So a little about me.
I am 35 and have 2 kids. I have been driving around the same 2003 Corolla S since 2003. That car has been rear-ended so many times it is starting to split in half at the rear doors, so it was time to get something different.
Looking around, I sort of ended up falling into this Accord. I couldn't pass it up, one owner bought new in 99. An older couple owned it and was kept most of its life in a garage. Tragically the driver of the car suffered from dementia, and hadn't driven it for 5 years (ish). I was happy to take this car that would last me another 5 years easy, for the low price of $1,500.
The car is a black Accord EX 4cyl with a 5sp. 177k Miles on it, all the maintenance records, grey interior. Car is great, runs well, no drops of oil, quiet down the highway. All it is missing is the 21st century amenities.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
Anyway, I added a new Pioneer HU with touch screen and blue tooth. Because it came with the capability, I installed a rear view camera too. New speakers to update the almost 20 year old stock ones, and a small D-class amp with a pair of cheap 8" subwoofers.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
I have been checking the fluids since it is a new to me car every gas up, which is around 350 miles. Only getting about 28ish mpgs is rough after driving the Corolla that got 36+ all the time. Everything is going great! Loving this car.
Enter mile 180,000... I go to do the 3K oil change and figure on switching over to synthetic. I crawl under the car, and within the last 200 miles, I seem to have developed an oil leak.
What is going on here? The oil isn't coming out from anywhere on the engine. So I go back above it and find out right quick oil is coming out of the radiator. I've lost maybe a pint or so from the engine into the radiator. But it was enough to sludge up and spill out of the radiator overflow container.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
So, I price out parts to do the head gasket. Head gasket and seals, water pump, timing belt, belt tensioner... normal things for a 200K work over. Those prices are coming in at 300-400$ all told.
Anyway, now I have a JDM spec f23a instead of the f23a1 that was in the car when I bought it. As well as a new clutch and pressure plate, because you just never know.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
I had also noticed that there was some slight chatter over bumps, so have begun replacing parts. I put in new wheel bearings and have replaced the stock suspension with Tein Street Advance Z coilovers. I have an older set of 6 spoke 17" wheels in the shed, but they are 5 lug. I just do wheel bearings, and damn that timing!
Anyway, I will be surfing around the site to learn a few things.
I am 35 and have 2 kids. I have been driving around the same 2003 Corolla S since 2003. That car has been rear-ended so many times it is starting to split in half at the rear doors, so it was time to get something different.
Looking around, I sort of ended up falling into this Accord. I couldn't pass it up, one owner bought new in 99. An older couple owned it and was kept most of its life in a garage. Tragically the driver of the car suffered from dementia, and hadn't driven it for 5 years (ish). I was happy to take this car that would last me another 5 years easy, for the low price of $1,500.
The car is a black Accord EX 4cyl with a 5sp. 177k Miles on it, all the maintenance records, grey interior. Car is great, runs well, no drops of oil, quiet down the highway. All it is missing is the 21st century amenities.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
Anyway, I added a new Pioneer HU with touch screen and blue tooth. Because it came with the capability, I installed a rear view camera too. New speakers to update the almost 20 year old stock ones, and a small D-class amp with a pair of cheap 8" subwoofers.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
I have been checking the fluids since it is a new to me car every gas up, which is around 350 miles. Only getting about 28ish mpgs is rough after driving the Corolla that got 36+ all the time. Everything is going great! Loving this car.
Enter mile 180,000... I go to do the 3K oil change and figure on switching over to synthetic. I crawl under the car, and within the last 200 miles, I seem to have developed an oil leak.
What is going on here? The oil isn't coming out from anywhere on the engine. So I go back above it and find out right quick oil is coming out of the radiator. I've lost maybe a pint or so from the engine into the radiator. But it was enough to sludge up and spill out of the radiator overflow container.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
So, I price out parts to do the head gasket. Head gasket and seals, water pump, timing belt, belt tensioner... normal things for a 200K work over. Those prices are coming in at 300-400$ all told.
Anyway, now I have a JDM spec f23a instead of the f23a1 that was in the car when I bought it. As well as a new clutch and pressure plate, because you just never know.
I'll add some pictures later (in 7 days)
I had also noticed that there was some slight chatter over bumps, so have begun replacing parts. I put in new wheel bearings and have replaced the stock suspension with Tein Street Advance Z coilovers. I have an older set of 6 spoke 17" wheels in the shed, but they are 5 lug. I just do wheel bearings, and damn that timing!
Anyway, I will be surfing around the site to learn a few things.
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