Tuesday, September 25, 2012

My New Car (cause my wife didn't want to drive it)

Well, 45 MPG is actually the same gas mileage I am getting on my motorcycle.  So this is kind of a no-brainer for winter, especially since I will need something.  But of course there are plenty of problems to work through with this. 

Sure the fenders are falling off, and it has a camo racing stripe, no stereo, and has to have the battery disconnected each time I stop driving it, but its now mine and I like it. 

1991 honda civic, crappy car, honda, camo stripe, racing, white,

Broken light that I had to fix
broken front side marker light, honda civic, 1991

And this is how the battery looked. If you have ever had a Honda Civic, you know that the normal battery is about half of this size. This is a truck battery, and does not fit, and it is not strapped down, which I also had to fix. 
truck battery, safety, battery fail

New side marker lights were only a few dollars on Ebay. 
honda, civic, turn, signals, yellow, 1991

When I was taking it apart I found out it looked like the whole front end where that light had been broken was dipped in mud. and there was dirt everywhere inside the socket and the wiring, and was causing a bad connection. 
mud, dirty, connector

New light installed, and I also installed the same one on the drivers side also, so that they would match. 
installed side marker, lights

You can't really tell but I am lifting the battery by about 2 inches.
battery fail, moving battery, civic, lifting battery

So here are the new supplies to mount the battery to the car,  a new battery tray, and the tie down to hold the battery to the tray. 
battery tray, battery holder, new, civic

And.... the new battery tray isn't even close to fitting.  Mind you, the car was made for a battery half this size. 
battery tray doesn't fit, distributor, battery, civic, 1991

So I decided to make the tray smaller. 
cutting, battery tray, snip,

Had to cut the battery tray a little bit to get it to fit. 
bolts, civic, battery, tray

And success.  But now the hood doesn't shut. 
civic, battery, fix, fast,

Crap.  So i found a neighbor who had a Saws-all, and we fixed that in a jiffy. 
battery mounts do not fit, saws-all, cutting, civic, 1991
Ta-dah!!
Austin Springer, honda civic, 1991, battery installation

8 comments:

  1. Wow. I commend you for doing all the work! Good job! :) If I may suggest, one nifty way of cleaning your headlights is to use toothpaste to clean it. Don’t use the ones with whitening ingredients though, as these might damage the surface of your headlights. Rub the toothpaste in circular motion through a soft fabric, and rinse it off with water.

    Leisa Dreps

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    1. I believe Leisa's right. Oh, the dust created from sanding the plastic may cause irritation. So, you might as well wear a face mask to prevent breathing it in and don't forget that this should be done in a well-ventilated area.

      Clint Moore

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  2. Thanks!! I will definitely have to try that, and I'll let you know how it goes, and post pictures. I will need to do that on our new Montero Sport also.

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  3. Whoa, that ride was quite banged up when you got it! I gotta commend you for all the work you’re putting in to clean it up and make it work better. How is the car now? I hope it’s running great, and that the lights are working.

    Clint Moore

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  4. Yeah, nice tip on the toothpaste, Leisa. I’ll also try that next time. Thanks! :D Are there any updates on the car, Austin? You might also need to change your spark plugs. Many manufacturers recommend changing plugs every 30,000 miles or so to ensure fuel mileage and engine performance.


    Tyra Shortino

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  5. Whew, your car needed a lot of fixing. Try to scour the Internet for a company that offers the best repair services. Don't simply choose the first one you find. Ask for their plan for your car and ask for their price. If you think you are not amenable with their overhauling plan and you can't afford their contract price, decline their offer, but don't give up. I'm sure you'll find something that will meet your standards and, of course, your

    Michelina Douglass

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    1. You're certainly right about that, Michelina. It would be best if you jot down the prices of each repair service. That way, you'll get to choose which one is the cheapest. Oh! Don't forget to read the feedback of their clients, okay? :)

      Nettie Christensen

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  6. Is it okay if I ask how much you paid for this car? It’s just that your car needs a lot of fixing, and it seems to me you’ll be spending more than what your car cost you. There are actually lots of used car shops where you can choose from different types of cars for a very affordable price. Sometimes, you can even choose a payment scheme that’s easy on the budget.

    Erwin Calverley

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