well, the car is mine now
and in 10 minutes i fixed the misfiring completely. bad spark plug wires. there was a LOT of carbon in the engine from the misfiring, once i fixed the wires it smoked a bit when i revved it but since then it hasn't smoked at all.
i have not run a compression test yet but with the ignition problem fixed the engine feels very smooth, idles fine and has good power, so the compression can't be too bad.
it needs some things- fuel filter, oil/filter change, new plugs and wires (im using some old wires off a civic for diagnostic purposes), slight exhaust leak around the manifold so probably a new gasket there, definitely an intake cleaning and fuel system cleaning, change the ATF, valve cover gasket, check the hydraulic lash adjusters to make sure they aren't gunked up, and probably a few other minor things. might could use an auto-rx treatment or something but i am still weary about engine flushes.
aesthetically the car is really good for its age, interior is real clean- it just needs some exterior paint. it leaks a little oil but not bad enough to be a problem, and there might be a slight power steering pump leak but honestly im not concerned about that. it probably burns a little oil but i did not see any abnormal smoke when i revved it (after fixing ignition problem), and i don't see any behind me when driving it down the road. there is no rust anywhere under the car, it has one tiny spot on the hood and thats it. the exhaust is loud b/c the muffler is old but i kinda like it that way.
so yeah, i am pretty sure this is gonna be a good car- she just needs some maintenance. i can tell the previous owner took care of it as good as he could, plus it has service records. and everything on it works including the a/c, power windows/locks, etc. i'm pretty stoked about this, definitely got a good deal