NeroFotia's EJ1 DD

nerofotia

n00b
Wow, I never would have imagined I'd be doing the forum thing and writing about my own build. I'll post this up in here with the applicable dates until it's current.

Ever since a series of unfortunate events that started with replacing a fuel filter on an '81 Chevy Malibu and ended with the engine in flames at a McD's drive-through (back in 1999) I was always intimidated by doing car "stuff" that was any more complicated than filling the gas tank or changing the oil. Mess something up, and it could cost your life, you know?

So now I'm 31. Active duty Marine, with not a lot of time and not a lot of budget. In February, I finally bought my dream car (the one I've wanted since I was old enough to drive). Having spent some time in Okinawa, I have learned that a Honda will basically run for a LONG time if it's maintained properly, which only cemented in my mind the notioni that I wanted this car. So I bought a 95 Civic Coupe, 5 speed. That's about as much as I knew about it when I bought it for $2k. At purchase, the car's got 4 new tires, a new, very cold AC, a new radiator, and a new water pump. The driver side door handle is broken from an unsuccessful break-in attempt. The hood has dents and rust. The front passenger fender has a big scratch/dent and some rust. Cracked plastic on the A/C control dash unit.
-Pics on the day I bought it:
If you look close, you can see the dent on the front fender.
I'd remove the tag #, except it doesn't matter...new tags.
Broken door handle
Interior
As stated, this hood needs...something. TLC, replacement...something.

On the hour+ drive home from buying the car, I started to notice the things that would need adjustment. Applying the brakes made the car shudder. Shifting was NOT smooth, and neither was the idle. I started to wonder if MAYBE, just maybe, I had bought a car that would turn out to be a complete waste of a perfectly good income tax return and a perfectly good weekend.

Took the car to a buddy's house and pulled the spark plugs to check them out- man they looked bad. My repair list is growing and I haven't even had the car a full 24 hours yet.

So, the following Monday I got online and started digging. I found a new door handle for the driver door, $13. I figured since I was replacing that one, I oughtta go ahead and replace the passenger side too, so they'd match, since the replacements come unpainted. Including shipping, I paid $52.13 for new door handles. They were at the house (FedEx) THE NEXT DAY. I went to AutoZone Wednesday and picked up 4 new spark plugs for a whopping $10.82. Stopped by my buddy's house and swapped out the plugs- WOW. What a difference. Such a smooth idle, and driving just became exponentially better. Turns out the shifting problems had nothing to do with the clutch or the tranny- the spark plugs were just bad. Since we were working, we went ahead and swapped out the driver side door handle. Done in about 30 minutes.

So later in the week, another guy I know stops by to check out my new toy. Turns out, I'm missing a lug nut. (Let's not get started with the OMG HOW DID YOU MISS THAT, because I get it, OK?) A quick stop at AutoZone and $3.25 later, I am not missing a lug nut anymore- and the brakes are incredibly smooth- comparatively speaking. Still a little shaky, but way better.

Work in the foreseeable future (as of February 19, 2010):
-Take the car to my almost-local Honda dealership for an "oil change" soon. Apparently they do a full service inspection when a Honda comes in, and they'll basically give me a list of everything that they recommend for the car. Oh, and a complimentary wash/wax/vacuum.
-Window tint. It's too hot in the desert to not do this on a black car. (Completed 10-15-2010)
-Power steering line work. I have a power steering fluid leak somewhere. (Completed 9-13-2010)
 
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nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 2

Oh yeah- had 188k miles on it when I bought it. (2-19-2010)

3-28-2010 Update:

So, a few weeks ago, I was enjoying the satisfaction of having my dream car. Then it died on me at the end of one helluva work day.

