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Figure I should start a build thread to try and help "Make forums great again" but I think we all know they're dead. I found my old CRX build thread the other day and I enjoyed looking through it so I'm starting this if nothing else for me to look at. If you're bored here's the CRX (https://honda-tech.com/forums/appear...ation-3225648/)
I wanted to start before I got too far. Right now has just been small stuff while gathering parts for paint. I have everything now so it should have some updates pretty often.
Like the CRX I am going to focus on a well prepared street car that can handle all the autocross and road racing I can throw at it. My main goal is lightness, unlike the CRX I will be keeping full interior, AC and even adding some nice creature comforts like a double DIN stereo with Apple car play, power windows/ locks, tint, etc. Small stuff like that which makes a care easier to drive despite being so old. I will be really focusing on getting all the weight out of basic parts like brakes and wheels that I can. Other then that it'll just be a stock 98+ R swap with some easy bolt ons and go from there!
Driving it home, old man owned super clean (body wise) civic hatchback with a clean title and AC/PS which I intend to keep.
Back in the garage, it has some weird 17" wheels and ended up being a Canadian special edition DX which got the funky OEM mid wing. Wasn't a fan so I took it off and sold it.
Some better photos outside
Traded my stock seats and $20 to someone for EM1 seats, turns out they sit just as high and suck so I sold them for GSR seats I didn't see a picture of.
Once it's painted I originally wanted to go for a full on PY ek9 clone minus RHD but have since shifted to a slightly more restomod approach. I still want it to look very similar but things like 5 lug might be a waste of time and money.
First week of owning it my brother was driving his weekend car and got a rock shot through the radiator, luckily it had been a planned upgrade and we took the civic to go fix it.
I ordered quite a few parts from the start and realized I should probably slow the process down before the fiance started asking too many questions about this "cheap" civic
Picked up a killer deal on a CTR cluster for $200 but guess the saying holds true. MPH and the gas gauge didn't work but he was cool and took it back so I guess that's nice. Tried to take it apart but found the issue and looked like someone tried a ghetto fix already. Didn't want to deal with janky stuff.
Found some rota c8s for $100, put them on but didn't like the look. Better than 17s just slightly though.
Test fit the OEM civic si front grill and some cheap lip I also found locally. Took the lip off right away OEM or bust on this.
The stock DX transmission was great for MPGs but had a decent grind going 2-3 so I found an EX trans mission locally. Me and my brother installed it but forgot to take any photos. Turns out it had a bad input shaft bearing and sounded like Chewbacca was living in it. So I found another and did it solo this time but remembered to snap one photo and put on a new Exedy clutch while in there for good measure.
Was looking for new OEM CTR lights but found these for a killer deal and tried to refinish them myself.
Three months later they still look like this so I am happy with them for now.
And installed with an OEM lip. Everything lines up great on the front. Just need to test fit a few more parts and I am ready to paint it
Now the OEM purists might hate me but I wanted a third brake light so I bought the bayson r replica wing with a third brake light. I also got a nifty thing that allows it to flash when the brakes are held F1 rain light style. Not sure I am sold on that versus just solid so I might switch back.
Also got some mirrors since the USDM ones blow and wanted the ek9 look. Also traded the rota c8s for these 16" slipstreams but I really wanted 15s but $100 set of wheels for some I sold for $500 will hold me over for now.
Let me brother drive my Cayman so I could snap a cool picture of them both while it's still a bucket.
Random photo
Installed a trunk mat but the results are meh and I really need a new spare tire cover. I have the stock cardboard material one but it got wet sometime in it's life and is now form fitting to the spare which looks awful.
Luckily the lady never looks in the spare upstairs bedrooms although they are fully decorated for who knows what reason. They work great for storing all the OEM weather stripping, thin side moldings and other BS I am waiting on paint for. Almost have everything I need.
This is how they shipped the thin side moldings. Luckily a day in the sun flattened them with no damage but who does that!?
Found some 15" slipstreams and got good tires, will eventually replace with real SW388s but for now I am focused on paint so don't want to waste too much money on wheels. Rolled the fenders as more paint prep.
Everyone called me crazy for it but I took the stock civic out on Saturday and the Porsche on Sunday for fun. Needless to say which was quicker but the civic still shocked some people and beat lots it shouldn't have haha. Also need to work on the seat situation even with stock brakes and suspension I banged up my knee really well on the window handle.
Started getting the new BBK ready, just kidding my truck needed a brake job, honestly not as big a difference as I expected.
And last for now I installed the side markers. I wanted to try it on the OEM fenders first. If I messed up I was going to buy the correct ones but with some careful measuring they came out perfect. 100% ready for paint I will start ripping it apart soon and pulling windows and such for the color change coming soon! Also found these dirt cheap locally but just flipped them instead since I am sent of the sw388s
Awesome build so far! Are you on Vortex? Your Porsche looks familiar...
not on any Porsche forums other than lurking. Had some TE37s for it for a bit but sold them.
Originally Posted by Caoboy
Porsche, paver driveway, you must be a millionaire!!
Did you decide on a motor yet?
Nah just Reno NV living that fly over state life. Yea I'm sticking with a 98+ ITR for now. K series is definitely the way to go for speed but keeping ac seems like a less clean solution than I want so B series it is.
Not a big update but the transmission was leaking from where the shift linkage enters. Since this is the third transmission in this thing which was supposed to be quick and easy this better be the last time I touch this d series transmission except pulling it. Anyways I ordered the seal, some Honda bond & MTF and went to town. Can definitely see why it was leaking ewww
Registered to sub for this. I'm sure these forums ain't what they used to be, but I'm glad they aren't dead. I've had a 99 EX coupe for 10 years now and I'm finally getting out of debt enough to the point that I can work on it.
Found some buddy club coilovers for a killer deal I couldn't say no to. Planned on doing all the suspension, bushings, powder coating etc all at once but these will add some fun for now. I'll replace them with new KWs when I get to it. Seeing how old and crusty everything is just has me that much more excited to replace it all.
Went and got it weighed today before any big changes and things get added/ removed for paint. Starting at 2340lbs (1/4 tank) I'd love to get it down below 2200 but I'm not sure that'll happen until I'm pretty far into it. Keeping all the comforts but I think I'll be able to lose 120ish lbs real easy.
09-12-2017, 02:09 PM
2000 Civic Hatchback ek9 replica/ restomod
