To anyone who knows more than I do about these cars....which doesn't take
much, obviously.
I have the...opportunity??...to pick up an 86 CRX si for cheap. ($200 max,
probably $100). It ran when it was parked about 9 months ago. 90k miles on
it. Very little rust on it. (It lived in Kansas for the majority of its life.)
The problem that forced its parking: the cam seal in the head leaks. A lot.
As in "you can see where it's gone by following the oil trail." Yes, this
IS a Honda, not a British car. (Just kidding...mostly.)
The owner isn't really a car guy, and the mechanic he took it to said it
would need a new head, and probably the entire engine rebuilt because the
bottom end of the engine wouldn't be able to take the compression from the
rebuilt head. That's why he'll part with it super-cheap. It sounds like it
wasn't burning oil much, if at all, before the seal let go...
I'm not afraid (even though I probably SHOULD be ;-) ) to tear into things
like that, and my gut reaction is that I can't go wrong for $100 or less.
The questions:
* How hard is it to replace that seal? Is it something that could even be
done with the head still on the car? (Is this common on these cars?) Would
a used/rebuilt head be a better idea?
* What else should I look for on the car in general?
If I end up with this thing, it'll either be a fun little winter
project/autocross toy, or it'll be a cheap work car to keep my real baby
out of the snow and salt here in Iowa. I realize it'll take a little bit of
cash either way, but virtually free is a good place to start...
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Jarrod
(If this comes through twice, I apologize...I realized I sent it from my
work account, while my home account is subscribed....so, in theory, the
original one is in the bit-bucket. Hopefully.)
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Jarrod Igou jigou@dmreg.infi.net OR bluegsr@hotmail.com
1999 Integra GS-R - SuperSonic Blue Pearl
Des Moines, Iowa
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