dodt

i own a 1998 civic dx coupe. it's a 5 speed manual. i love my car and i've always told everyone i'm never (ever) getting rid of it

it's been 4 years now since i got it (my first car). and there's some slight body damage to the rear left where the taillight goes. pretty much not fixable. it's not too bad but the trunk doesn't line up flush

anyways what i'm trying to get at is i know every little thing that is wrong with the car. all it's little imperfections. some bother me and some don't. i wish i could have had the opportunity to buy one of these cars new in the 90s/early 00s

i recently put a 14mm OEM rear anti sway bar on using hardrace links. and i also put in some new hardrace RTA bushings. i got a little taste for how much of a money pit this hobby can be. it can get expensive. i thought for sure replacing the RTA bushing would make it drive straight but really i'm not surprised it still wanders bad at 80 mph. it's really random actually, there are some stretches of road where it'll go miles perfectly straight and i'll just be cruising peacefully. but i know that every bushing needs replacing. and the ball joints. and having two different tire treads on the front is prolly not helping. i make sure to get exactly 34 psi in the tires all around

i'm really starting to think it's not worth it to continue dumping time and money into this car. i'm actually pretty sad about it. i love my civic and we've been through a lot together. and i wish it could be pristine and clean.

it's slow but that's not what bothers me. i literally just want the wheel alignment to be perfect. i want to haul *** down the interstate going 90-100 mph with no wander. perfectly straight and stable

what really tipped me off recently is the fact that i got my first wheel alignment (after i did the RTA bushings) and i found out that the FL caster is 1.5 degree and FR is 0.8. then i started reading what could cause caster to go bad and worst case is bent subframe. that really scares me. but in my case it's prolly just the fact that the ball joints and control arm bushings need replacing

the past month or so i have been thinking that the last chunk of money im gonna put into this car for a while is a new motor mount. the main hydraulic one. i've put hard inserts into the other 4 but this last one is totally gone and is in desperate need of replacing. i want the hasport one but don't wanna pay full price direct from hasport. so i dunno where to buy it. otherwise i would have bought it already. i'm about to just buy a cheap ebay one because the motor shakes bad and it causes the whole car to shake and wheel hop is terrible.

i guess i'll end this little ramble with: i don't have any honda friends, i wish i could experience an already built honda to motivate me. i wanna ride (or drive) someone else's built honda and see how great it can be. i know these cars have potential. but i've never experienced it

the most recent pic from last night


here is the rear left quarter i'm talking about: https://i.imgur.com/mIANxod.jpg i bought a new panel that goes under the tailight but it doesn't bolt up properly because the bolt doesn't line up.

i don't expect many people to read all this. but i'm just having a hard time letting go of this car. i don't think i can

TomCat39

I feel you.

First things first. Go get yourself two matching tires for the front.

Hondas are known to track grooves in the road. Having different rubber on the same axle will just make that worse.

I too need to do bushings etc.

Here is the plan I've been putting together. I've gone to the salvage yard and I've pulled the front LCA's, the two front knuckles and will buy TruHart Upper control arms.

I am planning on buying hard race bushings for the front and am thinking I will get OEM lower ball joints, the Truharts come with hard race upper ball joints.

With the machine work to press out and in new wheel bearings and then the bushings, I figure I will be out between 1200-1500 but then the majority of the front end will be good for at least 15 years I figure. Then I'm thinking I might just go with the yonaka motor mounts being they are very cost effective.

Basically the cost is mainly for bushings and the pressing work at the machine shop. After that you just swap all the suspension parts on the car as you have them to spare already.

In my case, I've been collecting nearly a full set of all the large steel pieces of the suspension being I have two of the same car, one an automatic and one a manual.

If it helps, think of it like this, you can spend 10000 on your car and it will look and drive like a brand new car. Or you can go spend 20000 or more and have a new car.

Today I got a massive score at the salvage yard, they had a sedan that has my motor and the dizzy, map sensor, fitv and tps all are brand spanking new. I think this car was stored to death and when they tried to start it, it wouldn't go. The throttle body was stuck closed, oil in the tube wells but the thing hardly had any corrosion on it otherwise. I pulled the dizzy off and the cap and rotor were barely worn, and the insides were immaculate. I paid 50 bucks for it and it's OEM. Honda up here will charge at least 300 bucks and what I got is barely not new. The tps bolts came free easily, the fitv cover plate bolts released without effort. I literally got brand new items for 65 bucks.

