HCF Project Section - "Restoring" my 1979 Honda Civic CVCC...

I put quotes around restore because I don't want people to see my car (when finished) and think that it isn't. I'm not doing any form of frame-off or meticulous perfection. This is a daily driver and not a garage princess.

Here goes:

I bought the car in September of 2006:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1149.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1153.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1152.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1150.jpg

I did a quick modification of the suspension and set it down a few inches and then a week later, the engine blew:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1150.jpg

Took a year and a half to get the car back on the road. Monetary reasons. In April of 2008, I finally got it back and running. I had a 1979 Honda Accord 1.8L EK1 engine put in. Put me all the way up to 72hp. I'm still running that same engine and it's running great now. First pic is 1500 engine and the second is the 1.8L. Don't mind the dirty pics as this part of the build isn't my priority right now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/100_1151.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_1037.jpg

I added a few more goodies over the next couple of months. Japanese fender mirrors, the deluxe gauges (allowing me to have the factory tach and relocating the TEMP/FUEL gauges):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_1821.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_1880.jpg

Here's where the good stuff starts coming in. In February of this year (2009), I took my car over to Garage Zero for the paint and body work. Funds got a little low and we were pressed for time due to an old school car meet we were heading for. So he fixed the major body flaws and shot a coat of primer and then the mix to make charcoal gray epoxy primer and put a coat of semi-gloss clear over it to hold it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripping5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripping2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/rust6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/rust3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/rust.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/before.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/ruststripped.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripped.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripped2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripped5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/stripped3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/pinball7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/pinball5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/pinball4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/pinball2.jpg

While the car was in the shop, I had my wheels taken over to a shop that specializes in powdercoating/painting wheels and had him paint them gloss black. It also took me almost two years to locate a set of 12" trim rings. I then found two sets in a span of a month:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_1829.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2112.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2026.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2027.jpg

Here are a couple of pics from after all the above was done:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/3347846595_47feb04366_o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/primedfront.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/IMG_2192.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/carbridge2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/IMG_2541.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/IMG_2274.jpg

After the outerior was (semi-) completed, I turned back to the interior. I had gotten a hold of a like-new condition dash to replace my ragged one and got it in. In the afte pic, you'll notice I don't have the glovwe box installed. I forgot to put it in when I took the pics. It's in now, though. Before to after:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2271.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2281.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2283.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/quickdodge/79cvccrestore/IMG_2498.jpg

So that's it for now. All that is left to do is the floor carpet, the radio and to finish the paint. the floor carpet and radio are being worked out between now and the next couple of months. The final paint will be sprayed in January. The color will be back to factory blue.

Thanks and hope you enjoy.

Wow.... very nice! I kinda like the flat color it has now.

Props on the body work... it looks good!

BTW... welcome to HCF!

Yes, welcome! And it's nice to see someone with an old CVCC that still runs. Thanks for all the pics.

wow i love it good job!!!

Old school, nice work.

Beautiful!!!! lol LOVE the color of the car and the rims simply beautiful... the new dash looks super clean compared to last one too great job and good luck with the buuild

Thats really nice! I love the wheels and paint combo. The semi gloss looks great.

Nice, and that car was definitely a bondo whore, good work.

SSSOOOOOOOOOO ILLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!! i wanna do this with a crx so bad.

Looks great, cant wait to see more updated pics.

Thanks for all the comments and compliments. It's been a long couple of years, but now I'm almost done.

Very nice work so far. Keep the pictures coming.

Very cool. I love 1st gen restorations.

By the way, with the radio, check this out... you can put in a modern stereo and keep the old school look.

It says that it "doesn't fit", but it also says you can call a phone number (number in description) and they can get you a faceplate for your car. They can tell you if it'll fit or not with modification or something.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068RETRO1C/Retrosound-Model-One-C.html?tp=5684
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068RETRO1B/Retrosound-Model-One-B.html?tp=5684

Very cool. I love 1st gen restorations.

By the way, with the radio, check this out... you can put in a modern stereo and keep the old school look.

It says that it "doesn't fit", but it also says you can call a phone number (number in description) and they can get you a faceplate for your car. They can tell you if it'll fit or not with modification or something.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068RETRO1C/Retrosound-Model-One-C.html?tp=5684
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068RETRO1B/Retrosound-Model-One-B.html?tp=5684

One step ahead of you on the radio issue. Since it costs so much to have one of those radios done up and I already have a Sirius receiver with FM modulator, I have hardwired the receiver into the factory radio using the modulator and run the pos./neg. wires to power source. That way the receiver stays hidden in the dash and I can use the remote to change channels. It still stays stock and I can listen to satellite radio and whatever type of music I want to hear.

Oh okay, well that sounds pretty cool. I look forward to seeing the rest of the restoration.

It's not an infrared remote though, is it?

^^^ Yes, it is.

If it's an infrared remote then the front of the stereo can't be concealed, the remote won't work.

I don't have a complete stereo. I have the item below:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41I3WfLfMXL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

It is set in the dash where it will pick up the IR remote.

Alright, I understand what you mean now.

Man that is pretty sweet. You don't see many of these, especially not in that condition. It looks great!!

Really nice man really I like the color man I went the same direction in my thread with the flat color. Thats just simple and clean.

^ i vote keep i that color too, look hella clean :)

I really wish I could find a car like that if ya ever wanna sell it then hit me up bro

I know someone with one :) It's in ABQ, NM though. Also not sure of the year, and it would need some work to be a DD

This thread now has me looking for a 1st gen civic to buy lol