Project Civic Duties

[Noel Tidybeard]

No cupholders - no Honda before about 2001 has any such facility, they were always utilitarian with their spec. Make things easy and intuitive for the driver, and have useful features, not fripperies. 

 

That said there's a useful cubby to store Werthers Original, wine gums or Trebor extra strong mints behind the driver's seat.

 

FIFY cos you not old enuff to kno

[dollywobbler]

This was in the boot with the spare wheel, and one of my bargaining points.

It's the leading end of the o/s rear arch. On the car it's been filled and painted well, but you can't tell it's there. I just hope there's metal behind the filler.

 

 

 

I wouldn't go prodding too much. I had one of these, and it was a joyous little thing, but most of the nearside rear wing had simply vanished. Probably why it was £185...

 

I modified it for extra cool points. I didn't know it was possible to have negative cool points... EDIT - I also never took photos of the nearside...

[spartacus]

Ace, these are great little cars.

[Ghosty]

I'm not too worrried - the only place it's rotted is where it's had accident damage relating to the Cat C it's on. I think it might have spent most of its life in a garage as the paint is magnificent and there isn't a dent on it. When the original owner died, his widow only used it as a shopping car, and the third owner has only had it since 2016, and seeing as he is a Putney resident has barely used it.

[dome]

Late registration madness! Good work.

 

When's it getting a K20?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Auto for those wondering.

Regards: gingercators, the indicators are in the bumper. Those are the sidelights. The indicators are clear lenses with orange bulbs. I think they were clear from you new.

 

Considering I looked at it on AT a few days ago and thought '£1750 is way too much', I'm surprised and pleased I got it.

 

Got it for £950, which for a tidy running EF is very sodding cheap.

Ahh that makes sense. Seems to be the way with a lot of Jap stuff, indicators in the bumpers and sidelights where I expect to see indicators.

 

Many moons ago I was a passenger in one of these with a tweaked VTEC lump from a CRX and boy was it frightening

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[Ghosty]

lol engine swaps, won't be happening. I might stick the same Japspeed stainless manifold on it that's on my 416 (after all I think it's intended for Civics), and look into better carbs etc, but aside the odd bit, the car is more than capable with it's 90bhp. It's a handling machine really.

 

There will definitely be some handling mods in the pipeline, but more power really isn't needed. My dad wants to put an injection manifold on it, but there's no point really. There's no real reason to do it as injected D14s make the same power as the carb-fed models, and this car has no ECU or anything. Less to go wrong, especially the fact that there's no pesky fuel relay on a carb setup!

Besides, I like the antiquated charm of having a choke - I just never thought I'd first experience it on a Civic!

Suspension mods, and wheels/tyres are likely all I will go for. Rota do a nice Mugen NR10 replica in 15x7:

 

 

this is a nice style, which is tempting (the Rotas are one piece silver painted, but the design is the same). If not those, some grey or black Watanabe style eight-spoke wheels would also be a good look.
That's all I'd like to do really, make it into a bombproof handling machine.

[Parky]

That was well worth the trip. Thousands of these bombing around NZ, and along with Corollas seem to be acknowledged as being hassle free reliable transport. Get lots of Dinitrol in it and never need another car again

[MorrisItalSLX]

and some new numberplates.

[Ghosty]

Yes, I know. I'm usually one to retain original dealer plates, but the ones on the car are goosed. I'm thinking pressed reflective plates might suit it.

[drum]

I've not seen one of these for yonks.

Lovely.

[mk2_craig]

Well bought! Saw this one earlier in the week and thought it had been a while since I noticed any on the road.

 

[Ghosty]

Red and not pogweaseled, that's something.

 

There's another two Civics that live very close to me - a white one, and a knackered red one. They only appear sporadically though. I'll have to try and get a picture with them.

[Ghosty]

Doesn't it just look right at home?

[oldcars]

Lovely looking car. Your house is a belter, as is that lawn. Want.

[Dick Longbridge]

Doesn't it just look right at home?

Further proof that J motors from the late 80’s/ early 90’s really were at their peak with design, build quality and general reliability. I’d forgotten how lovely these Civics actually were. Sub £1k seems daft cheap for such a genuine one, too.

[taxi paul]

Right at home. Like a scene from rita , sue and Bob too. Top car.

