[ryan_long_01]

Well, here's the situation.

For awhile, I've planned on saving up some money and selling my CRX in the summer to buy something else...probably a Porsche 944. I've got maybe half of what I had planned to save up already in the bank...and the CRX is giving me problems.

It's like she knows I'm planning to get rid of her! I've had this particular car for just over a year, I believe, and had no problems at all for about 11 months. Then, after I start socking money away and thinking about selling, things go wrong.

First, the alternator starts making noise. So, I throw a new one on. Then, the thing starts running like total crap out of the blue -- a full tune-up fixed that. These are cheap and easy fixes.

But then, yesterday, driving home from the Speedway, things are fine and then all of a sudden, I go to put it in 4th, and it won't go in. It's really hard to get into any gear all of a sudden. I get it halfway through the town I was about to enter, and then suddenly the clutch feels different, grabs different. It's kinda mushy and it grabs kinda suddenly and strangely. I manage to nurse the car home, and immediately adjust the clutch.

After adjusting it, I can get it into gear pretty easily, but the transmission is making noise when you even barely start to push the shifter into gear, as well as when it's in gear. I run to the AutoParts store in another car, pick up a fluid pump and a quart of Synchromesh, and fill the trans with half Honda MTF and half Synchromesh (they only had 1 quart). No dice, it's still noisy as heck. It drives fine, but the noises coming from the gearbox lead me to believe it's going to be a hassle, and an expensive one. I'm driving a different car for the time being, but I absolutely need a car of my own ASAP -- I commute an hour each way, and there's nothing I can borrow or drive long-term.

Now, I am faced with a choice. Dip into my savings to fix a car that I was planning to sell anyway, or sell the car as-is, combine it with what I've got saved so far, try to scrounge up every last dime I can on eBay and selling some parts off of it and stuff, and find something decent.

I can definitely get a decent car that way, but it's not as much money as I had planned to have saved up. I just hate to spend the money I've saved on a car I don't plan to keep.

I'm trying to decide what to do very soon. This is rough.

Old pic, before window tint:

 

[Angry]

Funny how cars just seem to get attached to thier owner isnt it?

If it were me, I would give it one last shot at fixing the bugger. Unfortunately, It will set you back a bit about getting the 944. You will get more money for a good running car than a screwed up one anyway. But again, depends on how muh you get for it and how much its gonna cost to fix it. If its just a trans, you can find Si trans missions pretty cheap and you can throw that in to get you around. Hell a DX trans would even work if its urgent enough.

Just my thoughts, I just woke up...

 

[SETI20]

My guess would be the clutch plate springs or something have gone bad. Common problem with our cars.

 

[daoshao]

Fix it then sell it. You get more money back with a running/good vehicle. Imagine all the expensive parts to buy/replace when the 944 does break down.

 

[remoer]

my question is: are you tired of the rex or out grown it? we tend to grow up and our taste in cars change. but we tend to come back to what we know. so why would you trade/sell asomething you know for something you don't. granted it's always easy to go back then to go forward. so i wish you luck in your choice of direction. a 944 is balling but for me i would have a car that if anthing went wrong i know i would be able to fixed and swap parts from any car from 88-00 honda and 90-01 acura. and your rex looks very sexy. :wink:

 

[etmydst]

I would keep the rex, a clutch/tranny problem is an easy fix, sounds like a clutch problem to me..

BTW to do a clutch on a 944 you basically have to pull the engine.. Its a $1500-$2000 job at any german auto mechanic.. or just labor charge IS 16 HOURS... GOOD LUCK WITH THAT..

I'll stick to the crx...

 

[ludesrv]

Sounds like a bad release bearing. Not pushing the clutch in all the way. Or the pressure plate is dying. How old is the clutch?

 

[Its me DUB]

Imagine all the expensive parts to buy/replace when the 944 does break down.

I have to agree with this...I never realized how good we have it for parts (mostly any Hondas) until I bought the Subaru. Everything costs more. :?

 

[jfrolang]

I see a fairly simple solution. It involves you driving a repaired CRX. :wink:

 

[ryan_long_01]

Yeah, I'm starting to lean toward fixing it this week/weekend, that way I can drive it a little longer while I save up a bit more, and then sell it as a complete, nicely running car. I could get a decent 944 now with what I have, but my original plan was to have a couple thousand more dollars than I have right now before I was ready to buy. I guess I was mostly worried that a clutch replacement wouldn't fix the problem (that it would need a new transmission), but I think it probably will...and it will be money well spent when it comes time to sell the car.

As for 944 repair prices, I know how they tend to run...it's always a good idea to buy a car with a recent timing belt and clutch replacement so you don't have to fork over the cash for awhile. I'm not afraid to dump money into maintenance/repair costs on a car I love...just a little hesitant when I'm planning on getting rid of the car, that's all.

