Thinking about buying my brothers TSX, I'm having a hard time valuing it, as I just can't find many for sale around here that are similar to it. KBB doesn't seem to match up with reality either.
It is a manual, 130k miles. Mechanically excellent - perfect or nearly perfect, everything has been kept up very well. Cosmetically... I'd give it a 6/10, but the 4 points knocked off are for rust. Starting on the doors, as well as the wheel wells. It isn't terrible, but it definitely is not surface rust either.
I seem to be able to find absolute basket cases for $2,000 or less. I seem to find perfect examples for $2k more than what KBB says. I can find all the automatics, all over the board.
So... What would you pay for a slightly rusty, mechanically solid 04 TSX?
If it's rusty, not a dime more than $2500, IMO.
There are a lot of things on a car you can fix without too much trouble but rust isn't one of them.
Rusty 17-year-old car? In Florida that's $500.
MT?
you didn't directly say it but I'm inferring
My gut feeling is that it is a $3k car. Then, Covid has probably made it a $5k car. Those are asking prices. Final would probably be $4k. The rust is a big deal in Florida but it is almost a non-issue in Chicago. I am also making no adjustment for the manual trans. On one hand, it makes the car undesirable to a huge swath of the buying public but on the other hand it makes it attractive to a small but rabid following.
Conversely, trade in would be sub-$500. It would then be auctioned off for $2k and with some minor attention would go onto a buy-her-pay here lot for $3k down and enough paymayments to maybe return $5k.
Duke
MegaDork
3/30/21 10:52 a.m.
John Welsh said:
My gut feeling is that it is a $3k car. Then, Covid has probably made it a $5k car. Those are asking prices. Final would probably be $4k
That's probably pretty accurate.
It might as well be decades ago, but in September of '19 I sold my 9/10 2004 TSX with 82k on it for $6000 against an asking price of about $6500.
Yeah with rust I'll say $3k. Seems like a fair number for both parties.
mdshaw
Reader
3/30/21 12:20 p.m.
When you do get it, you might want to replace the timing chain tensioner if it hasn't been done yet. That is the #1 killer of the motor. On cold start up it relies on the spring & ratchet but the teeth wear down & it skips timing. That's how we just got our perfect body & interior 04 for $1400 in Florida. We put in a JDM K24A & it's a fantastic car. Upgrade the sway bars- the rear to a 24mm & front to TL & the under steer will be gone.
Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:
MT?
you didn't directly say it but I'm inferring
Yes, manual transmission, stick, 6 speed manual, manny tranny, stickshift, row-your-own-gears...
Duke said:
John Welsh said:
My gut feeling is that it is a $3k car. Then, Covid has probably made it a $5k car. Those are asking prices. Final would probably be $4k
That's probably pretty accurate.
It might as well be decades ago, but in September of '19 I sold my 9/10 2004 TSX with 82k on it for $6000 against an asking price of about $6500.
We sold our 9/10, 2006 TSX AT with about 130k miles on it in 2018 for about the same. I think it was $5,500. EDIT: Sold it for $5,200. I'd forgotten that the front bumper had come off when my wife parked over a berm; I fixed it with epoxy and zip ties, but it wasn't perfect.
In those 2.5 years, the world has gone crazy and nothing makes sense anymore, so I don't have any clue.
I think I'm at $3k. That is probably being a little too friendly to him, although I'll let him try to sell it for more if he thinks he can get more. See where we go from there.
It does come with a set of wheels, that are actually my old wheels, and new tires too. So that is worth $300-$600.
The TSX is sort of rare but if we take that rarity away, and just look at the TSX as transportation, its contemporaries are "more than a Civic, less than an Accord."
So, in Chicago right now:
2005 Accord w/ 119k asking $4k. I can see the rust on the wheel wells. Low option model, 4 cyl.
2004 Accord w/ 150k asking $3.3k. I can see rust on the leading edge of the hood. High option model, 4 cyl
2003 Acura CL w/ 200k asking $4k. Is a manual.
2005 Civic LX w/ 100k asking $3k. I can see the rust bubbles on the rear fenders. Low option model.
I think this supports that if you want a reliable 4cy engine from Honda/Acura of mid '00's, it will cost you $3k. Maybe the inside deal, family price is $2.5k.
mdshaw
Reader
3/30/21 2:00 p.m.
I feel the 04-08 TSX is much more than a 4cyl Honda. It has what is still considered the best K24A2, it's built on the JDM Accord chassis, the 6 speed is highly desirable. The handling is great when one addresses the under steer which Honda did so as not to compete with the RSX. Even after it's wrecked or rusts away, the K24A2 & 6 speed can be sold easily.
FMB42
Reader
3/30/21 2:51 p.m.
It's a seller's market. But, it's your brother's TSX. So, I'm going to agree with $3K. That said, I'm not a fan of family/friend purchases.
FMB42 said:
It's a seller's market. But, it's your brother's TSX. So, I'm going to agree with $3K. That said, I'm not a fan of family/friend purchases.
Ehhh... It is a common thing in our family. Nobody has gotten burned.
