Versanick
07-31-2003, 11:41 PM
Okay a little background to start, the short-version... I bought this car for $750 cash because it had no rust on the body (I mean not anywhere, not even bottom of doors, on the underside, or anything)... I was skeptical of the engine (was running REAL rough and only revved to 5k...), but my friends and I decided it would make the 2.5hr journey home. On the trip down, I was pulled over for 90 in a 55 by the way (which I'm still fighting), and on the way home, the car started making a VERY loud lawn mower-sounding noise, then before I knew it, cylinder #3 blew a hole the size of an expanded golfball into a burst of flames that came from all sides of the car, torqued a motor mount, twisted (and ripped a little bit) a frame piece, and ripped [whatever components of the transmission were working] to shreds (as the flywheel torqued at a real bad angle)... at 2 AM with plates from my other car slapped on it (b/c the plates are insured) with no pre-registration (or any of the legal stuff that would prevent a disabled vehicle from being impounded).
Had it towed, paid $1200 for a motor/tranny with 60k on it, new clutch, and installation... found out that the motor I was putting in was at least the 3rd on the vehicle and they were pretty sure the oil had never been changed on the one that blew up on me, as the oil had chunks in it and was about as clear as midnight (and a few other obvious bad-oil indicators in the top end, so they said). So I drive the car for two days and smack a curb the size of Cincinatti avoiding a head-on with a drunken 93 Grand Am driver, whose plates I didn't get.... with no collision on my car. Hmm.... great luck?
Replaced all suspension components, all frame components... turns out the body's 3" shorter on the side I smacked it, and torqued on the opposite side from an accident in 94 (a later-done Carfax report revealed)... had the body pulled, and all the pieces put back together...
so FINALLY, two months after I bought the car, it's on the road and ready for action. I waxed it today because it hadn't had it in quite a while (I don't know if they wax these things in Florida as much?)..
Here's my set of pictures (thumbnailed... more like handnailed) on my own site (56k be patient).
I'm no great photographer, and I took the pics in REAL bad dusky light... luckily the camera picked up some light still.
http://home.stny.rr.com/versanick/honda/honda.html
I really took a lot more pictures, but I trashed a lot of them b/c they were WAY too blurry... I'll take a ton more, don't worry. They'll all show up here. :)
Enjoy the five that I left (lol). Wish I took a good one of the back, it's real sharp. Only a few small dings that I'm going to have banged out at my friend's shop, and I'm going to have it painted black (the paint job on it is probably original, real un-glossy, and fading really bad in some spots).
Wheeee......
-Paul
Had it towed, paid $1200 for a motor/tranny with 60k on it, new clutch, and installation... found out that the motor I was putting in was at least the 3rd on the vehicle and they were pretty sure the oil had never been changed on the one that blew up on me, as the oil had chunks in it and was about as clear as midnight (and a few other obvious bad-oil indicators in the top end, so they said). So I drive the car for two days and smack a curb the size of Cincinatti avoiding a head-on with a drunken 93 Grand Am driver, whose plates I didn't get.... with no collision on my car. Hmm.... great luck?
Replaced all suspension components, all frame components... turns out the body's 3" shorter on the side I smacked it, and torqued on the opposite side from an accident in 94 (a later-done Carfax report revealed)... had the body pulled, and all the pieces put back together...
so FINALLY, two months after I bought the car, it's on the road and ready for action. I waxed it today because it hadn't had it in quite a while (I don't know if they wax these things in Florida as much?)..
Here's my set of pictures (thumbnailed... more like handnailed) on my own site (56k be patient).
I'm no great photographer, and I took the pics in REAL bad dusky light... luckily the camera picked up some light still.
http://home.stny.rr.com/versanick/honda/honda.html
I really took a lot more pictures, but I trashed a lot of them b/c they were WAY too blurry... I'll take a ton more, don't worry. They'll all show up here. :)
Enjoy the five that I left (lol). Wish I took a good one of the back, it's real sharp. Only a few small dings that I'm going to have banged out at my friend's shop, and I'm going to have it painted black (the paint job on it is probably original, real un-glossy, and fading really bad in some spots).
Wheeee......
-Paul