Too old to fix, too good to scrap...

Turbulent Bill

I've a 98 Civic (MB3 model) that's failed the NCT due to rusted sills and a few other (minor) things. Given it's age and value it's not economic to repair it, so I'm replacing it. None of the options for moving it on look great though:

Without an NCT it's almost worthless, and I don't fancy trying to sell a very cheap car from home given who might show up.

I could drive it to an approved recycler to be crushed. However, it's still great to drive, faultlessly reliable as a daily driver and very economical. Seems an awful shame to dump something that still functions.

Ideally someone would take it as a donor car (or a fixerupper), but I've no idea where to advertise this. Any suggestions on what to do?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Did you get a quote to get it fixed? I would at least get a quote, you don't need a top notch job done, just enough to get it through the NCT so basically cut out the rotten panels and weld in new sections (which can be made from shaped metal from a door or roof skin from a crashed/broken car), primed and sprayed. Like I said it doesn't have to be a top notch job at a dealers, ask your local mechanic for a quite.

Turbulent Bill

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Did you get a quote to get it fixed? I would at least get a quote, you don't need a top notch job done, just enough to get it through the NCT so basically cut out the rotten panels and weld in new sections (which can be made from shaped metal from a door or roof skin from a crashed/broken car), primed and sprayed. Like I said it doesn't have to be a top notch job at a dealers, ask your local mechanic for a quite.

Got a quote previously (when the rust was less advanced) from my mechanic and it made little sense financially to get it fixed. It's more an issue that the car is worth so little, rather than the repair is very expensive.

JohnBoy26

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

I've a 98 Civic (MB3 model) that's failed the NCT due to rusted sills and a few other (minor) things. Given it's age and value it's not economic to repair it, so I'm replacing it. None of the options for moving it on look great though:

Without an NCT it's almost worthless, and I don't fancy trying to sell a very cheap car from home given who might show up.

I could drive it to an approved recycler to be crushed. However, it's still great to drive, faultlessly reliable as a daily driver and very economical. Seems an awful shame to dump something that still functions.

Ideally someone would take it as a donor car (or a fixerupper), but I've no idea where to advertise this. Any suggestions on what to do?

I've owned 2 mb civics and they were great cars but with corroded sills id say it is time to scrap. While it might drive well and is still a very reliable car the work will cost too much to and you will still probably have rust issue after. These cars aren't worth a whole pile even in great condition.

I picked up a mint example 7 years ago for €500. Nowadays with the age of them and in the insurance issues they are near worthless.

greasepalm

i have seen a few bad sills and in around rear stay are very large holes,you never know who might be looking for spares and could sell as parts only and not for road use?

Turbulent Bill

greasepalm wrote: »

i have seen a few bad sills and in around rear stay are very large holes,you never know who might be looking for spares and could sell as parts only and not for road use?

I'm guessing the parts market for these is nearly non-existent given its age. I'd love it to go to someone who would either restore it or use it to keep a similar car on the road, but I don't think they exist any more!

It's in that classic late-90s Japanese era when they got the balance between features and reliability just right. Sentimental about it, but maybe it's just run its course.

corglass

Don't forget about safety, older cars are significantly less safe than newer cars by any measure. While the Civic may be a good driver etc, any decision to keep using it should also consider the reality of driving a car with 25+ (design stage) safety.

jca

Been there done that and in the end the rust won and it ended up being scrapped anyway. It seems a shame to scrap it but that's the cycle of life for any vehicle, it's time has come unfortunately.

Wibbs

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

I've owned 2 mb civics and they were great cars but with corroded sills id say it is time to scrap. While it might drive well and is still a very reliable car the work will cost too much to and you will still probably have rust issue after.

Sadly yeah. Japanese cars of this vintage, especially Hondas can go on forever mechanically except for the rust that inevitably eats them away, unless it got third party rust protection from early on and has been constantly reapplied. I have a Honda of the same vintage and have been paranoid about the tin worm since I got it. At this stage it's more anti rust wax than car. To give you an idea of what can be required...



Bilt Hamber anti rust wax on the outside and inside and that's just on the sills(first Waxoyl and then two cans of Bilt Hamber wax per sill sections). The bottoms of all lower panels, boot floor, cross members, doors, boot, bonnet, underside and a few other places are equally gooed up.

Even with all that and annual inspection and reapplication, I still had a sill drain hole and a Jacking point get rusty and both needed cutting out and welding last summer(and that happened within a year). If you have no such protection and the sills are showing holes you really don't want to shove an inspection camera into the parts of the structure that look OK. They won't be. Sad but true.

JohnBoy26

The ma/mb civics in general were a lot less prone to rust underneath compared to the ek civics but they still suffered from rust on the sills and the arches.