It wouldn't start. It had started 30 minutes before, when I left work and drove to the convenience store on base. But when I came back out, it just wouldn't start.
The car sat in the PX parking lot for about a week (in a front-row spot, no less) before I could get around to getting it towed. Fortunately, I have USAA insurance with free roadside assistance, including towing. I had it towed to Mitch's house to get to work on it. (Mitch- coworker, shadetree mechanic, great guy. Reminds me of my dad.) When the tow driver showed up, he had me try to start it up, and he knew within 10 seconds that I had a timing problem, and said I would probably need to get the engine rebuilt. At that point my heart sank, because I knew I was just hosed.
Let's keep a long story short-ish. The guy I bought it from had the water pump replaced. While whoever it was did that, they went ahead and replaced the timing belt, since it's right there. They failed to replace 1 bolt, causing some of the plastic timing belt housing to melt & interfere with the timing belt in its function. To fix the car, I required a new timing belt, a bunch of replacement plastic parts, and that 1 missing bolt. Total parts cost for required stuff, including shipping: $121.36
Extra plastic part I bought even though it turned out that it didn't need to be replaced: $19.33
In getting to the timing belt, I had to remove the AC belt, Power steering pump belt, & alternator belt. I replaced these because they were cracked, dry, and pretty worn, and it required no additional effort to replace those. Cost on those belts: $39.72
I called the Honda dealership to find out how much a timing belt replacement would cost. They quoted me $289. Since the work Mitch & I did was the same work required to swap the timing belt (plus a little bit extra), I can guesstimate that I saved $259 in labor, but that’s a low-ball figure, since there were issues beyond the timing belt.
So, total repair parts costs for this chapter: $180.41. Total time without the car: 2 weeks. Total cost of this car to date: $2331.56.

Still love my Honda...
 


nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 3

4-3-2010

So, less than a week ago, I fixed some timing issues with my car. While Mitch & I were working on it, we noticed that the front brake pads needed some replacing.

The tally, prior to this chapter: $2,331.56

So Justin is another guy I know from work, and we were helping another buddy from work move. The discussion turned to the various car projects we had pending. He mentioned that he had tools and garage space, and why not do the repairs with some company, so we decided on Saturday evening to tackle my brakes.

While I was at AutoZone for the brake pads, a few other parts that needed replacement popped into my head: air filter and the windshield wiper blades. After all, my wife is planning to drive the Civic to San Diego this coming week since it’s so good on gas (especially compared to our 2008 Grand Cherokee). Total parts cost for the brake pads (Limited Lifetime Warranty), STP air filter, and Rain-X wipers: $60.68.

So, on my way to Justin’s with the parts, I noticed that the car was overheating again. It had done the same thing once a few weeks ago, but not since. While we were working on the brakes, I mentioned it to him, not knowing that before he became a Marine, he had spent a few years as an auto mechanic- and used to tinker with a Civic of his own. When I described the overheating symptom to him, he said it sounded a whole lot like a bad thermostat…so, naturally, once we were done with the brake pads, we started digging around to pull and test the thermostat. A quick test showed that the thermostat was, in fact, bad. But AutoZone was closed. We decided to get an early start Sunda morning and get it knocked out.

A Sunday morning trip to AutoZone yielded a new thermostat, a new gasket for the new thermostat, an air freshener (yes, I know- useless impulse buy), a tube of silicone RTV sealant, and a small pack of razor blades. Parts cost: $30.40.

Installed and out the door in time to get home and go to church. But after church, the car overheated again. Another story abbreviation puts me back at AutoZone for coolant, believing my level was too low, therefore causing the overheating. $10.86.

So, it turns out that we left an air pocket in the cooling system. Once we knocked that out, the car got and STAYED cool. I’m going to need to flush the water out of the system and put coolant in to prevent corrosion in the radiator, but the car runs cool now without overheating. But there's a split CV boot, and the rear brakes need to be replaced, because the car still shakes horribly when braking…

So, total repair costs for this chapter: $101.94.
Total time without the car: overnight.
Total cost of this car to date: $2,433.50.

Still love my Honda...but sometimes it frustrates me.
 

nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 4

4-15-2010

So far, the repairs on my Civic have all been OMG reactive things. Today’s project was needed; Meg (friend) and Heather (wife) can attest to that, but the repairs were not started because of any kind of crisis that resulted in loss of operability.

