New from Honolulu, HI

[1adnoh]

Aloha from Hawaii,

I am new to the site and need help posting pics of my '85 Se-i. Looking forward to sharing them, but until then, here's some info on her:

'85 Se-i 5MT w/168,000 miles

Bought in '92 w/42,000 mi (my first car)

no mods, but has 15" momo wheels, cut springs in front, and new struts all around

Still runs strong w/ some minor problems and Lots of rust

This reads like an ad because I am looking for a good home for her. I love my car, but know I will have to let her go because I don't think it will be worth it to restore (married with other priorities) and would rather she go with someone who wants her than end up as junk. Please give me some tips on how to get the pics up and I will post them.

Mahalo

[1adnoh]

Sorry guys, it's me again trying to post my pics...

[A18A]

very cool, welcome to the site!. sucks you have to get rid of it though, apparently those se-i's are rare i really like those wheels

[2ndGenGuy]

Oh man I love those wheels, they look good on that. I wondered how long a 2g Accord could possibly last in Hawaii. Really rare to find an SEi with a 5-speed in it. Every single one I've ever seen has been an automatic. That's a pretty sweet car.

You know really, it doesn't look that rusty. Paint does look oxidized, but probably hard to tell in the pics. Bummer you've gotta let it go. I'd rock the SEi, but it's probably spendy to ship up to the main land.

[1adnoh]

Thanks for the replies and compliments guys. I love this site...2gee love is all good to me. You know, a while back, I helped my dad find a car same as mine but in way better condition all around, and in a few years I watched it deteriorate to shamefulness (rust, leakage, roaches). It was sad, yet amazing to see what difference care makes in the life of a car like the '85 Se-i.

Yeah, the wheels look and run great on the car. At one time I was running 16" manarays and they did not look as good (heavier, too). Only thing is one of them is bent-still running it, though.

Bummers that the shipping would likely cost $. I would love to see one of you guys take her on as a project. I will probably put an ad in craigslist or something, and see who bites. If they are not a member to this site, they will have to prove themselves!
Look forward to sharing more pics and stories...

Oh, and can someone tell me how to re-size the pics? I want to be able to post more in the same post.

[2ndGenGuy]

Your image hosting provider might have some software on their site to resize the images on the fly. Most of them do. If not, you should download Irfan View. It's free, fast and will resize images pretty easily.

[denhonda]

Looks like a tidy car. Where's the rust about... can maybe make out some on the front fender? And to echo the other comments, the wheels look pretty cool too!

I've still got my first car, a '85 Accord that I got in 1995 that'd been in my family since '91 so I know how you feel regards letting it go to just anybody. Mine is COMPLETELY rotten though so I know where it'll end up going eventually!

[1adnoh]

Hey! it's good to meet you! Isn't this such a great site?? If not for the internet it would continue to be a lonely 2gen ownership experience.

As for the rust, pick a spot (sunroof, inside all 4 doors just under the roof, firewall, trunk, under the fuel door, etc). There's rust everywhere. However, it would be way worse if I did not care for her as much as I have. The up side is that the power-to-weight ratio is getting better .

Sorry I am slow to get the other pics up. Just need more time to figure it out...

[Hazwan]

Doesn't look that bad from the picture. Those rust spots are minor, its a 24 year old car, what do you expect?

And I love those wheels.

[1adnoh]

Some pics of her, including more evidence of the weight loss program...

[1adnoh]

Here are the rest of the pics. Sorry they are so large and of poor quality. I de-carpeted the whole interior because of the drying problem from the severe leakage. Problem fixed! My wife refers to her as a flinstone ride because when I take out the drain plugs, you can see the ground going by.

[2ndGenGuy]

Man the rust is sad, but you can totally rock it kinda rat rod style. That car would be bitchen slammed out. The rust and paint fade are just character / nature's weight reduction.

[Placebo]

I don't know man, from the pics it's not clear the rust is terminal. I will say that you've probably got a lot of work ahead of you. Good find for sure. Keep us posted and welcome.

[1adnoh]

The rust is pretty bad. About 8 years ago I took it to a well known body shop. They wouldn't do the work because it is rusting from the inside out. Whole sections of the roof framing need to be replaced. Short of me striking it rich and hiring Chip Foose to overhaul her, I am fine with not doing anything and keep her rat rod style (I like the sound of that!) until someone is ready to take her.

I have had her for 17 years now and am quite adjusted to having no paint and lots of rust. She's plenty big on character. Even the large dents (most of which I did not do) belong...I guess that's what makes it difficult to part with her.

[denhonda]

I think this summer I'll get pics of my old car & then you'll see what bad rust is all about..! It was rusty when I stopped using it coming up 10 years ago cos it wouldn't get through the annual test we have here... but yeah, I think it adds some kinda character!