[Ghosty]

Gave the car a clean inside and out today. It looks great, but it needs some tar spots cleaning off, and a good going over with cutting compound and polish. Need to take some pictures.

Of course, my priorities are in the right place, I repainted the choke knob:

[Bucketeer]

I saw you walking towards the loos at Warwick Services earlier today Max. I shouted but you didn't turn round. I'm glad I didn't follow you in to say hello as when you emerged and I got a look from the front it was (obvs) not you at all.

I would have put money on your style being unique (in a good way) but this imposter had the trucker cap, loud shirt and free roaming blonde locks all going on. The copying bastard.

 

Also, top marks on the Civic. Well bought.

[Yoss]

I'm surprised you still have an actual choke knob at that age. Even my Skoda, same year and the last year they ran on carbs, had an auto choke. I thought the Japanese would be ahead of the game.

 

Having said that I wish I did have a knob coz the auto thing doesn't work properly and I've removed the thermostatically operated cam that brings the idle speed up when cold. I just have to use my foot on the throttle for a minute or two from start up. Would be so much easier if I had some sort of knob, perhaps attatched to a cable, that could do that for me. Perhaps the Japanese knew what they were doing after all.

[Lacquer Peel]

My parents' slightly older Accord had an automatic choke, the carb never gave any problems and it started like an injected engine each time.

Aren't the carbs in these twin choke?

[Ghosty]

I don't know anything about the carb setup past 'it has 2'.

 

I think I've sourced a parcel shelf and headrests, just waiting on photos, and I've bought a period Momo steering wheel for a relative barg. It probably came out of an MX5, lol. I don't like the standard steering wheel as it's too hard a plastic, and hurts my hands after a while. It's not that comfortable. Besides, the car isn't very secure, having no central locking or immobiliser or anything - the only things that might deter a potential thief are it being auto (no bump starts), and the choke. Oh, and a steering lock. 
As such I have the perfect opportunity to increase the car's security by installing a quick release steering wheel boss.
I really want to change the wheels as I keep looking at the trims (which are held in place by the wheelnuts, in a stroke of Honda genius) and thinking it makes the car look like a Daihatsu Charade for some reason.

[dollywobbler]

They were very late with the manual choke. Mine had that too, on an H. Quite odd, but it worked very well. Given how shit some autochokes can be, not a bad thing.

[Ghosty]

I've never had a car with a choke before. I like it. It's useful.
Honda made this a no-nonsense car, there were three trim levels, six colours, the only option was auto/manual, and they gave it what it needed for the driver to focus on driving, and nothing else. 
Nothing to break, nothing more complicated than it needs to be, here's a car, all you'll ever need, off you go.

The Civic is great. Free of electronics, free of Achilles' heel fuel relays, simple, flush with all the right features, yet no fripperies, practical, economical, quiet, refined, good handling... 

 

It's a little wonder, I've only had it a day and a half and I'm head over heels in love with it. I feel bad even thinking about modifying it, it's such a thoughtfully designed, well balanced machine...
Even changing the steering wheel pains me somewhat, even though that one really is for the best.

[michael t]

YESS!!! Mega buyage. One of my old teachers had one of these on a J plate which is fairly late. Looking forward to seeing this progress.. 723/10 Superb!!

[Jim Bell]

Women are very much like old cars Ghosty. They have to be choked to get the best out of them, but gently and progressively more subtly so that they know you have their best interests at heart.

 

[Ghosty]

Steering wheel arrived today, and the boss and q/r are on the way too, hopefully they'll come tomorrow or Friday.

 

As soon as I unpacked it, and having used the standard wheel a bit more now, I think I'm doing the right thing.

It should look good:

[Arthur Foxhake]

This thread does me a please.

[SiC]

Steering wheel arrived today, and the boss and q/r are on the way too, hopefully they'll come tomorrow or Friday.

 

As soon as I unpacked it, and having used the standard wheel a bit more now, I think I'm doing the right thing.

It should look good:

That looks like an early MK1 MX5 stock steering wheel with the foam crash pad removed?

 

Edit: just read your post when you ordered it. That's a genuine early MK1 MX5 steering wheel. They put a crash pad on it for regulatory reasons.

 

However pull off that crash pad and you're rewarded with a genuine MOMO wheel underneath.

[SiC]

Probably cheap as there was loads of MK1 MX5 made and so loads have gone rusty then scrapped. I'd say it's a period correct accessory for the boy racer.