Used Cars: buying a honda CRX, cv joints, head gasket

Question
Hi there
I'm looking into buying a Honda CRX, the one i'm after is a CRX which has a V-tech engine in and has been modified...by the sound of tings quite intensively modified, it is a friend of a friend who owns the car, i know the car has been driven hard, but i also heard that the owner loves his car and when he does something he does it the right way, this realy sets my heart at ease as i don't want a car that has been trashed.
I'm organizing a look at the car, and my other friend who also drives a Civic v-tec is coming along, I would just like to know on these cars what are things one needs to look out for?
I do know cars,but unfortunately the Honda is all new to me as i'm use to Opel's.

Answer
Hey! Honda Crx's are great vehicles! But like any car there are a few things you should look at.. 1. CV Joints/ Boots they are quite common on the civic/crx line. There are 2 ways I use to check if they are gone, the first one is to go to a empty parking lot and do full circles, crank the wheel all the way left when stopped and start moving in the tight circle, if you hear knocking noises then they are gone. Repeat again turning the wheel all the way the opposite way. The second is to actually put your finger (when car is parked) behind the wheel (while it is cranked one way) and feel the rubber boot, run your finger all the way around. If you feel a rip and/or your fingers are full of grease then its just a boot ($100 fix).

Another thing to look out for is the head gasket make sure the coolant is full and the car is blowing heat! Also check the oil cap, open it up and look underneath it, if there is a creamy white or yellow substance under the cap it is a sure sign the gasket needs to be done!

Hope that helps!