Is this a bad buy?

BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Hi everyone, I've just joined this forum as I have finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a DC5R.

I am looking on the lower end of the market as my budget is around £11K.
I have been looking at this particular car for a couple of weeks and been speaking to the owner, what are your opinions on this car?
Info below:


2001 DC5 in CW, 140,000 miles for £9900.

It has had extensive rust repair just completed and had a timing chain at 100k miles.

Owner says there is small blemishes and hairline stress cracks in small areas of the paintwork but apart from that it is supposedly a decent car.

Thank!
 

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skengdR

Advanced Member
Messages
342
the seats would put me off this purchase.

you gotta get the wheels off to really check if the rust issues were resolved , it looks like its had some restoration work done so hopefully they sorted it properly

the photos dont really show the wheel wells / arches

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BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Thanks for the responses so far, the rust does scare me a bit tbh but you would hope if someones gone to that extent then they would do a proper job. Im a mechanic so any mechanical issues I can sort myself easy enough but bodywork I wont touch! Ive got some more before photos to show the extent of the rust before the repair.
 

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Lemons

Advanced Member
Messages
372
Personally I couldn't buy that car for eleven thousand pounds. Can you stretch the budget for a better car? You would most likely get the extra back when you come to sell.

Not quite the same but I went to see a "cheap" EK9 recently, had it been an EJ9 it would have been in the scrap heap, it was terrible, no matter how much they have "increased in price" sometimes you just need to take a step back and see it for what it really is.

In the long run I think buying a really good car for a higher price works out cheaper.
 

BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Personally I couldn't buy that car for eleven thousand pounds. Can you stretch the budget for a better car? You would most likely get the extra back when you come to sell.

Not quite the same but I went to see a "cheap" EK9 recently, had it been an EJ9 it would have been in the scrap heap, it was terrible, no matter how much they have "increased in price" sometimes you just need to take a step back and see it for what it really is.

In the long run I think buying a really good car for a higher price works out cheaper.
Thanks for you honest replies! Yeah I 100% understand what you are saying, at the end of the day I'm looking at giving 11K for a rusty early 2000s Honda that has well over 100,000 miles on it. On paper it does sound ridiculous but in my head it makes sense.

I don't get great vibes from the above car so I'm not sure if I will even view it. However, do you really think 11K is not enough to even secure a semi decent DC5 nowadays?
I see many on Autotrader for around the 15K mark but how am I ever going to know if those cars are really any better and worth the extra 4K? Its impossible to see a car inside and out when you are buying it so I'll only ever know once I've handed over the money and it's too late :(

I understand my budget is tight, but if I can secure something with reasonable bodywork then I can carry out any extra mechanical work myself over time. I don't expect a great car for my budget but at least something to work from? Does that sound realistic to you?

Thanks Again!
 

Lemons

Advanced Member
Messages
372
Yeah agree with what you are saying. I'm not sure I would get 15k for mine if I put it up (imported 2017 by TGT never used in winter), is anything actually selling at these prices?

No idea, perhaps life is short and you just need to get on with it?
 

BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Yeah agree with what you are saying. I'm not sure I would get 15k for mine if I put it up (imported 2017 by TGT never used in winter), is anything actually selling at these prices?

No idea, perhaps life is short and you just need to get on with it?
I have noticed that the ones for sale around the 15K mark are not seeming to sell and have been on there for months. However the 9K-13K ones tend to go almost overnight sometimes! Its a strange market at the moment and I think people are just trying to rinse every penny they can when selling a car as it's likely that they are paying over the odds for the one they are buying.
Life is definitely too short, I'm actively looking everyday for the right car to come up, just a matter of time I hope.
Thanks for your advice.
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Those rust repairs look the result of water leaks that were never attended to. That corner in the boot is where water would have been getting past the rear light seals and the main floor under the seats could well have been coming from the room seams. Seam sealer is awful on some of these cars so it's something to watch out for.

It depends how long you intend in keeping the car? Personally if I was looking for a long term car then I would invest a little more money into getting a rust free one. Those are the ones that are going to survive the next 10+ years. The cheaper ones are always going to sell but you get what you pay for. BUT be careful of chancers trying to sell their rubbish at the top end of the market!

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BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
I do intend on keeping the car for the foreseeable future, it may sound sad but this is a dream car of mine that I've wanted since I was a child! So it is something I will keep for as long as I possibly can.
I totally understand the idea of getting the best possible example to begin with to save funds down the line, as this is how I would normally always approach buying a car. I do worry about those people that try to chance it with tatty examples but I just hope I don't discover any hidden horror stories on whichever one I end up buying!
Thanks
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
I do intend on keeping the car for the foreseeable future, it may sound sad but this is a dream car of mine that I've wanted since I was a child! So it is something I will keep for as long as I possibly can.
I totally understand the idea of getting the best possible example to begin with to save funds down the line, as this is how I would normally always approach buying a car. I do worry about those people that try to chance it with tatty examples but I just hope I don't discover any hidden horror stories on whichever one I end up buying!
Thanks
You might just need to bide your time a little. DC5's don't come up for sale as regular as normal cars and the best examples do seem to go quick. A little patience and hopefully you'll get your dream car soon!

