32 replies to this topic

[WOLFCRX]

I'll start off by explaining the name of the build, when I moved into my first house My wife and I got our first dog as a family. It was a full bread Keeshound and we named her Nala. On the morning I found the Straman I got up early to got to the junkyard and found she had died that night, later when I got to the junkyard I found the 84 Straman so it was then named after her(she was 13 years old).


Now that I finally have the car in the garage it is time to start the tear down. The plan for the car is a complete rebuild from the ground up including replacing the bracing that was installed at Straman Coackworks(rusted).

The plan:
Red w/dark gray two tone
85 Si wheels
mildly lowered
Factory euro kit (if I can find one)
possibly 85 Si spoiler
Integra seats
Digi Dash
EDM steering wheel
Aluminum drums in rear
Integra breaks in front

That's pretty much all that has been decided on at the moment, I have all of that except the euro kit in my shop. I am keeping it mostly stock looking and have made no decision on the motor yet(FI or carb) but will be keeping the Auto tranny in it and the A/C.

This is a 1984 Straman crx conversion car #8 of the 310 built, it has factory A/C with an auto tranny and 299,000 miles on the odometer.

As I found it.


After some help from a few members here on RPR(duckorbleed and KCFDeng78) we swapped parts from all the other crx's in the yard to make it mostly there but still look kinda stripped. We swapped seats, fenders, bumper, tail lights/center panel, headlights(inside car), complete doors w/ panels, integra brakes and wheels. We also tossed a lot of stuff in the car.


After getting it home.


I also decided to keep a running total of what this rebuild is costing, if I do not put it on here I frankly will not keep track and in the end will not know.

84 Straman convertible..$1,200.
Integra seats..came with car $0
Aluminum rear drums and backing plates..$12.
Integra front brakes.. came with car(behind seat)
Digi Dash...$150.
Trip computer...$60.
Complete recessed headlights..$20.
All 4 mudflaps..$15.
85 Si wheels W/new tires..$100.
Front lip..$5.
BMW Rear spoiler$35.
Mint rear bumper..$20.
EDM steering wheel..$45
Complete lock kit with keys..$25
Door window rubber..$6
Optional eq center console w/eq $40

Total $1,733.00

[WOLFCRX]

I have now put it in the garage where it will most likely live for the next few years while the rebuild goes on.

All the crx's in the heated and cooled environment.


Got it up on jack stands, then realize I need to put it back on the ground because I need the jack stands to replace the tranny in the silver Straman.


Some disassembly


The interior before and after I start removing the mess.




Also the car was converted to flush mount headlights and I will be changing back to recessed(already have them). Fortunately who ever did this modified the headlights to fit the car and did not cut out anything on the body so the recessed headlights bolt rite back in. Lucky for me.

Doug

[Old School REX]

Your a lucky dude to have two of those things man! Actually looks like a great place to start a project. Keep us posted as you work! Really want to see how this thing turns out.

[WOLFCRX]

Removed the passenger door and the side skirt this morning, I am real happy to find no rust under the side skirt. I also removed a handful of other stuff like the door striker, window rubber, rain gutter and all the other random stuff around this area. There is also red under all that dirt, if you compair these pictures the the ones above you can see where I cleaned off the dirt.

[WOLFCRX]

Removed the convertible top and frame, tail lights/center panel, seat belts and stripped out all the remaining plastic in the rear. I then started vacuuming and scrubbing off all the dirt as you can see from the pictures. Still lucky and have not found any rust on the on the car other then the support beams that need to be replaced, I can not beleave how much dirt was under the plastic and carpet.

[GLHS988]

Removed the convertible top and frame, tail lights/center panel, seat belts and stripped out all the remaining plastic in the rear. I then started vacuuming and scrubbing off all the dirt as you can see from the pictures. Still lucky and have not found any rust on the on the car other then the support beams that need to be replaced, I can not beleave how much dirt was under the plastic and carpet.

Doug,

Wow. You fit the third one in the garage! Amazing. It all goes in, just like you said it would.

You are doing what I should really be doing to my car. No space to take on this kind of work and I would probably promote more rust starting since it is so foggy up here. Keep documenting the rebuild. Seeing the before in person, I'd like to see the outcome. And I hope that 109 degree days don't come too often. That was a killer heat day when you put the roof on my car.

Warren

[WOLFCRX]

It dropped into the 90's and one day was 82, not sure where that came from. It will be back in the 100's tomorrow so not sure how much will get done the the car this week. I did get a nice big cooler for the garage but the garage door is broke so it does not do much good unless you are rite in front of it, but the attached shop has A/C so I have a place close to cool down.
I thought this build would be interesting for you considering this car is almost identical to yours, hell there probably twins separated at birth.

[slimwhitman]

AMAZING to see so little rust on a car with so many miles and so much dirt to hold moisture. My car may be at 75K miles and pampered all it's life, but I know I would find a ton more rust if I pulled off the outer plastic panels and pulled the carpet. California is an amazing place for cars to live.....and potentially live a long time. Thanks for the updates....and making me jealous!

[slimwhitman]

Doug - I would love to know what your finding different in the '84 Straman vs. the '87 Straman. Is the top framing identicle? Is the bodywork the same? Does the trunk casting look to be the same? Supports? It would be interesting to know what running changes Straman made to improve the car over the years since you will have torn down one of the first ones and one of the later ones.

[WOLFCRX]

Just from memory what I have noticed is this.

87 Si is stitch welded and the 84 so far looks to be a solid weld.
The steel panels that the seat belts and top frame bolt to is thinner metal on the 84 by at least half.
The support beams under the car are slightly different in size, I will measure and post the differences.
Top frame looks to be identical so far.
The 84 does not have the extra brace going from the support beam to the upper inside rear fender whale like the 87, this looks to be the brace that makes the body so stuff on the 87. The 84 noticeable flexes as the 87 does not, the 87 is solid as a rock but I can make the 84 flex by just applying pressure on the trunk area. This is something I think I will be adding.

This is the brace on the 87 the 84 does not have.


Doug

[slimwhitman]

The 84 does not have the extra brace going from the support beam to the upper inside rear fender whale like the 87, this looks to be the brace that makes the body so stuff on the 87. The 84 noticeable flexes as the 87 does not, the 87 is solid as a rock but I can make the 84 flex by just applying pressure on the trunk area. This is something I think I will be adding.
Doug

My '86 has that same brace.

[danielleb]

Very Awesome! Im going to keep checking back on progress! Good job so far!

[BigOrange]

Awesome. Althought one thing to me doesn't make sense. How do you have a convertible 1g crx that doesn't have rusty floors..... And I have a hard top crx with really rusty floors? haha awesome save! You did the honda world(and yourself) an immense favor!
I am looking forward to the supercharged K20.

Edited by BigOrange, 10 August 2009 - 11:12 PM.

[WOLFCRX]

Tonight I pulled the trunk lid off and the rubber seal, cleaned out all the garbage, vacuumed and washed the passenger side. Unlike my 87 this one has no bondo in the trunk jamb, it is just the metal cap that has been painted.



Like my 87 Straman they did not paint the under side of the trunk cap but they did treat it will a protective coat, it still has some surface rust though.


The rust in the trunk jamb is in the same place as my 87 had it and almost eaten up the same amount.


Here is a link to all the photos
Link

[WOLFCRX]

Awesome. Althought one thing to me doesn't make sense. How do you have a convertible 1g crx that doesn't have rusty floors..... And I have a hard top crx with really rusty floors?

One word C A L I F O R N I A