- Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:59 am
#352348
2015 Photo. I didn't think to do a before and after... I posted a lot of my DYI on this forum though.
1995 Honda Civic DX
1.5L Non-vtec
Automatic
Goal:
Spare cheap junker car. Cheap and easy to repair. Reliable.
Base:
Completely stock. Nasty ripped seats. cracked peeling steering wheel. Cheap faded paint. Mostly dead interior lights. Dead shocks. Minor front end damage to bumper, hood, driver side headlight, and radiator core support. Engine cutting off randomly while driving. Engine and transmission ran good at 180,000 miles.
Mods and Repairs:
I replaced a bunch of things to try and solve the random engine cut off issues and noticed the previous owner did the same thing.
- 2012 -
Distributor New
Distributor Cap New
Alternator Refurbished (Replaced 5 times over 2 years)
Spark Plug Wires New
Spark Plugs New
Battery New
Main Fuse Relay Junkyard
Ignition Switch Junkyard (fixed the random engine cut off)
Ebay Steering Wheel New
Ebay Front Seats New
Ebay Aluminum Radiator New
Power Steering Belt New
Alternator Belt New
Viper Alarm New
Door Lock Actuators New
Hidden Kill Switch New
Stereo Head New
Walbro Fuel Pump New
Seafoam Engine
Passenger Side Axel Remanufactured
- 2013 -
Front Bumper New
Headlights New
Clear Corner Lights New
Driver Side Fender Junkyard
Radiator Core Support New
KYB Shocks/Struts New
Ebay Adjustable Springs New
Steel Braided Brake Lines New (stock old ones cracked and leaked)
EX Cluster with RPM Gauge Junkyard
LED Interior Lights New (custom)
LED Interior Lights New (replaced OEM bulbs)
LED Trunk Light New (custom)
LED Engine Bay Lights New (custom)
Timing Belt Kit New
Water Pump New (pump died after hose popped)
Radiator Hoses New (intake hose popped so I replaced all the hoses)
Wiper Blades New
HVAC Blower Speed Control Switch Junkyard
- 2014 -
Tires New
Dash Trim Junkyard (broken vents and tabs)
OEM Clock Junkyard
Dyed Ebay Front Seats Black New (seats faded after the first year)
Dyed OEM Rear Seats Black New
Rear Passenger Side Door Junkyard (door was pried open and car broken into)
Rustoleum Dark Blue Paint Job New (cheap and orange peel)
D15B Engine JDM Used (after installing the timing belt I didn't tighten the crank screw enough and it came loose making the crank unbalanced)
Cleaned/Brush/Chemical Sprayed Engine Bay
Front Main Seal New
Cam Shaft Seal New
Intake Manifold Gasket New
Header Gasket New
Lifters Adjusted
Spark Plug Wires New (JDM D15B needed 96-98 wires)
Exterior Trim Painted
Wiper Arms Painted
Rear Drum New
Rear Brake Shoes New
Rear Drum Hardware Kit New
Power Steering Return Hoses New
Ground Kit New (custom)
Transmission Mount New
Rack And Pinion / Power Steering Rack New
Rack and Pinion Poly Urethane Mount Bushing New
Outer Tie Rods New
Tie Rod Nuts New
Alignment
OEM Hub Caps Removed
Transmission Flush
A/C System Vacuumed and Refilled
OEM Steering Wheel Junkyard (Ebay one grip peeled)
Worm Hose Clamps New (replaced all OEM clamps)
- 2015 -
Current State:
Engine runs strong but has a minor knock that I can't identify. When engine is warm it has a bad idle. One of the 2 idle controls need to be replaced. This started happening after I installed the new engine. The car drives really nice except the springs are a little stiff when used as a daily driver. The car sometimes makes a knocking/rubbing noise when turning left.
Plans:
A little more cosmetic to make it look a little nicer. A little more repairs/replacement in the interior to make it look nicer. Replace suspension arms since all of the bushings are almost 20 years old now and that's probably what's causing the weird noise when turning left.
Antenna Enhanced Universal
HVAC Control Unit (buttons and switches broke)
Floor Mats
Hub Caps (don't need to spend the money for rims to attract thieves)
Type R Front Lip
Catalytic Convertor (barely passed smog before and after the new engine)
Suspension Arms (worn)
Tail Lights
Door Pillar Trim (2 broken and loose)
Door Cloth Trim (peeling)
Hood (body is mostly straight/replaced but hood is dented and bent a little)
Done:
Antenna Delete Plate New
Cup Holder Ford Taurus Single Din Used - Incoming
- 2016 -
Replace battery with lifetime warranty
Replace alternator with lifetime warranty
Replace brake light switch behind brake petal
Rebuild front brake calipers, seal replacement
Replace rear drum brake wheel wheel cylinder
Use radiator leak additive to stop unidentified slow leak
Repainted trim black because some of it was cracking off from previous painting.
Painted faded side mirrors black
Rotated tires. Wear on rears are 50%. Wear on fronts are 70%.
