Honda #4

So now I've got my 4th Honda: A 95 Civic EX. Here's some pics.

You should be able to tell that it was repainted. Probably just with a single coat each. I kind of like the mild gloss. It's like a matte finish, but not, I guess. Just depends on what kind of light it's getting. Some body panels aren't fitting quite right, and the hood's a bit banged up, but it looks perfect from 10 feet, and it runs nice. Only problem is that it knocks a bit without premium. The timing was advanced. I'm probably going to adjust the valves and retard the timing tomorrow, and see if that clears it up.

Anyway here it is. Just a few shots I took after washing it this morning. I'll try to get a real photoshoot sometime when the light is good.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1140.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1125.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1122.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1126.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1124.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1139.jpg

The interior cleaned up nicely. It was getting kind of brown when I got it but it looks much better now.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1135.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1134.jpg

Yes, those are genuine Honda center caps. I'm hoping I can keep them on if I swap wheels, I don't want to get rid of them.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1127.jpg

The previous owner had a muffler shop weld together a stainless exhaust for it. Not sure of the diameter. I'm going to have to figure that out. That Magnaflow muffler is awesome, though.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1133.jpg

Finally, the engine bay. It's got an AEM short ram.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1141.jpg

damn thats a clean ass civic bro keep us updated on wat u do to that beast haha :thumbup:

Very nice!!

thats not bad for a civic

Very nice! And no horrible grinding noises. Hooray!

awesome I want those steelies lol

dang dog, you gots vtak.. clean car. looks good.

danm thats a nice civic, i really like the color. slap some DUBS on that

EX? nice dude + VTAK. makes my civic look like even more crap ahahaha i'll trade you!

Z6 ftw!

yeah they are very easy to drive...i drove my friends 99 coupe..with that same intake...but it was lowered like 3 inches...bumpy ride but it was nice

Thanks dudes. It does drive really nice, and it feels like it pulls pretty hard. I'm not going to let myself go around thinking it's actually fast though. It is a whole lot faster than my old car, but that's to be expected. There's probably a 55 horsepower difference between the two, plus the gears are shorter in this car. It's really fun on the highway, especially with the exhaust, which I found out is 2" I'd prefer a 2.25" but this is way better than stock.

I adjusted the valves yesterday. I must have done something wrong because now one of them's tapping. I'm going to do it again tomorrow morning.

My current plans:
Replace the window and sunroof motors (They're about shot).
Replace the seatbelts and retractors.
Peel off the shitty front tint. You can't tell by the pics but the driver's side is only half-tinted, and the passenger side is about to peel.
Replace the rear brakes. I've got new shoes for them to pass inspection, but a full disc brake swap will be coming along at some point.
Repair or replace the dented hood.

After that the fun stuff can begin. :]

It's been a while since my last update. I had spare time this morning for once, so I gave her a wash and wax. Figured I'd shoot a few pictures while I was at it.

Needs a bit of body massaging. That's one of those things that's going to have to wait, since I don't know how to do it myself.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1878.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1877.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1879.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1876.jpg

So I have done a couple mods, contrary to how it might look. The exhaust ended up having to be replaced front to back.

I started with a new Magnaflow system. Since it's been on the car through 3 blizzards now, it definitely doesn't look new anymore. Any advice on cleaning it up?

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1883.jpg

Yes the muffler is melting the rubber trim under the bumper. Not much I can do but cut some material out. Don't have access to a saw at the moment though.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1885.jpg

See if you can figure out what's different about my engine bay...

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1894.jpg

If you look real close, you can see the header going into the Magnaflow cat.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1898.jpg

That exhaust system took almost a year to put together. I figured I'd share the fun story.I took the car in for inspection and was told that it was leaking, so I replaced it with the Magnaflow catback.

Then the flange on the already gutted (when I bought it) cat snapped off due to rust. When I crawled under to check it out, I discovered that the cat had been welded to the exhaust manifold, so I was going to have to replace the manifold as well.

I tacked on a little metal tube to hold it together in the meantime. The thing rattled like hell. By the time I had the money for the header, it was wintertime, and I couldn't get a chance to put the parts on in between blizzards.

I finally caved and scraped some money together to pay a shop to install the header and cat. Glad I did because it would have ended up being extremely difficult without a lift. They also couldn't get a gasket to fix.

Come to find out that they didn't protect the newly re-wired o2 sensor. The wire rubbed out on a motor mount, shorted out the ecu and left me stranded on the left shoulder of the freeway. I had to get it towed.

Luckily that part didn't end up working out too badly. The original shop ended up reimbursing me in labor for the money I spent getting the problem fixed.

After all this, I ordered a donut gasket that I didn't have at the time of the install. Well guess what? It was the wrong one. I had to order another one.

Once I finally got one that fit, the stupid spring-loaded bolts that attach the cat to the manifold would no longer fit because of the longer distance. I had to use the spring on one side and a big washer on the other. Still working on finding smaller springs.