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BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
You might just need to bide your time a little. DC5's don't come up for sale as regular as normal cars and the best examples do seem to go quick. A little patience and hopefully you'll get your dream car soon!

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Thanks, I'm definitely going to be patient and wait for the right one that's not a million quid! Ive got all the alerts set for ebay and autotrader haha and I look a few times a day just to see what comes up!
Thanks for the advice, I'll hopefully make a post on here one day to show you what I've bought :cool:
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Last place is the Integra Type R Owners Group on Facebook. Quite often they'll go up for sale there first.

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Lemons

Advanced Member
Messages
372
That's good advice from Jordan, I bought my car from a forum member, you could probably add some people on Instagram too, and you can sometimes work out if they are an honest person and if the cars been looked after well from their posts.

Good luck, DC5 is also one of my dream cars and hopefully a keeper.

Which part of the country are you from? It might be worth posting in the wanted section.
 

2Cent

Active Member
Messages
59
How long ago was the rust repair done? A bad job will show quickly so if it was done months ago and there's no blemishes anywhere then they did a good job. I got mine dirt cheap fully aware I would have to put alot of sweat into it and it was worth it! Nothing compares to the K20A and the ITR will still punch above it's weight. But drive it, feel it, listen to it and look out for other issues.
 

BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all your responses. I did not buy the car in the original post but I have recently bought a different DC5! Finally!
Its a CW PFL 2001 with red interior, the exact spec I wanted.
My question is now, does anyone know of any Honda specialists in Essex that they can recommend for a general health check and look over the car? I am a mechanic but Im not familiar with Honda at all or the K20 engines so I don't know what to listen out for or look for other than the obvious.
I am looking to possibly change the chain and tensioner so anyone that can recommend someone to do this job for me would be great.
There is a rattle noise from the engine which appears above 3K RPM which is my only current concern with the car. I want to solve the issue in case it becomes a larger problem in the future! Thanks
Ben
 

carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all your responses. I did not buy the car in the original post but I have recently bought a different DC5! Finally!
Its a CW PFL 2001 with red interior, the exact spec I wanted.
My question is now, does anyone know of any Honda specialists in Essex that they can recommend for a general health check and look over the car? I am a mechanic but Im not familiar with Honda at all or the K20 engines so I don't know what to listen out for or look for other than the obvious.
I am looking to possibly change the chain and tensioner so anyone that can recommend someone to do this job for me would be great.
There is a rattle noise from the engine which appears above 3K RPM which is my only current concern with the car. I want to solve the issue in case it becomes a larger problem in the future! Thanks
Ben
Hi Ben

if your a mechanic just do what you know, I’m no mechanic and found the DC5 easy to work on.

There‘S nothing magical, amazing or different with these cars at all, they are just like a normal everyday car to maintain and work on so just use your trained skills and you’ll be fine.

The odd squeal noise upon startup is normal (the k20 sneeze as it’s been known as), the timing chains are rarely an issue, the clutch pedal can squeak a bit but this is all normal and searchable.

Aside from the above just keep an eye on the oil level snd normal servicing and fluids etc and job done

If you’re not confident doing the timing chain (if you feel it needs doing) then I’d highly recommend Tom and the team at TGM sport in fleet.
 

skengdR

Advanced Member
Messages
342
the rattle could be exhaust related , get it on a ramp and turn it on cold and look for any vibrations

exhaust heat shield is known for rattling

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BenDC5R

Member
Messages
9
Hi Ben

if your a mechanic just do what you know, I’m no mechanic and found the DC5 easy to work on.

There‘S nothing magical, amazing or different with these cars at all, they are just like a normal everyday car to maintain and work on so just use your trained skills and you’ll be fine.

The odd squeal noise upon startup is normal (the k20 sneeze as it’s been known as), the timing chains are rarely an issue, the clutch pedal can squeak a bit but this is all normal and searchable.

Aside from the above just keep an eye on the oil level snd normal servicing and fluids etc and job done

If you’re not confident doing the timing chain (if you feel it needs doing) then I’d highly recommend Tom and the team at TGM sport in fleet.
the rattle could be exhaust related , get it on a ramp and turn it on cold and look for any vibrations

exhaust heat shield is known for rattling

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Thanks for the advice guys. It has a DC Sports manifold but I cannot see any heatshield, could it possibly be a driveshaft heat shield? As I have just read about this and will look into it tomorrow. It sounds like it could be a chain rattle but the fact that it only comes and goes at certain RPMs makes me think that its some sort of shield/etc thats resonating at certain times! I'll have a good look in the morning.
Thanks
 
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