1977 Accord Restoration

[Lil Mike]

love the look of that accord cant wait to see the project you got on your hands

[carver]

Thanks, it will be great to have it back to original and like new again.

Here are the before pics.

[carver]

And why to NEVER park an old car outside for years by the beach......

[carver]

It's funny how many people see the black and come up to me and say
Hey, I've never seen a black one, is that from somwhere else or a mule or something?
LOL
More like my cousin's autoshop experiment back in 1994 when the clear coat crazed and oxidized.
Actually it doesn't look bad black. It has to go back to its original silver though.

[carver]

Here's a quick little cold start video on choke detent 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH8cusbLbjc

[Hazwan]

Nice. Rust wise, doesn't look that bad. You might be able to get the rust spots patched up if you couldn't find any replacement panels.

[79cord]

I wouldn't have thought repairing the cars current panels insurmountable either.
Surprised to see a black interior since our silver Accords usually came with beige interior (even the early ones), though we didn't start getting them until early '77.
Funny to note a Black '80 Accord in a German brochure came with a green-grey interior!

If it's going to need a full repaint I'm surprised you are so concerned about getting silver panels!
Your faded front side markers might even come up ok after a coat of clear-orange paint.

Not sure about the left side but the right front guard obviously looks to be an '80-1 panel if you were still wondering about the shape changes Honda made there.

[A18A]

that has less rust than a lot of 3g accords lol

[carver]

Nice. Rust wise, doesn't look that bad. You might be able to get the rust spots patched up if you couldn't find any replacement panels.

Thanks. See below.

I wouldn't have thought repairing the cars current panels insurmountable either.
Surprised to see a black interior since our silver Accords usually came with beige interior (even the early ones), though we didn't start getting them until early '77.
Funny to note a Black '80 Accord in a German brochure came with a green-grey interior!

If it's going to need a full repaint I'm surprised you are so concerned about getting silver panels!
Your faded front side markers might even come up ok after a coat of clear-orange paint.

Not sure about the left side but the right front guard obviously looks to be an '80-1 panel if you were still wondering about the shape changes Honda made there.

There are 2 reasons I'd like to get new panels for the hood/hatch/roof.
One is they are weaker structurally as you can feel weakness when you push on them in spots. Also, in areas you can't see in the pics, there is rust along the edges underneath and by the mating/gap surfaces where the metal is actually starting to collapse. It would be extremely difficult and labor intensive to fix those areas vs. replacing the panel. Secondly, the car has been sitting in a corrosive blowing salt air environment. Thats why if you look closely at the non catalyst pic, you can see rust under the hood on the side that hasn't been exposed. What has happened is the salt air is actually starting to corrode under surfaces. My guess is that there might have been condensation/salt under the panel and there might be rust underneath in other areas. I've found that when this starts to happen ie. salt induced corrosion above and below a panel, it's done. If you try to patch the edges, it will come back around the welds or in the middle. Imho, to do it right, everything has to come off, and I mean everything, media blasted and examined. At that point, whatever can be saved will be and rust treated with something like por15 etc. But I think the hood/hatch/roof are at that salt induced rust above and below the panel that is almost impossible to recover without removal of the panel.

Regarding the full repaint and silver panels, I don't want to have anything other than silver on the metal. If I use other colors, I will have to strip and shoot the backside which imho will take longer and more labor to fully do a color change with vs. a silver panel. Maybe I'm wrong there as I haven't looked under the panels etc., but it's generally much easier to recondition the same color vs. a full color change.

You are correct about the '80 right fender, it's also the right door. In the mint green.
The car was backed into in a parking lot right at the door/fender junction and my cousin threw a '80 fender and door on it in the wrong color and left the green on the edges when he painted the car black. The glass is different than the '77 glass (green tint vs. grey tint), the door panel is different, the window frame is different, all the interior/exterior trim is different. It would be more work to fully convert that door over to '77 spec and silver than to just find a '76-'78 silver door imho. and yes the '80 fender has the added bumper end hole. I was unsure if that started in '79 or '80 and my '80 fender didn't answer that question. Thanks for the side marker tip, I'll see if I can save those.

It's interesting that other countries had different color interiors. In '76/'77, all the U.S. interiors matched the 3 colors available ie. blue/blue, gold/tan and silver/black. The car in the museum is an accurate U.S. spec '76/'77.

I appreciate all the feedback and comments, and as you can see, I want this restoration to go farther than your average restoration. Fairly close to a concours car, but as a driver. So it won't be concours, but as close as a driver can be. All year correct, color correct and trim correct. Because this car represents a very hard time in my and my mom's life, it also represents the recovery and successes we've had by doing things right. It has to be brought back that way, because of how we came back. I don't expect people to understand the personal meaning, but think in terms of "no shortcuts and done the best way possible" when thinking of how it's going to be attempted to be done.

All of this makes an accurate '76-'78 silver donor car attractive so that as much as possible can be accurately transfered and efficient vs. trying to piece parts from various yards. Certainly there will have to be some of that, but I won't know how much until I get the donor home and compare pieces and condition.

The ongoing heads up on a donor car or parts is much appreciated, thanks guys.

Andrew

that has less rust than a lot of 3g accords lol

Thanks, it will be factory new when done if possible.

[81vintyminty]

you def. have your work cut out for you!! the rust problem looks pretty serious, even in the engine bay with all the brackets, bolts, and misc.. i will keep an eye out at my local junkyards for parts your looking for.

[lostforawhile]

I wouldn't have thought repairing the cars current panels insurmountable either.
Surprised to see a black interior since our silver Accords usually came with beige interior (even the early ones), though we didn't start getting them until early '77.
Funny to note a Black '80 Accord in a German brochure came with a green-grey interior!

