Honda Repair: 1988 Honda Accord Lxi wont stay running, honda accord lxi, jumper cables

Question
Hi,

I'm thinking about buying a 1988 Honda Accord Lxi. The guy says the battery went dead after a bad cold spell, and that's why it doesn't start on its own. We can jump-start it and it fires up right away, idles good, but then when we remove the jumper cables, it dies. Could this be a bad alternator? If the alternator is good, shouldn't it keep the car running after a jump even if the battery is dead? I checked, and all the belts seem OK - nothing slipping. Oh, and I guess the car was broken into a couple of times, so he removed the ignition and now uses a sort of removable wiring harness to start the car - kind of a homemade anti-theft device. One other thing - the "Battery" fuse blew, so he's got a wire in there to close the circuit.

Thanks in advance!

Frazier.

Answer
Frazier:
You can take the battery to the auto parts store to check to see if it’s good. They will check it for free. If the battery is really, really bad it will not keep the car running even with a good alternator. I would be wary of a car with a homemade device that you describe unless you get it for such a good deal that it is worth a gamble.
Bill