When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hello! I'm new to the forum. I picked up a cool 1983 3 door Type S on the cheap to restore. The thing is that I know nothing about fixing cars and this is a project that my son wants to use as a way in to learning about cars.
:-)
I'm a teacher, so I'm comfortable with not knowing things and learning -- and my son is happy to tinker and figure it out. I'm just looking for some guidance on where to find parts to restore or rebuild -- or if we should consider taking out the original engine, which needs some help to get started, and putting in a new engine. That too could be a great learning experience!
I did buy an original 1983 service manual for it and that is very helpful.
Any input is welcome!
Thanks for having me!
Kind regards,
Bryan
I have been reading a bit -- I think that we might consider replacing the carburetor, the spark plugs, and the spark plug wires. Does that sound correct? Any other advice?
And if you have any leads on getting parts, I would love advice on that as well.
Thank you!!
For OEM parts I use Majestic Honda as they are East Coast. For aftermarket parts RockAuto is good.
I don't think online parts dealers sell parts for older cars like that. There was that one dude with the '80 civic and I managed to find a site that specialized in old school honda parts. I'd have to dredge through my post history to find it tho.
edit: So, looking at Majestic's site, they carry parts for 3rd gen and on. This '83 is a 2nd gen
And yeah, a K-swap in that thing would be awesome. hahahaha
I am grateful for the replies! Thank you!
Sounds like so far you would go with a complete swap rather than try to fix the stock parts. . . ?
So, if we swap engines, we have to really take everything out, then? And perhaps modify the whole under-the-hood area to make it fit?
Full swap to a newer engine would be a few different things.
1) It'd be much more fun. the 2nd gen had super lightweight chassis, and newer engines would be more powerful, so that little thing would fly. Could be a double edged sword, since a faster car can cause you and/or your son to develop lead feet, and attract unwanted attention.
2) Reliability and ability to fix. Newer engine would have replacement/aftermarket parts a lot more readily available than the '83 engine. If you want to have it as a daily driver while you're planning out the build, repair it to a reliably running condition, pretty much bare minimum to do so, then contribute to the build fund. If you have zero qualms about having this sit in your garage until you get it built, disregard that entirely.
3) AMAZING learning experience, especially if you're attacking this as a DIY route. There's going to be some information that's just not out there, and you'll have to consult various mechanics to figure out how to get the job done. There will also be a lot of information floating around the internet that will be extremely valuable to making it work right. Nevertheless, "odd" DIY swaps like this will definitely take you out of your comfort zone, but you guys will come out so much more mechanically inclined. That, and anything that messes up, since you (presumably) did the work, you'll know exactly where and how to backtrack to fix the issue. Great satisfaction there.
Fitting a newer engine (B or K series is what I'd look into, unless you're feeling super frisky and want to look into an L15B7 -- '16-'20 Civic 1.5 turbo -- swap into that engine bay) would require custom mounts and axles, at the very least. Possibly suspension retrofitting, too. Couldn't tell you for sure. Figuring out wire/tube/pipe routing is half the fun, and fuel delivery, you may be able to use the factory piping going from the tank to the engine.
Ideally, yes, you would remove the engine and tranny, leaving nothing but a rolling chassis, then figure out how to go about the swap. Do a lot of research before ripping stuff out. See if/what swap would be most feasible for you.
Honestly, anything is doable, it's really about how much money and effort you want to put into this build. I once saw an old school mini cooper with a rear-mounted B16A2 in the cargo area. I've also seen pictures and articles online of LS (corvette, not LS VTEC) swapped miata before, so there's that. lol
Last edited by xRiCeBoYx; Jun 21, 2020 at 04:18 PM.
I think it may be wise to tackle this car in multiple stages. I'm not trying to contradict anyone; I'm just viewing this differently for a moment.
An engine swap is a big task for someone unfamiliar with cars. I'd fool around with what's currently in the car so you can familiarize yourself with basic engine maintenance. Once you/your son are more familiar with it (and have done lots of research), then look into swapping.
Yes, a B or K-series would be a ton of fun later on down the road, but I think there's something to be said about originality, especially with a car as cool as this.
I think it may be wise to tackle this car in multiple stages. I'm not trying to contradict anyone; I'm just viewing this differently for a moment.
An engine swap is a big task for someone unfamiliar with cars. I'd fool around with what's currently in the car so you can familiarize yourself with basic engine maintenance. Once you/your son are more familiar with it (and have done lots of research), then look into swapping.
Yes, a B or K-series would be a ton of fun later on down the road, but I think there's something to be said about originality, especially with a car as cool as this.
I defer my response to this comment first.
Really, both my and @Chezboat24 responses are both great courses of action
Okay! I have an update!
We replaced spark plugs, spark plug wires, oil filter, oil, and air filter -- we have a new battery on it, but it needed a little jump since we haven't used it in a while.....
and we got a start!!
Please see the video (attached to this post).
The throttle linkage is stuck so that the engine revs to over 5000rpm! and so that is the next project. Any advice? Thank you!
Penetrating oil should be able to free it up. Let it sit for 10-ish minutes then open/close the throttle about a thousand times (you may need to use pliers). I've had lots of carbureted bikes with the same issue and that's always done it for me.
Update! We got the carburetor rebuilt -- and tuned up a few things. The car runs! The engine can idle!
Now it's time to work on the intake manifold and replace the clutch.
I'm trying to buy this: https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuin...1-pa6-030.html
I have a 1981 Civic 1500DX, very similar. I bought this car in 1995 in Rochester, NY. It was originally from Oakland, CA. I moved and drove it to Roanoke, VA, and from there 3 years ago to St. Clairsville, OH. It has just under 200,000 miles on it and runs like a top, getting 38MPG. I love this car! The problem is, there are no parts for it anywhere any more. The rear window hatches broke so they flap in the breeze, the heat slider in the dash doesn't work because the cable broke, so I put a valve in the heater hose to turn the heat on and off manually under the hood. Now the ignition switch has broken, and there's no power to the car from the switch. Any ideas how I might bypass or use something aftermarket to replace the ignition switch? I have a service manual as well, but it's not much help when there are no parts any more.
I have a 1981 Civic 1500DX, very similar. I bought this car in 1995 in Rochester, NY. It was originally from Oakland, CA. I moved and drove it to Roanoke, VA, and from there 3 years ago to St. Clairsville, OH. It has just under 200,000 miles on it and runs like a top, getting 38MPG. I love this car! The problem is, there are no parts for it anywhere any more. The rear window hatches broke so they flap in the breeze, the heat slider in the dash doesn't work because the cable broke, so I put a valve in the heater hose to turn the heat on and off manually under the hood. Now the ignition switch has broken, and there's no power to the car from the switch. Any ideas how I might bypass or use something aftermarket to replace the ignition switch? I have a service manual as well, but it's not much help when there are no parts any more.
Try RockAuto, and for future reference, just start your own thread.
Sure you have come up with a fix by now,but I just signed up. I added an on/off switch and a push button start yrs ago. 81 hatch 1300 was first new car and I still have it in back yard, but moving to driveway soon. Miss that 35+ mpg everyday!!
Hello! So, the update is that the beast is back on the road! We decided to go with a WEBER CARB update to fix everything. So, now I have a bunch of original parts to sell if you need stuff. These are all original and we had the original carburetor nicely cleaned. Make an offer on this stuff and it's yours! All at once, one big lot: https://www.civicforums.com/forums/market/387106
Meanwhile, we are driving and about to go to our first show! :-)
