'78 Accord Hatchback . . yes!

happy day! . . here it is . . I picked up my new friend today . .

it's a '78 Honda Accord Hatchback with 2-speed Honda-matic

I didn't have my good camera with me today . . so I only made some quick pictures with a crappy point-and-shoot camera . . but I guess it's better than nothing

yes . . it's baby blue
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/170/img0003hw0.jpg

yes . . it's a Honda!
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/8766/img0014mg6.jpg

yes . . it does have rust :nervous: . . but only a little on the hood . . so still very good! (about the only "big" optical issue)
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/7170/img0015lk9.jpg

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/3303/img0020aw3.jpg

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/4143/img0022ez2.jpg

yes . . the steel wheels are pretty rusty (but I do have a second almost perfect set)
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5868/img0023wa7.jpg

yes!! . . it's black inside . . nice eh?
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3683/img0012ay4.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3708/img0013ij1.jpg

yes . . it still has it's original radio . . . isn't that cool?
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/96/img0010je2.jpg

Car looks mint! Love the interior.

Looks good

Nice to see pictures finally! Love that color, and the interior is super clean! Good work saving it from the jaws of the crusher! Rusty wheels are easy to clean up. You can get paint stripping wheels that go into your drill, which are sort of a softer pad. It will take all the paint and rust right off. Then a fresh coat of paint with a rattle can will make them look brand new.

Check this out:

https://www.3geez.com/forum/showpost....&postcount=186

How many miles are on it?

I'm not worried about the wheels . . . I do have a very good 2nd set . . and it looks like I might get a set of alloys as well :nervous: . .

it has 200'000km right now (125'000miles)

nice car

really clean car i like the interior alot, and the color its different.

Great find man, I can't believe they would crush that.. totally mint! Take care of the little bit of rust; regular maintenance and you will have a nice little care for a long time yet.

Very nice. Love that colour!

OMG!!!!

It's YOU that bought this car?

Congrats on your new Accord. My girlfriend saw that car on Facebook this week and told the guy NOT to scrap it. The guy sold the car the same day so I was afraid it would meet the junkers for a broken window.

It's soooo nice you came here and plan to keep it. This car is a true gem.

If you can't find a window in Switzerland, I'm sure someone here can send you one.

Hi!

That was mine !
I am really happy that this car is in "good hands", and hope it will be on roads for some more years ;)

Just some details :
Check very often the oil level, the engine burns a lot of it (1l/1000km); until you change the valve stem seals.
The radiator leaks on the top (middle), it does not leak a lot (0.5l / 2000km), but the level has to be completed sometimes.


and a surprise : i changed the only loudspeaker ... I took the "best" of the market in that size : Hifonics Titanium TX462.

The chassis was treated with some "aluminized" mixture, when new.

You are the 4th owner : 1st for about 20 year was a really carefully Portuguese living by Neuchâtel (CH),
Then a woman until 2007, in the "hills" between Neuchatel and France border.
Then me... I sold it because my Mustang II needed my 1 place garage.

that's funny . . . worldwide famous because of Facebook . . . @qwertz, thanks again for that car . . I love it . . . it will have a safe and dry home at my place ;)

I posted a picture on faceb. on the Honda Accord group, because i found that the gallery was a bit tasteless, with all those recent , tuning-excessive Hondas...

Oh about the engine, it's a 76-78 and not a- 79-82 that had different carburation, ignition, gearbox... (the spark plugs, and cables were not the good ones, and I changed them about 1 year ago)

The book I gave you is about those recent versions.

Oh wow, I am pretty sure I saw it in that Facebook group too! I was excited to see a 1st gen in there!

ahhhhh nice and cozy in this thread

that car looks exactly like one I used to drive

Quote:

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Originally Posted by qwertz

I posted a picture on faceb. on the Honda Accord group, because i found that the gallery was a bit tasteless, with all those recent , tuning-excessive Hondas...

Oh about the engine, it's a 76-78 and not a- 79-82 that had different carburation, ignition, gearbox... (the spark plugs, and cables were not the good ones, and I changed them about 1 year ago)

The book I gave you is about those recent versions.

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Haha what do you expect?

So I saw that car over there as well, but don't understand a thing from the captions and the comments :D

Its good to see it went to good hands.

okay . . I got my hands on a set of alloys for my little Accord . . and boy, what a set . . they are 3-piece BBS Motorsport wheels from 1978 . . 7.5x13 and 8.5x13 (not 100% sure . . the guy who sold em to me gave me the dimensions . . I need to measure em . . but they are wiiiiide!!)

original 4x120 (that's why the guy had em for sale forever . . nobody wanted em . . so I got em dirt cheap :rolleyes: ) . . no funny drilling or machining . . no headaches . . .

just some test fitting :nervous: before taking em apart . . for cleaning, polishing and repaint

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9604/img0010oo8.jpg

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/1456/img0002kp8.jpg

feel free to be jealous . . :D

Rims are siiick I'm. Jealous!!! =P. Cars gonna look dope dumped on those with some stretched tires!!!!!! How's the 13x8 wheel fit, are you going to be able to tuck it under the fender or quarter panel? Great find on some og 4x120,s!!!

holy wheel gap batman. rims are sick. did you just test fit one? if not PIX PLEASE.