The total cost of this car (including purchase price), prior to this chapter: $2433.50

So, there’s a problem with the car when braking, especially at higher (40mph+) speeds. It stops, which is encouraging since Justin and I did a front brake job on it in the last chapter; but even after replacing the pads, it was just a-shaking when I’d brake. I got a few recommendations on things to do, and we narrowed it down to the following actions to remove the shaking:

-Turn the rotors
-Replace the cracked CV boots (observed at Mitch's house when working the timing issue)
-Rear brake job

So, I went to get the CV boots. AutoZone didn’t have them in stock, but Napa did. While I was doing the math for replacing the CV boots, it turned out that it was more cost-efficient to just replace both of the front half-axles. So I snatched those up. There’d be a good chance that the CV joints would also need replacing, and to do that would actually cost more with the new boots than an entire axle. Plus, I’d have to take the rotors off to replace the front axles, so I could get those turned at the hobby shop while I was working on the rest. (I was right.)
Got to the Auto Hobby Shop on base to do the work early Saturday morning. I got a bay (even though I really wanted a lift), checked out the required tools, and got crackin’. Of course, no auto repair project would be complete without the “OMG I need more parts” syndrome that always seems to happen to me AFTER the car is disabled. I needed boots for the steering rack & pinion…both of mine were split open. I could have ignored them, but since I was already in there …I figured I’d go pick them up at NAPA, since they said they had 4 in stock and Justin was willing to loan me his truck. When I got there, the clerk went to grab them for me, and quickly learned that the computer LIED to him about their on hand stock. They only had 1 of the 2 that I needed. So I hit up AutoZone for the 2nd one I’d need- but they didn’t have MINE in stock. They did, however, have a ‘universal’ boot that was a cut-to-fit deal. I got one, and was out the door. Between NAPA and AutoZone, I did get the parts I needed, though.
I returned to the hobby shop, only to discover (after we’d cut it to fit my car) that the universal boot lacked a pressure relief valve. Justin and I are SMRT though- we just took one off the old boot and rigged the new one to have a relief valve. Parts installed. Axles installed. Saturday’s work complete.

Now the real fun begins. My alignment is WAY off, since we didn’t count the turns as we removed the steering arm to replace the boot. No biggie, I have an appointment for noon Sunday to adjust it, which fit nicely with my plan to do the rear brakes as soon as the shop opened up Sunday at 10.
Well, a quick preview Saturday evening revealed that AutoZone had given me (disc) brake pads & hardware for my rear (drum) brakes. I took that all back Saturday night to get the right hardware for my car- but they didn’t have the spring kit I needed, and there were 2 possible sizes I needed for drum shoes. I just bought both sizes of shoes, and figured I’d return whichever ones I didn’t need.

Sunday morning, 10 am: I’m in line when the hobby shop opens to get the rear brakes finished. Justin showed up shortly after I got checked in and had the car on jack stands. As soon as the drums were off, I handed them over to get them turned. I made a best-guess estimate that the existing hardware would be fine for this brake job, since no one in the local area had the spring kit on hand, and I couldn’t be ‘late’ for my alignment appointment without losing it. It actually appears that the rear brakes were fairly recently done, but I didn’t want to waste the effort by not replacing the shoes. Drums turned. Rear brakes done. Sweet.
Put it on the lift, started setting up for the alignment…and the tech points out that my strut rod bushings were missing on one side (which is obviously not ideal), and told me the parts were pretty cheap, but that I’d need to re-align the car after I replaced them. “You still want to do the alignment today? You’re just gonna have to do it again.” Well, of course I do- I’m using this car on Monday to drive to San Diego, and having the alignment this far off is NOT good. (The future repair list just got a little longer.)
Then comes the uh-oh. “Hey, you said you replaced the axles? Well, this one’s coming out, if it’s not already out. You sure you got the right one and it's in there all the way?” Well, of course I got the right one- it’s the one NAPA has in stock for this car. Except NAPA’s computer was wrong again. You see, the non-ABS car I have has a driver’s side half-axle that’s an inch longer than the ABS version- and the part NAPA supplied is supposedly “either-or” …except it’s not. He described what would happen if the axle came out, and asked if I’d had that happen; I said no, then he shrugged and said maybe it was just supposed to look that way. Anyway, we adjusted the alignment. I got a fat lip from a wrench in the process. Good times.

On my way out of the hobby shop, I hit a bump in the road, and everything he described as symptomatic of the axle falling out happened. I lost my cool.

