My $250 1997 Integra Find!

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Scorchin Civic

Senior Member
Couldn't believe that I ran across this deal! I know it's going to need some work due to why I got it so cheap. Story is, guy's cousin that owned it pissed off her husband and he put sugar in the gas tank. She lost the title and never did get the car changed over in her name so it has a lost title as well. However, for $250 I couldn't pass this deal up. Car will need to have the fuel system cleaned out, small dent fixed, and a new paint job and that is about it. Pretty complete car with good interior and it's all stock.

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UPDATE #1
Meet up with the last registered owner the other day and he got me a title. So now I can get the Integra registered so the work will begin now.

UPDATE #2
Finally had a very nice day here and decided to get to work on the Integra. Placed the gas tank back in and hooked everything back up. Placed some gas in the gas tank and connected the new battery. Turned the key a few times just so I could get some gas through the lines before I started it. On the fourth turn car crank for a few seconds then fired up.

There was a loud noise coming from the valve cover so I just let it run for a little while and turned it off. I checked the timing belt and found it it was lose. So after I tightened it up and put everything back together I restarted the car and the noise was gone. I drove around the neighborhood a few times and came home. Motor sounded like it was suppose to and I couldn't be any happier.

Only thing left to do now that I know of is to change the thermostat cause it's stuck closed. I bought that today and should be replacing it soon. Wanted to give a update and share a few more pictures.

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UPDATE #3
Ran into a problem the other day while cleaning the interior and letting it warm up for a little while. Motor started making a screeching noise and it sounded like it was coming from the head. Removed the oil cap and there was way to much air being pushed trough the hole so I knew something was not right. I decided to take off the valve cover and noticed some scuff marks on two of the cam lobes and it seamed a little dry. So I placed the spark plug wires back on with out the valve cover and started the car. There was no oil being pumped up to the head for some reason so. I know when I first got the car home there was oil getting to the head so I thought the oil pump just went out on me but was not to sure.

Well, decided to remove the oil pan just to see what might be in there since the car has been sitting for three years give or take. After the oil pan was removed I seen there was a lot of slug and crap in the bottom. While cleaning it out it was discovered that there was some off white hard stuff on the bottom of the pan. Clean that up and thought to myself, I don't think this would be sugar too. Decided to taste it and wouldn't you know, it was sugar after all. So that dumb bastard had put sugar in the gas tank and engine! Oil pick up was clogged up to so it was removed and cleaned as well.

After everything was cleaned really good and put back together we put on a new oil filter and filled her up with oil. Started the car and damn I never have heard it so quietly running. Removed the oil cap and noticed oil flowing and the blowing air was gone too. Test drove it around the neighborhood and brought her back to the house and everything is good again. So now it seams the only thing to do is get the registration done and start driving her.

UPDATE #4
Put about 200 miles on the Integra and everything seams to be working good. Only problem I noticed is when the A/C is on for a while it will start to run a little hot. Going to see if I can fix this and if not then I will flush out the radiator.

UPDATE #5
Fix the running hot problem! Come to find out that the hose that comes from the thermostat housing and just curves to the intake manifold was way to long. Someone had put about a foot and a half long hose there and it was acting like when you take you water hose and fold it over and hold it to slow down/stop the flow of water. I cut it smaller and placed it back on with no crimp in it and now the car don't run hot no more with the A/C on.
 
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Probably clogged with sugar! Lol..

Good find. Now go run motor flush through your engine and change the oil again.. I'd change it 2 or 3 more times, every few hundred miles, just to make sure its all cleaned out.. You don't want that crap caramelizing all over the place.
 
why would you taste that oil/sugar? haha :) damn youre brave. i woulda got my little brother to try it. but you have a hell of a car for 250 bucks
 
wow dude sounds like a good deal.. sux bout the sugar..... i got my acura really cheap but its a 90 model..
 
Probably clogged with sugar! Lol..

Good find. Now go run motor flush through your engine and change the oil again.. I'd change it 2 or 3 more times, every few hundred miles, just to make sure its all cleaned out.. You don't want that crap caramelizing all over the place.
Car sat for about three years so I do believe that most of the sugar settled to the bottom of the oil pan. When I cleaned it out it was all in pieces like sugar cubes, LoL. But your right, plan on doing another oil change here soon.
 
Wow dude that's crazy. I came across one the other day for $800 that was an automatic and had a blown head gasket and I thought that was a deal.
 
Just to clarify, the lady who owned the car made her husband upset, and he dumped sugar into the gas tank to get back at her?
 
i showed this thread to my newest junior tech i have and told him to be ready incase we ever have an issue like this come in the shop. hes gonna taste the oil :) if you can do it-so can he. one of the customers said hed put sugar in his own engine just to have it brought in for junior to taste it haha. youre an example of determination to us
 
Thanks for the comments peeps! Car is still running good just trying to fix the running hot issue. I did a flush over the weekend and changed the fuel filter finally. No it threw a CEL #67 and I know it's for the catalytic converter. I think it might have something to do with the fuel system cleaner I placed in the first tank of gas. However, I reset the ECU and it has not come back on so we will see how things go this week.
 
i showed this thread to my newest junior tech i have and told him to be ready incase we ever have an issue like this come in the shop. hes gonna taste the oil :) if you can do it-so can he. one of the customers said hed put sugar in his own engine just to have it brought in for junior to taste it haha. you're an example of determination to us
LoL, had to figure out what it was so since there was sugar in the gas I felt it was the same thing in the oil pan. So what better way to find out then give it a little tast.
 
cool deal man. you probably want to flush the coolant out anyway if it's been sitting for 3 years.
 
400 is not bad at all. hopefully you wont end up throwing a couple thousand at it. good luck!
 
400 is not bad at all. hopefully you wont end up throwing a couple thousand at it. good luck!
Everything is looking good so I don't think it will need more money. If things start going down hill with the motor then I have a B20 coming that I will just place in there so I will not have to throw more money in the B18.
 
how many miles? maybe I missed it. great find. I'm jealous. I got a 98 like 4 years ago for $400 with a dead spot in the starter and a ton of body damage w/ 175,000 miles and I was practically crying tears of joy. integras are just fun cars.
 
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