91 ITC Civic budget build

As the title states, this will be a budget ITC Civic build. I had posted a question about a DX which was moved to ITB, but it turns out the shell I bought was actually a standard, and not a DX.

I am capable of doing all my own labor including welding, so that saves a lot of money. The goal is to have the car reliable enough to give me plenty of track time in 2008, go fast mods will come later.

Today was a breakthrough day which prompted me to post some progress, I purchased a parts car and my first project was to get one complete running car, so I stripped the parts car, which has a very rusty floor and rear quarters, but had a rust free hatch, doors, hood, and front fenders. I was only hoping to get a hatch,wiring harness, ECU, bumpers, and dash from the parts car so the other rust free parts are a bonus. Another bonus is the engine, it was supposed to be non-running, and that's true, it doesn't run. But a quick compression test revealed just a blown head gasket, so the block is fine. This engine will be rebuilt while the engine and tranny I found for sale locally for $50 will go in the car, that engine is fine and will just receive tune up parts for next year.

Does anyone have any used shocks, or springs, or any other racing goodies for sale cheap? The parts car came with Ground Control sleeves already, but of course it came with 200lb, and 180lb springs which are useless.
Some pictures...

Parts car


HUGE Honda and TINY Honda together, amazing how far Honda has come since 1988 when this design came out. The Odyssey weighs more than twice as much, and has more than 3 times the power It is the tow vehicle


Let the swap commence! My wife is not happy about losing her half of the garage, but it's only for a week or so.


Mostly stripped, I'm keeping the doors too.


Engine in the race car. I'm sure it will be out 4 or 5 times before the car is ready


Dash, harness, and other bits from the parts car transplanted into the shell. No rust at all on this shell, it's perfect..except for the multiple colors.

Let me know what you are looking for. I should have damn near everything you need. I have a set of Tokicos that I would like to hold onto until I decide what to do with my tub. I think I may have talked to you before, but if not I will have a rolling caged tub for sale $1500. I'll put the tokicos on it if you want it. If not I would recommend getting a Kirk cage. They build the cage per your spec tack it all together, break the tacks and ship it to you. You then weld it into your car. Expect around $1100 delivered.

Rob

I would be very interested in the Tokicos, I'll likely be building the cage myself, or buy a kirk cage if I get lazy or run short of time.

I am curious, how is your oddysey as a tow vehicle?

1. Are you flat towing or are you using a trailer.
2. how heavy is your trailer with car loaded.
3. What year is your van.
4. Do yo have stock shocks and have you added air springs?
5. How is the handling with trailer
6. What kind of MPG

I am towed a 3500 pound car and trailer with a Pontiac transport for 8 years with excellent results. But am considering what to do next, I'd be interested in a odyssey but am concerned about lack of billstein shocks for them and also the behaviour of the independent rear suspension vs a beam axle. Would appreciate your comments.

I am curious, how is your oddysey as a tow vehicle?

1. Are you flat towing or are you using a trailer.
2. how heavy is your trailer with car loaded.
3. What year is your van.
4. Do yo have stock shocks and have you added air springs?
5. How is the handling with trailer
6. What kind of MPG

I am towed a 3500 pound car and trailer with a Pontiac transport for 8 years with excellent results. But am considering what to do next, I'd be interested in a odyssey but am concerned about lack of billstein shocks for them and also the behaviour of the independent rear suspension vs a beam axle. Would appreciate your comments.
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I have only towed a car with this van once and that was with a dolly, so it was as if the load wasn't even there. But I towed with a '97 Voyager before that with no problems. 1200lb dual axle trailer, total loaded weight was close to 3500lbs, but I had air shocks in the rear.

I would not hesitate to tow the same weight with the Odyssey once I add air shocks and a tranny cooler, however I don't plan on doing the air shocks for awhile as I traded the trailer I had for a dolly (plus some cash) and dolly's don't have much in the way of tongue weight. The van is a '02 and in every day driving I seem to get 20 mpg or 2 more than I did with the Voyager, towing doesn't ever affect my mileage any because I tow at conservative speeds (65mph, never more than 1/4 throttle).

2000 to 2002 Odessey = replace tranny at 100k.

2000 to 2002 Odessey = replace tranny at 100k.
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Only if the recall hasn't been done, mine has. Cooler jet installed for 2nd gear.

