79cord
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Nov 25, 2016 11:08:54 GMT
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Actually engine's seized solid (but was told engine dead). Hopefully head is still sound since many are put on far more common (longer stroke) Non-VTEC Integra 1.83 & 2.0 CRV blocks. Seller mentioned 'New springs/shocks' (2nd hand) so presumably they are softer & more readily available basic Integra ones & car was previously riding on its bump-stops until 215/17" tyres (like rear {original 195/15"}), took out the frt arches & guard liners. Replacement arches are cheap aftermarket without side indicators fitted here. Other examples of cleverness found include Air-bag warning light disconnected, no air filter, rear ABS sensor leads retained by cable ties (thru mtg bolt holes), missing factory frt 'strut' brace, 4" stainless resonator replacing rear muffler mounted at jaunty angle that added 2 90deg bends & placed it under spare-well so it must have scraped ground at any hint of bump when car low, . Just not sure what to do with it. Rust not likely to be an issue here but body certainly isn't good & assuming my engine is good I'd want better for it.. An expensive but tempting way to get the missing bits for it (that may add up to half the value of the car were I desperate/impatient enough to ask specialist wreckers). I'd already had my doubts Integra was for me given their added bulk (100mm longer than 1st Integra, 260mm Accord), interior feels cheap & boring (esp. rear side trims) & Vtec mid '90's Prelude feel so much more special, look better & seem cheaper to buy (drivetrain an awkward fit in Civics with trans. forcing engine forward for bad weight dist. & driveshaft angles). Integra is still special though with sporty hatchback style/practicality balance I am used to.
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Last Edit: Nov 26, 2016 1:33:47 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 22, 2016 15:36:37 GMT
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Shouldn't the rear wing be mounted with blue tack & suction cups? Not against the deliberately absurd size or raw racer style, but perhaps the shape just needs to fit/relate better to body & original spoiler to be more convincing & be taken seriously. Looks too much like a generic catalogue design otherwise even if the detail design of those amazing mounting arms looks like time & thought has gone into it.
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Last Edit: Nov 22, 2016 15:44:58 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 22, 2016 11:32:13 GMT
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So next development wasn't very clever & suggests I am completely fickle & easily distracted; though in reality was far too distracted by work & frustrated at not having time to make much progress upon my toys... Anyway, as mentioned earlier I had that Integra B18C engine sitting in the shed, probably for an EG hatch in the future if I could get the other bits it needed. Boss was offered a DC2 (Vtec) Integra with a dead engine that owner had spent too much money for before its sick engine died, so I said I would be interested if it had a good & deserving body. He thought it worth while since it still had some registration left that would make it far easier/cheaper to transfer ownership than one without (via dodgey test). So I gave him $ & he had it delivered to me.. Unfortunately by my criteria this was a big mistake.. I knew about the mismatched panels & wheels, & could live with that, but the 'original' paint, was a rough repaint too, complete with dents, sanding marks, wobbley body-filler rear arches (& roof!) & bad door & hatch gaps. Great for a 'track' car perhaps but I prefer my cars to be potential keepers if paying proper money for them so would have run or halved the $ for something this dodgey. Red painted cam-cover & stainless extractors might be tempting but no arch liners, airfilter-box, missing/bypassed VTEC solenoid & Oxygen sensor NOT a good sign..
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Last Edit: Aug 25, 2017 9:39:32 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 20, 2016 13:07:54 GMT
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My car mounted its pump low beside the tank, rubber mounted on a bracket under a frame rail, along with filter. Another actually added a full metal shell around it for sound deadening!