At this point, let’s just make what has enormous potential to be a really long story kinda short. Justin showed back up at the hobby shop, and we rigged the existing hardware to get my car to his house. I got the old half-axle I’d replaced Saturday back from the hobby shop scrap bin and the NAPA box from the dumpster they’d put it in. We took the car to Justin’s house. Took the old axle to AutoZone, where they sold me the right part. We had to temp loan a few tools at AutoZone that Justin didn’t have, since the hobby shop does NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, loan tools out beyond the confines of the hobby shop. We got crackin’ at Justin’s house and removed the ‘wrong’ axle I’d bought from NAPA to put the good one from AutoZone in. Put it all back together, and everything’s cool. I’ve spared you all the juicy parts where I nearly succumbed to an all-out panic attack.

NAPA took the part back without much resistance. The guy there suggested the motor mounts might be the reason the axle fell out (which I duly noted and added to my long-term list of stuff to take a look at), but ultimately took the part back and refunded me.

So, my total repair parts costs for this chapter include: hobby shop bay usage, getting the rotors & drums turned, a can of PB Blaster, a can of brake cleaner, a bottle of Murphy’s Mystery Engine Oil, a couple cotter pins, a zip tie, brake shoes, steering boots, both CV half-shaft axles, and alignment.

Total repair costs for this chapter: $255.76

Total time without the car: none, really.

Total cost of this car to date: $2689.26

I'm going to call a Honda dealership and find out just how much I've saved myself by learning how to DIY (with a little help from my friends).
 


nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 5

4-16-10

So, blah blah blah and $2689.26

A slight lull in the action. The only purchase here was a small bottle of Gorilla Glue- a whoppping $4.50.

The driver's side "pillar garnish" had cracked mounting brackets. Basically, no mechanical application whatsoever, but annoying as hell when driving on the highway because it caused wind noise RIGHT BESIDE my ear. I've scoured the ONE junkyard here a few times, and have yet to see a junked Civic that still has this part on it- apparently it's a high demand thing.

I checked around online for a replacement, and stumbled across a downloadable copy of the actual Honda repair manual- wiring diagrams, and super-detailed parts diagrams. Once I figured out how this part was held on, I promptly removed it from my car and found the problems surrounding this thing. It's held on by 3 screws- one was the wrong screw, one was missing, and the one that was the correct screw was attached to a bracket that was not attached to the actual part. To sum up, I need 2 of the correct screws and a way to repair the brackets on the plastic trim that were cracked by the incorrect-sized screw.

So, I hit up the junkyard for some overkill on the screws- I must have grabbed like 10 of them. I also happened upon a cover for the passenger side seat lever thing. You know, that side lever that you use to move the seat forward when you're in the back seat of a 2-door car? Well, mine was bare metal missing the rubber top; this has caused damage to the passenger side front seatbelt, most likely rendering it ineffective in the event of a crash. (Yeah, I know. One thing leads to another.) The junkyard dude said no charge for the screws I'd grabbed. (Sweet!) [I even facebooked it, I was so happy.]

Stopped at ACE Hardware and got the Gorilla Glue.

I managed to use Gorilla Glue, saran wrap, a rubber band, and 2 toothpicks to fix the thing. Problem solved.

Oh, so I called Coggin Honda (in Jax, FL) for repair costs (I think Honda of the Desert recognizes my number now as the guy who calls for estimates then never comes in). My maintenance & repair costs to date WOULD be sitting at $2204.95 right now. Add that with the cost of the car, and I WOULD have already paid $4284.95 for my car...and it would still have a broken driver side door handle (no price quote available today). I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Upcoming projects (not really in any kind of order):
-Tint the windows; the desert is HOT! (Complete 10-15-2010)
-Replace the passenger seatbelt
-Oil change
-Replace the oil pan gasket (Complete 10-3-2010)
-Coolant flush to get the tap water out of the system (Done)
-Clean all the gunk off the engine
-Strut rod bushing replacement
-Replace lower ball joints
-Stereo overhaul! (Phase 1 10-18-2010)
-Get an armrest
-Improve the current trunk setup
-Get some Honda alloy rims (i.e., get rid of the steelies & plastic hub caps)
-Fix/replace the dented front right fender
-Replace the dented hood
-Troubleshoot and repair the moonroof (Complete 10-17-2010. Track maintenance.)
-Replace the cracked A/C plastic cover thing on the dash
-Upgrade the headlights- but not with those obnoxious bright ones. (Project discarded. Rice.)
-Upgrade the taillights- I want LEDs! (Both of these could have been combined into 'replace bulbs with LEDs)
-Install a body kit (after we leave 29 Palms) (Project discarded.)
-Fresh paint job...but it's staying OEM black (stock).
-Oh, I'm sure there's more to add...but you get the idea. Project car.

