My first post, and let me start out by saying I am a mechanical idiot, so bear with me...
My wife and I have been looking for a third car...In the last two weeks I have gone from looking for Civics to Accords and now, Legends. I have always LOVED the look of the 2nd Generation Legend, and was so ecstatic when I jokingly said to my wife "Whaddya think about the Legend?" and she said "Do it" without hesitation.
ANYWAY, in my search, I keep coming across ads that say "will need new head gasket at some point" or makes some reference to a head gasket issue. So what does a head gasket repair cost, and do I want to steer clear of any ad that says anything about replacing or have replaced a head gasket?
Thanks all. And Acura needs to bring back the Legend badge!!!
I would not buy a car with an existing headgasket condition. The headgasket usually goes because the car has overheated. There isn't any way to tell how much and how bad it has overheated. It's problems could be far worse than a headgasket, including a cracked/warped block & heads. If someone is selling a car and telling you some things are wrong with it, just imagine what they are NOT telling you about.
Hold out and don't give up on finding a good Legend. I waited several months and traveled 8 hours away from my house to get mine. Once you get one in good shape, you will be happy.
What kind of Legend are you looking for? Coupe or sedan? Auto or manual? What years & colors?
Did mine a few months ago, $500+ for parts, and $1000+ for labor. If you go to a dealership expect to pay around 3K. If you really like the car get a mechanic to check it out. Seems like when people are taking about BHG that cylinder #6 is the problem. Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
ChippAChoi, do you feel "comfortable" driving a car with a head gasket repair?
Alex, I'm looking for a 91-95, preferably less than $4,000, but would go higher for the *right* car (it would have to be a dream car). The wife and I would love a sedan, but have not ruled out a coupe, but we do have an infant (which is why I now own an Accord sedan--traded in the coupe a month ago). This would be our "third car", replacing my del Sol which was our "emergency car". Since my wife would be driving the Legend as well as me, I am highly concerned with reliability. If it were just me, I probably would buy a car with a BHG problem for the right price, but I think now I'm scared off from that scenario. We'd prefer auto, since she hasn't driven a stick really, and she'd like a darker color, but I love Legends in all colors!
I would walk away from any car that you even think might have a cooling problem (overheating). In general I think head gaskets go because something else was neglected to contribute to the overheating. Head gaskets are one of the more common problems with our cars, I saw a poll here which stated about 15% of our owners have had it replaced. To help with a cost range, I just got mine in January and paid just over $12k. Aside from a few exterior dings, it is in excellent condition. I found a REALLY crappy car the same year as mine for $2500 once. Mine is a 95LS coupe automatic with just over 59K.
As for feeling comfortable about driving a car that has had the HG replaced, if it was done correctly, you are perfectly safe. Knowing if it was done right by someone who knows Legends, is another story. If the owner has receipts to show where he had the work done, make that judgement for yourself.
Duck, if you need somebody to do it, I do head gaskets, timing belt & Tensioner, water pump, thermostat and all hoses and belts for $1600. I'm in Canton, Ohio area, about 4 hours from VA.
I would get it done in a day for an extra $200. I would have to start working at about 7am and I would finish around 10pm. It would be mentally stressful working on the same job all day long, but for the right money, I would do it.
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