Stezie's - 1988 Accord 2.0i 16v - OEM Restoration

[Mortem]

thanks. i almost have the under body completly clean. I limit myself to 60 minutes of working the grinder, so that I keep my interest up and return to it.

Im interested in seeing your car, pics please!

Sure, i uploaded these pics already. Sorry for bad quality of pics, cell phone's camera wont give right to pictures. But from date you can see which one are latest. First picture is before and with name of "maal" are after, everything else is taken between. Will get better pics up when i got time to.

im a bit newb with forum, so i dont know how to paste picture directly, but heres the link to folder where you can all see em: Index of /ca5

[Mortem]

i also wanted to use OEM parts but found that alot of parts are discontinued from Honda europe so i had to hit to aftermarket stuff, been buying some of from ebay. 2 weeks ago got EBC GreenStuff brakepads + Blackdiamond brake discs.

[stezie]

i also wanted to use OEM parts but found that alot of parts are discontinued from Honda europe so i had to hit to aftermarket stuff, been buying some of from ebay. 2 weeks ago got EBC GreenStuff brakepads + Blackdiamond brake discs.

your car looks good. keep up the good work

[stezie]

Ok I'm at the point where i cant get this rubberized coating out from the corners and tight areas. a high speed wire knot wheel seems to be the only device to shift the stuff.. the coating is actually very effective for the most part, the metal is clean under neath. But it is let down by the coating process at the factory not covering the underneath 100% and making sure it was sprayed into the hard to reach areas. it is also affected by rust coming through from behind so it all has to come off and start over again..

I need suggestions on how i can get a wire knot wheel into the tight to reach areas.. the small wire wheel on the drill isn't rough enough to take it off.

For example the space between the spare wheel well and the rear chassis leg i cant get the head of the grinder in there. Pictures below.

[derolph]

i just hope its worth all the effort! ill need to buy another grinder and a couple more wire knot wheels by the end of the week..

does any one have an easier method to remove this junk from underneath?

I have found that mineral spirits/paint remover will soften the undercoating, allowing it to be scraped or rubbed off.

[stezie]

I have found that mineral spirits/paint remover will soften the undercoating, allowing it to be scraped or rubbed off.

I didnt think of making a concoction like that. Did you mix it 50/50 then leave it on for a while? Was your car covered in the same way as mines?

[derolph]

I didnt think of making a concoction like that. Did you mix it 50/50 then leave it on for a while? Was your car covered in the same way as mines?

No, I did not mix them. What I meant to say was user either mineral spirits or paint thinner; they are very similar products. Where I did this was in the wheel well area. I would guess the same type of coating was used on all Honda cars but I could be wrong. You could try it in a small area. If it works, I think you will find that the undercoating begins to soften within minutes. If it does not seem to work, then perhaps we do, indeed, have some different types of coatings that we're dealing with.

[stezie]

No, I did not mix them. What I meant to say was user either mineral spirits or paint thinner; they are very similar products. Where I did this was in the wheel well area. I would guess the same type of coating was used on all Honda cars but I could be wrong. You could try it in a small area. If it works, I think you will find that the undercoating begins to soften within minutes. If it does not seem to work, then perhaps we do, indeed, have some different types of coatings that we're dealing with.

ah ok i get you. I used petrol to try and soften it a bit, but didnt do a thing. only thing petrol was able to do was remove the residue that was left behind from the grinder.. Ill try some of that paint stripper. thats a gel so should sit on the surface and soak in a bit.

[Ayeobe]

I have to say man, this looks awesome. There's a reason my thread isnt named "restoration".. The care you are putting into this is awesome. I can not wait to see it on the road..But in the mean time, updates are aweesome.

[stezie]

I have to say man, this looks awesome. There's a reason my thread isnt named "restoration".. The care you are putting into this is awesome. I can not wait to see it on the road..But in the mean time, updates are aweesome.

Thanks. I cant wait to get driving it again either. I just hope i don't make any shortcuts..