Total cost of my car to date: $2693.76

Total projected cost to get it "perfect": Eleventy billion dollars

I really like this car.
 

nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 6

4-19-2010

Holy crap, there's more to this story than I could have ever anticipated. Let's call this chapter "Chris has a series of troubleshooting fails"

Previous cost: $2693.76

Problem: overheating. Again. Even on short trips.

Diagnosis: well...

1) Coolant fan doesn't come on when temp is too hot, so:
a) Bad fan motor
b) Bad coolant fan relay
c) Bad thermosensor
d) Bad wiring somewhere in that entire circuit
e) Bad thermostat (again, even though I replaced it a couple weeks ago.)
f) [we'll get to this]​
a) Tested fan by putting voltage directly to it. The fan and fan motor are good.
b) Wasted 1/4 tank of gas in the Jeep driving to Yucca Valley to get a replacement relay...because the relay I had was fine, but I have no multimeter to test it. Hindsight being 20/20, I know I could have just skipped past it and kept troubleshooting and would have found out it was fine. Lesson learned.
c) OK. I shorted the electrical connector for this to simulate a hot running engine. This kicked the fan on, which also could have told me the relay was good. (I know.) Anyway, I replaced this with a new one from NAPA. Easy enough job, but I had to buy a socket big enough/deep enough to fit. My tool box has grown by one tool. The one I replaced had some corrosion and serious discoloration...
d) When I ran the test above for the thermosensor, the fan kicked on, which rules out bad wiring between the sensor and the fan. Whew.
e) After replacing the thermosensor, the engine still got too hot. I was able to rule out a bad thermostat, since the radiator hoses were hot/cold, but troubleshooting was getting serious. Mitch came over to help me & have a look.
f) A look inside the radiator with the car running showed that I didn't have sufficient coolant/water in my cooling system. (Of course, hindsight being 20/20, this simple fix probably could have saved me the cost of a new thermosensor, a socket, a drive to Yucca Valley, and the hassle of returning a sensor I didn't need. Effing live and learn.) I had some coolant left from the last time I did work with the cooling system. Used it all. Still needed more. Added water. Lots of bubbles coming out, which means air in the cooling system. Finally got the coolant level right, and bubble free- OH MY GOSH! The fan kicked on! Great success!

OK, well, new problem- where is my coolant leaking or getting out? No leaks or drips underneath that I've seen. Hmm. Where could I be losing water from my radiator...OH HAI BAD RADIATOR CAP.

Are you freakin' kidding me? A radiator cap. A flippin' radiator cap.

The bad radiator cap prevented a tight seal to maintain the vacuum in the pressurized coolant system. The hot water steamed out of the unsealed cap when the engine got hot. Although the engine was fine for awhile following the previous cooling system repairs, eventually the coolant level got too low AND air got into the cooling system. I did all of my troubleshooting ASSUMING that the previous work was all still good. Stupid assuming.

Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: when troubleshooting ANYTHING, assume nothing!

Total parts/tools cost this chapter (radiator cap, coolant fan switch, 24mm deep socket): $58.86
Kicking myself for not properly performing basic troubleshooting procedures: In progress. STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS, CHRIS! It doesn't always have to be difficult!

Total cost of my car to date: Some embarassment, 1/4 tank of gas in the Jeep, and $2752.62

Why is my car sitting crooked? Seriously, it leans noticeably to the driver's side...
 

nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 7

So now it's the end of September 2010. I have been hella busy with work and life lately, so I haven't even stayed up to date on the work since the repairs in April. So, let's see...