Removed all extra wiring modifications. Alarm, radio, and interior lights. Trying to solve why I've gone through 6 alternators in the last few years.
The poor idle seems to relate to the low voltage due to the bad alternators and the bad alternators causing a bad battery.
HVAC controls replaced with used one from the junk
Plans:
Head light and corner light replacement. Both head lights cracked from highway rocks. Replacing clear corner lights with amber.
Replace driver side interior door panel. The top is cracking and peeling from the sun.
Replace lights inside HVAC controls. Only 1 works.
Replace lights inside shifter unit. All dead, can't see what gear I'm shifting into at night. Have to use cluster as indicator.
Replace the driver side axle to try and get rid of the knocking noise when turning left.
Replace headlight switch. Low beam doesn't work.
Condition:
The car is still running very well. The poor idle seems to be connected to the bad alternators and battery. The shifter wouldn't shift out of park one day and that turned out to be a bad brake light switch behind the brake pedal that when bad. Both Spec-D headlights cracked from small rock on the highway and need replacing. The low beam setting on stop working. I'm thinking its the headlight switch. The car drives good as well. The suspension is still good and alignment still straight. With the stiffer springs the car is a bit bouncy over bumps but has a responsive and stiff handling. The cheap Rustoleum paint job needs to be buffed. It's showing some fading as it should and needs a buff to shine it up. It should've been buffed and waxed right after I painted it. The paint is still holding up well and only shows the expect wear. Rock chips on the front end, around the door gaps where the doors rub the fenders, and bird poop that has sat too long on the paint. That was a lazy mistake on my part. All bird poop should be washed off as soon as possible or the Rustoleum paint will get eaten into. The dye on all the seats are holding well showing very little wear at all. The radio setup didn't work out and I need to look into other options, so I've been driving with no music for the past year. The speakers need to be replaced as well, since they are all blown. I had to rebuild the front calipers and replace the rear drum brake wheel cylinders because all the rubber pieces were leaking. Under normal conditions the leaks were not present, but with the new stainless steel brake lines, the pressures were hirer thus the cracks on the seals leaked a lot more. The alternator when out again and with it the battery. I replaced both under a lifetime warranty. A small coolant leak developed, that needed a liter of water once a week. But I could find any signs of leaking. I used some leak stop additives and it stopped where ever it was leaking. It's been working since the beginning of summer and through out a very hot 100 degree summer.
The reliability of the car has been the priority since that's what I need it for. It is still a spare car, so it's not used daily. Cosmetics and luxuries are only done when I have the money, spare time, and enthusiasm to get off my lazy ass.
1995 Honda Civic DX
1.5L Non-vtec
Automatic
Goal:
Spare cheap junker car. Cheap and easy to repair. Reliable.
Base:
Completely stock. Nasty ripped seats. cracked peeling steering wheel. Cheap faded paint. Mostly dead interior lights. Dead shocks. Minor front end damage to bumper, hood, driver side headlight, and radiator core support. Engine cutting off randomly while driving. Engine and transmission ran good at 180,000 miles.
Mods and Repairs:
I replaced a bunch of things to try and solve the random engine cut off issues and noticed the previous owner did the same thing.
- 2012 -
Distributor New
Distributor Cap New
Alternator Refurbished (Replaced 5 times over 2 years)
Spark Plug Wires New
Spark Plugs New
Battery New
Main Fuse Relay Junkyard
Ignition Switch Junkyard (fixed the random engine cut off)
Ebay Steering Wheel New
Ebay Front Seats New
Ebay Aluminum Radiator New
Power Steering Belt New
Alternator Belt New
Viper Alarm New
Door Lock Actuators New
Hidden Kill Switch New
Stereo Head New
Walbro Fuel Pump New
Seafoam Engine
Passenger Side Axel Remanufactured
- 2013 -
Front Bumper New
Headlights New
Clear Corner Lights New
Driver Side Fender Junkyard
Radiator Core Support New
KYB Shocks/Struts New
Ebay Adjustable Springs New
Steel Braided Brake Lines New (stock old ones cracked and leaked)
EX Cluster with RPM Gauge Junkyard
LED Interior Lights New (custom)
LED Interior Lights New (replaced OEM bulbs)
LED Trunk Light New (custom)
LED Engine Bay Lights New (custom)
Timing Belt Kit New
Water Pump New (pump died after hose popped)
Radiator Hoses New (intake hose popped so I replaced all the hoses)
Wiper Blades New
HVAC Blower Speed Control Switch Junkyard
- 2014 -
Tires New
Dash Trim Junkyard (broken vents and tabs)
OEM Clock Junkyard
Dyed Ebay Front Seats Black New (seats faded after the first year)
Dyed OEM Rear Seats Black New
Rear Passenger Side Door Junkyard (door was pried open and car broken into)
Rustoleum Dark Blue Paint Job New (cheap and orange peel)
D15B Engine JDM Used (after installing the timing belt I didn't tighten the crank screw enough and it came loose making the crank unbalanced)
Cleaned/Brush/Chemical Sprayed Engine Bay
Front Main Seal New
Cam Shaft Seal New
Intake Manifold Gasket New
Header Gasket New
Lifters Adjusted
Spark Plug Wires New (JDM D15B needed 96-98 wires)
Exterior Trim Painted
Wiper Arms Painted
Rear Drum New
Rear Brake Shoes New
Rear Drum Hardware Kit New
Power Steering Return Hoses New
Ground Kit New (custom)
Transmission Mount New
Rack And Pinion / Power Steering Rack New
Rack and Pinion Poly Urethane Mount Bushing New
Outer Tie Rods New
Tie Rod Nuts New
Alignment
OEM Hub Caps Removed
Transmission Flush
A/C System Vacuumed and Refilled
OEM Steering Wheel Junkyard (Ebay one grip peeled)
Worm Hose Clamps New (replaced all OEM clamps)
- 2015 -
Current State:
Engine runs strong but has a minor knock that I can't identify. When engine is warm it has a bad idle. One of the 2 idle controls need to be replaced. This started happening after I installed the new engine. The car drives really nice except the springs are a little stiff when used as a daily driver. The car sometimes makes a knocking/rubbing noise when turning left.