Spend some time at your local salvage yard and you can get lucky sometimes and find top notch used parts for pennies on the dollar compared to new.

Just have patience and do little by little. I think you will feel much better in the end and you will know exactly where your car stands. The only way to know any other car is to buy it new and even then, the break in probably isn't done right as it usually has at least 25 miles on it by the time you get it as shippers drive it, detailers drive it etc. etc. long before you get it.

dodt

wow i appreciate the time you put in to that reply. the "i feel you" was exactly what i was hoping someone would say.

i'm just really concerned about my caster alignment right now. i know the subframe can be replaced.. but unless you're replacing it with a brand new one, how are you gonna know the new one isn't bent too. but i don't even know if my subframe is the problem. i just don't wanna spend a thousand dollars on control arms/bushings and ball joints to find out

oh and i think it's burning oil slowly.. :/

spur of the moment i just ordered the yonaka mount kit for $80

i'm gonna go to my tire shop next week and order 2 new tires. prolly spend about $100 or so

JarvisW

You can take it to Goodyear and have the alignment checked for free, and he can tell you if the frame or sub is bent. Also, usually can tell what to replace. I did, and was lucky enough to only need tie rods. (at the time). Just take it back to them for the align, once you get it repaired.

As for motivation or rides from a built car, watch for Honda or Import Car meetups. Or some Sonics or that type Drive-thrus have car nights that they might show up for. Depends where you are of course, but even here in Texas we have several meets a year.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

You want to talk about demotivations, you should see all of the brick walls my build has run into.

For the main motor mount, you should check out Yonaka. It's not Hasport, but it's what I have. they do the job, and they do it well. You can get the full "kit" for under a hundred. Your back end looks like it took a bump from someone. A body shop should be able to tell you if the subframe is bent. Alternatively, you can put your car up on jack stands, and use string to triangle it. Measure from ball joint to ball joint, across the front, across the back, from front left to back left, front right to back right (these two should match) and front left to rear right/front right to rear left (these two should match). If the corner to corner lengths don't match, or if the side measurements don't match, then you have a bent frame.

jad67

Hey brother I feel ya on the car thing. I also have a dx except mine is 00. From the picture your car looks pretty good! Mine needs alot more body work. I took my last civic (EX) to the body shop and was given a quote for 3400 to repair the body. The civic I drive today needs a little more body work than that one, so I just keep on driving it. The only positive thing the dx has is that it has a jdm type r in it. I of course I had big plans but in my quest to get rid of debt. It has now become my daily driver and I cannot afford to have it taken appart. On top of that I have a 17 year old daughter that is driving. So with a wife and 2 girls my toys and hobbies come last. I will likely never have anything super cool until I am old and grey but I keep on tryin.

chrysler kid

there comes a point where the car has more sentimental value to it than monetary value. 92-00 coupes sell typically for less than 3 grand so you will never get back the money you put back into it

That being said I would highly recommend staying with the car and getting a quality set of tires and not just a random used tire. Even a cheap new set is around $250 installed at Walmart or discount tire.

My car just cracked 300k but drives like new, that being said the previous owner handed me a big stack of receipts When I bought the car, the straw that broke his back was a shop charging $600 to replace both Axles

If you are not mechanically inclined or do your own maintenance you may want to just move on and get a car payment

tony_2018

What makes you think your next ride won't be the same, maintenance wise?

2HXs

How much are you willing to pay for something newer/different? Will the cost of fixing be less enough to stay off the bank's payroll? Will it be worth having a payment? What is your time worth?
Do you have enough mechanical ability to take on some, or all the tasks, to improve what is deemed necessary to make it right (or right enough to soldier on)?
I'm driving a red coupe in much worse cosmetic condition(body work is not my forte) but it starts, runs great and gets me there and back reliably and inexpensively - I would be inclined to fix it for the transportation factor alone.
If going for the newer/different/payment book option- yours could be the "get me there and back" DD. Getting there doesn't have to be at 80-100mph as most places in the States are limited to 70 or less anyway.
Pick your priorities and pay your nickels.