Thoughts please guys.. I was thinking... I know the under body of the car was sprayed in a black coating.. but i was thinking on spraying the underbody with POR15, top coating that with the same red as the body, so underneath looks really clean. Then have all the suspension parts gloss black, and paint the exhaust and heatshields silver so it all stands out against the red... how to you guys think it would look?

[mint89]

Attachment 5443Attachment 5442Attachment 5441

My 1989 LXi. purchased two months ago, only 115k miles, one owner and clean...clean...clean only needs dings and scrapes from body finished. redoing sound system and them off to body shop for paint and clearcoat. it rides like new, feels like new a rare find on craiges list. now I have two LXi 89. both green and in tip-top shape!!

[Dr_Snooz]

Attachment 5443Attachment 5442Attachment 5441

My 1989 LXi. purchased two months ago, only 115k miles, one owner and clean...clean...clean only needs dings and scrapes from body finished. redoing sound system and them off to body shop for paint and clearcoat. it rides like new, feels like new a rare find on craiges list. now I have two LXi 89. both green and in tip-top shape!!

Dude, why are you post-whoring?

[usj101]

No more updates?

[Dr_Snooz]

So this is just my take, and people can take it or leave it, but you should NEVER reduce your car to a non-running condition for some mega-duper, holy grail build. Most of the time, you get busy, get poor, get married, get a kid and the build turns into a giant pile of crap in your garage. It bums you out, at makes the wife cranky, the kids throw rocks at it and you end up shoveling it into a dumpster after hanging onto it for way too long. If you REALLY love your car and want to keep it forever, keep it running above all else. Do piecemeal improvements and keep driving it. The only time you should do a frame off restore is if you're going to take the car to a shop and write them a 6-figure check to have it done by a certain date.

[Oldblueaccord]

So this is just my take, and people can take it or leave it, but you should NEVER reduce your car to a non-running condition for some mega-duper, holy grail build. Most of the time, you get busy, get poor, get married, get a kid and the build turns into a giant pile of crap in your garage. It bums you out, at makes the wife cranky, the kids throw rocks at it and you end up shoveling it into a dumpster after hanging onto it for way too long. If you REALLY love your car and want to keep it forever, keep it running above all else. Do piecemeal improvements and keep driving it. The only time you should do a frame off restore is if you're going to take the car to a shop and write them a 6-figure check to have it done by a certain date.

I am right there with you on this!

[Dr_Snooz]

As long as I'm on my soapbox, don't ever start a remodel until you have all the stuff you need to complete it. So many guys buy a house and tear out the bathroom without any thought of how to replace it. Then they get to live without a bathroom for years and end up with a house they can't sell because banks won't lend on a house that's torn apart. Then you get to spend thousands of dollars for the privilege of selling what you already own. Don't do it! And don't leave your remodels slightly undone. Replace every last piece of trim, every knob, every missing patch of carpet, etc. BEFORE starting on a new project. Leaving bits and pieces go will also result in a house you can't sell. The little bits seem insignificant, but they pile up slowly over time until they're a giant problem and the banks won't lend. Finish what you start!

[Dr_Snooz]

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I think I'm done now.

[stezie]

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I think I'm done now.

Good!

This is my take, MYOB!!! Dont presume that people are more interested in keeping forums updated, just for keyboard warriors to have the odd anonymous opinionated rant against what ever is posted.

This is the perfect example of why I no longer participate in online forums any more.

[Dr_Snooz]

My "opinionated rants" are based on my personal experience and I offer them in the hope that others will heed the lessons I've learned and not make similar mistakes. If that touches a nerve or causes offense, you're welcome to respond with "opinionated rants" of your own. If you choose to resort to personal attacks instead, that's your prerogative, but it says a lot. I wish you all the best with your build and will help in any way I can. But I will continue to speak my mind freely and respectfully and I encourage you to do the same.

[stezie]

Sharing your experience is welcome.

You SHOULD not presume every ones life experience is the exact same as yours, thus justifying how YOU dictate how people should go about their build.