especially the red color. My red 99 integra faded unevenly.

4/13/2009 5:43:09 PM

none of my gm red vehicles have faded

4/15/2009 1:40:35 AM

are you dead set on honda??

it seems like most of your questions are related to the paint job. If you dont wanna drop 1000 bucks or so, then find a car with a decent paint job already on it. Its that simple.

what is your price range?

4/15/2009 12:12:01 PM

My 92 Integra is red, and the clear coat on the hood, roof, and trunk started failing about three years ago. Before I bought it (in '99) I think it was garage kept. Since I've had it it has not been garage kept, but I've waxed it 2-3 times a year since. Though I actually stopped doing that when the clear coat really went to shit.

Also, I pretty much threw the towel in appearance-wise when the hood flew up and got all dented.

4/15/2009 1:10:01 PM

maybe you should spend the 800-1500 dollarbucks you were gonna spend on paint and put it towards a better/nicer car.

4/15/2009 1:51:05 PM

^ Agree. Even if it costs $2k more you're better off with a car with a solid factory paint job than saving $500 and having an aftermarket one.

4/15/2009 5:17:51 PM

sounds like a pos

4/16/2009 10:30:03 PM

I'm trying to spend less than 7000$ and do not just want Honda.

Whenever I get a car I'm not going to keep it in the garage. How can I make sure the paint still has a lot of time left? I hear red fades the fastest, what about the other colors? I'd go for blue, green, black, or silver.

[Edited on April 16, 2009 at 11:39 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/16/2009 11:38:48 PM

Hey, this is around your price range and has a straight baller paint job...


http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/1126085870.html

4/16/2009 11:58:37 PM

^ that would be a box

70-75 = donk
76-90 = box
91-96 = bubble

thanks funkmaster flex for explaining this to the white community


let us know if you ever think about buying one, we could care less if you are looking at them, hell i see at less 1000 used cars a day



[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 4:50 PM. Reason : only applies to caprices and impalas]

4/17/2009 4:48:11 PM