Hello everyone Like I said in my intro message I intend to place a journal of what I need to do to the car and how I do it. That way myself ( further down the road) and other may use the info I might find. That said please meet and greet Rustinna.










Okay now that the photos are done time for me to list what I know I need to fix.

Driver side window is off track ( or the track is broken)
Driver side door hits and crushes front fender as well as sags
Need new tail gate
Need new driver side brake light
Speedo needs calibrated due to the 185/65r14 tyres
Replace of fix passenger front fender
Replace both rocker panels
Repair rust on both rear wheel wells
Repair the rust below the passenger side taillight
Replace missing driver side back seat belt
Clean the paint off the emblems
Redo or replace plexiglass window
Rewire the radio
Reupholster all the seats with custom threads
Repaint the car dark green
Repair horn
Repair blower fan
Fix broken dash
Unwire the starter button that is under the dash
Install a tach
Repair rust on roof
Figure out why hood does not sit right
Adjust the clutch petal
Replace Battery

More to come as I locate more issues with the car.

As you may have seen I have quite a bit to do but I am going to get this car race ready as quickly and as best I can.
Please leave any thoughts, comments or questions below.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

Bruce, that Civic has had a very hard life. While it would be nothing short of amazing if you could bring this car back from the dead, I must advise that you find another Civic to build up. The extent of rust and damage to this car is crazy, and the law of rust if that you only see 1/3 of it (the rest is hidden and will be revealed later).

However, if you do decide to keep this one and fix it up, I'll be here watching.

 

Thanks Kp for your concern and your support.But the last Civic of this year to go up for sell in this area was over $3500 and had a little less then this amount of rust. . . knowing that I figured the mere $300 I paid for this car a steal. Plus the first round of photos was after I started poking at the rust with a screwdriver.

With all that said here is todays round of photos showing the rust up close plus as much of what is behind it as I could get.

Passenger side Rocker





Rust Mid Passenger Door


Rear Passenger Quarter





Around Passenger Brake light



Tailgate



Around Driver Brake Light


Driver Quarter




Driver Rocker





Rocker Inside {Both look about the same}


Hood (up is the front bumper)


Okay now that all the photos are done, does anyone know where I can find a better tailgate? Only ones I have found are for the Wagon or are made of Carbon (would get but not sure if I could paint)

Thanks of viewing,
Bruce

 

That's one large project you've got in front of you. Honestly, I would recommend starting with a better frame - more cash upfront but will save you in the long run unless you know how to do the work yourself. Either way, good luck. Building from the ground up is definitely more rewarding though.

 

That will buff right out!!

Man...I have to suggest another shell. I could see if it was some truly amazing rare car but it isn't. I love hatch restores but I think yours is too far gone. But, if you do and make this car whole or close to we would all be impressed in your skills. Good luck and keep us informed.

 

uhhhh, that is a lot going on there.
I mean I dig it and all dude, do your thing. But seriously, that is a lot of rust. Make sure you are careful and safe, a rusted frame/body is nothing to play with.
But you could make it raw, chewed up, tore back, as long as you are satisfied or faster, who cares what people say.

 

Okay time for the weekly report.
Didn't get much done,

Cleaned more of the dirt from the cab
Replaced the battery terminals with some I had laying around ( going to relocate the battery to the trunk later)
Removed passenger side fender, sanded it down to bare metal and have removed most of the dents ( still working on it)
Adjusted the clutch cable
Removed the button that would spin the starter motor that my knee kept hitting
Rewired the speakers . . . .the correct way


Has anyone ever used these? Would they be okay to use?
1991 HONDA CIVIC Sherman Rocker Panels 2908-00-2 - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

 

If you're really good at welding and sheet metal work, I don't see why you couldn't bring this back to road worthy condition. I imagine it will end up costing a good deal more though. I found sheet metal for my CRX on ebay.

 

So I spent all weekend fixing the exhaust. Because my neighbor decided she should call the cops on me for disturbing the peace. Cop shows up and see the car, tells me to start it then gives me a warning for the loudness of the exhaust. Told me to fix it because next time it would be a ticket. Worst part is my neighbors son comes over almost every day in his Mustang that has dual cherry bombs installed on it. -sigh- just gonna let it slide.

 

yikes, lots of metal work there. inner and outter panels are trashed. if you havent done so yet, get that car up on some jackstands and make sure the floor and areas where suspension pieces are connected to are solid. if the floor or anything structural looks questionable, stop the project. it wouldnt be worth it to fix it. if it is just the body panels, it will take a lot of work but i would be less worried about the car. also, pull those front fenders and see what the wheel houses look like.

 

Wow, that's a lot of work

 

Watching...

 

I am from MN and can feel your pain on the rust. That said, don't waste your time on this car. I would suggest you don't even drive it at all. Save your money and get a better car. You should be able to find one south of you in North or south Carolina for a decent price.Check the Craigslist for that area.

 

So I need to replace the clutch, so I have decided that I am going to swap the 4 speed transmission for a 5 speed. I have found one for sale for $200 and it comes with a complete D15b2 to boot. I have bought an Excedy clutch kit for $121 From Clutch City Online .
My only question is do I need to buy any gaskets and if so which ones?

 

Man, I gotta be honest here. I like seeing people wrench on their cars, fixing stuff, improving things... but I really think you're putting the cart before the horse here.

You've fixed the speakers, cleaned out some dirt, replaced the battery terminals and repaired the exhaust... and now you're replacing the clutch.

I have to ask, will you even be able to drive this car in it's current state? Safety wise? In my neck of the woods a cop would pull over a car like this and declare it unsafe on the spot. Just sayin'.

 

Rust repair is NOT easy or cheap. It's very time consuming. Your whole car is one giant rust hole. How rusted out is the under-body near where the suspension attaches? That car is about to crumble under its own weight.

If you want to restore an old Civic, save yourself a TON of money, hassle, and time, and bring back a rust free shell from California (assuming you can't find something nearby). Drive it back, ship it, or rent a U-Haul and bring it back yourself. You will come out wayyy ahead in the end.

Here is a sample of what's available in one small area of California (91 and older Civic priced $2k or less):

inland empire cars & trucks - by owner "civic" - craigslist