Shit now I'm jealous!

Its gonna look dope once cleaned up!

Looks like those might be for the old Mazdas. I think the really, really old RX-7s or maybe the RX-3s also used the 4x120 pcd. At the time, it wasn't such a weird size, I don't think. Especially since it's got the RWD-style offset. Pretty awesome that they're real, 3-piece BBS wheels.

Dang dude. Your car is the cat's pajamas. Very nice ride. Very nice wheels!

well . . it looks like the rim were designed for a FWD car . . the wide ones have high offset and the "less wide" have low offset . . . and there was a marker-writing on em which said that the wide ones were mounted up front . . which would make sense for a slalom/autoX FWD car . . . . .

first, I did mont em the way they were . . the wide ones in the front . . and the small ones on the rear axle . . but then the rear ones stud out off the fender about 2 inches . . . which looked very funny . .

so I changed the way the dishes on the small ones are mounted to the centers . . they were on the outside of the center piece . . and now the dishes are connected "behind" the centers (nothing wrong with that . . the BBS rims are designed to work both ways) . . so now the small ones fit perfect and are going on the front axle . . the wide ones stick out about 1 inch . . and I guess that should be ok with some stretched tires . . .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lil Mike

holy wheel gap batman. rims are sick. did you just test fit one? if not PIX PLEASE.

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the wheel gap is that big because the car is on a jack . . the wheels are not touching the ground . . . and as you can see on the 2nd picture . . I "testfitted" 2 . . .

here you can see how the front wheels are gonna look . . with the changed centers . . I actually like the look . . and the fact that the front and rears gonna look different . .

front
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2386/img0007wx3.jpg

rear
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/9719/img0003uu6.jpg

Wow I've seen people swap inner or outer barrels and faces on 3 piece wheels to compromise or change wheel width/offset, but never mount the face on the opposite side of the barrel it was designed for!! I know the sets of 3piece wheels I've had (including my volks on my 1g) ,the face have a step on one side to mount and center the barrels. Is the front and back of the bbs face machined and stepped to mount it either way? Doesn't look correct or safe to me?. . . . . . . . . .I'll check on my springs for you today so you can drop that thing!

it is the way 3-piece BBS are designed . . they work both ways

look here:
http://www.bbs-racing-wheels.com/sei...m.txt/e68e.htm

Quote:

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Centre section can be made for mounting behind or ahead of the rims.

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or for pictures here:
http://www.bbs-racing-wheels.com/sei....txt/e30ve.htm

I like the design of the wheels, but I hope you have a plan for the suspension because that does not look good IMO. I would also stick the wider tires up front seeing as how the car is FWD and it would help with handling.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 88LXi68

I like the design of the wheels, but I hope you have a plan for the suspension because that does not look good IMO.

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on the pictures, the car is completely jacked up (I didn't wanna put it on the ground, because the original honda wheel-nuts don't really fit with the rims) . . . . so don't judge on that . .

My plan is to lower it . . but that's a different story . .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 88LXi68

I would also stick the wider tires up front seeing as how the car is FWD and it would help with handling.

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yes and no . . yes it is a FWD car . . but remember it has 80hp and hondamatic :) . . so traction and handling are of little concern . . especially since I'm gonna fit the same size tire on the front and the rear rims . . so the wider rims are staying on the rear axle . . for the look . .

thats dope ive never seen a face on a 3piece wheel that can be mounted on the inner or outer part of the wheel!!! i have to agree with the other guy about putting the wider wheels on the front.. regardless of the power and trans the car is still an FF chassis.. (ff cars actually look pretty good with the reverse stagger.. not to mention its functional) your probably going to have to keep the rear of the car higher than the front to accomadate the wide low off-set wheels giving it "hotrod" look on a fwd?? is that the look your going for? IMO def stay away from that look, its a fwd honda!!! put the wider bigger lip wheels on the front, stretch some 13" tires, and dump it all the way around =) !!!!!!
http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/q...2568844992.jpg
http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/q...2568844996.jpg

I'm not sure what do do yet . . I too, do think it looks cooler with with the wide wheels in the front . . but . . the "wider" wheels do have clearence issues on the front axle (hitting the strut) . . so I would need to run "small" spacers . . which would get em even further out . . . they fit with no problem on the rear

that's how it looks when the wide ones sitting on the rear axle . . (btw. the wide wheels do have less (!!) lip . . )

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9929/img3671sp1.jpg

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/3830/img3672iv6.jpg

as you can see . . lowering is limited . . since I don't want to modify the body . .

and as I said . . I'm gonna run the same size tires all way round (just will have more stretch on the wide . . logically) . . .

