New guy with 86 LX-i hatchback

[Popeye]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum but not exactly new to 3rd generation Accords. My grandpa owned an 87 LX-i 5 speed hatchback when I was growing up. He named the car "Popeye" because of the flip up headlights. I think the name ended up fitting the car quite well because it was small but mighty and just kept going and going. It had over 300k on the odometer when rust got the best of it and he scrapped it.

He taught me how to drive on it, we worked on it together, etc. Though his 87 is long gone, I have very fond memories of that car. I decided I needed to have one for myself.

What I ended up finding was an 86 LX-i 5 speed hatchback that had been sitting 10+ years on a mountain in rural Alabama. I drove ~5 hours with my truck and trailer to go get it.

Since getting it home last fall I've done a ton of work on it, finally enough to get it on the road.

It's still nowhere near perfect, but it's just like I remembered. I'm hoping to get it completely mechanically sound then worry about the cosmetics later.

I've learned quite a bit about these cars already, so hopefully I can be of some help. I'm sure I'll need help from you guys as well.

[Jinnai]

Sounds like a fun project! I have a ton of rust I don't know how to fix on mine... on weird shaped bends...

[Popeye]

Unfortunately I can't help you there. I'm an Auto mechanic by trade and have a few friends that are Auto body techs. Any rust repair or paint is something I am willing to pay someone else to do it right.

Depending on how extensive the rust is, you might be better off to search out a southern car, if even just for the body and your drivetrain could be swapped in.

I live at the southern tip of Illinois and getting to the no-salt states is just a day trip for me. I recently tried to buy another rust free car out of Tennessee, but someone else got it for scrap metal before the seller would message me back.