119 replies to this topic

[OG-TJ]

It's been a long while since I've updated this, but in the spirit of finishing what you start, I'll make this last post.  

 

Last week I passed our strict dyno emissions test, learned that collector / historic vehicle status has been extended to 32 years in CO, and got license plates back on my '86 CR-X for the first time in 13 years.  Last year, I had set the goal to have the car back on the streets for it's 30th - Mission Complete.

 

So, a brief recap -

I bought the car as "salvage" in 1993 and rebuilt it where it served as my daily driver until 1998 when I purchased a '91 Civic Si.

 

 

In 2000, I completed an '89 D16A1 swap in the CRX but the car got little attention because of career priorities.

In 2003, the D16A1 was rebuilt - ported, higher CR, rods, etc...

In 2005 I started disassembly for fitting the Houseman/Mugen body...and became a father which explains the dramatic project timeline from here:

 

 

 

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Sometime around 2010 I tackled the typical places for severe rust

 

Including the fuel tank...an unfortunate discovery...

 

...I had it professionally re-lined...

 

...and replaced the fuel pump

 

continued in next post due to image count limit...

[OG-TJ]

It seemed that there would be no end, but by 2015 it was ready for paint

 

 

 

Fall of 2015 the car was finally in paint

 

Winter / Spring 2016 was spent cleaning or refinishing every single part and re-assembling until finally it could be declared DONE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

-TJ

[shuttlecraft]

Nice, really nice!

[CRXer87hf]

Wow, beautiful car!!  

[GeezRX]

amazing restoration! What a timeline...ready just in time to become your daughter's first car, right?

[OG-TJ]

amazing restoration! What a timeline...ready just in time to become your daughter's first car, right?

Haha, while she may indeed get to drive it one day, I think I'll let her make all the rookie driver mistakes in our '97 4runner.  That'll also serve as her manual transmission training.

[anjin]

Wonderful finish for the project.  Now enjoy it.

[EGB18C]

Amazing work!

[OG-TJ]

Spring 2017 update:

I am indeed still alive and still cannot embrace the RPR drift to social media, so here's another old school RPR post.  Kudos to you, the few who might actually read this.

 

A lot has changed since the "final" post above.  A month after that post last June, our secret and casual house-hunting endeavor turned serious when we went to look at a dream property in the Colorado mountains.  Seemingly against the realm of all possibility - financial, market conditions, moving logistics, finding nothing wrong with the place - we rapidly found ourselves abandoning a quiet and routine lifestyle in the Denver suburbs for managing all the chaos that surrounds moving house.  

 

Fast forward 2 months and it's all a done deal.  

 

 

Unfortunately for the CR-X, that basically meant with so much to unpack and setup to resume life as we previously knew it, the dust was washed off and the cover went on.  [Yes, that's a 2g CRX cover]  Here it sits, tucked in the corner of the new garage.

 

Also not in favor of the CR-X is the fact that the new place is in the high country.  What one might expect out of a springtime post is getting the car out and the dust blown off.  The reality here is, even in the first week of April, this still happens....and although the bountiful sunshine in Colorado makes short work of melting spring snow, we also now live just 0.2mi off the nearest paved road.  So, it could be another few weeks before the white stuff is gone for the season and the subsequent mud has dried out.  Until next time, thanks for reading.

 

[CRXer87hf]

Glad to see you're still alive!  This car is one of my favorite cars on RPR so it's nice to get an update on it.  Congrats on the move.  Sounds really nice.

[OG-TJ]

Thanks Steve, I haven't forgotten that I still owe you a little write-up for the genone blog.  I think I have some draft of something I started working on before I turned everything upside down with the move.

[CRXer87hf]

Thanks Steve, I haven't forgotten that I still owe you a little write-up for the genone blog.  I think I have some draft of something I started working on before I turned everything upside down with the move.

 

I would still love to feature your car on the blog but no rush.  I'm here when you're ready.

[Sinub]

Your car is gorgeous! Love the color and style. I'm surprised I haven't seen it before. Glad to see this thread get bumped up for me to see. 

[gtpilot]

-TJ moves to the mountains...I move to TX!  COTA is in my backyard -TJ...