hi there, I'm new here so I hope this is the right area to post this.
I'm looking at a 1993 Honda Civic DX Hatchback, automatic, and about 200k miles. The guy is offering $800/obo and the ad says it has a blown head gasket. Also, says it is driveable.
Now, I can change a head gasket no problem, but I have no experiance with a car with a blown head gasket. So should this be a vehicle I should stay away from, or would it be a deal? I have zero experiance with Honda's, but I'm looking for a car that will get good mpg.
Any info/experiance with a blown head gasket would be great!

 

One more thing,
theres also an engine and manual transmission for sale nearby me for $350 for both. It is a tested and running engine/transmission from a 1994 Civic, 1.5L engine, 5 spd.
Would this be something that would be compatible?
Also, is it possible to replace the automatic transmission with this 5 spd transmission? I've read that theres a lot welding involved to swap from a auto to a manual because the mounts are completely different. Is that true?
Thanks!

 

Expect to replace the engine. "Blown head gasket" is car seller's code for "drove 20 miles with no coolant".

It is simple to change from auto to manual. Absolutely no welding. You do need to strip all the relevant parts from a manual parts car; it would be expensive to buy the ECU, clutch pedal, shifter linkage, etc. new.

You could also drop the '94 engine into the '93 car and keep it automatic. It's exactly the same block, head, injectors, etc. Just need to change the flywheel over.

 

Blown head gasket could be the problem or it may not be. Likely the problem is water or oil in the exhaust and lots of smoke. Ask about smoke??

If there is not a lot of smoke it might be an oil leak if oil disappears. If radiator fluid is disappearing then it could just be a hose leaking under high pressure.

Smoke can indeed be caused by a blown head gasket and also a damagedhead and damaged rings and or valves. By the way the head may heat up when gasket is blown so it may warp too. Or if the car was run low on oil then it may have heated up first and warped the head causing the head gasket to fail.

If the car was run low on oil the heat is caused by friction/wear on the engine parts.

I would expect at a minimum to replace the head gasket and get the head planed.
(about $200.)

A remanufactured head costs about $400. A used one about $200 A used engine around $700 and a reman engine around $1800. These are all 83 civic prices.

Unless it is a radiator hose leak in case a phillips screwdriver might fix the whole thing.

You really have to get the engine hot to ruin the block. He might have damaged the rings if it overheated that much.

Also he says drivable. Does ths mean he drove it when it needed repair. Low oil?

I driven 2 honda civics 1983 over 250,000 miles with no major repairs. I have another one now which was owned by a little old lady who didnt go to church. I bought it for $500. However I dont think she took care of her honda either. 1983 civic auto with under 40,000 miles on it. I've already spent around $1500 on it and I am replacing the head gasket and main seal myself now.Only reason is I really like the cars and they do go over 200K normally.

There are LOTS of emission hoses and other hoses and wires to take off to replace the head gasket.

I would not offer 800 but $400. It is junk sitting in his yard and I expect he wants it gone.

$800 is the price for one running you can get inspected. You might be buying a piece of junk so who wants to pay a lot for that.

Blown head gaskets on Hondas are very common. Just not mine.

Costs for do it yourself run from $200 to $2000 depending. New gasket to new engine.
Or much less if it is just a leak.

At $400 it is worth a risk. Mybe $300 would be better. They might know if it is junk or not.