Plans:
A little more cosmetic to make it look a little nicer. A little more repairs/replacement in the interior to make it look nicer. Replace suspension arms since all of the bushings are almost 20 years old now and that's probably what's causing the weird noise when turning left.
Antenna Enhanced Universal
HVAC Control Unit (buttons and switches broke)
Floor Mats
Hub Caps (don't need to spend the money for rims to attract thieves)
Type R Front Lip
Catalytic Convertor (barely passed smog before and after the new engine)
Suspension Arms (worn)
Tail Lights
Door Pillar Trim (2 broken and loose)
Door Cloth Trim (peeling)
Hood (body is mostly straight/replaced but hood is dented and bent a little)
Done:
Antenna Delete Plate New
Cup Holder Ford Taurus Single Din Used - Incoming
- 2016 -
Replace battery with lifetime warranty
Replace alternator with lifetime warranty
Replace brake light switch behind brake petal
Rebuild front brake calipers, seal replacement
Replace rear drum brake wheel wheel cylinder
Use radiator leak additive to stop unidentified slow leak
Repainted trim black because some of it was cracking off from previous painting.
Painted faded side mirrors black
Rotated tires. Wear on rears are 50%. Wear on fronts are 70%.
Removed all extra wiring modifications. Alarm, radio, and interior lights. Trying to solve why I've gone through 6 alternators in the last few years.
The poor idle seems to relate to the low voltage due to the bad alternators and the bad alternators causing a bad battery.
HVAC controls replaced with used one from the junk
Plans:
Head light and corner light replacement. Both head lights cracked from highway rocks. Replacing clear corner lights with amber.
Replace driver side interior door panel. The top is cracking and peeling from the sun.
Replace lights inside HVAC controls. Only 1 works.
Replace lights inside shifter unit. All dead, can't see what gear I'm shifting into at night. Have to use cluster as indicator.
Replace the driver side axle to try and get rid of the knocking noise when turning left.
Replace headlight switch. Low beam doesn't work.
Condition:
The car is still running very well. The poor idle seems to be connected to the bad alternators and battery. The shifter wouldn't shift out of park one day and that turned out to be a bad brake light switch behind the brake pedal that when bad. Both Spec-D headlights cracked from small rock on the highway and need replacing. The low beam setting on stop working. I'm thinking its the headlight switch. The car drives good as well. The suspension is still good and alignment still straight. With the stiffer springs the car is a bit bouncy over bumps but has a responsive and stiff handling. The cheap Rustoleum paint job needs to be buffed. It's showing some fading as it should and needs a buff to shine it up. It should've been buffed and waxed right after I painted it. The paint is still holding up well and only shows the expect wear. Rock chips on the front end, around the door gaps where the doors rub the fenders, and bird poop that has sat too long on the paint. That was a lazy mistake on my part. All bird poop should be washed off as soon as possible or the Rustoleum paint will get eaten into. The dye on all the seats are holding well showing very little wear at all. The radio setup didn't work out and I need to look into other options, so I've been driving with no music for the past year. The speakers need to be replaced as well, since they are all blown. I had to rebuild the front calipers and replace the rear drum brake wheel cylinders because all the rubber pieces were leaking. Under normal conditions the leaks were not present, but with the new stainless steel brake lines, the pressures were hirer thus the cracks on the seals leaked a lot more. The alternator when out again and with it the battery. I replaced both under a lifetime warranty. A small coolant leak developed, that needed a liter of water once a week. But I could find any signs of leaking. I used some leak stop additives and it stopped where ever it was leaking. It's been working since the beginning of summer and through out a very hot 100 degree summer.
The reliability of the car has been the priority since that's what I need it for. It is still a spare car, so it's not used daily. Cosmetics and luxuries are only done when I have the money, spare time, and enthusiasm to get off my lazy ass.
Last edited by pyang004 on Tue Sep 20, 2016 2:46 am, edited 4 times in total.
1995 Honda Civic DX Sedan
