Rusty Accord's Wife's 2000 Sedan LX F23A4 w/AT

Rusty Accord · Mar 23, 2017

Body: Stock. No mods. Naples Gold Metallic

Engine: Stock. Full tune up with EGR port rotor router job IAC replaced, along with new timing belts and tensioners. New water pump done at that time @217000 miles. Also running NGK Iridium spark plugs.

Suspension: Stock. It's replacing a bus, and gets used 7 days a week even in the middle of Michigan winters. Has 195-65-15 All season tires on it.

Interior: Stock with pea gravel added to the floor mats from falling off the bottom of users feet.

Cosmetic: Well used and all 4 corners have scratches and scrapes from the PO not being able to see very well. Looks pretty good when washed though.

Future plans are to re-shoot the hubcaps and the bumper covers. Last fall it got the hood replaced (rust thru spot on the leading lip by the hood safety release) and shot a matching color, along with getting the headlights sanded and clear coated (left over clear from the hood job). This car already has had the fuel and brake lines replaced, along with a few other parts like sway bar links and bushings, front rotors and pads. Not much else but keeping it on the road. Very reliable. But my worry is the transmission, as I believe it's original and I have no maintenace history of when anything was last done to it. We've already taken it on two 2600+ mile trips to Texas and back. Got over 26mpg combined during the trips with the AC on and the cruise set at 80.

My wife loves this car.

Here's a couple of pics of it in it's natural state....dirty.

604ACCORD · Mar 24, 2017

Your like the accord collector wish I had the room you have to collect cars

RedRyder · Mar 24, 2017

Is that an old Volvo or MG or something in the back ground?

Rusty Accord · Mar 24, 2017

604ACCORD said:
Your like the accord collector wish I had the room you have to collect cars

Yeah, I'm sitting on 5 acres here, so I have a little room to keep some toys. What you're seeing is just part of the front yard. Out back there's another 11 hiding out there. Most of them just need the battery plugged in to fire up and move. Then there's still my son's project in the black tent, and an 80 Pontiac TA Indy pace car in the shop (on a rotisserie) getting restored.
Unfortunately if you live in 1 place long enough (29 years here for me) you collect stuff. :henry:

Rusty Accord · Mar 24, 2017

RedRyder said:
Is that an old Volvo or MG or something in the back ground?

If you mean the blue one with the white roof, that's a 1970 VW Squareback. The other car is my dedicated "salt sucker" 92 Geo Prizm. It's rusty as hell, but it's trusty. I've got a weird selection of odd ball cars here, including a 1976 Chevy Vega Cosworth. :Big Laugh:

Sometimes it pays to be at the right place at the right time, and having storage room.

Emphasis · Mar 24, 2017

Interesting cars.

Got a barn back there somewhere? cause it looks like you're raising a flock of cars

Rusty Accord · Mar 25, 2017

Emphasis said:
Interesting cars.

Got a barn back there somewhere? cause it looks like you're raising a flock of cars

Nope, just the mini barn next to the garage. If I had known I was going to collect so many vehicles over the years, I'd have built a 40 by 60 pole barn. Problem is it probably wouldn't be big enough. :beer:

604ACCORD · Mar 25, 2017

Car is in great condition, wish I had a barn to hord lol

Rusty Accord · Mar 25, 2017

604ACCORD said:
Car is in great condition, wish I had a barn to hord lol

Well, almost 30 years later I wish I had a barn to hord in myself. At least I've got the land to build on if I need it.
That's the thing, when I went and looked at her Accord after talking to the seller (he said not many wanted it due to it's "high mileage") I saw it in the rain (Nov 2014), and found everything worked. Yes it had 2 warning lights on (ABS and SRS), but it did all work. My wife took it over to the local dealership (almost across the street from her work) and they ran the codes. SRS was a passenger seat belt (they ordered up a new 1 and called her to let her know it was in and replaced it for free), and the ABS light was on due to a bad right rear sensor that I replaced (35 bucks from Rock Auto).
Since then, the EGR coughed up a code (insufficient lift) and the dealer said it's probably a clogged port and would be 400 to fix plus parts. I ordered up a gasket, split the intake manifold and cleaned it myself. Took a couple of hours to do though. Once back together, the IAC valve started acting up (unless you had the AC on). Ordered 1 of those and replaced it too, along with letting it learn. Since then, no codes.

I did have to replace the brake lines (1 sprung a leak) as they were crusty and flaky. I figured since I was already there, I might as well do the fuel lines too, and be done under there. Now, it's just oil and filter changes, but I need to do a drain and fill on the trans. Figure I'll do that when I do the next oil change. It might seem like a lot of work on an old car (it's 17 years old now), but really it's not. I think part of it is just being in the "salt belt", and getting the maintenance caught up. My wife loves the car, and is extremely happy with it, so we'll try and keep it around as long as we can.