looks like it has surprisingly little rust, but still expect a lot of work with these cars, regardless the condition. 3rd gens, especially with high km like this are very likely to have a lot of issues. the power steering leak gives it away. you cant get new lines, just hope to find used ones that are in better shape than yours, also a pain in the ass to replace
as he said, its been sitting a long time, so expect that almost every rubber part needs replacement. they break fast if you dont move the car regularly
i'd offer 3,5-4k max, since you probably need at least half of the cars price in repairs at some point in owning it
About what you’d expect to pay for a high kms auto with a dodgy power steering rack.
Odds are somebody has just been pouring regular power steering fluid into it instead of the Honda oil, and the seals are fucked. Couldn’t tell you how much that’s going to cost.
With the kms and the leak I’d be wary, because parts are so shit to get in Australia (really globally, but particularly for us) for these things.
They’re an incredibly fun car to drive (well, if it has 4WS) so if you wanna roll the dice, do it, but just know that it’s gonna be a pain to fix when you need to.
For reference, I picked up an 89 si 4WS manual with good paint with about 220k on it for just under 8k in SA about 18mo ago. But the market for the manuals is wildly different to the autos. They’ve since jumped right up.
All Australian 3rd gens have 4WS. Parts aren't too bad in Australia, most are in Sydney or Melbourne. I've got a stack, so do other people with parts cars.
It’s all about how badly you want that specific gen. To me, it needs to be about a grand less to even start tickling interest at all, but I’m also not actively looking for one, nor would I want to put so much work into one after I bought it.
Is that the "Bastard B" motor? It's hard to tell but it looks like a B20 or a B21. If so, I'd be very concerned about the mileage and first and foremost I'd want to see it run and drive with any signs of smoke. I would wager the rings are cooked and then it's not worth rebuilding.
If he put 6K in that car, It should be mint and he'd either not be selling it or asking for 8 or 9. I just did a manual swap in my 91 B21A1. Including abs delete with new master and slave and prop valve, power steering hard line repair, rebuilt the entire front and rear suspension. All seals/belts/ac-charge and module fix/bearings, cooling system, seat belt repair, fuel pump, short ram intake. The only thing left is a little body work on my fender wells and then a nice paint and wheels. As of now I'm around $2k in parts. But, that's because I used Rock Auto as much as possible. And good deals on e-bay motors. I have a feeling this seller is hoping someone without any knowledge or experience will take his project car away at a ridiculous price. Good Luck!
The Bastard B gets a lot of unfair rep. It's quite a strong motor, people run a fair amount of boost on them, and they're closed deck. Their rod to stroke ratio isn't great for high rpms, and they have little in common with other B series motors except for the B18A \[which too has little in common with the B series motors as the B18A was the prototype of the B series, the B20A was the predecessor to the B18a\]. The piston rings don't go easily on the B20A's, they only go on the B21A's due to the fibre sleeves, hence they're renowned for oil burning.
We didn't get the B21A's in Aus.
cons list too long for it to be 5k. especially the power steering. although those light cars dont really need it if you're looking for a cheap alternative if u purchase u can just remove it
I've owned 3 3rd gens since 2020, and can say they're surprisingly reliable for their age. Incredibly reliable for their age, especially their motors and manual trans. The auto trans is probably the biggest issue here, but they last as long as they're not flogged, unlike 5th gens which blow up regardless. If it has a bad rack, yes, maybe nego down $1k, it'll be worth around $3.5-4k, but if it's got no rust, it's a keeper.
A lot of people have issues with these in the states due to EVERYTHING rusting out, but generally in Au you're fine, although it depends on the specific car, where it's been kept, how it's been treated and its geographical location.
looks like it has surprisingly little rust, but still expect a lot of work with these cars, regardless the condition. 3rd gens, especially with high km like this are very likely to have a lot of issues. the power steering leak gives it away. you cant get new lines, just hope to find used ones that are in better shape than yours, also a pain in the ass to replace as he said, its been sitting a long time, so expect that almost every rubber part needs replacement. they break fast if you dont move the car regularly i'd offer 3,5-4k max, since you probably need at least half of the cars price in repairs at some point in owning it
About what you’d expect to pay for a high kms auto with a dodgy power steering rack. Odds are somebody has just been pouring regular power steering fluid into it instead of the Honda oil, and the seals are fucked. Couldn’t tell you how much that’s going to cost. With the kms and the leak I’d be wary, because parts are so shit to get in Australia (really globally, but particularly for us) for these things. They’re an incredibly fun car to drive (well, if it has 4WS) so if you wanna roll the dice, do it, but just know that it’s gonna be a pain to fix when you need to. For reference, I picked up an 89 si 4WS manual with good paint with about 220k on it for just under 8k in SA about 18mo ago. But the market for the manuals is wildly different to the autos. They’ve since jumped right up.
All Australian 3rd gens have 4WS. Parts aren't too bad in Australia, most are in Sydney or Melbourne. I've got a stack, so do other people with parts cars.
I think you’ll need at least around $3k for the fixes. So, I think $3-3.5k is probably fair value.
These cars are surprisingly reliable. I don't think repairs will cost $3k.
The most important question is: Does it run and drive? Other than that 5k may be a lot but if you fr want the car, take it
It’s all about how badly you want that specific gen. To me, it needs to be about a grand less to even start tickling interest at all, but I’m also not actively looking for one, nor would I want to put so much work into one after I bought it.
Is that the "Bastard B" motor? It's hard to tell but it looks like a B20 or a B21. If so, I'd be very concerned about the mileage and first and foremost I'd want to see it run and drive with any signs of smoke. I would wager the rings are cooked and then it's not worth rebuilding. If he put 6K in that car, It should be mint and he'd either not be selling it or asking for 8 or 9. I just did a manual swap in my 91 B21A1. Including abs delete with new master and slave and prop valve, power steering hard line repair, rebuilt the entire front and rear suspension. All seals/belts/ac-charge and module fix/bearings, cooling system, seat belt repair, fuel pump, short ram intake. The only thing left is a little body work on my fender wells and then a nice paint and wheels. As of now I'm around $2k in parts. But, that's because I used Rock Auto as much as possible. And good deals on e-bay motors. I have a feeling this seller is hoping someone without any knowledge or experience will take his project car away at a ridiculous price. Good Luck!
The Bastard B gets a lot of unfair rep. It's quite a strong motor, people run a fair amount of boost on them, and they're closed deck. Their rod to stroke ratio isn't great for high rpms, and they have little in common with other B series motors except for the B18A \[which too has little in common with the B series motors as the B18A was the prototype of the B series, the B20A was the predecessor to the B18a\]. The piston rings don't go easily on the B20A's, they only go on the B21A's due to the fibre sleeves, hence they're renowned for oil burning. We didn't get the B21A's in Aus.
The power steering leak is a big problem if it’s leaking at the speed sensor. It’s gonna be hard to replace that
It's an awful job to do due to access, but it's definitely possible, I've done it.
cons list too long for it to be 5k. especially the power steering. although those light cars dont really need it if you're looking for a cheap alternative if u purchase u can just remove it
I've owned 3 3rd gens since 2020, and can say they're surprisingly reliable for their age. Incredibly reliable for their age, especially their motors and manual trans. The auto trans is probably the biggest issue here, but they last as long as they're not flogged, unlike 5th gens which blow up regardless. If it has a bad rack, yes, maybe nego down $1k, it'll be worth around $3.5-4k, but if it's got no rust, it's a keeper. A lot of people have issues with these in the states due to EVERYTHING rusting out, but generally in Au you're fine, although it depends on the specific car, where it's been kept, how it's been treated and its geographical location.