The radiator cap was apparently just fine. Another overheating crisis led to a roadside coolant refill with the engine running, where I observed white vapor leaving the tailpipe. More effective troubleshooting (and searching of the Google- which led me here, incidentally, among other sites) brought me to the conclusion that I had an internal coolant leak, indicating a bad head gasket.

Another friend, Matt, assisted me with the head gasket replacement. When we pulled the head off the block and took out the gasket that was in place, a few things became immediately obvious.
1. There was definitely water/coolant getting into the pistons- those things looked steam-cleaned.
2. The original head gasket had already been replaced. Probably the same mechanic who did the water pump replacement before I bought the car, because the quality of the work was equally shitty. Had to remove residue from 2 head gaskets.
3. Using tap water to fill the coolant system = a bad idea. There were some pretty significant (in my opinion, anyway) calcium deposits in the water jacket.

So, we replaced the head gasket. Checked the head for warping (thankfully, none). Replaced head bolts, applied in the right order & to Honda torque specs. Filled the coolant system with a mix of distilled water & vinegar to douche the system out. Drove it around for a week, drained the water/vinegar solution and refilled with actual coolant. This was all back at the end of May, and I haven't had a single issue with the overheating since.

Well, no overheating in the engine, anyway. But my A/C is another matter entirely. It was ice cold when I bought it- but in July, at max cold, it was cranking out a cool 110 degrees. Not so cool- especially when it's only 105 outside. Had the hobby shop check the system for leaks, checked the refrigerant level, everything seemed normal...except that the high side needle was all over the place on the refill. I have some research to do on that. Bad compressor? Bad something else? I get that the system is sealed up tight, but if there's a bad component in that sealed system, it's still not gonna work. Geez, this list is never-ending.

What's really been pissing me off, though, is this constant power steering fluid leak. First I replaced all the stupid clamps with screw-on clamps- still leaking. I can't tell whether it's a hose or the reservoir itself that's leaking. About 2 weeks ago, I finally decided I'd had enough. I was tired of leaving a puddle of PS fluid everywhere I parked, so I went to the junkyard and pulled a PS reservoir + hoses + clamps off a junked civic. $20. I finally swapped that out this past Monday evening before work, and haven't had any leak or fluid loss since. Now, because I live in the desert, I know I'm going to need to replace those hoses- but for now, it's an effective band-aid.

So, that should bring this saga up to late last night/ yesterday morning...but that's the next post.

I kinda quit keeping track of the cost, because as encouraging as it is that I'm saving money by NOT paying a mechanic, it was getting pretty silly. I get it- I'm saving money on labor. Enough already.

Still love my Civic, with all it's potential...
 

nerofotia

n00b
Chapter 8

So things have finally started to settle into a little bit of a routine with work and life. The desert's still pretty freakin' hot, the AC still doesn't work, the tint is still nonexistent. I still don't get to play with the "nice to have" repairs, though.

Unfortunately, even though I am registered in Florida, I am stationed in California. In order for me to get my vehicle a base access sticker, I have to pass California smog. My wife was kind enough to take the car up to a local test-only station about a month and a half ago...except I failed. I failed smog for high HC at idle.

Now, I bought the car in California, and it had been smogged and registered just a month or so prior, so in my mind, whatever was causing me to fail smog was something "new" to the car...or at least something since I got it.

I tried the Google, and the best answer I could get was that my high HC at idle cause could be a bad catalytic converter, caused by all the coolant being leaked from the previously bad head gasket.

Of course, I also found that there could be other, cheaper to replace, contributors. I could just need a tune-up. So I replaced the plug wires, distributor cap, & rotor. (I forgot to mention before that when I replaced the head gasket, I also replaced the spark plugs. Speaking of stuff I forgot to mention, I also drained the transmission and refilled it. The grinding sound isn't nearly as bad as it used to be, but it still sounds pretty rough.)

I haven't had it re-tested yet, mostly because I work full time, have 2 kids, and a wife. I'd like to get it checked out this week to see if I'm even close to legal for the hc at idle. When I failed before, my car fell under the category of "gross polluter", which kinda blew me away.

So let's assume that I fail my smog again; I'm assuming this means I need a new cat. Do I spend the $150 on a direct OEM replacement, or the $20 on a highflow cat from eBay? Like I said, I'm FL registered, so I could really care less about whether the parts are California legal or not. I just want to pass so I can get my base decal and start spending my car money on the fun stuff/wants.

