Project Steph's 1978 Honda Civic 1200

[Steph]

I've decided to stick to single projects from here on in. That way I know I can complete them, because if anything were to happen to me, heaven forbid, I often worry that all my projects would end up getting half-arsed, because someone else would took them over! Control freak much?

I still have a Sachs Madass 125 disassembled in my workshop, which will be my next project to move on to, but after that, I'm trying to leave open, rather than commit before I'm actually ready to dive in. I would like a Honda S90 in my collection, plus I think it would be fun to ride.

Anyway, I've been putting untold hours into polishing my header, and last night I finished with the #1200 paper, so this morning it's on to the #1500 and the #2000. Then I move onto the secondaries, which have to have every little scratch sanded, then polished out. Then the rest of the exhaust needs polishing! :roll: :P

[Steph]

After an enormous amount of searching, I finally found someone selling loop or hoop-style wire clamps made out of stainless to replace the OEM wire clamp that holds the master cylinder plastic reserve tank in place on the master cylinder. If anybody wants them do a on line auctions search for "45 - 50mm Double Wire Hose Clamps - St/Steel BJ18.48"

StainlessLoopStyleWireClamp.jpg (8.21 KiB) Viewed 182 times

Next I'll have to find some stainless fittings for the brake booster to manifold link, or as an alternative I'll get some brass ones chromed, then I'll re-cut the threads with a die. The plating usually peels off as you run the die over the thread.

So, what do you think?

Flashback...

[Bill]

It really looks great! But you do have too much time on your hands... :D

[Steph]

I do the majority of the work leaning back in my armchair while I'm watching TV shows and documentaries.

With my back being the way it is, there are really only two ways I can get comfortable; laying on my back, or in a heavily reclined position with my feet raised. Now I'm extremely hyperactive, so there's no way I can sit still and do nothing, so I keep busy. Plus, when you spend a lot of time moaning and groaning, one of the things that can prevent it all getting on top of you, is to keep slipping in 10 minutes work here and there, and even if the progress is marginal, it's still progress! That said, I can have days when I'm much more mobile and the pain is fairly tolerable, but then other days I can be in a real state, and things like lifting your feet as you walk hurt, so I shuffle around the house, semi-scuffing my feet on the ground. Soooo, it's a mixed bag (more bad than good -- especially during winter).

Tales from the Sore Side.

In regards to having too much time on my hands, I read in an off-topic internet post on another forum that I can earn up to $800/week working part-time from home (the anonymous poster seemed genuine enough :P ), so I was thinking of giving that a go, perhaps... what do ya think?

[Bill]

I think that if they are making that kind of money they are getting it from all the people that answer the ads...! I have never come across one of those schemes that was genuine and honest, usually a pyramid of some kind, just be careful!
=Bill

[Steph]

I think that if they are making that kind of money they are getting it from all the people that answer the ads...! I have never come across one of those schemes that was genuine and honest, usually a pyramid of some kind, just be careful!
=Bill

I was joking!

I have never been 'compelled' to invest my hard earned money in so-called easy money schemes. You EARN money and you gain satisfaction in the process. When you get it from nowhere, you probably indirectly stole it from somebody else. That's how pyramid schemes work.

[Steph]

In this post I'll take an ugly piece of stainless angle 'iron' and turn it into a fully polished custom battery bracket designed to suit the Optima Red Top battery. The wing nuts and hook-bolts are also stainless. I'm making up some stainless supports modeled on the OEM bracket that will screw on to the side of the battery bracket, and I'll hang the OEM wiper fluid 'bag' (which I still think is one of THE coolest things on any old car - so does Angel, so I'm not alone on this one). I hope to find someone who can supply me with a NOS wiper fluid bag, so I can do it justice in my engine bay, rather than hanging my old one where the plastic spout has discolored to a dirty brown. Anyway, the battery bracket will pretty much be the same design as the original Honda design, once I put the 'hooks' for the wiper fluid bag on it.

I should mention, in the photos below, I 'cut and shut' the battery tray to fit the Optima battery perfectly.

For the record, this took about 20 hours to make. I could have done it way quicker if I was prepared to use a 8" sander-polisher to cut the outer 'skin' off the metal, but I was determined to make no mistakes, so I took the long road, and I arrived with no gouges or whoopsies to mar the finish (whoopsie daisies are the worst, second only to "Medic!!!").

[Evoboy]

Looks great can't wait to see it all back together!

[Steph]

Looks great can't wait to see it all back together!

Cheers for that

Late last night I had an idea, and this morning I found a 1" (25.4mm) round plastic cap (used to cap off round tubing, etc.), and I used it as a new filler cap instead of the old 'brown' one, that I have somehow managed to lose/misplace (necessity is the mother of all invention). I was surprised at how well the cap worked. I also had an idea to do away with any unsightly hooks to hang the wiper fluid bag from, where I folded over at 90 degrees, and wedged the top of the wiper fluid bag under the battery bracket. Doing this killed two birds with one stone, because I wanted to put a buffer/soft rubber between the metal bracket and the plastic Optima battery. The wiper fluid bag does this well, and it hangs behind/below the battery bracket, keeping it tight against the battery.

[JNR880]

Your innovation and dedication to your project is inspiring...
I doubt I would be able to complete something so thorough!!

But I think I'm gonna start with 1 piece at a time in the engine bay

As always your updates are a pleasure