Hello all! I hope to find some enthused as I am.
It all started.. A few months back when I bought a 77 accord and learned all about that..
Then boredom set in, this car titled 'Mechanichs Delights' was in the back of my mind, I saw it in craigslist for a few months at 400. The car I found was an 83 accord 4 door 5 speed with 165xxx miles. It needed a head gasket and brake master cylinder. It came with a full head gasket kit and new BMC! Plus a new Boss deck with two new Boss door speakers and two 8" blown subs in good boxes.
Full size spare and jack included!
The interior was in pretty good condition other than some sun fading on the tops of the back seats.
Crack in the front window!
Looks like at one point someone lost the key to the gas door and preyed it open, removed the lock cylinder and replaced it with a block off. They hurt the gas door and more importantly the body a good lil bit! This, and the drivers door catching the fender bad is the only body damage. Wait! The roof droops and won't stay popped up. Ok..
So! I checked it out one day, thought on it for a few days then at a T in the road decided to go left! I pulled into the drive way where the honda sat and worked some magic, from 400 to 300. I was happy.
I hooked a tow rope from my 77 to the new 83 and towed it the 6 blocks home. (At night with NO lights like a dummy)
The moment I get the car situated, some crazy way the trunk hinge gets bent! (Nephews..) The trunk lid was cock eyed and would not close. I was so sad.
The next day I managed to find one at a private junk yard. You have to remove the back seat and rear shelf cover to remove it. Let me tell you installing it isn't fun! I'm sure honda has some special tool..
Trunk closes again! Yay!
So!
I get to changing the head gasket. The fellow I bought it from started the HG job a year ago but only has as far as taking off the carb and vacuum lines.Everything is going well when! One of the 10 head bolts was stuck! It broke loose but moved no more. It was the head bolt on the back right if you're looking at the car from the front. I stripped the bolt eventually, then hammered a 3/8th universal craftsman socket on there and was able to move it a few pops (sound) one way and the other, but no more! I used heat and lots of penetrating oil to no avail.
I slept on it.. A few nights.. Thought about it.. Wanted to give up.. Asked for advice but no one told me I should give up. I got an idea from my brother just to drill the bolts head off, lift the engines head off and figure it out.
And that I did! Finally happiness surged through my veins.
But! No junk yard in town had a head bolt for me, or honda! I wanted quick!
I drove 2 hrs to Spokane WA quick! Just to get 1 head bolt at the junk yard..
While bolting it together my torque wrench wouldn't talk to me and I snapped one of the three 10mm rocker arm assembly bolts. Shoot! The broken piece came out easy as Pie! Located a bolt a hair to short from ACE with some blue lock tight and called it good.
I didn't mill the head or have it checked like I should cuz I was being cheap and lazy! Reused the head bolts obviously.
So I get it all together with new valve stem seals and all an she runs good!
I cruised around for about 50 miles the first day, including a 6 mile 7% grade. Maybe 50 the next, two nights in, I drain the rad fluid and replenish. I go to start it and my battery cable was loose. I tightened it up and started it. It it wouldn't idle! I couldn't figure out why.
The third day I came up with some reason to get to the junk yard in Spokane quick. I hopped in my car and headed up that 6 mile 7% grade. It was running good, a little warm. We were almost to the top when the to gauge began to rise quickly! I pulled over right away and turned the car off. Popped the hood to find water all over. My rad cap was almost off! Did I leave it loose?! Did it back it's self off? Prolly not.. Well! I had some water in the car. I waited about 20 minutes and put the water in slowly, I was shy a good bit! The car started easy but sounded a bit louder I thought.. The temp gauge was at 95% at one point, kent going up at I sat. I found a turn around and coasted down the big hill to rest some more and get more honda water at the gas station. I filled it up and drove it the 7 miles home with ease, no over heating.
I drove the car for a few days in denial, I surely have a blown head gasket. She still runs great!!
BARE WITH ME!
Now for the 82!
I was mad at the 83 and my situation, so when I found this 82 on CL posted at 300, I rebounded.
Quick! Get in the car friends! Friends? Nope. None who will hop in the car whimsically! So I drove my 83 3 hrs to mid Washington. I found the car in a nice neighbor hood, greeted by the honda owner.
We went for the test drive! The car only shifted into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th but in a very unique way. I could hear an exhaust leak. Cruise control wasn't working.. The turn signal/head light switch was broken and hanging by it's wires. The carpet was trash and seats were even more so, a sorry excuse for seats. But I found a sun roof!!! Aftermarket? It pops up or the glass can be removed easily. The power steering pump was nonexistent. The oem radio was in place but not working. Door panels were trashed, dash was impaled at one time.
The paint was faded and an ugly brown, very minimal body damage!
It ran strong! Kinda zippy too. Burns a lil oil! Leaks a small amount as well. But never over heats!
So after the test drive, we talked money and agreed on 180. He thought the title and registration were the same thing! So we drove to the dmv and did what had to be done. The titles on it's way! We split the fees at the dmv. I left my car in his drive way and drove on home.
On the way home I found another 2gee guy and flagged him down and talked for an hour. I'll post a pic of our cars once I figure it out!
The next day my fancy chick friend gave me a ride in her gas hog 98 escort.
Then I drive back home again and enjoy my three accords.
The next day a chick friend calls and gives me a 01 vw passat! But this is honda accord talk here.
So!
I have a great 83 except it's blown HG.. And a 82 with no 1,3,5 or R (1 and 3 stopped engaging on the drive home) no brake lights, no PS, no CC, SHIT interior, but a sun roof! And good engine.
Let the project commence!
I took the seats and carpets out of both cars. I swapped the turn signal/headlight/wiper clock deal from the 83 to the 82. The head light and wipers worked as they should it no hazards or binkers! I found a box attached to the back of the fuse box that says 'flashers'. I swapped em out and boom! Hazards work all around, right inker work me but left wouldn't! I image the flasher box is a littler different from 82 to 83.. They did look a lil different. Satisfied about that for now!
On to the break lights on the 82! I found lots of burnt bulbs in the back and swapped them from the 83 to the 82. Now the brake lights stayed on always. I swapped the brake light switch and boom! Works! Satisfied. I also swapped the cruise control boxes but couldn't quite test..
So! I knew if I put the carpets and seats in the 82 I would never swap the dashes.
Let the dash swaps commence! I have no manual..left it far far away. But I figured it out in a few hours. Had it almost out and slept on it, then got it out easily in the morning. Feeling confident I removed the good dash from the 83. It went a lot easier knowing everything this time around. So I get both dashes on the ground in front of me and I see that the dash wire harnesses are slightly different! There were about 5 extra plugs on the 83. Shoot!!!!
Sleep on it..
Dash harness swap commence..
That was a bitch.
Tomorrow I install dash, figure out shifting issue then install fresh carpet and seats!!!!
Thanks for reading.. A little long winded maybe? Updates to come.
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Think I've seen you on the 1st gen Accord Facebook page. Welcome to 3geez! For image upload, I would recommend using imgur.com. It will give you "BBCode" links after you upload the pics. Nice and easy! So some differences between the 82 and 83 eh? Is one an LX by chance and one a base "S" model?
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