CG3 Build: The Acquisition

preface

As someone with a metric tonne of confidence and zero mechanical knowledge, I felt an inexplicable compulsion to build out a project car.

the car

I bought a 1998 Honda Accord, colloquially known as the “Poor Man’s NSX” because of those mean looking tail lights.

When I picked her up, I couldn’t drive a manual. I’m pleased to say I can now barely drive a manual.

specs

I wanted something reliable and unkillable, which meant 4-banger with the manual transmission. Here are the specs for anyone who cares:

I wan’t this car to not only last 1,000,000 km, but get there in style. That means I’ll probably need to change out the clutch soon™. Do I think I could do a clutch job? Yes. Can I really do a clutch job? Yo I don’t know but I’m sure as hell gonna try.

the problems

I’ve got a few things planned for this car, but first things first we’re going to fix everything that needs to be fixed:

misfire

Fixed: She was intermittently misfiring on cylinder 4 when I picked her up. This was an easy enough fix as the alternator diodes were bad and sending bad timing signals to the ECU. Replacing the alternator did the trick and now she purrrrrrrrs.

power steering

She’s got a major leak in the power steering system. From what I can tell, at slow speeds the pump just ejects fluid all over the high-pressure hose joint. She goes through 350mL of power steering fluid every time she’s driven.

rust and paint

She rusty and flakey. Fenders, quarters, doors, wheel wells — there’s some kind of rust everywhere on this car, not to mention clear coat peeling and fade all over. I’ll do what I can at home, but it might require the skilled hands of a professional.

suspension

It’s mushy and borderline undrivable. She needs a replacement for every suspension arm and while we’re at it, some coilovers to slam her to the ground!

conclusion

Stay tuned for the build of this car! I’ve got more money than sense and plenty of plans to make this car worthy of the Poor Man’s NSX title.