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 15, 2016 11:27:17 GMT
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Winter meant I wasn't making much progress towards painting '88 outside, so I turned my attentions to '91. As mentioned '91 was displaying terrible wheel alignment & associated tyre wear @ its left rear wheel. I was suspicious of the aftermarket pivot bush in the trailing arm & wanted to upgrade to rear discs (instead of drums) so off they came. I already had a pair of '90 Integra rear trailing arms with discs & calipers so thought I was set... Naturally however Integras turn out to have differences, namely the diameter of the bush was enlarged & those on my arms were starting to break down. I noticed comments that others had used Civic bushes in Integra arms by using the metal outer ring of their old bushes as a sleeve around them, so back to investigate the old '91 arms. Hmm. Whoever fitted the new bushes into those arms may have used a bit too much force.. Left was bowed by about 8mm, Right about 4mm, while other arms I had were straight. Might explain tyre wear. I had been concerned that the bushes axis pin was free to slide & twist within the bush instead of bonded solid by rubber like the originals, or even located sideways by circlips like other aftermarket brands but realized those feature were not really required in use given the intended movement of the other arms in the rear suspension allowing passive rear-steer toe variation with suspension travel. After pressing out the good new rear bushes & those of the Integra arms it became clear they would not fit the integra arms as earlier proposed -Wrong 'sleeve' ring thickness. Plan B, I also had a pair of EK Civic trailing arms with discs, no calipers & bad bushes. So old bushes were removed (hint : cut outer ring of old bushes with a hacksaw so they are not such a press fit into the arms & they can be tapped out easily). And the 'new' bushes gently tapped into place. Integra Calipers bolted on... Brake hose design & mountings had been revised over the years however. 88-92(?) Civic & Integra had 2 mountings on the arm before entering the Caliper vertically from underneath. '96-01 (?) EK had only one mounting & entered the caliper from the side (so they were kept higher & safer from debris?). I sourced EK rear disc brake hoses to fit the arms mountings points before finding I also had to revise the hose locating shapes on my Integra calipers (Angle grinder). Spot the difference: work required to fit EK Civic hoses to older Civic/Integra calipers. Finally I could mount the complete assembly back on to the car, along with some CRX lower arms for their sway-bar mountings & '89-93 Integra Handbrake cables. Fitted the Watanabe/Minilite style wheels previously on Accord; they suit this soo much better. Rear Toe still looks wrong though. Adjust?
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Last Edit: Aug 25, 2017 9:36:23 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 14, 2016 11:39:20 GMT
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Might have to get creative in less ambitious ways. As a stop gap mount a set of standard size rectangular lights like older US Accord.. Check fit of other cars lights A gap can bet turned into a feature like 'nostril' vents on 93 Prelude or filled with some clear plastic?
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Nov 12, 2016 12:09:39 GMT
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I noticed a neighbor had thrown out a small 2-seat grey leather couch, & at first thought how horribly grey it was; so terribly late '80's/early '90s. Then while contemplatively sitting in '91 Civic realized I might have a use for it. Dragged it home & skinned it. Hope it may provide enough good leather to cover the side bolsters of the seats, though it is a lighter shade than the upper door trims... I hope it is not too pale though it would make the seats really stand out against the dark carpet & lower door-trim. Should I investigate dyeing it darker or leave as is? I had also bought a rough pair of fiberglass backed reclining aftermarket 'race' style seats though they still turned out to be rather heavy, & the Civic's 'floating' seat design is so distinctive that it would be a shame to loose their style though perhaps enhanced by removing foam to sit slightly deeper in the seat & exaggerate its shape. I had spare torn front seats so bought a spare rear to attack the same way, which would also be revised to blend a little better with the wrap-around rear side trims.
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Last Edit: Aug 25, 2017 9:34:02 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
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Posts: 2,609
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Nov 10, 2016 10:09:49 GMT
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Looks amazing. Front wheels look very inboard & don't like all those hangers for the front splitter though.
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Last Edit: Nov 9, 2016 11:15:57 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Last Edit: Nov 8, 2016 14:26:02 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Definitely not the same shell as XA/XB/XC coupe with every panel & window different, but very closely related & same floorpan origin. Love the twisting shapes atop the frt guards on these & cannot believe the later restyles. Cannot believe the orange piping & seats either though!
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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I guess anything is possible.. Don't know the width difference though. (integra was based upon the 83-87 3rd gen Civic floorpan/structure/suspension with slightly longer wheelbase & new exterior panels).
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Last Edit: Nov 7, 2016 13:15:16 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Would be easier to fit Integra front to a Civic than the Accord since they were completely unrelated...
