My standards are too high?

My wife and I have decided I need something to make me happy.  She is against any sort of water conveyance for aquatic creature extraction.  Purpose is to autox some and do track days/nights..  So. Here goes the 2nd Car I've looked at in a while.  The first was a rusty e30.  That car was a shed.  This car much better and cheaper, but just didn't have it.  

Took a look at an EF civic last night $2500.. Buyer won't move on price(huge disatisfier).

Goods:

No real rust (tiny rear 1/4 bubbles, underneath is clean)

B18B1 (supposedly just redone head due to dropped valve).  Engine area was clean, engine was clean.. no reason to doubt seller.

Hasport swap mounts (with very stiff mounts).

AGX coilovers..

rear big sway.. no front. 

Rear Disk Brake conversion

Janky rad mounts

Bent rims...

Kinda runs ok before 4K rpm.. then smooths out and runs nice.. pulls hard

Bads:

Any real rust.. Very clean

Some kinda janky conversion to run the B18B1 on OBD0..  No 02 sensor, using OBD0 injectors.  

mismatched body panels 

Random poorly done wiring jobs under the hood.  Car was originally a track car and has some issues.

Impressions:

It moves OK, but rattles like a very tightly coiled civic should.  Didn't have a real magical feeling about it, but would be competent on a track.  If the price were in the range of $1700 to $2000, I would have purchased it.  At $2500, I have some sort of mental block and won't buy.  I guess I'm old, but STS competitive cars go for not too much more than this...  

I’m pretty decent with electronics but E36 M3ty wiring jobs tend to really annoy me. That would be enough to pass on that car for me.

But I’m old, too .

Considering E46s in similar to better condition are nudging that price range, I don't think your standards are too high.

Hard pass on that pile.

seems like frustration waiting to happen, isn't this supposed to make you happy? 

Doesn’t sound like your standards are too high.  Keep looking...you’ll find something that clicks eventually.

Still have my GTI...

Were I looking for a car specifically for autocross, I would focus on cars built and already sorted for a given class, unless there are other driving factors. 

In reply to SVreX :

you do.. Still don't know how I would get it to the north.

Fail Wheel Drive = not interested at all for me. Especially an older, poorly done and hacked on Civic. 

I don't think your standards are too high.

that's too much dough for too little car. 

Sounds like from that price you could fly an drive for a rust-free example and spend about the same.

EDIT: oh wait, you're on the west coast. maybe not on the FAD.

What's your price range? 

In reply to ultraclyde :

Minnesota.  Can do fly and drive... I fly enough... so miles are easy to come by...

In reply to clutchsmoke :

Less than 3.. closer to 2 would be better.. 

I feel the same about the price as OP does. You can always text him a lowball number every month until he sells it or tells you to stop. I try not to be in a hurry to get cars unless it's a crazy deal that will disappear within hours. 

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

This is for fun, right?  

Are you 100% sure that you don't have a desirable care that you *really* want?  Even in a specific price range?

If the Honda is *that* car, then awesome.  But given what you are doing with it, having fun also means enjoying owning it.  Unless winning a NC is really important to you.  I knew there were faster cars than what I played with, but I'm also very confident that none of the cars would be so enjoyable over time that I will never sell the car.

Think about that for a while.  Again, if the Honda checks that box, perfect.  But if not.....

I agree with the above posts about it not being all that dreamy. For me getting my dream car was like finding "the one." I saw it, KNEW I wanted it and got it the next day.

Maybe you could start with the car of your dreams and the hive mind can find a suitable facsimile or even a surprising deal for you.

Be picky. If you don't like it you won't drive it. 

Interested in a E-Mod that isn't street legal and has no title. 

You think your standards are too high, I think I have the opposite problem.

In reply to Toyman01 :

Yes.  Same problem as svrex. 

Ian F said:

Were I looking for a car specifically for autocross, I would focus on cars built and already sorted for a given class, unless there are other driving factors. 

Advice I wish I could have followed, just didn't know enough when I bought my NB. I am happy with it, but I could have saved a lot of money.

Buy it for $2500, sell it for $5000?

Too many red flags, the main one being "janky conversion".  Pass.

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to Toyman01 :

Yes.  Same problem as svrex. 

Shipping?

In reply to MrJoshua :

Yeah it's not cheap 600-700 on u ship.  I live way up there.