1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I was not sure where to post this, as this section is for 90+, and the classic section is 88 and earlier... there was no other place for my in between-er. (If it turns out there is a section for this, would a moderator please move it to the correct section. Thanks.)


So I have been emailing this guy on CL for the past 2 weeks about this car.

It is a 1989 Honda Accord LX, it has the A20A1 it has a 2 barrel carburetor. 5 Speed.

So, the only major problems with the car are as followed:

1. All 4 tires on the car where absolutely bald and weather cracked to the max. I drove 12 miles on those tires without a problem.

2. The IACV (not sure..) is broken. the car runs a little, but doesn't idle and has a very hard time revving.

3. Needs brakes bled and possibly new pads and shoes.

I am not planning on doing much of a 'build'.. more of building a dependable daily driver. Someday it will get a swap, but that's a long way away.
So, here is where I am currently at. I went and got new tires put on the American Racing rims that came with the car.

Expenses so far:
Car - $500 (I paid $250 today and paying another $250 when I get the title.)
Tires - $300

I would love it if someone could tell me what this is, and if it causing my rough idle / start / slow revving problem. (My throttle also seems to 'stick' and for some reason revs higher sometimes.)
Attachment 536802

Putting the new tires on!
Attachment 536809

Front passenger side back on the ground.
Attachment 536810

How she sits right now. Gotta pull that panel off the bottom, and fix the lights in the bumper.
Attachment 536811

Driver side fender / hood damage.
Attachment 536812

Hood damage and missing emblem.
Attachment 536813

Moar
Attachment 536814

The rear
Attachment 536815

Some dash damage.. has a lot more on the lower dash.
Attachment 536816

LOW MILES!
Attachment 536817

Missing side trim.
Attachment 536818

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Did you pull the cover off or was it like that? That is the air vent cut off diaphragm, if there is a tear in it, yes it needs to be replaced. If not put the cover back on.

Are the tune up items up to date.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I took the cover off to inspect it, when I bought it the guy said it needed replacing. He said it was the IAC(V).. It is ripped around the center where it connects to the little push rod.

I took the part to everyone in town, no one even knew what it was.

It is not tuned up right now, but it does run... a little bit. It also smokes when it is cold.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

So, was working on the car today. I straightened out the fender a little bit, sanded it down, and primed it. I also took the front bumper off and sanded down the parts that where really scratched up. I also zip tied it up where it was cracked at.. several places.

I was then working under the hood a bit, checking stuff out, seeing if anything else needed replacing. Well, guess what? I found out that the dizzy vacuum was zip tied onto the dizzy... I am not sure if I have to replace the entire thing or what, do any of you know if this is a separate part or if I need to get a new dizzy. - Images below

Attachment 536799

Attachment 536800

Attachment 536801

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

So, went to Honda today, they said that the diaphragm kit I need is discontinued.

Called my dad, told him, said I was going to hit up AF&T Salvage. He met me there, we started looking around... not a single carbed honda. But... I did find a gem! (Not sure the year, maybe 88-90 accord fuel injected. Grabbed the vacuum advance, gas cap, and the corner light I need.

Asked the dude inside if they had any honda carbs, said that they did in one of the old trailer houses they store stuff in... bingo.

After I get the title for my car and give the guy the other 250$, and pay off the tires, i'm going back for the hood, driver side fender, dash, front bumper, and drivers side head light. I may also pull all the EFI components and convert my car to FI... not sure if the A3 manifold will bolt up to the A1 though.

Pictures!

Corner light
https://i.imgur.com/IdE4o.jpg

Carb (Idk if i'm correct, but complete carb assembly new from honda is $820.00.)..
https://i.imgur.com/alaSq.jpg

Advance vacuum
https://i.imgur.com/Beqec.jpg

Price for everything... what a steal.
https://i.imgur.com/RLaMM.jpg

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Did some wrenching on the car today.
My dad and I put a new to us dizzy in, but it wouldn't produce spark.

So, we had to modify the old dizzy to fit a vacuum advance from an a20a3 onto the a20a1 dizzy.

Did a bit of grinding and drilling, and it fits perfectly. Put it all together, turned the distributor all the way down (that is how it was when we bought it, ran ok-ish.) but to no avail.

Turned it all the way up, and bam. Runs pretty good.

Need to do a bit of work on the carb and throttle cable, cable sticks a bit. may just buy a new one, the old one looks a bit shitty.

Here's a picture of some stuff I got from the junk yard yesterday.

I have more but did not want to lay it all out.
https://i.imgur.com/9C113.jpg

I still need to replace the valve cover gasket, leaks like a bitch.
Also may need a water pump gasket, seems to leak a bit of coolant.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I feel funny, being just about the only one posting.

Anyhow, sewed new boot onto the bracket, and installed it into the console.

https://i.imgur.com/blxkJ.jpg

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I like it.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Thanks, I like it too. <3 3g's. :hugs:

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Grabbed a few things from the parts store today.

