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89 Concerto - A work in progress
I got (not bought) my first car in April 2010.
1989 Honda Concerto, manual, nothing special really, hell of a lot of kms on it, needed a bit of work.
Standard Aussie engine, D16Z2, at the time the ONLY Concerto I had ever seen in Tasmania. (Since I got it I've noticed a few more)
Anyway, I've done little bits and pieces to it, and once I can afford it plan to fix it up as best as I can, get her back to almost original condition.
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Here are some photos;
The car just before I got it, paint wear, bad CV joints, cracked radiator, home-made head gasket and a motor with 355,000kms (but still going strong):
Then my Dad's girlfriend (a Commodore driver who never learnt to drive a manual properly), drove it work, was speeding (over 110km/h) in 4th gear, and the motor started overheating, and she kept driving.
I don't have pics, but the end result was a cracked cylinder block, along with a blown head gasket, and a MELTED timing cover...
But it kept going until it could go no more...
My Dad (who lives at the top end of Tassie), rang me and broke the news, he'd already offered me the car...
We had two choices, throw it and look for another car, or get another engine...
Turns out Dad knew of another Concerto, sitting in the wrecking yard with a smashed front end, but a perfectly fine (and youngish - 180,000km) engine, ours for only $750...
So I decided on the engine change, here are some pics:
Old engine about to come out
And out
Me and my Dad with the engine
Empty engine bay
New motor??
And the motor in and car running
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After that it was left for a while, being used as a car for me to get my hours for my L's up, then the rear muffler rusted through, $225 later a brand new one was fitted... Along with exhaust tips because I hated the look of the standard metal
Me and the car on Mount Wellington
And finally, in September 2011, I went for my P's, in my faithful Concerto...
And I passed first go, thankfully. Then, only a few weeks later, a wallaby appeared out of no-where...
I had to remove the bumper to inspect for damage, plus it was half ripped off by the wallaby...
The only damage was my drivers side indicator, thankfully I got a replacement from fellow OzHonda member Grifty, from this (temporary)
to this
And after that, I decided I wanted Type R status...
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In December, my car broke down... Turned out to be the dizzy, not entirely sure what in it, but the one from the car in the wreckers at Burnie arrived ($160) and went on, and she started first go
In the new year, I carbon-fibered my dash/cluster
and got a nice sticker for the back window
Then this month the bog in the front passenger guard started falling out, back to bare metal, so it was time for some real repairs...
Cleaned and rebogged (can't get it straight)
About to be primed
And now I've decided to redo the paint, get the clear coat back, but first it all has to go to bare metal and back...
Oh and during the repairs on the guard (which a mate done), the rocker cover was improved... The black paint was pretty much non existent, so I decided to repaint it red...
Prepped for painting
Masking tape painstakingly applied over the lettering...
Paint
Finished
In the car
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Looking good, keep it up! shame about the motor, $750 for the motor is way too much tbh, but then again there probably arent much of these down in TAS so i guess everything is overpirced.
Not a fan of the red badges, but hey its your car you can do what you like
All u need now is some low and rims
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everything is win, except for the hooning sticker.
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Good job so far mate,liking the fact youre getting in there and doing some of the work.
The hooning sticker is amusingly ironic being on a Concerto too
Take it easy out there on the road and use your head
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Keep an eye out for rust around the rear window surrounds especially around the edges towards the bootlid.
Other than that .. Very clean and keep up the DIY coming!
Oh another thing.. Protect your wooden type finish interior clock garnishes/trims as they are prone to melt easily if exposed to direct sun heat..
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A Good Write up you got here.
Reminds me when i had my first ED Civic.
Keep it up and keep enjoying it
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$750 if cheap for a motor down here... A 5s-FE motor (stock) for my Mum's '93 Camry would be $1,000+ and that is as is, pulled out of a car that has done at least 250,000km...
I'm just glad we found a motor.
I liked the red badges at first, but I reckon I might put the stock ones back one soon.
Rims and lowering comes later, paintwork is my main concern for now, and I don't make a lot of money. But it will happen eventually.
I'm not in full agreement with the exact statement on the hooning sticker, but I think there should be a place for people to go with their cars and have a bit of a hoon, that way it might keep them off public streets... I have a mate with plenty of land, and every now and again go out there and just hoon around in the dirt, its great fun.
On the road I try and stay fairly sensible...
DIY is the way I'd rather do it, lets me learn new stuff, and means its more "my car", if that makes sense. It also cuts costs.
Thanks for the warning about the rust and fake wood Emnesty, I haven't seen any signs of rust except for one little spot on the wheel arch and the hinges for the boot. never had any trouble with the fake wood though, and its never been garaged in the 9 years my family has had it, but I'll keep an eye on that too.
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And a small thing I forgot to add;
When I first got the car I also replaced the rear tailgate gas struts, they were stuffed, and the only way to hold the boot up was with a piece of wood.
The steering wheel was also replaced (with a stock one), as the one in it had a big flat area, as though it had been sanded or something, I dunno.
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