Lord Nikon

If it seems like more hassle to try and shift from home, try trading it in against another car. While you might get €100 or nothing off another car, at least weird tirekickers don't come to your door.

My OH was trying to get rid of an 05 Renault Megane. NCT was out but still taxed, and car was clean inside and out, need some minor suspension work(CV joints/drop links). Was looking for €500 for it, and had some gob****es coming down spotting scratches here, and noises there. Don't know what they were expecting for 500 quid, but the car drove fine and no electrical or engine problems.

Again, you could do without that hassle.

JenovaProject

I had a 96 mb civic 1.5 with much the same issues...ledt it sitting outside the front garden rotting 3 people in 6 mths called in about the car...2 undesirable and last lad wanted it for the engine and drivetrain to use in stockcar and autocross..sold the car for 150..no hassle at all he came with a trailer and lifted it.
I wonder could you get in touch with some people who are into autocross,stockcar racing they might want it for the engine and gearbox if they're in good nick.

Turbulent Bill

corglass wrote: »

Don't forget about safety, older cars are significantly less safe than newer cars by any measure. While the Civic may be a good driver etc, any decision to keep using it should also consider the reality of driving a car with 25+ (design stage) safety.

Good point. I wouldn't have an issue with me (or anyone else) driving an older car - the fact that they may be less safe is a given. However, layering on a potential structural issue from the rusty sills does make me worry enough to scrap rather than sell.

mickdw

What engine is it?

JohnBoy26

mickdw wrote: »

What engine is it?

Mb3's are usually 1.5 eco vtec

Turbulent Bill

mickdw wrote: »

What engine is it?

1.5 VTEC-E, the one tuned for economy rather than redline power. Still averages about 43mpg on the motorway commute, and a bit of fun if you floor it.

selectamatic

As jenovaproject alluded to it's a drivetrain that's somewhat desirable to the autograss, autoX & stockcar crowd.

The long gear ratios suit them down to the ground and they normally ditch the eco head for a normal vtec one or run a carb setup. So realistically if its priced cheap enough someone will surely pick it up. I'd not be too worried about selling from the house as at this price range you shouldn't get much attention from skangers. they normally just steal cheap 90s yokes as opposed to buy them :P

Lantus

It's just a car, dispose of it and move on.

JohnBoy26

selectamatic wrote: »

As jenovaproject alluded to it's a drivetrain that's somewhat desirable to the autograss, autoX & stockcar crowd.

The long gear ratios suit them down to the ground and they normally ditch the eco head for a normal vtec one or run a carb setup. So realistically if its priced cheap enough someone will surely pick it up. I'd not be too worried about selling from the house as at this price range you shouldn't get much attention from skangers. they normally just steal cheap 90s yokes as opposed to buy them :P

Don't know why they would ditch the head. The eco model was more powerful than the standard 1.5 and not too far behind the 1.6 d series vtec which was also not a performance variant. The 1.5 vtec e was also more powerful than the standard 1.6 found in the coupe although the op's car being 1996 could have the less powerful vtec e as the gained more bhp after the facelift in 1997

Edit: just seen that the op's car is 98 so it definitely has the more powerful version

selectamatic

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Don't know why they would ditch the head. The eco model was more powerful than the standard 1.5 and not too far behind the 1.6 d series vtec which was also not a performance variant. The 1.5 vtec e was also more powerful than the standard 1.6 found in the coupe although the op's car being 1996 could have the less powerful vtec e as the gained more bhp after the facelift in 1997

Edit: just seen that the op's car is 98 so it definitely has the more powerful version

The ils in the coupe is asthmatic and an alcoholic to boot.

its the d16y8 vtec head that's favoured I think? the ones that make 130bhp anyways although in saying that quite a few go non vtec dohc zc head with carbs. I don't think many mess with the jdm d15b 3 stage heads as they're rare and kinda dear. They've the best cam profile outta all the d-series heads though I believe.

Maybe some do run the eco heads but I'd say they're in the minority that said I'm open to correction, I've not had any experience of that scene since the Celtic tiger years in the quarry near Boyle.

JohnBoy26

The d16 vtec was 122bhp afaik. The d15b vtec was 130bhp 3 stage vtec but the one we got here in those facelift mb3's was the d15y6 single stage vtec with 114bhp

There was a d15b none vtec available in the Japanese import ek civics as well. I think it was fitted to the lev(low emissions vehicle)model.

selectamatic

Think there could be one of those LEV civics on DD at the moment actually. Interesting idea for the time.

The d16 in the mb's could be around the 120bhp mark alright unsure what exact code they are?the y8 is definitely 130ps/128bhp officially, they came in some of the uk coupes , they'd be thin enough on the ground though at this stage though too.

There's some amount of variations within the d series family and nearly all great engines in their own right.