Your car doesn't look beyond help although there is clearly work that needs done to keep it from deteriorating any further. Could be a nice project to erradicate the few rusty bits and preserve the rest of the car as is & learn some new skills along the way if you can somehow find the time... Enrol your family & they too can share your love for your Honda!

[MessyHonda]

so yeah when i go over im going to visit...lol

[Civic Accord Honda]

that rust doesent look too bad check out some of the rust this guy fixed on his 2g
https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62819

if you were in cali id buy i'd get it but i allready have 1 truck in hi that i cant get to right now lol

[1adnoh]

Thanks for the link and interest. They made me feel better. I will post more rust pics later, b/c mine is bad too, just in different places.

Picked her up today from my mechanic. Took her in for: new muffler, change both front wheel bearings, and oil change. Paid about $900! I did not know it would have costed that much . Good thing he did not charge me labor...it would have been well over 1K. I am officially all-in now . The wife is also not pleased

Left to do:
-fix intermittent starting problem (possible relay issue?)
-replace timing belt @ 180K-at 168K now
-replace "unsticky" a/c button (if get lucky at junkyard)
-replace engine mount(s)

[Lil Mike]

wow that's a lot it cost me $120 bucks each wheel bearing and it came with the hub too.

[2ndGenGuy]

Man if you find a solution to the sticky A/C button let me know. Every one I've seen is sticky, and I even tore a few apart trying to make them unsticky. Maybe a stiffer spring behind the button will do it, but I have yet to try that. My patience ran out with that one, and pushing the A/C button 20 times to turn it off has been my only solution so far.

[85SE-i]

That car is exactly the same as mine, minus the rust. Mine is an auto however, I so wish it was a manual. The seats aren't too bad. Mine are totally trashed front and rear. I think I might need to get some Prelude seats like I had in my 84. Oh by the way, if your roof is rusting, check your sunroof drains. If they are clogged it will trap water up around the sunroof. The fronts drain into the fender wells just in front of the doors and the rears drain in the fender wells just behind the rear doors. A small amount of compressed air should clear them or you could thread a small piece of wire through if the air does not work. If you can get into there, use a product like POR-15 which chemically bonds to the rust and seals it to prevent it from spreading. Permatex also makes a clear spray primer that turns black when it contacts rust and will seal it also. Welcome to the forum!!! It's great to have another SE-i guy around!!!

[1adnoh]

I know your pain with the sticky button, man. Mine used to be that way, but I don't know what happened to make it become the other way...unsticky! I have to press the damned thing 20 times to make it stay! I think either the dealership or my current mechanic might have tried to remedy it.

So, having had both versions of this problem, I have to tell you you don't want the latter. It has bugged the hell out of me because one of the shops lowered my idle (to stop the "hyperventilating"/fluctuation). It worked like a charm, but when the car warms up, the engine dies when I come to a stop, so I need to have my a/c on to keep the rpm's higher .

The last thing I did was pry and pull out the knob with the button. I don't know if a clip or something came out because the a/c button would not stay, and EVERY TIME I pressed it in, the thing shot out towards me !

Frustrated to say the least, I left the car in my garage for a week before putting the knob and a/c button back on and successfully turning the a/c button off center to 9 o'clock since it rotates while in the housing, and can be turned while in the off position. It was in the on position when I got home today, but probably popped out as I was writing this.

[85SE-i]

Oh, by the way, I'm proud of you 1adnoh. You actually have a Genuine Honda battery in there. Part number 31500-SA5-100M if memory serves. You just can't beat that 100 month warranty with three year free replacement and nationwide warranty coverage!!!

[1adnoh]

Hey thanks, 85 SE-i. Dang, you must have a photographic memory to remember that! Before Honda stopped the stocking most of the parts for her, she was only serviced at the dealership . Your car sounds like it's in great shape. I don't know what the auto is like, but I love the 5MT. Your car plus my car would make one sweet ride, huh? I am still looking for a good home for her, but need to keep her for a while more now.

Thanks also for your previous post. I was still typing my other reply when you posted. Part of my regular order for maintenance at Honda was to blow out all drain holes. This works well. I may try some of those products you mentioned. Thanks for the welcome & it's great to be here.

[85SE-i]

Dang, you must have a photographic memory to remember that!

Well... not exactly. I work at the local Honda dealership and have had to memorize many part numbers over the years. I love to see cars maintained with factory parts, especially older cars. Most people aren't willing to spend the extra for factory parts on a car that old. When it comes to parts "Imitation may be the greatest form of flattery, but it has no place in your Honda".

Your car sounds like it's in great shape.

The body is ok, not a single dent or ding on it. The paint is a little dull. It is virtually rust free, the only spot I've found is at one corner of the sunroof, and it's only surface rust. The interior is trashed. The pockets on the door panels are ripped off, and all of the seats are tore to shreds. But I guess it's not too bad for having 285,000 miles. I will try to post some pictures of it soon.