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Look at ebay Australia. You might be lucky there. Still a few around Urm, we only received this generation with pop-up lights, so only RHD Europe/UK. Not even sure if Japan sold them without. Obviously going pop-up Accord/Aerodeck lights would involve ALL the frt panels & radiator/light support, & 1st gen Integra would be even more different.. Some of the older US & Japanese Vigor Accords mounted standard sized pairs of rectangular lights with different park/corner lights.
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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With the suicide rear doors I'd want to make the most of them & go pillarless like the Lancia's for wow factor, rather than ordinary 2-doors. Though the initial image of a fairly standard & still dignified looking body, channeled low & possibly de-bumpered does appeal.
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Last Edit: Nov 3, 2016 13:15:32 GMT by 79cord
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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The fact the reinforcements run the full length of the floor with the frt & rear rails welder over.. err under the ends does make them a little daunting, & HATE welding underneath things. I also looked at some Honda Concerto floor reinforcements I might be able to get which look similar though possibly thicker metal & separated into overlapping frt/rear pieces rather than 1-piece, later Civic look quite different. Also considering only removing the worst area of the old reinf. & welding back together after.
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Might be easier refitting the alternative engine if you can assemble it on the subframe for access before refitting the complete drivetrain/suspension/subframe. Easier to check & attend to anything else required when on the subframe too?
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Look forward to seeing the progress & I imagine getting engine output back up to european spec would be satisfying after the strangled emissionized output.
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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I have 2 4th gen Civic & a CRX that have had people ignore the factory jacking points & applying Trolley jacks to the front passenger floor, severely crushing their reinforcing rails & pushing up the floors around 2". Not looking forward to repairing that.. & open to suggestions.. 1. Cut hole in floor above & hammer rails down before welding shut floor again. 2. Cut off old rail & weld on handmade ones.. possibly not so easy given rails taper from 25-15mm deep. Possibly cut replacements from other cars. 3. Drill out old rail spot welds, remove & straighten rails to weld back on.
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,609
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Found some more work the Civics will require.. Both of them (& my CR-X SiR) have had people ignore the factory jacking points & applying Trolley jacks to the front passenger floor, severely crushing their reinforcing rails & pushing up the floors 1-2". Not looking forward to repairing that.. & open to suggestions.. 1. Cut hole in floor above & hammer rails down before welding shut floor again. 2. Cut off old rail & weld on handmade ones.. possibly not so easy given rails taper from 25-15mm deep. Possibly cut replacements from other cars. 3. Drill out old rail spot welds, remove & straighten rails to weld back on. I must admit I was also VERY tempted when a neighbor was selling his scruffy '95 DC2 Honda Integra VTi-R (175hp B18C 1.8 DOHC VTEC), similar spec. to the Japanese SiR, or USA GSR as the tamer, less highly tuned companion to the Type-R. He Had it advertised for A$1500 which the drivetrain alone can easily command given the demand from those wanting to upgrade lesser Civics, though unfortunately that may have been its future given the rough body.. & it sold quickly. Not long after I spotted another in a cheap local self serve wrecker & they advertised 50% off their usual price for engines, so dragged father along to help remove & buy its drivetrain. ( after repairing the Mitsubishi Verada wagon he shares with my brother.. who had recently driven it into the back of truck in heavy rain) I think I got it for $360 with associated close ratio g/box, driveshafts, starter & manifolds, though unfortunately missing Cam-cover, Distributor & ECU which will be a challenge to get cheaply. Not sure what I would like to do with it yet. It will fit into the 4th gen Civics but it is a squeeze requiring hammer work upon the frame rails of those not given a related B16A engine by Honda. It could upgrade a B18 non-vtec Integra that are 1/2 to 2/3 the value of Vtec variants, but why not just to buy a factory one.. Or it could be fitted to 5th or 6th gen Civic, & I think a friend implied his EG hatchback might soon be available.. I had already collected a 'dead' EG Civic d16y1 (1.6 SOHC Vtec) engine for its cylinder head as a possible upgrade for my ED Civic since it seemed a more sympathetic upgrade, though the d16a8 DOHC non-vtec like the white CRX is equally tempting & powerful.
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Last Edit: Aug 25, 2017 9:32:16 GMT by 79cord
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