Wanda the Honda

So here is my wagon.
I found it on Craigslist for $600.
I was super excited, I had been wanting one for awhile.
Its a 1989 Civic Wagon with 5 speed manual transmission :)
It has over 235,000 miles and is still running strong!!
This is what it looked like the night I got it.
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I got it home and had to clean it up. It had been sitting under trees for a couple of years and was infested with no-joke big ants and the biggest spiders I'd ever seen.
Here it is with the window tint taken off, still stock height.
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Heres one of the spideys that my boyfriend killed!!!
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We found some $50 coilovers on ebay and dropped her all the way down.
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Here's Wanda next to my Evo Betsey Baby :)
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My dad (who is best ever by the way) offered to help me paint the wagon and restore her to her natural beauty. So we started sanding
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and sanding
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Finally, we started to prime Wanda for paint
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Then we sanded even more.... And then came paint!!!!
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Here she is after more sanding, clear coat, and more sanding...And a set of Si's.
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We took off all of the moldings and repainted them also...
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I still can't believe how awesome the paint job turned out :)
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My dogs love going for car rides in the Wag.
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I found a trailer hitch on ebay, so I got it - little jet ski hauler. Here is an install pic.
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The next thing I had to do was to get the a/c working again. It's too hot outside!!!! I found a remanufactured compressor with a new clutch and drier on ebay for $166 shipped.
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Best money I've ever spent.

The valve seals were leaking, so we replaced the gasket set, and while we were at it, sandblasted the valve cover and sprayed it with some fresh paint.
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This car has been the best daily driver ever. I am super happy with my little project wagon.
I just ordered clear cornerlights, one of the original ones is broken, and unfortunately I could not find an OEM one. But for $18, I'll deal with clear, its better than broken!!!

Thanks for viewing!

Comments

  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Very nice work so far. Welcome to the forum!
  • Looks like you and your dad did a great job on painting it. Looking good!
  • JhampsterJhampster Band Wagon
    New paint job looks really nice! good job!
  • NCxEE4NCxEE4 Wagonist
    Truly impressed. Awesome. The wagon looks great now!
  • lilROOKZlilROOKZ Wagonist
    paint turned out great!! i like the wheels on there too. nothing too flashy very clean and simple
  • I'm jealous! You got a great deal on that wagon! Good job on the paint it looks real good!
  • Awesome work! That is a well put together little car you have there.
  • GeorgieGeorgie Wagonist
    Congratulations on finding a wagon, and for such a good price.

    Great work so far, your paint looks very good.
  • DevswagonDevswagon Band Wagon
    big thumbs up for keeping it ultra clean! so very nice and good quality work put into it
  • WandaWaG89WandaWaG89 Band Wagon
    Thanks guys!
  • AaronAaron Wagonist
    Why do i always miss out on the local deals! lol since your somewhat in the area, want to paint my car?
  • flyinhwn808flyinhwn808 Band Wagon
    Looking clean! I agree with Aaron on missing out on the local deals, as well. The ride height looks good with the eBay coilovers too, but how does it ride?
  • WandaWaG89WandaWaG89 Band Wagon
    It rides like doodie! I definitely need to look into new suspension, I need a neck and a back brace driving it around lol.
    But I'm done spending money on the wagon for now. I just had to buy a new alternator and a few other little things to get my Evo back up and running, so now I've got Evo on the brain :)
  • WandaWaG89WandaWaG89 Band Wagon
    Here is the wagon pulling my jetski yesterday :)
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  • LowFlyin'LowFlyin' Moderator
    So is it bouncy or is it rock hard?

    You might be able to salvage one of the components by swapping to either a softer spring or a firm shock.
  • WandaWaG89WandaWaG89 Band Wagon
    It definitely needs new shocks, they are completely done for. Its a really hard ride. If I raised it up some, it might ride better but I like how it looks so I just deal with it. The wagon is for slow driving only lol.
  • flyinhwn808flyinhwn808 Band Wagon
    I was just wondering, because I was given a free set of ebay coilovers and was hesitant to use them. I've always spent the extra money on the suspension. But, I understand in your situation, you have other priorities right now. It looks super clean though!
  • Whoah looks awesome! Love the stock "Almond" paint!
  • TerminusVoxTerminusVox Senior Wagonist
    Very nice resto!
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