I'm 16 and still looking for my first car. It's not helping that my brother just bought a 1998 Honda Prelude, anyway...i found a civic at that same dealership he got his prelude from. This is a 1993 Civic EX, 5 spd and about 103,000 miles. Anyone with advice to as if this is a good first car? They want about $4,800 for it. The body and inside are perfect, they said they're willing to go lower...which makes me think something may be wrong with it. As always, i'm on the lookout for the normal Honda maintenance at 80,000/90,000 miles: Timing Belt, Water Pump..etc. Anyone help me out on this one, please? Good first car?  

its a decent platform to start with - key word "start"
if they said theyd go lower in price, i wouldnt automatically assume its because somethings wrong with it, its probably because its a civic with 100k+ miles on it.  

anyone else know if anything goes wrong?  

Why buy a car like that at a dealership? You would probably get more from a private party (and avoid dealer markup). Other than financing, what's your reason for buying at there? With over 100k, I highly doubt the car comes with a warranty.

I did a quick search on Recycler and for $4800 you may able to get newer Civics, most with less mileage:

1998   Honda Civic LX  $4,800  82,000   Individual Seller    Sedan Green  
1998   Honda Civic LX  $4,800  89,000   Classified Ad    Sedan Silver
1998   Honda Civic LX  $4,800  89,000    Classified Ad    Sedan Silver
2000   Honda Civic EX  $4,800  91,000   Classified Ad    Coupe Black    
2000   Honda Civic EX  $4,800  91,000    Classified Ad      Black  
1997   Honda Civic EX  $4,800  110,000    Classified Ad    Coupe Green


Then again, selection depends on where you live, but definitely look online for possible better buys. At least you have this information, giving you more haggling power .

In respect to maintenance, here is what Honda recommends (from 90k to 105k miles). Full information for a specific vehicle can be found at Honda's Owner Link website:

90,000 miles/6 yrs Scheduled Maintenance
Replace engine oil, filter and drain plug washer with Genuine Honda Parts.
Inspect and rotate tires.
Inspect wiper blades.
Check/adjust fluid levels.
Road test.
Replace air filter with Genuine Honda Parts.
Inspect belts, hoses, fuel lines and exhaust system.
Inspect front and rear brake assemblies.
Inspect steering system, suspension components, alignment and parking brake.

97,500 miles Scheduled Maintenance
Replace engine oil, filter and drain plug washer with Genuine Honda Parts.
Inspect and rotate tires.
Inspect wiper blades.
Check/adjust fluid levels.
Road test.
Inspect front brake pads.
Inspect CV boots for damage.

105,000 miles/7 yrs Scheduled Maintenance
Replace engine oil, filter and drain plug washer with Genuine Honda Parts.
Inspect and rotate tires.
Inspect wiper blades.
Check/adjust fluid levels.
Road test.
Replace air filter with Genuine Honda Parts.
Inspect belts, hoses, fuel lines and exhaust system.
Inspect front and rear brake assemblies.
Inspect steering system, suspension components, alignment and parking brake.  

Maybe a 92 civic would be better. You can never go wrong with that.

~ Badman