Topic: 2008 Civic Coupe DX - aka Sh!tcar

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Yay, we have a dumpy car that we don't have to care about!!!  Purpose of the car is as a little runabout so we don't start the truck as often, and for my wife to commute during the winter.

2008 Honda Civic Coupe DX with 318 000kms on the clock, and lots of dings, scratches, and a bit of rust.  The engine and automatic transmission run great.






The car needs a bit of work to pass safety.  It needs two new front wheel bearings, and a lower control arm.  The safety mechanic wants $900 to do the work.  I found the parts on RockAuto for $240CAD shipped.  Pretty sure I can do that stuff myself.  The wheel bearings would be the entire hub kit so I don't need to press bearings out.

The left headlight also needs to be polished up to pass safety.  I found a Meguiars kit at Crappy Tire for $16.

And finally, I need to replace the bulb In the center stoplight.

Non-safety related, the check engine light came on.  It's probably just a sensor.  I'll have to pull the code and see what it is.

These are great little cars.  Fuel efficient, nimble, decently powerful.  Visibility is kinda crap, though, especially compared to the truck.  Small mirrors , huge blindspots, and a hood that slopes down past your view.

[Gurgie]

Congrats, nice find & I'm sure it will fulfill your needs.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[TheHire]

I was in like the 10th grade when these came out... I wanted one badly. I still think the higher trims and Si models of this generation look great.

[revalations]

Looks like a decent little beater for sure. These still run a timing belt or is it a chain?

[ktm525]

That is a nice beater. Actually too nice to be a beater.

[quadzilla]

Yay, we have a dumpy car that we don't have to care about!!! 

Congrats. Dumpy cars are highly underrated. So nice to not have to worry about every little rock or where you park at the store.

[rrocket]

Yay, we have a dumpy car that we don't have to care about!!! 

Congrats. Dumpy cars are highly underrated. So nice to not have to worry about every little rock or where you park at the store.

Our Echo was like that...I never even used to lock the car because who would steal it? [emoji2]

[KD]

Nice buy!  Beaters are king this time of year.  The roads around here look like they've been carpet bombed over the winter, and are about to get worse.  Other than the last few years I've always had a beater of some sort in the fleet. 

[me_2]

Nice Sh!t, I mean it seem reasonable for the price paid

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Looks like a decent little beater for sure. These still run a timing belt or is it a chain?

It's a chain!

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I was in like the 10th grade when these came out... I wanted one badly. I still think the higher trims and Si models of this generation look great.

So, in 2006 when these came out, I remember seeing them in magazines (the SI in particular), and was completely infatuated with them.  I would see the coupes on the street, and thought they were an amazing looking car.  Then at the end of 2007, I was in a position where I was able to go out and buy a brand new 2008 Civic SI.  What an amazing car that was, especially for the time. 

I find it kinda fun that things have come back full circle and now I (we) have another 2008 Civic Coupe.  I wouldn't say it's quite like being back in my SI, but damn, most of the elements are there, from the 2-tier dash, all the soft touch materials, the way the car drives (the steering is super quick and direct). 

This being a base model doesn't take away from it, either.  I'm trying to think what the higher trim cars would have that this doesn't.  This car doesn't have map lights, or a sunroof, or steering wheel audio controls, or leather.  Or body coloured mirrors/door handles/fancy wheels.  But every other element is there.  It still has remote keyless, power windows, cruise control.  You couldn't really get anything more in these cars other than the above mentioned.

[Seafoam]

Since you had a 2008 you will be used to the digital dash. I find it's harder for me to keep a constant speed because of this. After 8 years I am still not used to it.
This is why i use my cruise control constantly on the highway. I'd probably have a few speeding tickets racked up without it.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Ordered an engine air filter and cabin air filter from Amazon.  Both filters are filthy.  The check engine light may just be a MAF sensor out of range, which means air filter.  I've had that happen before.

[dirtyjeffer]

Ordered an engine air filter and cabin air filter from Amazon.  Both filters are filthy.  The check engine light may just be a MAF sensor out of range, which means air filter.  I've had that happen before.

if you're handy and work on your own cars (sounds like you do), you should grab yourself an ODB reader...alternatively, if you have a PartSource store where you live, they'll scan it for you for free (i'm not sure of the exact policy, perhaps you need to buy them parts from them?).

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Ordered an engine air filter and cabin air filter from Amazon.  Both filters are filthy.  The check engine light may just be a MAF sensor out of range, which means air filter.  I've had that happen before.

if you're handy and work on your own cars (sounds like you do), you should grab yourself an ODB reader...alternatively, if you have a PartSource store where you live, they'll scan it for you for free (i'm not sure of the exact policy, perhaps you need to buy them parts from them?).

I'm handy and can do my own work.  I'll probably grab a BT OBDII reader at some point in the future.  It's not a priority right now though.

[Arthur Dent]

Nice! I can't believe a 2008 is a beater now.

[ktm525]

Nice buy!  Beaters are king this time of year.  The roads around here look like they've been carpet bombed over the winter, and are about to get worse.  Other than the last few years I've always had a beater of some sort in the fleet.

Beaters are king all year. 

[TheHire]

Nice! I can't believe a 2008 is a beater now.

You're not kidding... I had a good exchange with the guy who came to install my new garage door opener last year. I had a hard time getting the HomeLink in the Lexus and Aston Martin programmed... I ask him if the new opener is HomeLink compatible. He says "absolutely, as long as your car isn't older than 2015!"

My newest car is a 2007...

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I suppose the term 'beater' is relative.  A 2004 Lexus LS that has been babied its entire life and is excellent condition, isn't a beater.

A 2008 Civic with high miles that was driven hard and put away wet, then bought for pennies on the dollar, that classifies as a beater.

I'm gonna put some TLC into this Civic, though.  I've already ordered some new air filters.  I'm just waiting from a quote from another mechanic to see how expensive he is before I decide to order the parts and do the wheel bearings/lower control arm myself.  I'd need a wheel bearing puller kit, and Partsource doesn't seem to have them to loan, so I'd have to buy my own kit, adding to the expense of doing it myself. Once the cost of doing a job myself starts to approach the price of a mechanic, I usually just get a mechanic to do it. I bought the headlight polishing kit.  Now I just need to wait for a nice day to actually do it.

I'm considering ordering a new front passenger fender to replace the one that has been crumpled.  I dunno, I'll see if its worth it, and if I care enough about it to do anything.  That's an item that can wait until the car has been sorted.

[Blueprint]

My Coupe DX memories:

I got one of these once as a service loaner. Same generation, automatic white coupe, same wheels and shod with Chinese winter tires I had never heard about. They rode rough and hard, so I was a bit worried. Since it was winter, before getting on the highway I drove unto a deserted parking lot, covered with compressed hard snow, drove up to 40 km/h, veered to the left and yanked the handbrake. The result would have least have gotten me an 8 in a figure skating event.