My Civic is kinda starting to bother me. The trunk leaks badly (I replaced the weatherstripping which I thought was the problem but it isn't), the transmission leaks, the seatbelt on the driver's side doesn't seem to retract when I get out of the car which has me worried that if I get in a wreck it wouldn't work to well, the muffler needs replacing (no biggey I have a muffler laying around just need to replace it), the driver's side side marker has a hole in it, the driver's seat is badly ripped, the aftermarket CD player that has been put in there sucks and it could use new bushings. Oh that plywood thing that covers the spare tire has completely collapsed. Also the A/C and rear defroster don't work...
Edit: left you out of the title.
Sounds like it'll cost more to fix than replace. Too much for you to fix as well.
I replace mine when they become a hindrance or there is inoperable damage that bothers me.
If I were you, I'd be trolling craigslist.
If it says Honda on it, it's time to replace it.
(Ducks and runs)
My rule of thumb is if it costs more than the value of the car or there is a safety concern then I replace it.
I take the value of the car and subtract the cost of the repair. I compare that with selling the car as is. Once those two number go against me. It's gone. If it is close I decide how much I like the car.
wait...replace your car? Like...get rid of it? I dont understand? Doesnt everybody just put them out back behind the shed?
I'm with Sperlo on this one. Though it's not so much the cost of all repairs as it is something which is inoperable that's a safety issue or is a royal pain. If you're at the point where you can't take it anymore, than it's time to move on.
Important question to ask yourself though. Can you afford to replace it with something that won't have as many headaches?
4cylndrfury wrote:
wait...replace your car? Like...get rid of it? I dont understand? Doesnt *everybody* just put them out back behind the shed?
I'm with this guy.... Never get rid of anything, it may come in handy later on. 
Klayfish wrote:
Important question to ask yourself though. Can you afford to replace it with something that won't have as many headaches?
I replaced the Deathscort with a 4 cylinder Ranger that I blew the clutch in two weeks later. Replaced the clutch, slave, master, hydraulic line, pilot, throw out, and bypass hose. Just finished in 30° weather.
It happens.
Klayfish wrote:
Important question to ask yourself though. Can you afford to replace it with something that won't have as many headaches?
There in lies the problem. Honestly the only two problems that really worry me are the seatbelt and the leaking trunk. And it seems like the seatbelt still grabs when you slam on it. It just needs help to roll up.
I usually replace cars because I'm bored with them before they wear out on me.
I have gotten rid of a few cars because they were money pits, too many repairs in too short of a time kinda thing...
No shortage of used '93 Civic parts out there.. the seatbelt should be a $10 - $20 fix and take about an hour. I had to do the ones in my old CRX and it was super easy. Bought junkyard belts and they were bolt in and go.
I replace cars when I'm bored of them or when the problems get to be too much for me to justify or enjoy fixing.
When you get tired of working on them.
dculberson wrote:
No shortage of used '93 Civic parts out there.. the seatbelt should be a $10 - $20 fix and take about an hour. I had to do the ones in my old CRX and it was super easy. Bought junkyard belts and they were bolt in and go.
I would be a bit nervous about replacing them with old ones...
The other problem is I kinda like the car.
docwyte wrote:
I usually replace cars because I'm bored with them before they wear out on me.
^ this
I am in the process of selling the longest ownership experience I've had with a toy car (5yrs) and that was only because I really enjoyed driving it and nothing else popped up to take it's place.
Since I jumped over the w2w racing cliff my priorities have shifted to pining after small increases in performance at great cost. Now all the "other" toys look like assets that need to be liquid pronto.
As an aside to that... What do you suppose an attractive, middle-aged mother of two with a small sustainable income can fetch on the open market?
When I find myself spending as much money in parts to keep a car going as it would to simply buy another, I start to consider replacing it.
When I find myself coming home on a tow truck regularly, and I'm no longer willing to drive it outside my AAA towing coverage, I start to consider replacing it.
When I'm bored or sick of the car (almost any car) and I simply want/need a change.
Honda has a lifetime warranty on seatbelts.
Go to a dealer, and they will change it. Free.
Ron Bouchard Honda in Fitchburg, MA did exactly that on my '91 CRX four years ago.
chaparral wrote:
Honda has a lifetime warranty on seatbelts.
Go to a dealer, and they will change it. Free.
Really? I hadn't heard that. Link or something?
In reply to 93EXCivic:
https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/E10303/E10303O00050A.pdf
Bottom of page 53.
tuna55
UberDork
1/16/13 9:53 a.m.
The devil you know...
Unless I am sweating cash out my pores, I'll keep vehicles until they are going to require more than the all-in cost on a replacement. or are seriously under-rated for the duty I am using them for (the Cruiser is going to need to carry three kids in carseats back and forth to school in 18 months - ain't happening). I'd keep it.
93EXCivic wrote:
the aftermarket CD player that has been put in there sucks and it could use new bushings.
The CD player bushings can wait.
93EXCivic wrote:
Klayfish wrote:
Important question to ask yourself though. Can you afford to replace it with something that won't have as many headaches?
There in lies the problem. Honestly the only two problems that really worry me are the seatbelt and the leaking trunk. And it seems like the seatbelt still grabs when you slam on it. It just needs help to roll up.
It sounds to me like a fun morning at the pick and pull lot would fix a lot. The trunk leak shouldn't be too hard to figure out.
If it isn't a rusty POS I would keep it. This is coming from a man with 26 YO pickup with 356k miles.
chaparral wrote:
Honda has a lifetime warranty on seatbelts.
Go to a dealer, and they will change it. Free.
Ron Bouchard Honda in Fitchburg, MA did exactly that on my '91 CRX four years ago.
no E36 M3? i'll have to get my wife's 230k '03 ody fixed. retractors on both front seats don't really retract anymore.
I got rid of the last one when Cancer was starting to get really bad in really bad places and the cost of fixing it would have exceeded the value of the car twice. Plus, it was still worth something on trade in.
