I'm getting a free car.. Large pics

Mattwizz3

Mattwizz3

Web-er-web user...
My poor old Nissan is on its way out, head gasket went and was blowing massive amounts of steam, misfiring and overheating - the full show with white goo in the oil and everything. I got it running OK again but I doubt it will last longer than a month.:tears:

I originally gave the Nissan to my sister to learn to drive in and to keep once she got her licence. Now its done for we were looking for a car but since she is at university she hardly earns any money so a budget didn't exist. Well after a night at the pub with some friends I found out that one of my mates was going to scrap his car. I took him up on it and for a slab of beer I'm getting his old car.

Its a 1980 Honda Accord, its been sitting in the same patch for about 18 months without being started so I'll need to give it some love to get it going again. The CV joins were replaced a few months before he stopped driving it and after checking it out today it seems OK mechanically, the transmission fluid is very clean for its age, the coolant is excellent and the brakes seem good. I'm going down with a bunch of tools, 2 fresh battery's and petrol on Sunday so hopefully I'll get it running.

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Whatever I get for the Nissan (Probably $200) I'll use to get the Honda up to scratch. Mostly the inside is a bit moldy and it will need a new radiator, but after a good clean inside and out and a service she should be good as gold.
It looks easy enough to work on so I should be able to do any repairs myself, and after a look on the net parts are a little sparse but VERY cheap. Should be a decent first car for my sister. Hopefully I dont get too attached to it before I hand it over to her :D
 
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Yeah its an early type auto that doesn't have a drive gear. Its a 3 speed semi-automatic where there is no clutch but you have to choose the gear. Its got a badge on the back boasting "Hondamatic" Good in a way because at least you have better judgement when to shift rather then leaving it up to a 30 year old transmission to make annoying and slow choices.
 
hahaha, no. A reflective steering wheel cover, park your car in a sunny place for too long and you can barely touch the steering wheel without getting burnt during summer. I'll be organizing temporary registration for it this week so (hopefully) I'll be able to drive it home on Sunday. It drove in there so it should drive out and make the 1.5KM trip to my house.
 
I have had a few older Accord of that model (left hand drive here in the states), great little cars. One thing you may find is if it smokes a little it is usually the valve seals and once corrected your good to go. Old Civics are great also. Good luck.
 
Up here a vehicle that sits for 18 months is salvage material. The floors are rotted, the frame is rotted, the brake lines are rusted, the calipers are seized, and the rotors have no shiny surface left.

Best of luck to you down under.
 
cabinover said:
Up here a vehicle that sits for 18 months is salvage material. The floors are rotted, the frame is rotted, the brake lines are rusted, the calipers are seized, and the rotors have no shiny surface left.
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Wow really!? My friend had an old Holden Commodore wagon which had been sitting for 5 years. We managed to get it going too, the engine was very slow to turn over but after 2 battery's and some mucking around it ran again. The bonnet was subjected to the weather but the other half was mostly under cover.

Even the Nissan this Honda is replacing was sitting for over 2 years when I bought it, and it has been pretty damn reliable until now. I bought it with 191,000Km on the odometer and its got about 255,000 on it now.

The only things I could see on the Honda were the front rotors were rusty, and there are vines growing through the engine bay :scratch2:
I don't think the brakes would be seized yet though, at least I hope.

These Accords actually look really nice when they are in good nick, and in terms of body work its not too bad, paint is OK for its age, one small dint in the back hatch and unfortunately one of the front quarter panels is damaged where my mate managed to snap bits of the suspension against a gutter and the panel hit the wheel. Still only 2 dents on it isn't so bad. And absolutely no rust in it other than very small bits of surface rust here and there.

A good one looks like this:
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Pictures-c4648-pi35640438-1980-Accord.html

I'll let you know how it all turns out, I'm feeling optimistic about it at the moment and I know I shouldn't do that. First things I'm going to do to it is remove those ugly headlight protectors, change the oil which apparently has been in the car for over 30,000Km and get it a new radiator.
 
It's just like bringing a stereo back from the dead....lots of work but very gratifying. It's surprising just how much of an improvement you'll see after a thorough cleaning and detailing. Looks like you could have a diamond in the rough, so to speak. Post some pictures once you get her shipshape. :thmbsp:
 
Well, I drove down today with a friend and some tools, a battery and a can of "Start ya Bastard" (Thats actually what its called, and what is written on the can)

Since we had been down the day before and checked fluid levels and put in some fresh petrol (Turns out the tank was full) we just put in a nice big powerful battery and started cranking it. At first I got pretty much no response, so we started spraying "start ya bastard" in the carb and we started to get some pops and splutters and not long after she burst into life. After letting her idle for about 5 minutes the engine was running very smooth and sounded good when I revved it. I drove it to a car wash and gave it a good clean. The transmission was working well too and the ride was fine. The only thing that I can see that desperately needs changing is the shock absorbers, they basically do nothing and you just bounce over bumps, roll around corners and rock under breaking. So unfortunately shocks are expensive but whatever I get for the car this one is replacing should pay for it... Or most of it anyway.

I drove it home without incident and it was a good drive, so I took a longer road. When I got home to show my sister her new car she was happy, so thats good!
So at least I have something to do for the next month, get her up to standard and get a road worthy certificate for it!
 
It looks okay, should be easy to work on, and the price doesn't get any better (:scratch2:...unless someone pays you to take it! :D). You're doing a good thing for your sister, too -that's good Karma! :thmbsp:


Humidity and exposure to corrosive pollutants (or seaside air, which is almost the same thing) are what will most hurt a car that sits too long. In a coastal jungle, an abandoned car can become almost worthless in just months. In the desert, paint may gradually fade and crack, and rubber parts will dry out and rot, but metal can last for decades and still be good. Melbourne's climate shouldn't be too bad; that car should still be fine. Clean it up and replace the obvious things, and your sister will be one lucky lady!
 
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