I am not a painter.
I am bad at prep.
I'm OK at masking sometimes.

"It just looks like a red car"
"unless you really look at it"
I was told by a friend.

So I made a red car red again I guess. I hope it lasts.

First I painted the grey/silver hood "Bright Red" and then dulled it with scotchbrite to kinda match the old paint.

I painted the pink/white/black-mold roof "cherry red" and have to wait 2 days before I can try to smooth out the lines.

The cherry almost matches the old paint, but i have zero blending skills.
I'll prob'ly take more pics after i do it if it looks somewhat better.

Continue reading "red car" »

Posted by Scott Korb at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I mean... really WOW! + WOW!

I had no idea my old gold box could ride this smooth. Motor/trans mounts can do a lot for ride quality. I think I can make it even better.

It bothers me that I had to add spacers to an engine mount to get this far. What really bothers me is that I got all four new mounts from an OE supplier, which means if I buy Honda mounts at twice the price (wholesale) I might get the same thing.... they might not be the exact mounts the car came with.

I plan to switch the CRX's straight driver's side mount with the Civic's. If it bolts up straight I will buy a new one from Honda to see if it bolts up straight as well.

If it does I'll buy the rear and front mounts from Honda too. The rear mount is a PITA to replace, and its the one I had to shim. I'll have to drop the frame to replace it (again). The passenger side mount appears to be OK at this time (it is new after all- phbbt)

Aftermarket parts often suck. Sometimes its all you can get... even from the dealer. My car is old :(

But at least I know the original owner (mom) and the history. The car is definitely not bent (other than small dings and that dang headlight). The CRX appears to be a little bent. Possibly more on that later... probably much later.

Continue reading "wows" »

Posted by Scott Korb at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So... I'm stayin' at my mom's about 5yrs ago and she came home in Althea (The Golden Nugget) when I noticed the left headlight was all crooked. The next day it was worse. I think someone she worked with didn't know how to park (or un park).

Anyway, now Althea is mine, and that drivers headlight is still all pushed in and now gaining water.
I picked up a dry one at the pick-n-pull. BTW that place always seems picked clean before I get there. Out of five 92-95 Civics not a one had the connectors for the ECU... all hacked. All four of the 88-91 Civics had chopped harnesses too.

But I got a headlight! -not just a headlight but a headlight "assembly" (comes with the bracket and adjusters).

So I took my bumper off... and some other parts... and installed this assembly. I had to adjust a bent bracket.

It's almost totally straight and holds no water. I'm so proud. My 19yr old car is getting close to being... ummmm.... Wayyyyy better than any other 19yr old car on the road?

I'm still trying to fix a vibration. I think at least one of my four NEW engine mounts is made wrong. I have to compare it to an OE Honda mount. Its less vibraty than before, but I want better.

crooked mount after shimming and adjustment:

Continue reading "wet headlight" »

Posted by Scott Korb at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dreygon is the name of Dreya's Red 1990 Civic. The CRX (LE PEU) remains in my clutches for experiments, while i also get to experiment on the Dreygon. Muhahaha

So i bought this 4 speed hatchback for her to replace her CRX and of course it broke almost immediately... it is almost 20yrs old by the by.

The fuel pump went out. A tow and a pump and filter later she runs tall for a trip to PA in the winter... where she overheats.

Dreya can now change a thermostat on a civic in under 15min.

The car was making a noise I heard when I started it at 45*F. It made the noise consistantly but very briefly. I decided it needed a waterpump.

Last month we replaced the waterpump, which turned out to have a shot bearing (my mechanic instincts rock), as well as the timing belt, the accessory belts, and all related oil seals and pulley bearings.

At the same time i changed her camshaft to one with higher lift and duration (more air suction and for longer) and her ECU (computerized fuel management to handle the new camshaft)

We go from 70HP to 90HP @ no cost to you, using stock Honda parts.

Posted by Scott Korb at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Althea is the given name for my recently aquired 1990 Honda Civic DX hatchback. My mom bought a new Civic in ~April, and gave me Althea. HOORAY!
Mom's had Althea since new, and it has about 190K miles on it. In the last few years, strangers have approached her with offers to buy it. The Honda dealer said he could have sold it 5 times in the weekend it sat on their lot. But now it's mine! MWAHAHA!

Dreya and I flew down to Ft Meyers FL to get it over the weekend of the 16th, and drove it back from Naples FL. I picked that weekend because it was my birthday on the 17th. I got a car!

We had to get AAA over to jump it since it sat for 4-5 months. I bought a battery, charged the A/C, and changed out a tire, and it was good to go. We stopped overnight in Savannah,GA and visited an old cemetery among other places.

Althea has been on this site before. Links to about 2 yrs ago:
jump

Continue reading "Althea" »

Posted by Scott Korb at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Mazda runs... barely. The fuel system is full of tar from old gasoline. I didn't say it runs well.
The ant infestation seems to be dissapating though.
It has a two part fuel tank for balance, and thus 2 fuel pumps. Ugh.
The main tank has old gas.
The secondary tank fuel appears even older... cloudy, and mixed with solvent... or some sort of injector cleaner which never made it to the main tank. The transfer pump is inoperable at this time.

Even so, somehow the 323 has earned an exhalted space in the garage, displacing the Pantera.
I can think of quite a few reasons why it's in there actually.
I just feel bad that the Pantera is outside braving the piercing trees, plagues of birds, cats, squirrels, and of course, the recently arising daubers looking for a home.
----------------------------------------------

Continue reading "Mom's Civic" »

Posted by Scott Korb at 12:57 AM | Permalink