I started off searching for a civic for a daily driver for about 3-4 months, my criteria was the car needed to have ac ps and be a manual 92-00 civic coupe or hatch for under $3k. I was very strict about no quarter panel damage or major dents. My truck was getting terrible gas mileage and the camaro is reserved for track duty, and my formula is the curse of the devil on my life

Use my thread to help you decide what you want to buy in a car. There is some real junk out there right now

I saw many clapped out vehicles, busted up repo cars, dented up kids cars, to neglected beaters but nothing was clean enough.

I happened to find my car about a month ago. The owner was very straight forward and a nice kid who was moving back to Colorado.

The car was immaculate inside but too perfect outside. The perfect condition paint on the front was a sure indicator that it had been in a front end collision, in this case it was a plus. The paint was immaculate and all panels lined up. Since it was wrecked I was able to settle on a fair price. Previous owner wasn't sure what happened to the original wheels but I was sure I could find some



Went home and inspected the repaired front end and all was as I thought, replaced correctly




Well I did find an issue, the motor mount was gone at 185k. The timing belt is in good shape and the plugs needed to be replaced but maintenance wise I was good to go





Good to go



Soo I was off. The first thing I wanted was a set of fog lights and a lip since they are easy to find. I ordered off of ama...com. I got the parts and they fit well, but the fog lights were terrible



As you can see, if you ever order a set of these fake fogs be warned you need to seal them around where the housing and the glass section meet the bracket


I also ordered a set of window visors. Very happy with them, fit and finish was great for $30




The major issue with every civic I found was paint clarity. With a thin clear coat on them the reflection of these vehicles get very hazy. I spent about 6 hours wet sanding the car and hitting it with me guitars m205 and a rotary buffer with a mixture of soft foam pads. I know it seems redundant on a silver car and the picture is kind of over exposed but the clarity in the reflection is immaculate now



I also happened to come across a set of hx wheels on Craigslist. Very happy with them, getting an extra 2-3 mpg highway from them







And now I am searching for a 96-98 civic ex radio/cd player to put keyless entry back into my car

The car also needs a new windshield wiper motor, but I am having a tough time shelling out $80 to get the min setting on the wipers fully functional again

I know it is not much of a thread yet but I love documenting my vehicles and I am extremely pleased with my civic.

 

coming along good man i just sold my hx wheels next step dump that thing!

 

Thanks! Trying to build everything one step at a time based on parts available. Think strut tower bars. The car sits lower than most other civics I have seen so the ride height isn't too bothersome yet. I'd love to get some 16's but haven't found the right deal

I may try to take on tinting the windows myself. It seems redundant to pay to have some one do it when it is something I should attempt myself

 

Reading your thread i say you are very picky about your car and condition of the paint and such. However, I do wonder why you would buy fake ebay car part for your civic? The real JDM civic parts do cost more, but the quality of fitment and performance exceeds the value in price that you would paid for the parts.

 

they both serve the same purpose, its his car he can do what he wants i have no problem with ebay im sure you have something on your car from there to.

 

Because brand names mean nothing to me. Let be real it's a $3000 civic with 185k, it's not a ***** out build on a rare vehicle

 

This is probably one of the truest statements I've read on here and people just don't seem to get this. That is why I have no problems going on eBay for certain things.

 

Your car looks fantastic. I can not wait to order some eBay stuff for my 97 sedan, like an sir style lip, and now I really want a set of window visors, yours have convinced me its worth the money.

 

^ If you're after window visors, have a look at WeatherTech ones. Their mfr is the OEM supplier to Honda for visors in Europe.

Nice to see those HX rims back on the car ... look great.

As for the eBay fogs ... functionally they are identical to the JDM ones (in terms of their optical quality), they just need need a little TLC around the edges to bring them up to par. I have no problem with them, and I like OEM stuff. As long as you install the harness properly and the switch inside isn't hideously mismatched.

 

I am going to take note of this post, it answers all my questions about ebay stuff so nicely.

 

For the fog light switch inside I had to wrap the case with electrical tape so it would sit in the panel correctly. Also the illumination of the switch doesn't work. Looks fine though. You can tap into the #4 position in the fuse panel under the dash

For the window visors I have the Avs brand, they fit well and I really enjoy them. The more expensive ones have a slimmer design where these are large and rounded design

Had to get new tires from walmart recently, $240 for a set of Douglas tires installed, just be sure to set your psi to max. Rolling around at 35psi I lost about 6-7mpg

 

Nice find

-Keep the hx wheels...if you are enjoying the fuel economy, you dont want 16's
-Get an alarm on that thing before you buy any other parts.

Goodluck with it

 

I'm thinking of making my own fuel cut off switch by using a medium sized fuse that I can keep on my key chain that will plug into the top part of the lower kick panel.

Placing a section of wire inline on the fuel pump power supply with a fuse holder in it would let me completely stop theft not just let me know about it like an alarm.

In the mean time I am using a 2 armed club. It's not fool proof but most people looking for a Joy ride don't walk around with bolt cutters