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

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

What did you use to blank out the holes? Looks like foam board ...

Weed barrier, aluminum tape, and plastidip. Has lasted maybe 8,000 miles and through rain so far. I wanted it to be ultralight for both rotational mass benefits and to be "soft" in the event that it failed and flew off. Here is the part of the thread last spring where I was working on it: https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post566865

[Xist]

Did you purchase new head bolts? When I redid the Subaru I kept reading that it was fine to reuse them as long as you inspect them carefully, but now I can only find people saying that you are a bad person if you even think about reusing them.

So, I went to order Fel-Pro head bolts.

I cannot find any!

I can only find generic ones.

I shopped around and Coconut Point Honda in Florida seems to be the cheapest, $40.15 shipped.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xist

Did you purchase new head bolts? When I redid the Subaru I kept reading that it was fine to reuse them as long as you inspect them carefully, but now I can only find people saying that you are a bad person if you even think about reusing them.

So, I went to order Fel-Pro head bolts.

I cannot find any!

I can only find generic ones.

I shopped around and Coconut Point Honda in Florida seems to be the cheapest, $40.15 shipped.

I did not buy new head bolts. I kept strict track of which bolt came from which hole, inspected the bolts, cleaned the housings in the block, and I think I oiled the bolts slightly with engine oil, if I recall correctly. I talked them down using a torque wrench, moving in the pattern recommended in the factory service manual, and to the specific torque specs in the manual. I kind of wish at this point that I had just sprung for new head bolts. I'm worried about what might happen one day if I need to remove the head again. But it's too late now! And everything is running great after about seven or eight thousand miles I think, maybe a bit more.

[California98Civic]

Wheel well skirts (v3.2) at last rebuilt. Better than ever. Love em. Also rotated the tires. My MINI rims (12 lbs) with my weed barrier, foil tape, & plastidip blanks for the holes are holding up well. 14+ months & about 15k miles on these now.

The key is my double bladed car/house key.



More to come...

[19bonestock88]

Looking good man! I need to re-do my skirts but don’t have any more black coroplast... though I love the look of the coroplast wrapped in CF vinyl, I could buy a new sheet of white and enough vinyl to wrap it?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

Looking good man! I need to re-do my skirts but don’t have any more black coroplast... though I love the look of the coroplast wrapped in CF vinyl, I could buy a new sheet of white and enough vinyl to wrap it?

This is a black industrial plastic--not coroplast--that is about 4mm thick. I forget what it's called, but it must be here in my thread a few years back. Comes in a roll maybe a yard wide. Hard to cut well but really worth it: never fades, holds shape, and is a nice glossy black for my car. Also used it on upper and lower grill block. Here is a couple "handsome shots" (lol) of what I am calling the "weeping wagon" this month because I am leaving on the bumper the dust runnoff from wet sanding the headlights.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

That car looks awesome. Mods look very clean too. Are your side skirts made out of that plastic as well, or did you use rain gutters?

[freebeard]

Permalink for the method you use to attach the skirts, please?

I have a set of Glass Action fiberglass skirts for my Superbeetle, but the clamping mechanism impacts on the axle end. I have a plan that would use the Type II gas flap latch and churchkey.

https://www.vwispwest.com/cm/261829651-4.jpg

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Wheel well skirts (v3.2) at last rebuilt. Better than ever. Love em. Also rotated the tires. My MINI rims (12 lbs) with my weed barrier, foil tape, & plastidip blanks for the holes are holding up well. 14+ months & about 15k miles on these now.

The key is my double bladed car/house key.



More to come...

For a second, I thought that key was actually kind of a lovely, nerdy watch.

Watch nerds (and semi-nerds, like me), obviously have a problem

[Xist]

Rolled plastic like this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...language=en_US

I do not know for how long I had my grill block and air dam, but the screws kept coming out.