If it's going to need a full repaint I'm surprised you are so concerned about getting silver panels!
Your faded front side markers might even come up ok after a coat of clear-orange paint.

Not sure about the left side but the right front guard obviously looks to be an '80-1 panel if you were still wondering about the shape changes Honda made there.

get some plastix, it will come right out

[Civic Accord Honda]

well looks like a very good start!! and the rust dose not look to bad should be pretty easy to fix

[haridev]

i really love your enthusiasm about the hatchback. be in contact with 79cord as he has done amazing work to his hatchbacks. and as what hazwan said. the rust isnt that bad. im sure pictures arent the best when you want to judge the extent of rust but try to save whatever panels you can save. take time to find a good early accord from the junk yard and try to transfer the parts. i still feel that you should not worry too much about the colour issue. since you might either be media blasting the paint to bare metal you might as well use other colours as well. and yes, black 1geez arent that popular. however silver and green have always been known to be the best colour choices for the 1gee.

i truely understand what your car represents as i too rebuilt my car as a tribute to the days she was a workhorse for my dad. every week running 400kms without a single glitch. i know with the your determination your car will not only run perfect but look perfect as well.... regards, dev....

[carver]

Thanks much, and thanks to everyone who is contributing and helping to find donor parts for the car.

[2ndGenGuy]

Man yeah that looks like it will be a great project though! Welding in a new roof is going to be WAY up on the labor intensive scale. Even just cutting out the old roof from a donor car is going to be dangerous. The thin Japanese sheetmetal (as you noticed) can warp even while cutting due to the heat. Especially if you get cutting across the roof and don't take it really slowly to prevent it from heating up! I think you'd be best replacing smaller pieces if possible when it comes to the roof. Removable panels are another story, replace the hood and fenders with non-rusty ones, and restoring better ones is probably a good way to go.

Either way though, I'm excited to see you motivated to get that car going! I'd love to see it restored all back to perfect original condition!

If you happen to find some red seats from an 80 or 81 Accord that are in great shape, I would be more than happy to trade you straight across for my black seats. I think they'd go great in your car, but I really need something in my car so I can drive it for now!

[carver]

Thanks for the offer on the seats. I appreciate it, and if I find red ones, I'll let you know.
I'm going to stay with the original seat style though with the leather bolsters and fabric centers.
I'm kicking around making the fabric centers alcantera as an added touch even though it will essentially be
the stock fabric center style, just a nicer/thicker material.

I haven't told my 80 year old mom, who still lives in San Jose, that I'm doing this.
She's amazed it's still running/driving. She also said it would bug her to see someone else with the car or to see it crushed.
I'm hoping to have it done for some summer Foreign/Honda meets
and bring her out to LA to unveil it and go to the show with it as the original owner.

[79cord]

The glass is different than the '77 glass (green tint vs. grey tint), the door panel is different, the window frame is different, all the interior/exterior trim is different. It would be more work to fully convert that door over to '77 spec and silver than to just find a '76-'78 silver door imho.

I think the change to Green Tinted glass occured for the '78 model year here, & I knew the '80-1 lower side bump-strips are a different shape to earlier but surprised to hear Door panel & Window frame was different! I think Australian Accords also gained heavy side intrusion bars in the doors for '78 for local design rules though the shape didn't appear to change !?
And the use of such bars might have been limited to selected markets since some markets Accords stayed lighter than others according to their w/shop manuals.

Remember you probably want '81 seats 2ndgenguy... after Honda rebuilt the floor late in '80 for the Cat-converter & revised g-shift linkage!.....Edit: But then I suppose any older covers could be fitted over the different lower frames.

[carver]

Yeah good point, the door does also feel heavier when opening and closing.
Thanks, it looks like I may want a '76-'77 door then....lol
The window frame has a slightly different surface curve to it, and it might be an '81, not sure.

[lostforawhile]

you also need to join this old honda.org

[carver]

Thanks, I have.
http://thisoldhonda.org/bb/index.php...edetail&ID=547

[2ndGenGuy]

Cool man. Sounds like you've really done your homework on this one! When will you be getting started?

[carver]

Thanks man.

Probably really get moving after xmas as it's busy with families and work right now.
The other thing is I could be getting parts right now, but my strategy of finding a good
silver '76-'78 complete donor car limits my parts purchases
because I would be duplicating things that should be on the donor.

I could get parts and then sell the stuff I don't use, and I might do that,
especially with rare new/like new stuff that is well priced.
That's probably the wisest thing to do when looking for rare parts or
parts that are hard to recondition so I am looking for those things.
(rare trim/seals/rubber/black dash/plastic etc.)

I am picking up well priced stuff on ebay, I grabbed those new KYB frt. shocks for $20/ea. etc.

So I really appreciate when guys tip me off on donor/ebay/junk yard stuff.
Thanks.

[carotman]

Good luck with the project!

Older hondas are sooo nice!

[tomatofiasco]

thats pretty incredible, its actually slightly older than mine. and slightly rustier. and sounds almost exactly the same. mine was originally silver too. i think. its silver now, mostly, but it has the tan interior or whats left of it. and its a manual non-cvcc. mines daily driven and i am constantly amazed how many things DONT fall off these cars or stop working. the instrument cluster for example, or the door locks. a mate of mine just bought a FC rx-7 and the drivers door doesnt open from the outside, and lots of stuff has fallen off. another has a '90 camry with a fuel pump you can hear across the street. and my magna, oh god...

so keep focussed on your glorious goal because they really are special cars to be reprazentin' in 30 years after the fact.

[carver]

Hey thanks guys.
They are really great little cars and you can tell Honda wanted to do it right.
I'm curious to see the cylinders after 130K and 32 years.....prob. still hone marks.