White_EG1

Don't be discouraged bro, everyone's build had stand points, trials and tribulations, some people don't even finish their builds and just put it on craigslist.

On to the caster, I have the same exact problem try -0.2 caster lol. I have been told to get aftermarket adjustable control arms and balljoints. And would suggest the same to you.


Hope this helps you man, and never give up... On ANYTHING you do!

tony_2018

I dumped close to 10k on a 95 acura Integra. Hope that explains a lot.

chrysler kid

He would be in a worse spot. Imagine hitting hitting a huge pothole in your new to you 2008 honda civic. Guess what now you're back at square one but now you have a car payment and a $1500 deductible on your full coverage insurance from the tote the note lot you bought it from.

A daily driver should not be a project car, I would return the yonaka mounts and get a set of oem style replacements. Aftermarket mounts make the car harder to live with and you feel all the vibrations.

You need to decide if this 17 year old honda civic is your project car or your daily driver, it can not function as a daily if it's a project and if it's a daily driver you do not have the needed down time to work on it

tony_2018

Aaah..he just needs to do regular maintenance to the car. A car this old will have things needed to be replaced because of its age. Bushings are one of them. Pictures of the full quarter panel aren't even seen. All I see is the rear tail light and the trunk, a frame shope can pull and align it, body work wise I can't tell. Bushings can either be pushed out to be replaced or buy control arms with bushings in them.

chrysler kid

I went through his post history and he mentions turbo kits, aftermarket exhausts, solid motor mounts, urethane bushings, but he's using used mis matched tires on his car and wondering why it wobbles at 90mph. There is no maintenance just modification

You can not substitute aftermarket parts with oem parts and expect your local Firestone to know anything about getting your alignment correct. Urethane bushings and solid mounts make for a crappy ride and the urethane bushings will bind up under hard abuse.

Abandon the "build". When you go to sell the car the next person who comes to see it to buy a cheap commuter car will come and find a car that drives worse than a stock one.

cetcivic

Sell it to me for 300..

Cut your losses while you're ahead

dodt

after i posted the OP last night i caught back up on your thread. i see you're having compression issues with cyl 2 :/ didn't even know u had the motor back in. last time i read your thread you were building it in your bedroom

i ordered the yonaka kit last night, i'm excited to finally take care of that mount. can't wait to see how 0-20 mph take offs are with them

yea i guess other than the rear left quarter, all she really needs is a paint job. i just replaced the right fender 2 months ago and now it looks sharp

better late than never! we don't get to live very long unfortunately

i tell everyone i'll sell my civic for $10k. i know noone is gonna buy it for that much, but i don't want to sell it. i am a very sentimental person and i love my honda. i'm sticking by my word when i say i'll have this car til the day i die

you're right, i do need to get a nice set of new tires. but the reason i haven't yet is because i need bushings. i don't want my negative camber to chew thru my new tires. now i know toe is what ruins tires faster than camber so lets not spark that discussion here please. im gonna get a set of 4 new tires soon.

i do all my own wrenching. i live by the fact that if u want something done right, you have to do it yourself. i cringe at the thought of someone else stripping a bolt on my car.

i am starting to realize that good things don't come easy. and when you tough it out thru those trials and tribulations and make it thru, it's rewarding in the end.

-0.2 doesn't seem too bad? but what do i know. i figured 1.5 was ridiculous. what's it supposed to be at stock.. 0? (i guess i could look in my factory manual pdf for that)

thanks

expensive

if i have a car payment on something new, i definitely wont be racing around in it hitting potholes

i would rather deal with the extra vibrations and roughness of stiffer mounts and bushings than have wheel hop and slop. plus, the extra vibrations isn't even that big of a deal

it wont be my DD for long, because i'm buying a new DD soon so i can have this civic as my project car. my new DD will not be a honda civic. and most likely not even a honda

i blame the previous owner for not maintaining it. i've only had the car for (almost) 4 years

okay now you're starting to be a dick. i've never mentioned "turbo kits". i've only said that a turbo is in this cars future. a very long distant future. (remember when i said i'm keeping this car til the day i die?)