I get bored with cars easily, and I've driven CRXs for probably close to 100,000 miles between the three that I've owned. There are a lot of cars out there that I've wanted to own for years (300ZX, 944, MR2, etc.) and now that I am working full-time at a good job and those cars are getting old enough to pick up a decent car for a price I can afford, I can't pass it up. It is a good idea to not force myself to rush into it, though, so I can have a little more money and a little more time to shop around for the right one.

Last time I sold my CRX, I drove an AWD turbocharged Talon and an Integra before coming back to the CRX...but it's just not as exciting as it used to be. I seriously considered forced induction on the CRX to liven things up (I really enjoy a car with more power...and RWD, to be honest), but with the kind of money I'd end up dumping into a car with 200,000+ miles on the odometer, I might as well find a low-mileage car that I've wanted for a long time instead.

So, if anyone is going to be looking to buy a clean black SOHC VTEC ZC-swapped car sometime this summer, look me up!

Any recommendations on clutches, BTW? Or tips on clutch replacement? At least I will have some evenings this week as well as the weekend to get it done...it's my first one.

 

[mithuth]

Exedy OEM replacement off ebay. 85.16 shipped to my door.

 

[ryan_long_01]

My guess would be the clutch plate springs or something have gone bad. Common problem with our cars.

We have a winner! I tore into the car this weekend, and there was a spring floating around in there that had fallen out of the clutch. The clutch actually wasn't that worn. Put in a new clutch (plus pressure plate & bearing). Putting the transmission back in by myself wasn't too fun...I ended up buying a cheap Harbor Freight transmission jack, and then it went in like a dream.

Props to stick...I used his HOW-TO on this site to both remove the transmission and to replace the clutch and related parts. Nice writeup, it helped me a lot -- I looked at it WAY more than the Honda repair manual that I had printouts of.

In other news, I got approved for an auto loan today...so I can car shop without having to sell my CRX and buy something in a hurry. Then, if I sell it, I can pay off most of the loan in one chunk. I know, I know

At least I'll be selling a car with a fully functional clutch!

 

[Ragnaarok]

....but if you do sell, you should give me a holler, because I'm so close and go to purdue. sell it to a boilermaker!

 

[ryan_long_01]

....but if you do sell, you should give me a holler, because I'm so close and go to purdue. sell it to a boilermaker!

For sure. I actually don't live in WL anymore, I did live there for 2 years though until late last year. I did my undergrad at Ball State but did a year of grad school at Purdue, so that's why I spent some time there. I'll definitely post here when the car ends up for sale, it should definitely go to a CRX lover so I'm going to try to sell it here first, then honda-tech before resorting to AutoTrader or eBay or any of that nonsense. I'd love for it to go to a community member if I had my choice.

 

[jfrolang]

I'd love for it to go to a community member if I had my choice.

It's already there.

 

[JKG08]

two things I just have to ask......one you said that your not in WL anymore, so where are you now? I'm from ohio about an hour away from the Indiana border and when ever you sell it I'd love to buy it. So please make a self note thats when you decide to sell the car send me a PM.

 

[ryan_long_01]

two things I just have to ask......one you said that your not in WL anymore, so where are you now? I'm from ohio about an hour away from the Indiana border and when ever you sell it I'd love to buy it. So please make a self note thats when you decide to sell the car send me a PM.

About 30 minutes south of WL, but I work in Indy, so I could always meet up in Indy or somewhere east of there. I'll send you a PM if you want to check it out when the time comes. I'll post a bunch of pics and info when it is up for sale in the classifieds.

 

[ryan_long_01]

Bringing this thread back from the dead...

I ended up getting a '97 BMW M3 Coupe, black on black leather. I was looking for 944 Turbos, but they are so few and far between that I decided to broaden my search to the 2-door, 5-speed M3 (the only one I would drive, haha). Found the right car at the right price, so I picked it up (in Detroit) a couple of days ago.

240HP is nice, although obviously the car is bigger and heavier than a CRX. It handles and drives very, very well, and out on the highway it actually feels a lot like the CRX in many ways. There are a few "must do" mods that improve the way the clutch feels and operates that will make the car more fun to drive that I plan to make, as well as a few tiny issues that need fixed and a few cosmetic changes that I'd like to make...but all in all it's a great car as-is and is a really fun car to drive that also has a lot of the little luxuries that I've never had on a car before (including ice-cold A/C...haha).

So, needless to say, the CRX is for sale. I've PMed those of you in this thread who asked me to let them know when the car is for sale, but if anyone else is interested, just let me know and I'll fill you in on all of the details.

Thanks,

 

[peewee]

I'm interested in your crx. I'm in fort wayne so we could meet up whenever. I just sold my teggy so I have cash in hand. LMK