SamKidney

Been a long while since I’ve had a productive Sunday. Unfortunately the clutch the customer supplied for the CRX is wrong so that’s on hold until a replacement turns up. Can’t progress with the turbo hoses and feeds while there’s no box on. Came to the unit yesterday and did some head scratching on what I was going to use on track this summer and the most realistic car for a quick turn round was my Civic Coupe. Pulled an engine out from under the racking, bolted my short box to it and voila.. Just short of a radiator, some shifter cables, exhaust and an ECU and it’s good to go for summer providing the ol corona doesn’t put a stop to it all

It’s fun With the money they seem to be fetching as complete cars (less people seem to be bothered to build their own these days) they can be a nice earner too.

Acquired an Accord Type S. Had bought it to break it but I’ve driven it the last two days and it drives too well to be tearing it apart, I love it! It’s aged really well in my opinion, still has most of what you get in a newer car. Cruise control, A/C, individual climate control, hands free, aux/Bluetooth in etc.. comfortable too. All double wishbone suspension all round like the older civics and integras I’m used to so I can’t help wondering what a well sorted one would be like on track. For a larger car it feels surprisingly capable and very fun to drive, like a “big” Integra DC5. K24 is very punchy for an N/A petrol low down too which further intrigues me as to how the built K24 I’m doing will go once it’s in the EG or Integra. Collected another Civic the same week too from a Salvage yard in Lancashire. 34k miles and a solid shell. With neither the coupe or the EG near ready this seemed a great candidate to drop one of my K20s in with the short box and get into a state to sling round track over summer before I get it up for sale. There’s also a DelSol VTI and an EG5 LSI in the same yard I seem to be closing a deal on too. If the deal goes ahead that brings my total to 12 cars.. give or take. Should maybe finish another one (or more) before buying anything else!

Plodding on steadily. Lots of bits coming over the next few weeks for the EG6, hoping to have it painted in time to get it assembled before summer. 99% sure on the parts I need to build the K24 now so I’d like to get on with that sooner than later. Integra has been flawless. The addition of power steering along with longer ratios and a helical LSD has made it so much nicer to use on the road. Very enjoyable, just needs to be a tad quieter. EK9 is proving to be a paper work headache, being put back and forth between the DVLA and HMRC over which route to go as the previous owner(s) have not provided proof of the import duty being paid on arrival back from Guernsey, which is making V5C application a small nightmare. Mini is largely still as it was a few months ago. Engine work is slow but I have removed a few more odds and sods. I’ve a mountain of parts to itemise/catalogue and more to collect from the previous owner including 3 other 1275cc GT lumps. Think I have nearly 3 complete sets of glass for the thing now. A returning customer has left his CRX VT in for a replacement clutch, flywheel, driveshafts, head gasket, service and turbo installation. Going to keep a record of this as I go on so I’ll update as and when significant progress is made. Going to dig the Golf out of hibernation for a run this year too with a view to getting it sold. Time someone else enjoyed it instead of it being sat another 5+ years.

Did a track day, removed short box with plated diff in favour of one with a helical lsd and oem ratios. Turning into a very nice road car.

That’s 1:35 of my life I’ll never get back

On my way to vote now. While I can’t stand the man that is the face of Labour I’d say I’ll be doing the same.

Nothing exciting. Integra received a well deserved clean after a trip to Hull to collect some rear seat belt buckles on Saturday and refit the rear seats. Happy to say that while the inner quarter plastics were off (for the first time in my ownership at least) there’s no evidence of any rust around the arches or down behind the sills. Much more bearable with the rear seats back in, far quieter. Only need to fit a helical LSD to one of my standard ratio gearboxes and I can replace the short box with the plated diff for something a bit more road friendly. 70mph at around 4800rpm does get a bit tedious..

Interior mostly out. K24 mocked up with inlet/ancillaries and box to mount next week so I can work out which radiator I’ll need to use and how I’ll mount it. The Skunk2 inlet protrudes a fair bit further than the RBC I had used previously. The position this manifold leaves the throttle body in is exactly where the outlet for the top rad hose sits so an alternative is needed.

Stripped and inspected another K24 that I collected the other weekend. Head gasket failure was the reason for removal from the Accord it originated from but happily the deck of the block is still true/flat. Crank is immaculate also, a great base to build the replacement power plant for my old Civic Coupe. I nicked 99% of the running gear from it to get the Integra going, I’m hoping to have it back together in time for summer track days and the Nurburgring next year

Sorry to hear of your old mans passing. Alzheimer’s is an awful thing. My nan, bless her, suffered quite servere Alzheimer’s/Dementia in her last few years, she too was in a care home for the last 6 months of her life. Still quite mobile/had her senses about her and was still physically able for her age but couldn’t remember who any of us were. She tried to and you could see she the recollection was in there somewhere. It was awful to see such a lovely woman completely lost. She passed peacefully in her sleep about 6/7 years ago which is the best way we could have “hoped” for. I miss her dearly.

They’re stamped +20 It looks to have been re-bored but without measuring them I couldn’t say.

Just gets better. Pistons are brand new and bores are immaculate. Intrigued to see what cam it has fitted.

1025wb +70bb 350mm cs One of my favourite mod frames in years gone past. Had two or three and loved how they rode. Short back end but with a long enough wheel base/reach (stem dependant) to not feel cramped. Im fairly certain they were all the same wheelbase with little to no change in geo between the Ice 1 and 2

Equally as good.

Started emptying the mini of the parts it came with and had a good prod round it. 50 years old this thing and I’ve had civics in worse condition. Astounding how good the shell is. Inner wings/bulkhead and front panel are all solid, the “boot” looks as if it will come up as new with a good clean. It seems any corrosion that has come about is largely superficial and all on the exterior as a result of it holding water. That said though all the gutters around the roof are solid with any corrosion being surface. Amazed.

You’ll be pleased to know I’ll be keeping this one as should be mechanically. It has a 1275cc GT lump fitted that was supposed to have been re-built and had a fancy cam about 20 years ago.. hasn’t run since. I was going to try get it running ASAP but I’ve had a quick nosey under the valve cover and it looks like it could be best to strip/clean/assess and re-assemble before doing so. Carburettor probably isn’t up to the job without a rebuild either. Really looking forward to getting into it. The shell is fantastic and needs relatively little attention. Subframe/suspension/bushes and ball joints are all still as new.

I love it already.

One must complete a CLS YouTube binge to find it. All worth watching anyway.

I think Joacim certainly has the “explosive” aspect behind him. He managed to make the 160cm sidehop that Jack pedals into look fairly effortless from a static start. It’s a close one for sure. If anything can come from the progress (or backwards step if TGS is your thing) is that while maybe we’re not seeing some of the biggest moves we’ve seen, the style and tech in what is being done is among the best executed there has been.

Just acquired a 1982 Mini Clubman estate. Going to try getting running over the next month.. anyone here handy with them? It’s a 1275cc GT lump, would be nice to have some pointers and tips.

A snap or two from Cadwell last Monday. The Integra drives great.

I’m 100% in for a TF track day.