Randomness - del Sol
 

While my truck was at the tire store having some tires mounted, I thought I would stroll across the street to look at a del Sol I saw online. It is a teal '95 del Sol S with a 5-speed with 131k. I had one just like it from 2003-2004. I sold my old one to my uncle, and it was immediately totaled. He drove it with a salvage title until it was falling apart, and he finally sold it. He has been looking for a new one ever since.

I went to the dealer with the intent to look at the car for him. Instead, I bought it. If my Civic Si is totaled from my accident, I will keep the del Sol. If my Si can be fixed, I will sell the del Sol to my aunt (for what I paid) and she will give it to my uncle for Christmas.

The car needs a CD player, and only one speaker works. There is a tiny bit of right-rear fender rust. A plastic plug is missing from the driver's door frame. The trunk struts need to be replaced. The clutch and brakes need to be bled. Otherwise, the car is perfect. Not too bad for $2500.

I'll be looking for a set of VX wheels soon, I'm sure...

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

must be a small dealer...here they usually dont let it off the lot with noticeable brake problems or driveability...

oh on a dumb side note how much does it cost to have a hyd clutch flushed and bled? my blazers has always been really stiff and the fluid looks suspiciously dirty while my older s10 is like stepping on a balloon resistance. My buddy with an older s10 with a new clutch, slave and master is like a balloon too.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

The brakes worked fine, but I know they're spongy. I'm very used to Honda brakes by now, and I can tell when they have some air in the lines.

It would cost $38 to have the clutch system bled at a Honda dealer. The dealer is saying that if the reservoir was empty, there is a leak in the clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder, and they would replace them for $540-$560 (they only replace them as a set). I filled up the master cylinder and I will see if the level holds.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

You can do a pretty decent flush and bleed on the S10's system just by pumping the pedal with the cap off the reservoir...turkey baster the old fluid out, put new stuff in, pump 25 times, repeat until it stays clear and feels like it should.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

looks like you've got all angles covered. my only issue is that florida has recently added a fee(fancy variation of tax)of $400 for initial vehicle registration. :thumbdown:

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

hmm alright. Would this allow the stiffness to go away? on an 02 with a 4.3 btw

its gotten alot softer since i first bought it but still very noticeably different

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

I can't register it until I get the title from the dealership, and that will take 2-3 weeks anyway. If I were to sell it, I would sell it for $1, and my aunt and uncle can sign their names below mine on the title (in Indiana, there are places you can put your name on the title as a purchaser without getting a new title, so a car can change hands from dealer to dealer without going to the BMV each time).

In any case, my Civic Si has been totaled, so the del Sol is mine.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

I'm not sure hydraulic fluid could be at fault for a stiff clutch. Air would probably make it spongy and light, and old water-absorbed crappy hydraulic fluid probably wouldn't directly make it stiff though it could cause corrosion in the system.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

The clutch in the del Sol feels really light... one of the reasons I want to bleed it.

Re: Randomness - del Sol
 

Busy day with the del Sol. Today, I treated the motor with Seafoam. I then changed the oil and transmission fluid, and bled the brakes and clutch. Next came the new spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor button. I lubricated the top seals and installed a new radio (complicated by the del Sol's full console). Whew.