I started browsing the forums here last night and have found a wealth of information and knowledge. I have also discovered that before I start working on the wants/cosmetics, I need to be able to state exactly what direction I'm taking this build.
 

nerofotia

n00b
Build goals for dream car

So I put some consideration into what I want out of my car. Here goes...
Overall goal:
My oldest son is 5 (he'll be 6 in February). I'd like this to be his first car when he's 16. I was 16 once, and even 15 years later, I still believe it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. To keep his speed limited (ok, who am I kidding- my speed for the next 10 years) to barely-ticketable offenses, I plan minimal to no performance mods to this DD. Besides, with gas inching back towards $3 a gallon ($2.89 locally right now), I prefer the fuel economy anyway.
  1. Dependable daily driver
  2. Comfortable daily driver
  3. Aesthetically pleasing daily driver
  4. Cool daily driver
Priority 1: Dependable daily driver
I drive to and from work every day. I'd like to keep it that way. Yes, I am capable of biking, running, or walking, but it sure is nice not to HAVE to. The car's paid for, sips gas, and like I said before- it's my dream car. I still have some routine, preventive, and corrective maintenance to perform to keep up this priority.
-Short term:
  • Make necessary repairs to pass smog (to allow continued access to the base)
  • Replace engine mounts (identified as an issue back when Mitch & I were doing the timing belt thing)
  • Replace bushings & ball joints (identified as an issue back when I did the drive shafts)
-Long term:
  • The transmission's got some issues. It's going to need repair/replaced, probably within the next year.
  • Since I'll be working the transmission, might as well replace the clutch too.
  • The seat release handle on the passenger side really did a number on the passenger seatbelt. Back before I fixed it with a free piece from the junkyard (GRRRR at the lazy previous owner!). For safety reasons, I believe it might be a good idea to replace it. And, since I'll be replacing the one, might as well replace the other. Since that involves disassembling a lot of the interior, though, this project will probably be done in conjunction with several other interior projects of lower priority.
Priority 2: Comfortable daily driver
I live in the desert. It's hot, & our roads are horrible. Besides, when it's possible, who doesn't want to be comfortable?
  • Replace the struts & springs- the originals on the car have almost 200k miles on them
  • Tint the windows Just need to find a good tint shop
  • Diagnose & repair the A/C issues This A/C repair kit should do the trick, I think...but I'm going to troubleshoot better, if possible.
  • Get a damn armrest put in (which, for the record, I still can't figure out why Honda didn't just make a standard part for the entire line).
Priority 3: Aesthetically pleasing
I want my car to look nice, not like a piece of sh!t.
  • Rims. I've found what I consider to be a sharp, but relatively inexpensive set of 17s online. The tires are actually going to cost me more than the rims, but apparently that's pretty normal if you get a great deal on rims. (Estimated cost, $400 without tires.)
    But before I go spending any money on those, I have another option I'm exploring. Either way, get rid of the steelies/hubs combo.
  • I'm still debating this one: OEM suspension vs. a 1.5" drop. Either way, I'm replacing the struts/springs; why not just do it once and improve the form and function? My concern here is that lowering it may conflict with my longevity goals for the car. I mean, the engineers designed the car to ride at its OEM height. What are the long-term ramifications of dropping this car by an inch and a half? These seem to be right up my alley, I guess ($425)...or are these going to be a better option with these, these, and 2 of these ($367.67)?
  • Body work, part 1: the front passenger side fender still has that horrendous gash-dent. I found a pair of fiberglass fenders that will cost less as a pair than an individual fender would from any of the parts suppliers I've researched thus far. Something like this, I think.
  • Body work, part 2: the hood is still dented up (and it looks like someone tried to hammer it out with a ballpin hammer), plus it's got rust. So do I repair it or replace it? In all honesty, I'll probably go with replacing it. In doing this, do I go with an OEM hood, or something else? OEM replacement hood for $180
  • Body work, part 3: I have a ton of door dings, that until recently weren't a big deal to me. About a month ago, I noticed a new one. Passenger side of my car, right at the rear wheel well. Some asshat dinged the s**t out of my car, giving me the 1st body damage to the actual welded-on portion of the body. Man, I was heated. Apparently this isn't impossible to bring back to beautiful, though.
