I'm thinking about selling my '95 VX

[IndyFetch]

I am thinking about buying a new Honda Fit for the wife, which means we would have to sell our 1995 Civic VX federal model. I already regret it, since we both love it, but I think she wants something with 4 doors and an A/C.

The VX has many new parts, including a sunroof (1995) tires (2008), brakes (2008), 5-wire oxygen sensor (2008) exhaust 2008-b-pipe, 2010-muffler) windshield (2010), transmission input & output shaft bearings (2009), intermittent wipers (2010) springs (2010), shocks (2010), and more. For details on all maintenance and new parts, please look in the garage on this forum. I also have a box or two of spare parts, including another oxygen sensor, lights, and other assorted goodies.

The car has around 233,000 miles. It runs great, uses no oil, and has no leaks. The transmission does not make any noticeable noise, and shifts smoothly. This is the car that I got 77 mpg for a tank (680 miles!) a month or so ago (see thread "Going for a new range record".

Please see pictures in the garage on this forum. The top picture is the only one I have on there since the car has been lowered. These pictures do not show that the clearcoat is peeling on the front bumper and on the front edge of the left front fender. The driver's seat bolster has been patched. The A/C was not blowing cold (the compressor does kick on), so I cut the belt. However, this car has NO RUST, either in the body or underneath. I can send more pics by e-mail.

My question to you all: I'm wanting to get $3,250 for the VX. I have put a lot of sweat and money into making this a fantastic car. I think it is a fair price, and this would give me enough money down to purchase the Fit we want. Would anyone here think that this car is worth it?

[imzjustplayin]

Heh, what you could do is port over that VX into a Civic Sedan of the same year. That way you'll have a 4-door but with the mileage of a VX. This shouldn't be too much work and you could probably get a body for cheap. I know how you feel as that's the reason why I bought my 4-door Honda civic. I plan to put an HX engine in it but it seems to be pretty hard to source this engine and all of its necessary emissions components.

[ben98gs]

hehe... When he called me to ask if I wanted it since I am local, I said, I really would just want it to swap in the motor (like you are mentioning).

With having to tote my son around, I really need the 4 doors.

I have seen it in person and it is as he describes. I saw no rust, and only the peeling clearcoat which should be an easy/cheap fix at a body shop since it is just 2 panels.

[IndyFetch]

We are in fact getting a new Fit, so we will be selling the VX. The asking price is $3,250.00. I'll listen to offers, but not low-ball ones.

[want2buyVX]

Who rebuilt the trans ?

How bad is the rust on your VX ?

[FrugalFloyd]

As a disinterested viewer, no. A 15 yr old Civic VX with 233k is not worth $3250. Cheap transportation people can buy a similar vintage/condition Cavalier for $1000, and drive it a couple of years on the $2250 they'll save by not buying your VX.

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by want2buyVX

Who rebuilt the trans ?

How bad is the rust on your VX ?

The transmission was not fully rebuilt. I guessed (correctly) that the input and output shafts were going bad due to the noise in the tranny. I called around, and only one place would agree to take it apart and replace only the two shafts without rebuilding the whole thing. Honda West, the oldest Honda dealer in Indianapolis, did the work. The took it apart and found that everything else was in perfect working order. They put it back together, and it cost me half as much as rebuilding the whole thing. There is no more transmission noise.

On a side note, I just remembered that the HVAC panel lights are out. Not that it matters to me; I know where all the buttons are even if they don't light up at night anymore. They can be replaced by a motivated individual by dealer parts for fairly cheap, or by a junkyard scrounger for next to nothing.

As I said (at least once or twice) in the original post, there is no rust on the car. No paint bubbles, no spots at the bottoms of the doors (inside or outside), no flakes on the rear fenders, no rusting components underneath. This is one clean VX.

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

As a disinterested viewer, no. A 15 yr old Civic VX with 233k is not worth $3250. Cheap transportation people can buy a similar vintage/condition Cavalier for $1000, and drive it a couple of years on the $2250 they'll save by not buying your VX.

Everyone is entitled to purchase a Cavalier for much less. Like some other posters on this forum, they will get a decent deal, as Cavaliers tend to sell on the cheap, and a separate thread on this site has one with over 200K miles.

However, also understand that the VX, when driven at its most economical, can deliver serious mileage. A Cavalier can give a careful owner around 35-40 mpg. My VX has seen tanks from the mid 60s all the way to 77 mpg. Also, the VX is dead reliable, a very nimble handler (especially with the new springs and shocks), and accelerates, brakes, and corners as well as when new. The number of new parts and spare parts is to be taken into consideration.

I have seen clean VX models sell for over $3K on this site and on others. Most of those are in the south or on the West Coast; it is hard to find a clean one in the mid-west rust belt. This car was not originally from this region, and it shows. The VX model has a small cult following, and I hope to sell this to one of the enthusiasts who are looking for a clean, unmolested one. Part of the reason they sell for more is because they are somewhat rare, especially compared to a Cavalier. I expect that your Sentra SE-R or even 1st generation xB may share the same fate when you sell it someday.

I expect to sell this car to my uncle in the end. He bought my '95 del Sol from me when I sold it in 2005. Now it is wearing out (after being totaled by an F150, it now has a salvage title), and he is looking for a replacement.

[IndyFetch]

Sold for $3,000. We will drive it for the next few days until our new car is in, and then sign it over. I'm sure we will miss it.