OG's VX Build: HyperMile Driving with some JDM Styling

[OG VX]

Update: Exterior Part Two- Paint Correction; Cut & Polish

The paint on the hood was saved!

Before:



After 2000 grit wet sanding:



After Cut/Polish & Re-Assembled Shots:




















The polish job came out very nice. I used Chemical Guys cutting polishes, finished with Meguires glaze, all on a 6" WalMart buffer with micro-fiber polish pads.

For the bulk of the body, the original Milano Red paint only looks "pink" in a few spots on the sides near the roof-line. The roof of the car was not saveable, though, unfortunately. I had O'Riley's in Salisbury, NC mix up a can of Omni-Pak formula in R81-4 red. It's a spray can, single-stage, base+clear. I'll spot paint it asap to match the rest of the body.

Also, got started on this project...



More to come soon.

Thanks for eco-tuning in!

[3n3rgystar]

That is a really good job on the paint.

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by 3n3rgystar

That is a really good job on the paint.

Thanks so much sir!

You live in Charlotte, I see. Cool!

[Chrysler kid]

Great build! You are restoring that vx and without a doubt has to be the cleanest one I've seen in a long time.



Vx are impossible to find let alone one without massive dents and rust.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by OG VX

Hey bro,
The ones that I ended up ordering were 20w. However, after purchasing them, the seller wrote to ask if it would be OK for him to send the newer, 30w versions. These were new-stock, as they had sold out of the older (20w) stock. Cool with me

I wasn't saying I thought 4watts was bad. I was gonna go run and buy a set if they were 4watts and actually giving off good light. Three years ago, when I bought my HID system, there were no plug-n-play LED systems. My HIDs draw 35 watts, IIRC. Whenever I see new LEDs on the market, I like to compare. Twenty watts is a big step down from my 35 watts, but maybe I'll wait and see what else comes along some time. The lower wattage is good for battery power, especially in the winter when lights are on a lot more. I run with my alternator off as much as possible, charging from the grid at home and at work.

BTW, how are your LEDs wired into the harness? One of the things i really don't like about the HID is that the wiring comes straight from the battery terminals. There is an inline fuse, but it looks uglier.

Thanks for info...

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

I wasn't saying I thought 4watts was bad. I was gonna go run and buy a set if they were 4watts and actually giving off good light. Three years ago, when I bought my HID system, there were no plug-n-play LED systems. My HIDs draw 35 watts, IIRC. Whenever I see new LEDs on the market, I like to compare. Twenty watts is a big step down from my 35 watts, but maybe I'll wait and see what else comes along some time. The lower wattage is good for battery power, especially in the winter when lights are on a lot more. I run with my alternator off as much as possible, charging from the grid at home and at work.

BTW, how are your LEDs wired into the harness? One of the things i really don't like about the HID is that the wiring comes straight from the battery terminals. There is an inline fuse, but it looks uglier.

Thanks for info...

No worries, I knew what you meant. I'm still learning about all of these halogen-to-LED wattage conversions myself.

They are drawing 30W, I believe, if I understood the seller correctly.

However, I do need to get some higher fuses in the fuse block. I'm hoping a 30A fuse will be enough. But man, that seems so high. Wonder why they are drawing so much power for a (supposed) power-saving bulb?

If they continue to have issues after 30A fuses are installed, I'm sending them back.

I can't STAND flickering/inconsistent HID's, which is why I went for these. So far, I'm not very happy with their (lack of) consistency. I'm too old for this drama, ha!

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by OG VX

I'm too old for this drama, ha!

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

Great build! You are restoring that vx and without a doubt has to be the cleanest one I've seen in a long time.



Vx are impossible to find let alone one without massive dents and rust.

Thank you friend. I appreciate the kind words.

I was very fortunate to find this VX. Especially, on my (literally) first day search for one. Just logged onto CL, and there she was...

I plan to take good care of this one for years to come.

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

ha, yeah, you can tell we have been in the "Honda-game" way too long.

Turning your headlights on and off in the drive through/car-line while looking at the reflection off the car in front of you to see if you can trick them in to turning on without flickering off. Rev the gas, try again. Turn off the A/C, try again. Turn down the radio....got it!

[OG VX]

UPDATE: “Ram Air Mirror” (aka “R.A.M.”)

Hello all, thanks for following along. Been pretty excited about this update. The other day I removed my side mirrors and other trim. I had planned to complete this mod HERE

After removing everything, I had to get to work the next morning. So, I rode in to Charlotte with the car as-is. During my commute that day, I notice a great deal of air coming through the holes where the mirror was once mounted. However, it was scattered air that wasn’t channelled. It didn’t cool me in any way, and came with plenty of wind noise. One of those holes was larger, about the size of a quarter, and was once the place where the manual mirror adjustment shaft went through the door frame to the mirror (or where electrical connections for cars with powered mirrors would pass through). I got to thinking about what it would look like to channel that cooler passing air into the car, with the hopes of creating an outcome of “free” A/C, similar to the channel vents incorporated into Nascar windows . So, I set out to build upon my ideas, and I think the result came out great. I’ll call this a “Ram Air Mirror” or “R.A.M”.

Supplies list:
Grinder with grinding wheel
Hand saw (fine toothed)
Drill
Dremel tool w/ various attachments
Fiberglass Resin
Bondo
Sanding paper (120, 220, and 400)
Adhesion Promoter and your choice of paint for the mirror bases.
(4) 45-degree 3/4” PVC connecting joints
(2) 3/4” straight compression fittings
An old vacuum attachment
Electrical Tape

Pics always tell the story:

Fiberglass resin drying


Drilling and Dremeling the hole out larger on the mirror base to match the hole in the body.


















Test Fit




Glued and wrapped everything in place.




Some paint


Finished/Installed:















Results/Driving Impressions:

The Ram Air Mirror supplements all of the air that used to come out of the left vent on the dash, and is actually much stronger that what I was previously getting there from the electric fan when it would run at full speed. In the cooler mornings, no electric (dash) fan is needed at all. I ride windows up, and there is enough air coming through the Ram Air Mirror to cool me and the inside of the vehicle...i’m actually quite cold 15 minutes into the trip. In the (warmer) afternoon commute home, I still ride with both windows up completely. However, since I have the R.A.M supplementing the air that would have come from the LH dash pod, I have closed the LH vent’s shutters, which now force-channels more air to the center dash vents, which in turn: allows me to use a dash fan speed of setting # 2 versus setting # 4, essentially using less energy. I’m very happy with the performance of the R.A.M. So far, I do endorse the mod to others here on the site.

Up next, I will be making a mount for an electric oscillating fan for the right side of the car. Between the R.A.M. on my left side, and the oscillating aftermarket fan on my right side, I hope to be able to void using the dash fan completely for any cooling duties (except on scorcher days). My hope is that the oscillating fan (when used) will draw less power than the dash fan would have used at full blast. Could be wrong on that though...

More to come on this project soon.

As always, thanks for eco-tuning in!