Looking at an '87 si auto & have questions

[musicalmerlin]

Hi all,

I'm a noob to preludes. I had an '88 accord as a commuter vehicle for awhile and loved it. I'm looking for something a bit more sporty, but cheap this time round. I've found an '87 si automatic locally. It has 107000 miles. Original owner recently sold it. I would prefer that it had the 5spd, but, well, I need to buy sooner rather than later. Otherwise I'd just keep looking until right thing comes along.

Is there anything I should be looking for that would be going about now? I found some water in the trunk (it had rained the night before). Is that something I should be able to find and fix easily? How easy is it to get replacement parts? The current owner said the blower switch doesn't work. The fan always runs unless you pull the connection.

The only other issues I've found are the car took some sort of damage on the drivers side at some point, but very minimal. There is a crease in the pillars fore and aft. Windows on that side look to be original and OK. Is this something that would be easily fixed by an autobody shop or should I let it be? That and while the tires look to have a lot of meat left on the tread don't look OK elsewhere -cracks abound in the sidewalls.

Ideas on how much I should be looking to pay in the northeast for the car? No rust that I could find.

Thanks in advance!

/Chris

[Prelude13]

for a 2nd gen Prelude, even in decent shape i would still offer max of $500-800.
The trunk full of water is most likely a headlight seal or the trunk inner lid is rusted like mine and leaks into the actual trunk. :/

Save your money up and get something in the 90's instead of the 80's. Rust sucks.

[Smok3y]

for a 2nd gen Prelude, even in decent shape i would still offer max of $500-800

I would offer maybe 500 depending on if the car runs and drives good. The northeast is harsh on cars (I'm from jersey).
That being said you may just need to replace the foam seals around the trunk lid and taillights, and depending on the color, just hit the rust with primer to kind of slow it down for now. Body work on older cars is wayyyyyyy cheaper than on newer cars. I'm not a body shop tech, so I wouldnt know exact price, but I've totalled an old cutlass and a ford truck, and I've totaled a dodge stratus and my lude. The difference in price will trip you out.

Anyway to sum this all up -> I would pick it up if you can get it for $500. $500 is a great price for a car that runs and moves. It has low miles for its age also. Its worth the pickup IMO.

[Prelude85]

Really, it all comes down to this. . .if you love the car and have time to deal with it's flaws, buy it.

Some of us will love them and keep it till we die, no matter how big a pain in the ass they are to fix (carb models really), or the lack of aftermarket parts.

Takes a certain kind of folk to own a second or a first gen. You really have to have a heart for it.

If you're just looking for a sportier car, get the third gen. Anyone can own one of those. =P