Taylor Moffitt

So theres an s2k for sale in the seattle area. The guy wants 8k, but th vin tags are missing on the front and rear bumpers as he pointed out. All other vins are there i believe. Im guessing it was just a small accident, but would it be something to walk away from? He doesnt have any maintanace records, because apparently his friend did the work<br /><br />Its at 175k, and overall is a pretty clean s2k, id say 8/10 condition. Just want some advise as this will be my first s car. Thanks!

Taylor Moffitt

Hes selling without the hard top btw

jts09

Do you have a mechanic you trust? As a minimum, I'd have the car put up on a lift to inspect the underside just to be sure that there wasn't any "hidden" damage. It would also be a good idea to get a compression test and a good look at the brake & clutch hydraulics for leaks. Has the clutch been replaced? While under the car, you could look for any excessive clutch disc dust. You should also pull the tool pan out to check the bottom of the trunk for water. I guess that you've checked the list of things to look for when buying an S in the Talk forum?

rpg51

Missing vins on the bumper covers can be perfectly fine. Does the seller have an explanation? For example, I put a new oem bumper on the front of my 02 because I had a minor hit of an object on the road that cracked the original bumper cover. No other damage. I decided to replace it rather than do a repair. This sort of thing is not a concern - but I do think it will knock the price down very slightly. If you have no clear credible explanation from the seller and he is otherwise seemingly a straight shooter but just honestly does not know, I agree have it looked at. If you think the guy is not trustworthy, I would walk, not because of the missing vins, but because a fully forthcoming seller is my number 1 criterion when I am buying. He may honestly have no clue and that would be fine. But, you should ask about it. And give it a close look. I might even trust my own ability to look - just get it up on jack stands and look for anything wrong. If it drives fine, and goes straight down the road with no vibration etc. that is a very good sign it is ok.

zeroptzero

pretty common for cars of this age to have replacement bumpers, the underside of mine was pretty chewed up when I got it and I had it replaced once I found a nice used one. I'd check it over for potential damage but not uncommon to have replacement bumpers.

cleans2kbro

You can order VIN stickers from Honda