D16Z6 HappyJack 1978 Civic 1200 engine swap

[HappyJack]

I just bought a 78 Civic 1200 jigsaw puzzle. It is basically a rolling shell, with everything else in boxes.

The plan is to make this a summer daily driver. I want to put a D16 v-tech motor in it, probably from a 95-00 Civic. But keep it looking 1978. I also want to upgrade the brakes and suspension, just not sure which way to go yet.

This is my first build not counting several mini stock race cars I've built and raced. This is will be like reverse engineering. Instead of taking a street car and stripping out to a shell and racing it, I'll be taking a shell, reassembling it, and making a street car. This will be the first time I've documented something like this too. Should be interesting to see how this goes.

This is what it looked like when I dragged her home.

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Floors are in good shape.

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Not a lot of room under the hood, a D16 will be a tight fit, but it has been done before.

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I have 1 alloy wheel. If I had the set, I'd consider keeping them, but the plan is to go bigger. 14, maybe 15 inch.

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Pics before the work begins.

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I should start with fitting the new motor in, but since I don't have it yet, and probably won't until after Christmas, I guess I'll start with paint stripping.
The car was originally red, but it has been painted with... I'm not sure what. Looks like some kinda rust paint. Trem-clad? What ever it is it is on thick, and it cracked and peeling in a lot of places, so it has to all come off.

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Found some previous body work done.

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Thats it for now. Gonna take awhile to get all the black stuff off.

[Bill]

You will have fun getting down to the base, it's fun after you are all done!!

[Steph]

You can't get a better year than the '78 1200

[Thor]

And it's a trunk
All you UK'ers that keep calling your hatches 2 door when they are 3 door, now you see what a trunk (boot) looks like.
I've owned a couple and wish that I still had a couple .
Much stiffer for motorsport, if not as practical
Pete

[Vulcan]

Interesting original colour. What was the hood's original colour?

[HappyJack]

Original colour was red, but it was spray painted black. Might even be some kinda rust paint. After sanding the red looks almost pinkish. The hood looks like it might of been green, I havn't started sanding it yet.

[bob78cvcc]

It will be fun watching your build. My 1st new car was a red 78 1200 trunk model.

[Thor]

Colour looks like Madrid Red, a 73'74 shade
Same as ReaGaN
JMHO
Pete

[HappyJack]

Just did more sanding today, so no new pics. I also went to the Honda dealer for a second time, trying to get a key cut. Since my car had been in storage for 10 years, the keys had been lost.
So the other day I went to the Honda dealer to get a key cut. The guy at the counter insisted my VIN was wrong. There wasn't enough digits. And he couldn't look up to see if they had any blanks, because the computer system only goes back as far as 1980.

So I asked the good people of this site what they thought. I was told Hondas only had 10 digit VINs until 1980, then they were 17 digits. I was also told the key code was on the lock cylinder itself.

So today I went back to the Dealer armed with this new info. The guy still insisted the VIN was too short, and there is no way the car could be registered with a VIN that short. Who ever told me this info was wrong. He said the missing digits identify where it was built. Ummm... I bet it was built in JAPAN!

Luckily an older guy over heard us and stepped in when I offered to bring the whole dash in so he could read the damn VIN. He confirmed older VINS aren't that long, and he even tried my VIN in the computer. It didn't work, but at least he tried.

I then explained about the code on the cylinder and he looked it up in a book, and confirmed it was real. But said he doesn't know what key blank to use, or if he even had one. But he did direct me to a locksmith that could help.

The locksmith made me a key that worked! But the tumblers inside are so dried out that they moved up to the right position, and stayed there. Now any key works. So I left it with him, and he is gonna take it apart and lube it all up for me.
So that is one crisis dealt with.

Next issue I found is I'm missing my rear corners. I never noticed before because the bumper is missing, and I didn't know what else. But now that it is pointed out, I can't miss it. I'm assuming they were cut out for rust repair. So now I have to track down some rear corners, and weld them in. I hope I find some, I don't relish the idea of having to fab them from scratch.

[HappyJack]

I have a key!

It ain't pretty, but it is a key.

Thanks to a local locksmith I have a key. He is taking the lock cylinders apart because they are dried up and corroded from not being used. The passenger door, and the trunk lock were both seized. But the drivers door works, and the ignition finally works.

So now I can re-attach the steering column. It was disconnected so we could push the car around.

I also figured out how the pedals go back together. Its hard when you weren't the one who took it apart, and all the nuts and bolts are thrown in a bucket.

Now I have pedals!

Also, just a heads up. This isn't gonna be a "pretty" build. The car is gonna get painted, and I gonna make sure the parts I use are good, and put together safely. But I'm not gonna polish every bolt, and paint and detail every part, knob, and screw. This car is gonna be a daily driver. I don't wanna be afraid to get it dirty, or work on it. I'm putting a used motor in it, that I may freshen up. But I'm not gonna polish the water pump, chrome the engine, or spend a ton of money for the correct vintage oil cap.
Nothing wrong with builds like that. I'm impressed with builds like that. But I'm not that type of person, or have that kinda money. I just want a nice car that you don't see every day, and I wanna drive it.

On a side note, I picked up this cool tool at the local dollar store. I telescoping magnet, with a light on the end. Worked great when I dropped the clip that holds the lock cylinder in the door.