Getting the wagon inspected tomorrow. UPDATE 5/10/09
progress
Wagonist
Never got it done after buying the wagon 15 months ago! :shock: Got pulled over 9 days ago on the way to my son's soccer game with 2 of his friends in the car (as well as another of my sons) and another family following us. I was given a warning and 10 days to get it inspected or else I get a ticket if I don't get the warning notice signed and mailed to the police station. Wednesday will be the 10th day. I have a feeling it won't pass. Why?
1. Bungee cord as a battery tie down.
2. The exhaust leak I haven't fixed yet.
3. Small crack at the bottom of the windshield.
4. Vibration coming from rear end.
Oh well. At least I'll get a list of things I need to fix so it will pass upon reinspection.
1. Bungee cord as a battery tie down.
2. The exhaust leak I haven't fixed yet.
3. Small crack at the bottom of the windshield.
4. Vibration coming from rear end.
Oh well. At least I'll get a list of things I need to fix so it will pass upon reinspection.
Comments
Where i come from it is taken quite seriously - if your car is unsafe as you have stated then why are you driving it on the road by yourself, let alone putting your family and friends in it?
Yes, it does sound like I'm not taking any of this seriously but that isn't the case. At the moment it is the only vehicle I have to use. The things I mentioned will be fixed. And I'm usually the only one riding in it, unless my wife cannot bring the kids in her van for some reason or another.
Inspections are done yearly and depending on what state or heck, even county your in, certain things are checked while others may not be. In my county, they don't do emmissions inspections due to the population density. Big cities and those areas with larger populations test emmissions.
1. Go to a junk yard and the battery tray and clamp setup from any EF type chassis should work. DA may even work i'm not sure.
2. Exhaust leak i'd take to a shop to get either a new section of pipe welded in or if the whole system is bad just get a replacement system put in.
3. Replace windshield unfortunately. You could get the screen from a junk yard and get a mobile glasier to install it. Ask Shenrie i think he did this recently.
4. Ouch. I think i know about where you're at with this one. Either U-joints ot the giganormous bushing right? Or even the isolator unit itself.
If you take your car to a shop that does brakes and mufflers, guess what's not going to pass.
When I lived in PA I used to take my cars to a garage that specialized in semi trucks. Never had a problem. A couple of times they even filled out the sticker before looking at the car.
It's been a while but I remember getting a car through inspection with a cracked windshield. Of course it was on the bottom. Then again things may have changed since I lived there, it's been quite a while ago.
Structural rust may not just 'break' randomly but if you get into a crash it greatly increases the likelyhood of injury to yourself, your passenger or other people involved.
Yep, definately a safety issue if it structural.
By the way i am incredibly amazed at the lax attitude your govt/local bodies have towards road safety.
We're weird.
edit- I think there was something else about rust too, like it couldn't have sharp edges that could hurt somebody walking by the car or something like that.
So let's see some rust photos....
you need to see some of the cars people drive down here in Georgia, like my friend's car
no hood, exhaust, been in three wrecks, brakes work on and off.... its rough.
Vehicle Inspection and Equipment Regulations
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/inspections/pub_45.shtml
Ya, I found that too. I did see sections pertaining to sharp metal and holes in the floorboard but nothing that said anything about rust. Perhaps it's implied rust is sharp and protrudes from the body?
Still haven't contacted the other garage I'm planning on bring the wagon to to get inspected. They deal with Hondas and have built some CRXs and other Honda race cars.
Ahh well probably needed doing eventually anyway.
In america you seem to be able to do any suspension mods/engine swaps you want?
Over here any adjustable suspension needs to be certified ($400ish) and it has to be at an acceptable height etc, also engine swaps that are bigger cc rating/20% more power/different engine series etc also needs to be certified.
AFAIK there needs to be movement, not just noise.
Where I live now... pretty much nothing. Pennsylvania is one of the stricter states as far as the car's condition but not too bad on emissions.
So let's see some rust photos!
I'm getting depressed now and I'm wondering if it's worth it to even attempt to fix the rust. I've got no welding skills, very little money to get someone to do it for me so it looks like fiberglass and bondo will be my savior for now. I'm attaching photos. What do you guys think?
Passenger rear quarter panel:
Hatch:
Driver's side rear quarter panel:
Driver's side door sill:
I've already been looking for other wagons and/or civic hatchs. I've found a hatch for $350 or best offer and it seems pretty good and all I'll need to do is drop the D16 from the wagon into the hatch.
I dunno... while my wagon sits, I'm driving a silly automatic Geo Prism... it ain't fun.
All of that rust in the rockers is structural, that's what passes for a frame rail in our cars. Didn't you have a problem with the rear diff mount ripping out of the car, too?
Yup. The plan with that was to weld in a plate for both left and right rear diff mounts to screw/bolt into. Or do something similar to how epictuning attached their rear diff in the civic hatch they converted to rt4wd.
Buying a "new" wagon or even a shell would be ideal. The guy who did my clutch a while back said some guy wanted to buy my car while it was in his shop. I hear it's easier in NJ to "get" an inspection so he (mech) is seeing if the guy wants to buy my car and is also on the lookout for another honda for me, I'm definitely sticking with honda. I really hate to give this car up though but money is tight and I can't afford to fix it properly.
Maybe a trip down south is in order eh?
Oh. Dear.
So, exactly how structural are we talking here? Mine were total swiss cheese on the bottoms. The sides are doing fairly well, though. No holes yet, at least.
Ugh, I hate rust.
You wouldn't even be allowed to use that car in a destruction derby here. I'm not kidding either.
You need to repair the body, the floor, the sills, the rear diff isolator, the rear subframe......... You need to drop this car off at a crusher and cut your losses.
Filling that thing up with bondo might get you an inspection but that's the kind of problem that won't go away. Going down south and picking up a $1500 car would much better than trying to fix that one.
Well we went down south to buy a car and it was quite an adventure. That trip was full of beer, a black bear and I can say I slept in the trunk of a subaru. The trip would make a good movie script. Many laws were broken in the process but the end result was a rust free car cruising the streets of Johnstown.
Save your money and take the adventure. He just put up nice one for $1500.
I'm looking at alupso's posts with vigor. I wouldn't mind saving up for another wagon. I just need to get another daily beater so I can return this damn Geo Prism back to my parents. I'm definitely looking for another Honda...maybe an EF or perhaps I'll get a CRX again! But damn, I'll miss all the room my wagon afforded me!
My wife even suggested looking further south for a rust-free wagon instead of looking at the NJ/NY/PA and other northeastern craigslists/for sale sites. And she hates when I'm surfing the HCW! Looks like a roadtrip down south may be in order should the right wagon come up.
Thanks for the tips and interesting story fettcols.
I'm with you on the prizm, my girl had a 99 model. I kind of miss it. I used to get rid of my old motor oil by just dumping it in the prizm. It had leaks and burned a lot of oil. Probably not the best thing to do on a 100k mile car but she got more than it was worth when she traded it in.
I still have a bit of stain in the driveway from that thing.
you should try and save it for sure