as for aftermarket exhausts, i needed an exhaust badly then because my stock one rusted and broke apart before the resonator. was desperate and ended up paying a shop $200 to weld it back together just for a temp fix so i wasn't a loud ricer. i drove it with JUST A MANIFOLD to work 2 days in a row and it was awful.

never mentioned urethane bushings either. yes i have urethane motor mount inserts though. but i've never talked about it here. i don't want urethane bushings for my suspension. i've only ever talked about hardened rubber (hardrace)

sometimes, aftermark parts are better than oem. but it depends on your goals for the car. my goals are to tighten up the suspension and make it rock solid. stock OEM bushings are not good for that goal. you saying that i haven't done any maintenance because i use aftermarket is just dumb.

i went to a firestone to have them press in my RTA bushings. just had a conversation with the manager beforehand. ended up calling him a dick and left. took my business elsewhere. i will never let them monkeys touch my car. i got my alignment done somewhere else and the guy who ended up doing my alignment wasn't the brightest. he graduated from my highschool a few years before i did. but i wasn't friends with him, just knew him.

not selling the car. it has been a build since day 1 and will remain a build til the day i die

i am saving up about $10k as a down payment on a new car. gonna get a $10k loan. in a year or so i plan on buying a ~$20k car as the comfortable DD. (it will have an automatic trans, and 4 doors)

i haven't been racing around in my civic like i did when i first got my license. because i realized now that if i kept being hard on it, it wasn't going to last. so now i'm being nice to it so it doesn't really break

thanks everyone for the time you put into reading my situation and sharing some of yours

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Yeah man. It's in, and being a pain in my ***. If there's one thing my own project has taught me, though - a project car will never be finished. It can always be "cleaner", or "faster", or whatever your final goal is. It just comes down to how much work you're willing to do. Setting a "final goal" is pointless - just decide on stages, and work towards them.

dodt

wow! i cannot believe the difference. it was kind of a spur of the moment thing. after i posted that long reply above at about 1:30am i decided to go out in the garage to swap around my wheels. i do have 2 matching wheels, but i just had them both on the left side. the treads on them aren't the best but they're not terrible. the reason i had it like this is because i had a really good tire on the front right. so i put both of the left tires on the front (matching treads) and now the best tire i have is on the rear right. drove down to the gas station where i always fill up my tires (free air) and got them all right at 36 psi. took it down the interstate

wow was i shocked. it put a genuine smile on my face. can't wait to drive to work tomorrow (interstate 60 miles round trip). it drove straight, i could even take my hand off the steering wheel for like 10 seconds. it's not perfect but it's incredible how much of a difference having matching tire treads can make

;P

Jimi Hondrix

Sounds like your car could use a set of new tires. Buying new tires sucks because of the expense but, as far as improved ride, braking and handling they should be one of the first thoughts on any car for overall safety and performance.

Firestone & Tires Plus (same parent company) and a few other places sell a lifetime (of the car) alignment for $150 and it's about the same price as 2 alignments anywhere else. I get mine done every time I get a balance and rotation (lifetime of tires) every 4k miles and feel it easily pays for itself. I know it's overkill but, I paid for it so why not.

I've tried buying used tires, over-sized tires in the past in an effort to save money but, they never seemed to work out too well. Even if a used tire looks good often they'll have split, abnormal wear or some other issue that may not be evident right away.

tony_2018

I would not recommend used tires, OP buy all 4 new tires. I'm sure there are memorial day says going on for you in your area or check online for those deals.

chrysler kid

Not being a duck but you mention wanting it to be like a new car and wanting a to ride in a completed project in your first post. I want to be clear that those two items don't mix, completed project cars are only what you make them to be. we can't know what your history of cars is based on 1 post

In terms of a civic project car I think yours is a good foundation. Your rear damage is not substantial and looks like you could mess with the trunk and latch alignment to get the panels close again.

I personally prefer my civic as a daily driver just because it gets great fuel economy and I already have another car for a project.

tony_2018

I can't figure out what you are wanting from us, really. I mean you're still buying parts for this car. If you want a car where you don't want to keep replacing parts buy a brand new, less than 400 miles on the odometer, and be done with. Enjoy the car payments and full insurance coverage. I don't see it any other way for you right now. Either A) start doing regular maintenance or B) buy a brand new ride.

Either way you're still spending money so whats it going to be, your decision. There is nothing technical about this.