  • Body work, part 4: after all the sanding and filling and body part replacing, this baby's gonna need a paint job. I love the stock color, but I also want perfection. I get the feeling that perfection's going to cost me money to get, and will cost me money to maintain with regular wash/wax/detailing.
  • Body work (kinda), part 5: After getting a perfect paint job, all the weather stripping and rubber molding is going to stick out like a sore thumb if I leave it there. I haven't done a cost analysis on replacing that just yet, but I'm not crazy enough to think it's going to be exceptionally cheap, either. (Edit: Cost analysis says $153.52 + shipping from Majestic)
Priority 4: The cool factor
Even at 31 years old, I still want a cool ride. It's been a lot of fun so far, learning about my car (and cars in general), and I definitely feel a little bit of pride when I consider the stuff I have already done to make it better. I don't really see this car being a show car, but there's a few things I'd like to do to make it (in my opinion) a cool car.
  • Stereo: I actually have most of the main parts to make this a reality. I need to do some more research before I finish the shopping list, but I like my tunes loud just as much as the next guy.
  • Blackout: Currently, I have a black car with untinted windows and a gray interior. I'd like to eventually have it as a black car with black tinted windows and a black interior. Any engine/mechanical painting I do will also be black. About the only thing that I legally can make black that I don't intend to make black is the rims.
  • Details: I alluded to engine painting; I plan to do the valve cover, calipers, and whatever other engine/mechanical details that I can paint. My kids are big fans of Transformers, so I'm going to try to find subtle ways to work that in, too- while still keeping to the blackout theme. Key word: subtle.
  • Details 2: I'd like to replace the cloth seats with leather upholstery, but before I go crazy with that, I'm going to see if I can find some GSR seats for the front- just because. Preferably on the cheap. But this MUST come after I get an armrest, since the top of the passenger seat (just under the headrest) is currently functioning as my armrest when I drive.
  • Details 3: Shift boot, s**t knob, center console, exterior emblems. I know what I want, just have to find it or make it.
  • Details 4: After living in Japan for 3 years, I got quite accustomed to seeing the lights on the fenders. I'd like to have those on this car...and have them functioning as additional turn signals.
  • Details 5: LED taillights, maybe. This is so far down the road, it's not really something I'm set on- just an option that I like right now.
  • Details 6: The 2000 VW Beetle had a blacklight look to the gauge cluster. I really liked that, and I'm pretty sure I could get the same effect in my car. I just have to figure out how. On that topic, I'd like to replace all my bulbs with longer-lasting LEDs.
  • Details 7: Maybe a project to upgrade my A/C controls to an automatic temperature control unit instead of the outdated fan settings+hot/cold slider+recirc/vent settings I have now?
I figure that by the time I get all this done, it'll be time to hand the keys over to my oldest boy. Of course, by then, I might not be inclined to do that- and maybe we'll start building his EH3 instead.
 
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charlie brown

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Registered VIP
Nerofotia, dont feel bad, im 32 and i am still in the garage touching my car in dirty ways trying to make her quick. any way,age is no factor. you active duty out there in 29 stumps? lol
 

R3dline

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5+ Year Member
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lol yah we need more pics, less words lmao, 99% of us are lazy
 

nerofotia

n00b
Short-term pending projects (aka, stuff on the cheap)

Catalytic converter. Like, this weekend short-term. If I read right, it's a simple bolt-on deal anyway.
Paint the wipers. Because why not, you know?
Go HERE to buy LEDs to replace my cluster lights...as seen in this writeup. I'm thinking blue.
I'm working on gathering the rest of the stuff I need for stereo install- specifically, a sub, an amp wiring kit, and soundproofing wrap for the trunk. Not sure if I want a standard box or a custom box for the sub.
Pics requested, pics granted:
My car has a definite lean to one side...

One example of the cosmetics that I want to fix...

Damage to the passenger fender.

The 'new' damage that really pissed me off...

And the worst part of the hood.


Looks like I've got my work cut out for me.
 
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