But overall, it's finally done. It does sound pretty good. And response is noticeably improved. It also cruises a lot more comfortably at higher speeds than before.

What a pain in the ass though.

More shots. This is the last, I swear

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1880.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1882.jpg


What the hell? Who did this crappy wax job? (Oh wait it was me)
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1901.jpg

Fixed
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...D/100_1902.jpg

nice work man shes looking good, i like the new exhaust i bet it sounds the sexy!

Posting those pics yesterday inspired me to do more work today.

If anyone hadn't noticed, the car's leaking oil. It seems like it's coming from the distributor o-ring and VTEC solenoid gaskets so... I ordered new ones from Honda

And since I had another morning free, I put them on today.

You can see the oil collecting around the header right here.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8865_.jpg

And under the distributor. Really, it's all over the place, but these are the two shots I took.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8866_.jpg

I did the VTEC solenoid first. I'm a little unsure whether this was actually leaking anything. I don't see any oil slipping out. I ended up having to pry it up with a screwdriver. It was stuck on there tight.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8867_.jpg

The old gasket next to the new one. Leaking or not, the old one was pretty stiff. Glad I got around to replacing it.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8868_.jpg

New one packed in where it belongs. I didn't use anything to seal it. Should I?
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8869_.jpg

On to the distributor. I went to make a timing mark for alignment, and I found these previous marks off-center. Could this be why my timing was messed up when I bought the car?
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8870_.jpg

New timing mark with a sharpie.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8871_.jpg

Old o-ring next to new one. Just like the VTEC gasket, the old o-ring was very stiff and dry compared to the new one.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8872_.jpg

Finally, I wiped up the oil around and under the distributor and o-ring. If it stays clean, I should be good to go (Unless the leak is coming from somewhere else)
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8873_.jpg

All done!
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_8874_.jpg

Great work!Thanks for sharing!^^

do the valve cover gasket too. and while its off, clean it up and paint it

hey bud im right on washington blvd , igot my three g i just built awesome we are so close i wish u luck maybe u could come show off your project to me

Washington Blvd? Are you around the Wal-Mart and the Beltway Motel?

@Hondamonster: I may paint the valve cover at some point. But right now I kind of like it the way it is. I don't know why.

im closer to south west liqour store 2800 block of washington blvd if you come to desoto rd you have gone to far , just google washington blvd and morrell park ave

Cool, man. Car's not plated yet I take it?

Woooo act a fool with dem headers boy. They all dat.....

^ Heh. Sometimes I roll down the windows just to hear the exhaust note. But I'm a dork like that.

So once I got the gaskets in, it was time to clean the engine bay, a job I ended up being completely unprepared for. Here's the story:

First off, some more pics of the oily carnage.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9744_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9747_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9745_.jpg

I sprayed some foaming engine degreaser on there and went at it with a wire brush. But it was hard for me to reach into most of the crevices, and I couldn't access anything with the hose.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9749_.jpg

As you can see, it didn't do much. But I was running out of time. Also, I stepped on a bee while barefoot. However, I still had a problem. How was I going to rinse the engine cleaner off without a hose? Luckily, I found a solution:
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9752_.jpg

And here's the "final result"
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9753_.jpg

Stay tuned! More to come later today.

The next day, realizing I wasn't going to get very far on my own, I roped my friend into dragging his GTI out to the car wash. It was hot as hell, and the AC wasn't on at my house, so I was pretty happy to get out and get a bit wet.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9755_.jpg

Jason's car needed a wash anyway.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9758_.jpg

That's me.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9763_.jpg

Pulled my car into the bay.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9769_.jpg

Scrubbin it down. Not pictured is the main reason I came, namely hitting the engine with the pressure washer.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9772_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9770_.jpg

Spotted this IS F. Figured I'd share.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9764_.jpg

After the wash, we spent an hour or so polishing, vacuuming, etc.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9780_.jpg

So much better!
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1923.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1928.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9792_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9793_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1937.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1944.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1946.jpg

Let's not forget the original reason I came out.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9796_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9785_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9786_.jpg
So much better!

I took the air filter off to clean it too. Took forever to dry, until we hit it with the vacuum. I'd have been stuck for a while if Jason hadn't thought of that.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...3529_9789_.jpg
Excellent!

One parting shot. I took this at the end of the night while dropping a DVD off at Blockbuster.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/100_1955.jpg

bling bling man lol

looks fresh man. come clean mine? :D she hasent been washed in a month and the dirt driveway has pwnt it... every day i can re write on the dust LOL its so thick

looks good...still need some nice rims but i hope thats next

Actually, it is next. I need tires, so I'm getting both at the same time. Just as soon as I have the cash. I'm thinking about Sparco Pistas, but I'm always looking out for a deal.

