By Don (209.181.52.19) on Wednesday, June 06, 2001 - 08:13 pm:

Here is my dilemma, my 74 has been converted it seems to a later model master cylinder/vacuum booster. I have heard rumors that some real early Civic's did not have a booster. I want to buy the pieces to convert to manual, if the fire
walls have not changed.
I know all the good advice as to why I want to keep the booster. I do have some very good reasons for the conversion to manual. Mostly having to due with rules and weight.

By Adrian (Civicguru) (203.42.97.227) on Wednesday, June 06, 2001 - 09:44 pm:

Actually you'll find Civics without boosters up until '76.

Looks standard to me ... what's the problem?

By Don (209.181.52.46) on Wednesday, June 06, 2001 - 10:39 pm:

I cant find any parts for the earlier cars, all the other early cars I have found have been converted too. The Local Honda dealership parts guy just looks at me funny then shows me the microfish with a booster on it for 74. Arrg!
I have never seen a non-booster car so I dont know what parts I need but I would say a pushrod and what ever goes between the master cylinder and the firewall. I'm in the USA maybe thats my problem. If I could get my hands on the parts, even if they are for right hand drive I could probably make them work. dforeman@adninternet.com

By Anonymous (203.96.111.201) on Wednesday, June 06, 2001 - 10:57 pm:

Why don't you buy yourself a parts car and rip the whole brake system out of that.

By Don (209.181.52.46) on Wednesday, June 06, 2001 - 11:01 pm:

I have parts cars, I cant find one with manual brakes!

By Charles R. (64.170.157.170) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 12:13 am:

I've never seen any 1st gen without a power booster(OK not 100%. Over the years, I think I might have seen one). My '74 had a smaller booster than some of the later ones. It still had it though. I switched mine to the larger booster. I feel I have better heel and toe control if I don't have to push the brake as hard.

By Don (209.181.52.63) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 06:15 am:

OK here my reasoning
1) I can't legaly use the EN booster, only parts from 73-79

2) The 1st gen booster is small and doesn't supply that much pressure to begin with.

3) From the previous owners advise you carry momentum with this car. With the suspention set up the way it is and the limited engine mods, you keep on the gas through most corners (road race tracks not autocross) and don't use the brakes. Tom said he was able to get away with stock pads and change them once a season.

4) One less thing to malfunction and less weight

So anybody have the required parts for sale? e-mail me above.

By Don (209.181.52.63) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 06:17 am:

Oops! I really do know how to spell "suspension"

By tedshred (63.224.195.169) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 08:10 am:

Don, next time I'm at the yards, I'll peek and see if any are without booster. My guess is USA units had to have it.

You have already thought of this idea no doubt, but why not just install some sort of spacer in place of the booster? A piece of 3" I.D. PVC should do the trick.

By Don (209.181.52.15) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 05:32 pm:

I thought of the aluminum spacer idea. In SCCA ITC you have to use factory parts. I have been thinking of converting the car to Conference Production spec's. They will let you use any M/C you want.
The only difference really between the ITC and Conference is you get to get rid of the stuff that does not belong in a race car anyway like heaters, Door glass, and DOT crash bars, and you can run slicks (the engine mod's are pretty much the same). Plus how they classify the cars with a H/P to race weight really evens things up. Pretty temping !!!
You guys up in the Washington - BC areas should check these guys out. Even a PDF rule book unlike Scca that charges 30.00 for the thing. The prodution rules start on 81 save the file to your computer and brouse, it goes better than reading such a long file off the net.
http://www.icscc.com/

By ray (203.63.133.138) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 05:55 pm:

the m/c is the same just take it off the booster and mount it on the firewall, you need to change the pushrod and the adapter that mounts on the firewall.
I am looking for a booster for mine which is a non
boosted one. will be happy to swap, however i am in New Zealand and it may take some time to get it to you.

Ray

By Don (209.181.52.42) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 06:55 pm:

Hey ray! That would be cool if you were closer but the shipping of the booster will cost more than if I just paid you for the parts. Tell you what I will give you a international money order for the local cost of the booster you need and shipping of the bracket & rod to me. If the boosters are real hard to find in NZ then I can package the booster up and see what It weighs but I think it will cost a bunch to ship a part that I may be able to give you money to buy locally. E-mail me with the details and I will send you my address to find out shipping costs

By ray (203.63.133.138) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 09:33 pm:

e-mail me off list if you like and we can sort something out.
do you want a new m/c as the exchange rate is good at the moment (about 40c us to 1 nz dollar!!)
i can get a booster here for about $35.00 (14.00 us)so a new one may be quite cheap for you.
but drop me a line and we can sort something out.
Ray
ray.chubb@owenscontainers.com.au
p.s its 4.30 Friday afternoon so won't get the mail for a couple of days.

By Don (209.181.52.80) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 10:30 pm:

E-mail sent!

By Charles R. (64.170.157.188) on Thursday, June 07, 2001 - 11:52 pm:

Reasonable ideas Don.
Make sure the non-boosted cars were available here in the US. I think there might be a rule in IT against non-US spec parts.

By Don (209.181.52.55) on Friday, June 08, 2001 - 06:50 am:

Hi Charles R.!
The parts guy at Lithia was able to find some slides that have the part #'s for USA 73, just not available anymore. Its the good ol update backdate rule that applies.... Thats my story and its not changing!!! LOL
If those ITC Vw guys give me too much flack I will bring up the "G" spec camshafts, ooops now I let the cat out of the bag.

By Todd (63.52.17.28) on Friday, June 08, 2001 - 12:09 pm:

Hey Don,
Please elaborate on this G spec.

By Don (209.181.52.43) on Friday, June 08, 2001 - 05:47 pm:

The 1600 Rabbit gets to run a grind G camshaft legally in ITC because VW superceded the stock # to a G cam that was never offered in USA its a pretty healthy cam I think cause the Vw‘s are so popular in IT, VW motorsport got involved. It would be like Honda saying that the Mugen R1 cam was a stock replacement. Hmmm think they will do that ? Here's the good part, lots of other bigger displacement VW’s run the same cam even though its not technically legal, and no one says anything.

By Charles R. (64.170.157.130) on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 12:20 am:

I've always been asked, "Is this legal, what about this?" My easy answer has always been, "It depends on who you beat". Until you beat some who knows, or someone who doesn't like getting beat, you could run anything.

I myself, regularly run my 1800 eqipped Civic wagon in DSP. It's not super competitive, and no one knows, and I haven't beaten anyone who cares, yet.

It sounds like you're going to do some "real" racing (as opposed to just going out for laughs, like me), so it's good to know the rules, and the parts legalities, just in case.

By jim_mac (198.142.108.245) on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 02:22 am:

Hey Don

My 74 Civic Australian imported (one owner) doesn't have a vacuum booster? Mine is standard engine with exhaust headers. I'm always wishing for some sort of boost! Just for interest I just spent a month in Osaka saerching for EB1 parts - impossible they sort of laugh at you...

By Don (209.181.52.27) on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 06:51 am:

Just to be safe I will have the parts guy print out the part#'s for the 73. That should silence any whiners. Thanks Charles