Black & Green modding thread (1998 Civic DX Coupe base)

[California98Civic]

First, the undertray:

After a few sessions examining OEM holes in the undersections of the car and measuring and visiting the hardware store, here is the stuff:


That's 20 screws with locking nuts to hold the undertray panels to the aluminum rails and then several bolts and plumber's tape for creating mounts for the aluminum frame to the underside in three removable sections (engine compartment, passenger compartment, and rear diffuser). The butterfly type bolts will slip into larger holes in the undercarriage and the plumbers tape will allow me to use a couple awkwardly placed holes as mounting points.

Decided on and purchased these plastic rolls (Colored Plastic Rolls, 25 Ft. - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop) instead of aluminum because of cost and ease of acquisition. It's slow progress but it is progress.

Also considering ways to use parts of this roadkill diffuser in my own rear diffuser build. I'll need to cut the tall top piece and maybe reattach it in a flatter profile. I like the rectangular holes for muffler heat venting:



And here is my last remaining large section of coroplast, which I will use under the engine bay, now that I seem to have identified all the fluid leaks and have just the one last to solve:



Second, a nose job:

I found this on the side of the road the other day:


And I think I can cut it to create a new nose with a lowered stagnation point.


I figure I cut off the plastic seen here sticking up from the top of the cover and use the holes to mount it inside my car's current bumper cover's lower grill opening. I'd cut away at the ends too and fill spaces with bondo or something and sand it down smooth and paint oem black.


Third, I found another oil leak:

After cleaning the engine with cleaners, rags, and toothbrushes, no oil leaking anywhere anymore except from the area where the oilpan gasket meets the crank pulley at the lower timing cover:

Front of car to the left. See the wet area on the oil pan's side?


Front of the car to the bottom, see the oil dripping from area between oilpan gasket and crank pulley?

[California98Civic]

Because I have been tracking electricity use tank to tank as miles/kwh for months now, I became aware of a spike in electricity use as the weather got warmer. Since I don't run the lights, and use the radio less in the summer, it has got to be the electric radiator fan, I surmise. So I redid my grill block last night, reducing from about 75/80% blocking to about 60% blocking, improving the ducting to the radiator, and removing the front license plate, which obscures a significant part of the ducting. I hope this helps:


Ultimately I'd like to have shutters electrically operated by solenoid from the dash, but this is faster, cheaper, and helps expand options for nose redesigns.

[Daox]

Looks good. I'm interested to see how the reduced grill block does.

[jedi_sol]

Perhaps buy a $35 solar charger to recharge the battery to offset the extra fan use?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by jedi_sol

Perhaps buy a $35 solar charger to recharge the battery to offset the extra fan use?

I have thought about that a bunch of times. Do you mean one that would just plug into the cig lighter or something? I sometimes daydream about solar panels of the roof, 80-100 watts of thin film type would fit. Also imagine a dashboard sunshield that had solar panels in it.

[whatmaycome14]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

I have thought about that a bunch of times. Do you mean one that would just plug into the cig lighter or something? I sometimes daydream about solar panels of the roof, 80-100 watts of thin film type would fit. Also imagine a dashboard sunshield that had solar panels in it.

We have the same dreams!

[jedi_sol]

Yeah, the ones that plug into your cig lighter.

However, not sure if the natural drain of the battery is greater than the charge of the smaller solar panel.

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Because I have been tracking electricity use tank to tank as miles/kwh for months now,

How do you do this?

I became aware of a spike in electricity use as the weather got warmer. Since I don't run the lights, and use the radio less in the summer, it has got to be the electric radiator

How much difference do you think this makes in your mpg?

[jedi_sol]

Originally Posted by johnlvs2run

How much difference do you think this makes in your mpg?

if CA98civic doesnt mind me answering for him

It doesn't make any difference in mpg if his battery is draining faster than normal.

it's cuz he is running with no alternator, therefore, battery drain is extremely important to track. You simply just dont want to be stuck in a parking lot or on the side of the road because your battery has no more juice

am i right, CA98civic?

[j12piprius]

To rephrase, as I'm having a similar issue with the fan, how much difference could this be making with my mpg?