Operation: Golden Retriever

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Comments

  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Rickstar22 wrote: »
    Love them 1G's. I'm looking for fog lites after mine gets back from the Carb Shop. I really am digging the steering wheel too !!! Well done !!

    Yes, thanks, I love your wagon too!! The carb life is kind of a pain- thats why any issues I think might involve the carburetor- I just take it in to the shop. Better the pro's deal with it than me tinkering with it.

    About the steering wheel, I love it, but I just took it off and posted it on ebay last night... :nightmare:
  • Rickstar22Rickstar22 New Wagonist
    Not the steering wheel !!??!! Ah, well...
    After buying a NEW Weber carb, I had to take it into the shop that installed it to basically rebuild it... after only 700 miles. Argument with the supplier upcoming..lol Hopefully you have better luck on your end !!!
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    I worked on the wagon this weekend...

    Springs from left to right...

    Left= civic wagon spring with one coil cut off. Middle= 86 Civic hatchback SI spring. Right= New B&G spring.
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    Before springs (this is wagon with 86 SI spring)
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    After (B&G spring) MOST excellent!
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    So thats cool! The rear is sitting just right! We killed the gap!

    Next stop, the front. I had some Chedda Auto extended tophats I purchased a while ago and now I was ready/motivated enough to install...

    here is a look at them.
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    finished.
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    Well shit. That wont due.
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    Front has 3 finger gap- rear has 1 finger gap... I'm sitting like an old mopar with a reverse rake situation going on...
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    So I start researching re-indexing torsion bars. And I'm texting people. And I'm watching youtube videos. And I'm trying to understand how they work. I mean, I want to understand how they work before I go about dismantling them... I'm watching video's on the science (also known as magic) behind torsion bars. And I've read a 100 threads on RedPepperRacing.... AND dude. you guys. It's still seems like its magic to me. I still cannot grasp how they work- it simply doesn't make sense! A bar twist right or left in a circle and that raises and lowers your car??? Go fuck yourself. Magic.
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    Regardless of the magic. I decide I know enough to attempt to re-index them. So I psych myself up.. and I am ready to fuck shit up...
    [video=vimeo;151408618]

    I follow the "ultimate guide to torsion bar removal" perfectly.

    I tear my car apart- I scatter tools all over the garage
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    I get frustrated.. so I eat a burrito
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    This bitch wont budge. I giggle the lower control arm; I try all the tricks; I jack it up, I jack it down, I jack off... still nothing.
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    I swing my mallet. I fling some swear words. I hit my fingers. I scrape my knuckles... It moves a few centimeters.
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    I take a break.

    A friend comes over and we give it another go.

    Still nothing.

    I finally give up.

    We put everything back together.

    So this is how she sits. I will try to find a shop that deals with modified suspension and understands torsion bar magic. Or I will have to buy air compressor. A lift would really be awesome. And an Air hammer. Likely, I will have to take it in. I hope we all learned a valuable lesson.
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  • Rickstar22Rickstar22 New Wagonist
    I'm in the same boat. I have some springs from a 3G hatch ready to use for the rear, but clueless on the front funny business. I have a friend that knows about all of it, but am still skerrd (that's right, not scared...skerrd...lol) to go forward... UGH

    Curious....What is the B&G part # ?? I may just bite the bullet and get those...Least I know they fit nice. Still unsure of the fit of these I have. They are still on the struts as I got the whole set of 4.
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Rickstar22 wrote: »
    I'm in the same boat. I have some springs from a 3G hatch ready to use for the rear, but clueless on the front funny business. I have a friend that knows about all of it, but am still skerrd (that's right, not scared...skerrd...lol) to go forward... UGH

    Curious....What is the B&G part # ?? I may just bite the bullet and get those...Least I know they fit nice. Still unsure of the fit of these I have. They are still on the struts as I got the whole set of 4.

    Ya the front is skerry, but with the right tools it would be easy peezy mac and cheesy...

    Here are the springs:
    http://b-gsuspension.com/products/merchandise/s2-lowering-springs/honda/s2-lowering-springs-honda-ec
  • Looking good so far man, sorry to hear about your torsion bar struggles. Although your post made me chuckle :p I have yet to get into lowering my wagon quite yet. Rear suspension on 84-87 4WD civics is completely different than any other civic I have seen, Im not even sure if those B&G springs would work for me. Im sure you will get it sorted out, I have faith in ya! hah
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Looking good so far man, sorry to hear about your torsion bar struggles. Although your post made me chuckle :p I have yet to get into lowering my wagon quite yet. Rear suspension on 84-87 4WD civics is completely different than any other civic I have seen, Im not even sure if those B&G springs would work for me. Im sure you will get it sorted out, I have faith in ya! hah

    Good news, I got it sorted out... Actually I didn't personally get it sorted out, but Yi at Racing Trenz did (located in Denver). Some times you just don't have the right tools or time to get it done yourself. Yi is a rockstar and if you ever need anything done for a 3rd gen he is very knowledgeable on the subject.

    It took me a while to find Yi. I called a lot of "custom" auto shops and nobody really wanted anything to do with it.
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    Tire tucks just a little bit in the front. With plenty of adjustment left to go lower if needed.
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  • PrennroPrennro Council Member
    Looks great. Sits perfect. You learn enough to adjust yourself in the future or you still just pick up the phone and call for an appointment? Hate you had to sell your wheel in compromise however. Oh well, at least you didn't have to sell the wagon.
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Prennro wrote: »
    Looks great. Sits perfect. You learn enough to adjust yourself in the future or you still just pick up the phone and call for an appointment? Hate you had to sell your wheel in compromise however. Oh well, at least you didn't have to sell the wagon.