Also grabbed a new valve cover gasket. Oh and I got a climate control for free from the junk yard.
https://i.imgur.com/D1Ry2.jpg

Oh, goodie... the 'cracked' valve cover gasket really turned out to be more than a crack. It was completely apart.
https://i.imgur.com/7sQVA.jpg

You probably can't see it, but it looked like someone had shot 2 staples or nails right where the gasket goes... got that taken care of.
https://i.imgur.com/Ho1Gj.jpg

Supposedly the top end was rebuilt.
https://i.imgur.com/36POs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WZOek.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gHqk3.jpg

Back together
https://i.imgur.com/8U9qC.jpg

Grabbed a trim piece while I was at the junk yard. also free.
https://i.imgur.com/aDvdy.jpg

the muffler always 'rattled'... so, decided to take a look. The entire back of the muffler where the pipe goes in was rusted out. so i cut the muffler off and also the tip, and came up with this.

I don't have a welder, nor do I currently have access to one so I cannot weld up the holes in the exhaust.
https://i.imgur.com/4QS48.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/y9XPW.jpg

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Just wanted to say good for you taking some time to do the best with what you've got, nice pics too.
The cylinder head and valve train does look relatively clean and sludge free.

Finding knowledgeable advice with carb-related issues could be a little tricky in this forum as our cars just don't have them.
Posting in the classic section should get you some answers.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Thank you! I really don't have much money right now, (literally like 40 bucks right now).. =)

Yeah, finding good advice for the carb is rather difficult. I may try and adjust it a bit tomorrow, my chilton tells me a bit about it, and a very nice HT member sent me a link for some very good manuals.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Some old farts might be able to help :)

My friend "Lost Again" asked me to check this thread out. I don't get here very often anymore, spend most of my time posting on another forum :)

I like the 3 gens as well.....good luck.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my thread, and posting. If I need a bit of help i'll holler at you!

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Nice work so far... I like the old 3rd gen, not many of them left around my parts. they pretty much all succumbed to rust due to the winter salted roads.

Wife's first car was a goldish 89 5spd coupe. I loved that car, even though it leaked like a mother when it rained. Having driven that car is probably why I bought my CD.

I know a little bit about carbs, I have been slowly deciphering/rebuilding on an old JDM ZC Dual carb setup. Anywho, good luck with the build! parts will be harder to find, but they are out there.....

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I used to work with some old school honad mechanics and they never had anything nice to say about those old carbs. great old cars, and will run forever if cared for.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Keep up the good work on that, respect for fixing up an old car.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Currently have the front seats out, cleaning it up a bit. Found some surface rust around the bolts for the seat brackets, but that's getting taken care of soon.

Thanks, there is a 3rd gen 88 or 89 4 door LX-i at the junk yard, but it's automatic. I've been pulling parts from that, so i've been lucky so far.


This car has been a Montana car all it's life, and it has literally zero rust. Very well taken care of car.

The carbs are a bitch to work on, lol


Thanks buddy ;')

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

So I went and got the original title today. I have to get a new one, the title wasn't even in the guys name... but in the original owners.

I got a new 12 gallon 4.5HP wet or dry shop vac for 40$ today, and a case of oil for 2.29 a quart. Damn cheap around here. Going back for 3-4 more cases when I get paid.

I've been working on the car since 9 am this morning. I had the front seats, and the entire center out of the car. I was cleaning, vacuuming, and I pulled back the carpet to sand down some rust that was starting to form on the area where you mount the seat to.
The passenger floor was wet. I dried it out, and sprayed it with undercoating.

Got it all back together, cleaning everything but the dash.
Fixed the holes in the exhaust pipe, and washed the car.

All that is left is to tune the carburetor, and time it.
When it's cold it runs at ~500 rpms, and when it is warm it likes to run at 2k, and sometimes sticks at 3k.

I forgot to take a lot of pictures, but here are a few anyways.

Passenger seat out... dirt as hell.
https://i.imgur.com/Wt6BH.jpg

Found this under the drivers seat.
https://i.imgur.com/NfQg0.jpg

Spaying in some undercoating.
https://i.imgur.com/VFxxf.jpg

Someone had tried to jack it up in a spot under the drivers floor board, passengers also, but it made the floor pop up, and bent the supports under neath... hammered it back down with my trusty 3lb sledge.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

I'm going to take off the front bumper again today, and try and fix the clip on the drivers side. Top part of it is broken causing it not to slide into / stay on the screw (not sure what you call it.)

Going to repair my front turn signals also, and put these white things in the bumper... after i paint them heh

https://i.imgur.com/9C113.jpg

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Kudos for fixing it with junk yard parts! Its a great feeling replacing something broken or missing from a car thats going to end up in a cube.


Good luck with the rest of your rebuild. Im doing the same with my 97 Ex but im already done :/

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Hey thanks, I also find it much cheaper.... Honda wants $800 for a carburetor for this car. I got one from the yard for $50 ;)

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

A nice rebuild on that carb and it will look and work as good as new too. Good to see a car not rotting away in someones driveway or junkyard

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Yeah, but for now I am just using that carb from an 88 accord for parts. I used the air vent diaphragm and thermovalve.

I just need to tune the carb that's on the car, and adjust the timing. I am not sure wether it's full retarded or full advanced right now... but it does run pretty fair.

Re: 1989 Honda Accord LX build
 

Hey did you get the issue with the title worked out, have you found the original owner yet?
It would suck to run into issues with legal ownership with you putting so much time and effort into the ole girl.