I’m ready to discuss the future dilemma as of today, just shy of August, 2021. I haven’t been able to post as regularly as I have been going into the office, returning to some semblance of normalcy. Today I happen to be working remotely so I thought I would check in. My primary goal remains debt consolidation, and I will continue on this path for the foreseeable future. That being said, I still.. Read More
Let’s call it, Project CELICA – Level 2. I’ve invested somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 thousand dollars into Project CELICA between parts and associated labor, but the car is night and day different from when I purchased it. The most major upgrades came from the clutch, flywheel, wheels and tires. Don’t get me wrong, the most important repairs were the timing chain cover gasket and chain tensioner because oil leaks of any.. Read More
I confirmed that I currently have four different tires on my car from three different countries. This is nuts. Passenger side rear: Cordovan Velozza ZXV4, 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2016 ($109.99) (USA)Passenger side front: Keter KT757 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2016 (China)Driver’s side front: Kumho Solus TA31, 225/40R18 88V, Manufactured 2017 ($171.00) (Korea)Driver’s side rear: BFGOODRICH g-Force Comp-2 A/S, 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2015 (USA, model subsequently replaced with A/S Plus) The driver’s.. Read More
I just wanted to update after a busy couple of weeks. Three out of four motor mounts have been replaced (save for the one with the nut that is free in the frame on the passenger side). The clutch kit, flywheel, and rear main seal have finally been replaced. The shaking of the motor is gone, and the previous (worn) clutch assembly and flywheel was in desperately poor shape as I expected. Now.. Read More
So I managed to crawl out of my slump. In retrospect I think my low spirits were relevant to the old saying “one step forward, two steps back” meaning that essentially every time I try to reach my goals I inadvertently set myself back further from said goals. Over time, experiencing this type of frustration just leads to you not wanting to even try to work towards the goals–the textbook definition for lack.. Read More
So after watching Sebastian (2zzlow on YouTube) and yet another of his videos, my Dad and I think it useful to replace another motor mount under the battery support in the engine bay. This part ID is 12372-22020 and is called several names, the left mount, driver’s side mount, or transmission mount. I still don’t have the rear engine mount I ordered last week, but it usually does take a couple weeks with.. Read More
So as of this past week I have a new issue–the car violently shakes when engaging first gear (or reverse). My Dad convinced me it’s a motor mount issue. I worry that this may have happened when I pushed the car off of the scissor jack while trying to work on the audio system. The car ended up falling on the driver’s side front (left front) rotor rather abruptly so it may have.. Read More
Weather has caused delay in more ways than one. The weather this past weekend was bleak and wet. My original plan was to use wheel cleaner to try to restore what is left of the aluminum alloy Motegi RT5 18 inch wheels I inherited with this project. I did play with the idea of ordering new 17s but I simply did not want to invest in the wheels yet. It certainly is not.. Read More
Something that my older brother got me into in my teen years was car audio, namely in the realm of bass/subwoofers. Back in the early 90s, cars were manufactured from the dealerships with crappy paper cone woofers. It is insane how terrible these speakers really were–it was like the manufacturers made speakers out of construction paper. In my experience, bass in automobiles just didn’t happen off the lot–it was all aftermarket. I seem.. Read More
The car is cleaner both inside and out. Is it perfect? No–still some dog hairs around, but no bad smells! I bought a set of Craftsman brand toolboxes yesterday and was surprised to find that they fit in the Civic hatchback without issue. I heaved them in there and drove back while the rear suspension did all the heavy lifting. I spent all day yesterday rearranging and organizing my tools. My old toolbox.. Read More