Compression test of the engine that was in the parts car (the one with the bad head gasket) = 70-65-135-125
Compression test of the $50 engine I put in there just to get everything together and running = 175-175-170-185

That engine will be fine for next year I guess, stupid me forgot that Hondas are backward though, I was setting the timing, advanced it all the way, and it ran like crap...Until a check of the manual showed that I RETARDED the timing all the way. Switched it around and it ran great. Now I just have to get that pully off and clean it up so I can SEE the timing marks, and I'll replace the timing belt while I'm at it.

Tomorrow's project at work...

I haven't updated it in awhile, so here goes, large updates, this is what I did in Novemberand early December...

Begin stripping parts car...


Put parts on (this is the $50 engine, it runs!!!)


Swap dash, wiring, ecu to shell (the dash and wiring in the shell were hacked apart, there was a poorly done swap)...


I fabricated an exhaust (total $55) still need to add the downturn, this should pass noise anywhere, I had the same exact setup on my Rabbit

Mid December...

Installed the header ($65 egay special)


And found an Si cluster, I discovered while running the NX2000 that the factory tach is just fine in a car with 140hp, so it will be fine in one with 70 as well, plug and play, I love Hondas.


It's been really cold the last few days, so I removed most of the sound deadener (A whopping 10 lbs). And I think today I'll swap in the white doors, the doors on the car now are actually in better shape, but the car will be white and red and one is shiny black (outside, red inside, cheap paintjob) the other is flat black outdside, and blue inside. I still can't find one spec of rust on this shell, it's beautiful. I just wish it didn't have the crappy half-assed black paint-hack-job.

I reset my odo, all zero's baby!



eMKay's™ patented redneck bushing press...


And removal tool, just a little heat on exposed metal, bushing falls right off..


Got a new radiator installed, and ran it for awhile while putting the suspension back together to take it to the dyno...when I discovered that the hubs are Integra hubs, the axles don't fit of course. I new I should have swapped all that stuff from the parts car as well, that's what I get for being lazy.

Mid January, to mid February...

In the past month I have not gotten too much done, I got all the electrical stuff working, got a radiator, new wheel bearings, and assembled the suspension in an attempt to take the car for a drive around the block...Where I discovered that the clutch is toast, soo that will need to be replaced (probably a good idea anyway). And before when I said I had Integra hubs, and needed some new ones? Well I didn't, as I found some used ones and they were the same thing, I had the wrong axles, the correct axles were 3 feet away in a pile of parts I stripped from the parts car. So the good thing is, now I have a spare set of spindles and hubs, bad news is I now need a set of spare axles or 3.

I ordered the cage, got the "temporary" shocks (illuminas) but have not worked on the actual car in awhile...But I did install a bamboo floor in my kitchen and back hall today! That build is taking most of my free time right now, once that is finished, it's back to the car. That should be right about the time the cage comes in.

Late February...

Fabbed up a seat bracket...

March 3rd! Warm day!...

Holy crap it's 65 degrees today! And I got a lot done, pulled the engine, installed new clutch, painted engine bay, slapped on numbers. I'm terrible with stickers, so of course they are crooked and full of bubbles. Maybe I should just do what oval track racers do and paint them right on, I'm better at that sort of thing...But this will do for now I guess, it's gonna be ITB in '09 anyway. And I really think I want an orange car.

Today...
It is now capable of moving under it's own power.

Good news! The cage was built today, and should ship tomorrow or Friday. I installed the switch (but have no place to mount it yet), rear swaybar, and painted the front bumper (no pics yet, not finished). I have everything to finish the rear suspension (except the right length springs, they are on the way) new brake lines, wheel cylinders, and shoes, so I will be finished with the rear soon. I still need calipers and pads for the front brakes, the suspension is done in front except I'm going to fab up lower and upper braces, that should be fun (literally, not sarcastically, I love metalwork) So I'm debating weather to take it to the dyno and see how healthy the engine is before or after I do the cage. That all depends on the weather I guess.

Ugly engine in nice shiny engine bay (still need new ignition wires)

I got the cage yesterday, I won't be installing it until Thursday and Friday. I'm going to borrow a friends gas mig welder, I don't trust my flux mig welder on the cage, I use it for everything else though.