"sigh" . . so much to think about :D

Yikes! Mad wheels, hope the stretched tyres let them fit without looking absurd.
Car still looks great!

I should check my spare windows... I think I was even given some from a '77 (un-tinted) & some 81's about. But shipping from Australia would have to be absurd. Have you tried some of the guys at http://nipponklassik.de/, or perhaps http://www.hondayoungtimer.de/f17--b-Suche--b-.html?

Recently made up a tool to do my valve stem seals too & must post up... once I refind my camera!

looks like your gonna have to run fender flares or do some custom mods to the suspension to run alot of negative camber to get those under the body!!.... almost look like rwd offset, what kind of car did the seller have them on?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 79cord

Yikes! Mad wheels, hope the stretched tyres let them fit without looking absurd.
Car still looks great!

I should check my spare windows... I think I was even given some from a '77 (un-tinted) & some 81's about. But shipping from Australia would have to be absurd. Have you tried some of the guys at http://nipponklassik.de/, or perhaps http://www.hondayoungtimer.de/f17--b-Suche--b-.html?

Recently made up a tool to do my valve stem seals too & must post up... once I refind my camera!

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yeah I'm in contact with most old-jap-car forums in Europe :) . . we'll see . . could you quote me shipping anyway? . . would be interesting to see what it would cost . .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 81vintyminty

looks like your gonna have to run fender flares or do some custom mods to the suspension to run alot of negative camber to get those under the body!!.... almost look like rwd offset, what kind of car did the seller have them on?

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I'm not gonna touch the body . . it's in too good of a condition to mess with it . . in worst case I'm just gonna lower it less than I would want to . . so the wheels stay away from the body . .

The previous owner bought them along other stuff . . thinking they were 4x100 . . he doesn't know what car they were off . . but I'm sure they're off a FWD car . . there are 2 wide wheels with high offset (small dish . .) and 2 less wide wheels with low offset (big dish) . . . and the wide ones were mounted on the front axle (at lest someone wrote "front left" and "front right" on the tires . .)

Sexy! that color looks beautful on the 1g

Awesome find--Looks great

Oh boy,nice shoes! They look awesome in your accord. Y dropped a set of 205/55 15 in my 1G and they look great but it was a headache to get them to work.
I had to do 3 things:

1:Mounted stiffer springs in the back
2:Cutting the rear fender
3:Fender skirts

The stiffer springs is because the rear has softer suspension and every bump on the road makes the tire to touch the fender,but this is´nt enough to avoid this,so i had to cut the rear fender :mad: there is no problem in the front with tire hitting the fender. The fender skirt is because the wheels dropped water over the car during rains and it´s anoying to have to wash the car after every rain/mud ride.

Here pics of the wheels in the car.

The rear wheel out of the fender
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...Imagen1020.jpg

Front wheel without skirt
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...istoLuz159.jpg

With skirt
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...1022007616.jpg

I think you should drop the wider wheels in the back,they look best this way,and if you dont want to cut this pristine body just change the rear springs for stiffer ones and everything will work just fine.

I hope this helps. :D

dunno how i missed this thread, looks pretty good

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 1GCustomAccord

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...1022007616.jpg
I hope this helps. :D

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Yikes!! . . sorry but this looks horrible! IMHO!

but everybody as they like . . . where did you get harder springs for your Accord? . . I'm looking for a set of lowering springs or a set of original ones (so I can cut the ones installed right now without worrying that I want to "undo" it again later . .)

Any updates on the wheels?!

what he said^^

well . . . I had a quick go with some polish . . and they turned out great I think . .

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7051/img3745qh7.jpg
right: before, left: after :D


I finally found a drivers door window in belgium ( "happy" . . . ) that's sorted now . . I'm still searching for a set of fitting wheel-nuts . . but actually I have and had some other (non Honda) car projects to finish . . . so the Accord has to wait right now . .

looking pretty nice . . I think . . .

still waiting for the tires . . will be 195/45R13 in the front . . and 175/55R15 on the rear axle :huh:

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7015/img4060j.jpg

sitting nicely next to a 15" BBS MAHLE rim from a set I just bought . . (I don't know why . . I don't have a car right now where those will fit . .) :D

choose 165/55R13 for the rear axle . . now where did I hide my grinder? :nervous:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7015/img4117g.jpg

Looking good. Grinder to cut off the springs? :D

And for some reason, the last thing I expected to see in Switzerland was a full size Dodge van. Same body style as the Tradesman my dad had when I was growing up. :)

165/80s were stock on my 1gee at least. So you're running stock width back there. Quite a bit lower profile tire though, I will say.