So today, even though it was incredibly hot out, I attempted to paint my exterior trim and windshield wiper arms. They were looking a little weathered.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11158_.jpg

I used a set of vinyl trim remover tools to pop off the side trim. They work great without scratching the paint. The only problem is that they're a bit too soft, and they get softer in the heat.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11156_.jpg

Had to remove the inside door panels to get at the exterior door trim. Note the pen I found inside the door panel. I'm surprised that wasn't rattling around in there.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11154_.jpg

The other thing I had to do to take off the door trim is remove this bolt. Didn't turn out to be very difficult. As soon as I put a socket wrench on it and applied just the slightest amount of force, it broke completely. Now I know why the driver's side one was missing. WTF?
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11152_.jpg

Everything off!
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11151_.jpg

The wiper arms got a coat of regular-ass spray enamel that I found in the basement. The rubber trim got Krylon Fusion.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11148_.jpg

My neighbor parked his car outside.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11147_.jpg


So now I have to get at least one new window trim piece. I basically broke all the clips on one side. Oh well. It was learning experience. Much like the painting. It's not as bad as the first time I had sex. At least the window trim is not on it's period. Anyways, I've said too much.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11139_.jpg

It's hard to see the improvement... I think it looks a lot better though. You may also notice that I somehow decided it would be a good idea to use 100-grit sandpaper on the rubber trim before I painted it. Wow I amaze myself.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11140_.jpg

The wiper arms definitely look a lot better.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11141_.jpg

So that's what I have to show for myself. Slightly improved trim, another reason to go to the junkyard, and sunburn all over my back. Also my balls were so sweaty that it felt like I had gotten Astro Glide all over them. Awesome afternoon if I do say so myself.

I thought i would highlight my favorite parts of your post. Pure poetry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by speedpenguin

So today, even though it was incredibly hot out, I attempted to paint my exterior trim and windshield wiper arms. They were looking a little weathered.

Oh well. It was learning experience. Much like the painting. It's not as bad as the first time I had sex.At least the window trim is not on it's period and sunburn all over my back.. Everything off!
my balls were so sweaty that it felt like I had gotten Astro Glide all over them.
The only problem is that they're a bit too soft, and they get softer in the heat.


Anyways, I've said too much. Awesome afternoon if I do say so myself.

---

Too awesome. Thank you sir.


In other news, I broke the clips on the passenger side window trim. When I reinstalled it, there were holes exposed along the top of the door. I didn't think anything of it until yesterday right before a big storm hit, when I realized it was about to be raining inside my door.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...529_11139_.jpg

I grabbed a roll of tape and dashed out the door. This is the result.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_11598_.jpg

Yeah, that's how I roll.

looks better now!!
spray paint is love <3

and thoses trim bolts on the door broke off on every car ive owned haha

Clean! Can't wait to see it with new rims on it. No idea why I never posted in here before :squint: but I'm looking forward to seeing more of her!

Thanks for posting then. I use this thread to keep me motivated to doing things to the car.

I took it out for an emissions inspection Tuesday. Here's the result...

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_11664_.jpg

This sucks. Check out the legal limit compared to where I am. I guess the first thing I'm going to have to do is check the timing.

This happened about a week ago. Really not sure how or why. The mounting tab on my rear bumper seems to have broken off. It won't stay on.

I have some ideas on how I might fix it (Glue) but I'm looking for better suggestions. Anyone?

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_14068_.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_14069_.jpg

Yesterday, after the rain stopped, the weather was cooler than it had been for a very long time, so I ventured outside to change my oil. Long overdue job. I also changed my valve cover gasket. The new gaskets did not solve the problem. Hopefully this will.

You can see the oil back on the block. There's not as much as before, but there's still definitely more than there should be.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_16997_.jpg

I think this is where the oil was leaking from. Note how the last gasket I installed a year ago didn't fit right and I ended up having to use gasket sealer on it. In retrospect this was a bad idea.
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_16989_.jpg

Adjustin' stuff
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_16991_.jpg

3.5 quarts of Mobil 1, a new filter, and a degreased engine block later, I'm good to go. hope this one doesn't leak...
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ket_16995_.jpg

Now I just need to figure out what caused me to fail my emissions test so badly, fix the rear bumper, and get some trim for that passenger side, and I'll be... Right back where I started.

how old is the cap rotor plugs and leads? and thermostat and old oil can also cause failed emissions , and did u do a valve adjustment when you changed the gasket? allways a good time to and can also cause u to fail emissions.

and hmm to fix the bumper i would try a screw on the backside where its not visible thats how i have my accords rear bumper up it did the same thing!

I adjusted the valves when I first bought the car. The thermostat has also been replaced since I bought it.

The car was overdue for an oil change, so there's that to consider, but I don't think that would have caused it to fail by itself. I think the timing might be advanced. I'll check more stuff out this weekend I hope.

Thanks for the suggestions man.

i lolled at the first attempt to clean the engine hahahhaa. they are a mission to get anything into them (wire brushes) to clean

i bet it runs a bit smoother now

Definitely seems to.