    I mean I can lower it more myself if need be. But I may eventually want to upgrade the Torsion Bars at some point and I could maybe do it myself then- but I would probably just take it back in to Yi. lols. yeah its a bummer about the steering wheel and I was planning on investing that money in some new shoes- but then torsion bars were invented.
  • Rickstar22Rickstar22 New Wagonist
    Damn... Can't wait to dig into mine now. That's perfect !!!
  • Looks great. sits MINT
  • Rickstar22Rickstar22 New Wagonist
    Are the top hats needed? I'm sure they improve the ride quality, but I was wondering if not having them is a deal breaker...
  • VladiVladi Senior Wagonist
    Looking good!
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Looks great. sits MINT
    Thank you sir.
    Rickstar22 wrote: »
    Are the top hats needed? I'm sure they improve the ride quality, but I was wondering if not having them is a deal breaker...
    No, they are not needed, but correct, they are supposed to allow a little more travel for the strut, helping with ride quality.
    Vladi wrote: »
    Looking good!
    Thanks dude! its coming along.
  • RevmaynardRevmaynard Council Member
    You lowered it! Yaaay! :p
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    got around to stuff today.....

    Like the JDM/EDM chrome window handles...

    before
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    After
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    I wonder if CRX chrome door handles are a direct swap??? I mean, I might as well match it up? I will consider that in the future.

    Also, LuisPin, (I think thats his user name here- it is on instagram- he doesn't post on the forums) anyways he picked up some wagovan jailbars for me a while ago... And today I was at the junkyard and there was a destroyed 86 wagovan there, everything was missing- headliner, interior plastics, primer paint on everything else..... Anyways I did notice the plastic plugs were still in the side of the pillars from the Jail bars! ah ha! Now I know where they mount! So I went home and mounted them.
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  • Rickstar22Rickstar22 New Wagonist
    Looks great !!! I'll look for the curtain rods sometime later on... I like 'em...lol
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Rickstar22 wrote: »
    Looks great !!! I'll look for the curtain rods sometime later on... I like 'em...lol

    thanks, yeah they are random, but ya know- I like random things...
  • Looking good Bill....the more I see your mods and progress the more I miss my 84 :sorrow:. Rest her soul.....
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    arries289 wrote: »
    Looking good Bill....the more I see your mods and progress the more I miss my 84 :sorrow:. Rest her soul.....
    Thanks, What happened to your 84?

    Took some very quick snaps with the Nikon this morning. Raw from camera, no time for editing right meow....
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  • RevmaynardRevmaynard Council Member
    It's so cute! Nice pictures man!
  • VladiVladi Senior Wagonist
    :encouragement:awesome pictures, as usual.
  • TBDTBD Band Wagon
    Hot diggity dog! Love the handles
  • ChaifeChaife Instagram grand master
    Lovin' the look. Good work and great photos too.
  • TadasTadas Wagonist
    What a lovely wagon. I wanted to ask is it just me or is the 3rd. gen a bit less wide then the 4th. gen wagon?
  • "Thanks, What happened to your 84?"

    I took it way too far apart wanting to do a B16 swap...then got serious with my now wife....car ended up being towed to the junkyard about 15 years ago when we moved from our last house. Bad mistake.....
  • RevmaynardRevmaynard Council Member
    How many hours a day do you spend searching for parts for this thing? I know how hard some tidbits are to come by on the 4th gen.
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Revmaynard wrote: »
    It's so cute! Nice pictures man!
    Totes adorbs.
    Vladi wrote: »
    :encouragement:awesome pictures, as usual.
    Thank ya sir
    TBD wrote: »
    Hot diggity dog! Love the handles
    Thank you! I do too, they are actually really neat. The knob part is skinnier than the original ones- but when you grab it it like slides out a little so you can actually grab it... then it sucks back in... like they are spring loaded?/// I cant explain it...
    Chaife wrote: »
    Lovin' the look. Good work and great photos too.
    Thanks dude!
    Tadas wrote: »
    What a lovely wagon. I wanted to ask is it just me or is the 3rd. gen a bit less wide then the 4th. gen wagon?
    It does seem like its a little skinnier yes... THats just judging by how it fits in the garage vs the 4th gen... I think... or at least it feels like it takes up less room...
    arries289 wrote: »

    I took it way too far apart wanting to do a B16 swap...then got serious with my now wife....car ended up being towed to the junkyard about 15 years ago when we moved from our last house. Bad mistake.....
    Son of a.... you were doing a B swap 15 years ago? you were way ahead of your time!
    Revmaynard wrote: »
    How many hours a day do you spend searching for parts for this thing?
    Entirely too many....



    My latest project... These are dirty girls.
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    So either the bolts broke off in the holes where the Aero Disk mount ooooorrr some one filled them in with something???
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    a couple of them are not filled in?
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    So PLAN "A" try to remove broken bolts or filling or what ever it is with thingy ma bobs.... like there are tool things for this- but usually its a bigger bolt situation. I dunno what the fuck I'm talking about...
    PLAN "B" drill out and rethread...
    PLAN "C" ruin them and cry a little...

    color undecided?
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  • Mine had a few broken pieces in them and it was just plastic. If thats not the case Im sure you could drill them out and re-thread the holes with and use a slightly larger bolt. Nice find for sure, are you planning on tracking down aero disks? If so I might be able to help out..
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    Mine had a few broken pieces in them and it was just plastic. If thats not the case Im sure you could drill them out and re-thread the holes with and use a slightly larger bolt. Nice find for sure, are you planning on tracking down aero disks? If so I might be able to help out..
    I pm'd you about the aero disks...

    nothing really new to report. Ran into some passenger side mats. 4th gen brown mats. and 3rd gen sedan grey mats. No driverside though... and they dont fit my wagon... so that was a bust... but both are in great condition.
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