Still looking good!
Makes me want a blue one.
But I don't deserve it untill I get the white '77 sorted.

Wonder if the lower profile & gearing will make the hondamatic feel any perkier?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2ndGenGuy

And for some reason, the last thing I expected to see in Switzerland was a full size Dodge van. Same body style as the Tradesman my dad had when I was growing up. :)

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there are quite a few full size Dodges here . . the Swiss fire departments used to have those . . most of em with the newer body style though . . haven't seen one like mine in a long time . .

. . well . . I just like 70's cars . . I do have this '74 B300 Tradesman (36'000 original km's . . thanks to almost no fires I guess :D ) . . I use it to tow my boat . . I think it's awesome . . a '74 BMW 525 . . and a '72 BMW 3.0s called bavaria in the US ( but I guess BMW's don't belong here . . ) . . and the Accord of course

Awesom looking car. Sweet! I'm looking for some rims myself. I guess their easier to find in europe. (I live there too)

You have to lower that car, even though the BBS looks wicked, it would be soooo much nicer with a little dropp.

well 4x120 are a PITA pretty much everywhere . . I guess it would be easiest to find a set in Japan or down under . . just because there are a lot of old japanese cars . .
I found those by mistake to be honest . . . the guy wanted to sell them for ages . . but since 4x120 is so rare, he couldn't find someone who wanted them . . until I came along :naughty: . .

right now I'm still hesitating to cut the springs . . just because they're too soft as well . . if I lower it by cutting the springs, I can't get as low as I want to just because the tires will rub on the arches as soon as I hit a little bump . . I need harder springs in the same diameter .. .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boogieman

well 4x120 are a PITA pretty much everywhere . . I guess it would be easiest to find a set in Japan or down under . . just because there are a lot of old japanese cars . .

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Not many available here, only a few that were sold as dealer accessories unless you have some 70's Mazda wheels machined to fit (offset is wrong).

That's why I upgraded my car to suit the more common 4x100 pattern (so I was very tempted by some Watanabe wheels on Ebay last week).

been a while, cars lookin good.. i see we have similar taste in wheels =)wheels look awesome cant wait for the pics with it dropped!! quite a bit of body/wheel gap you got though with those lower profile tires. still think you should run a stretched narrower higher profile tire to fill that gap with and youll have less coils to cut saving your ride (well what ride you have left on cut springs =x they would be easier to tuck under the body with such a wide 13' wheel too(youd be suprised how much sidewall height you knock out when stretching a tire)... never the less cant wait for the new pics of her dropped!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 79cord

Not many available here, only a few that were sold as dealer accessories unless you have some 70's Mazda wheels machined to fit (offset is wrong).

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wrong offset :huh: . . I guess the offset of my wheel is as wrong as somehow possible . . there isn't a tire narrow enough to make the rear wheels tuck anywhere :D . . unless i pull the rear fenders and I really don't wanna do that . .

I found a guy who makes custom springs, so I ordered a set of the hardest springs he can make in this dimension . . because of the extensive wheel travel with the soft stock springs lowering is limited to just a inch (otherwise the wheels will hit the arches at every tiny bump . .) . . and that's just not gonna cut it . . so with the hard springs a bit more lowering should be possible . .

Cutting the springs increases the spring rate... So that should stiffen up the ride a bit... Or did you already try this?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2ndGenGuy

Cutting the springs increases the spring rate... So that should stiffen up the ride a bit...

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:huh: . . how on earth should cutting the springs increase the spring rate??? . . cutting the spring doesn't do anything to the spring rate . .

or am I missing something here??

It does increase spring rate. Because there is now less spring to give.

Think about it this way. If you have 5 coils, and each coil compresses 1 inch with the weight of the car on it, that's 5 inches of total compression. Now cut out a coil so you only have 4. Now your springs will only compress 4 inches. Same weight on the spring, but less compression is going to be stiffer. Yeah the car will be lower, but the spring will compress less, making it stiffer.

Or think about if you're holding a car spring in your hand and you move your hands up and down. The spring doesn't really move does it? But imagine if you made it 20 feet long, and moved it up and down in your hand, the other end of the spring would be all floppy and wobbly and seem really soft. But it's the same material, so it's not softer, but there's more flexibility in a longer spring, than a shorter one.

hmm . . . interesting . . kinda makes sense . . never thought of it that way . .

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/1456/img0002kp8.jpg

dude, lose the rims asap. they are awful. sorry, maybe it's cuz i'm a yankee, but those are no bueno.