Macca's Civic
Here's the story of Macca's Civic Build, in his words. I still reckon
it was a mistake to give him the passwords to the site.....
Part #4 - A small update
It has been some time since there was an update on this thing, and
Camper's writing this time. The last few weeks has been spent stripping the
new shell, in a fashion that didn't rip anything apart (Oh, we've got a full
interior from a '95 Civic for sale, including the airbag!). Most of the fun
was in taking the dashboard out to insert the cage. We know that the cage
can be installed with the dash in place, but a much neater job is to take
the cage out and then put the cage in.
The next step, besides allowing time for the credit card to recover, is
to get the cage in. After that, it'll be to get the fancy suspension &
brakes in. That'll be followed by the engine and that fancy stuff he's
getting.
We hope to have some pics when the yoke comes back from caging, if it
does.
Part #3 - The Build Starts, Kinda....
Well this is the very latest update and its probably going to be the last
for a while as I will be concentrating on making money and actually doing a
few bits with what I have. Here we did two main things. The engine needed to
be taken out and the new shell needed to be stripped inside at least. Some
decisions also had to be made with regards to the routes that were open to
me engine wise. I know the engine is good, it’s pretty fresh. But as I said
before, no VTEC which makes it a bit of a wet fish and something that needs
to be sorted if possible. I'll talk more about this in a minute.
Ok so we arrived at Brian’s and I had hoped this could be done in a
night. First was disconnecting the entire wiring loom from the car and label
everything we take off. Camper obliged here as he is the methodical one
while I spent time assuring Big T that everything would not be fine if
we “just grab a bit and pull”. Still, we toiled away until Sparkey
arrived.(another Civic driver). He had a bit of experience and when his
brother disappeared inside the passenger foot well and arrived back out with
an ECU, we smelled progress. Next was all hydraulics like clutch and power
steering etc. Not too much of a problem to be fair, 10 minutes only.
Next thing was up on the lift and off with the sump guard, drive shafts,
exhaust and any gearbox and engine mountings before it was time for the big
lump and the engine crane. To everyone’s surprise it came right out and no
drama until we examined the loom and discovered a wire here and there off or
cut. God almighty if its one thing I hate it’s wiring problems.
Just to let you know I wanted to try a few things to make sure when
wiring was finally sorted that no mechanical reasons would stop the engine
working. I know the oil pressure is fine ‘cos I checked it when the engine
ran. But other problems include disconnected wheel speed sensor. Not working
VTEC solenoid is another problem and if the thermostat wont allow the engine
to heat up the ECU won’t allow the VTEC to engage.
I took the thermostat out and placed it in hot water and check that it
works and it did. Next the solenoid, I took off the connection and put a 12v
charge across the solenoid and “click” so I knew that worked.
Finally I thought “Feck this, I don’t have this kind of expertise” and
decided to contact Keith McMullen in C.I.T. again. I really hoped he could
and would help and all credit to the man he told me to call in. When I
arrived in, as usual he and Damien were up the walls busy with the Rally of
the Lakes fast approaching but he made time and to be fair the man is
fascinating. So much so after we decided on a course of action, I stayed for
the rest of the day. He practically had to close up around me. What we
decided to do was go down a road I didn’t think I could but now it appears I
can and will. This is the part of the build I don’t want to talk about until
its all done and dusted but it is time to go to work now so I’m off. Thanks
for reading.
Another update in a few weeks.
Meet Cousin Brian. Not really my cousin but still that’s what we call
him. He has agreed to participate in my little project as he couldn’t have
my death on his conscience should I build the car myself. He is a qualified
mechanic and a rare commodity among us Red Mist people who normally just “use
a vise-grip”.
The car had to be worked on and Brian’s was the venue. Que Dermot and
his trusty Avensis and trailer. Thanks Dermot by the way for dropping that
for me. The car was in the yard and when I arrived the mechanical scrutiny
was complete and the verdict was in. I had hoped to be able to literally buy
extinguishers, paint the cage, tidy the body, change pads and wheels and off
out I go, but no such luck.
The lads had been chatting and had decided to try to convince me that to
tidy the body would cost much much more than a new shell. I agreed readily
as what they said was what I already feared. Apparently the cage was a
proper good one but put in with a handful of tiny bolts and bailer twine.
The seats were in date but again thrown in and even the dash was kinda
sitting there rather than affixed to the actual car. Oh God this was going
to require major mechanical skill (you can see where my problem lies). At
least Cousin Brian said he would help so I decided it was off to the buy and
sell with me. NEW SHELLS ALL ROUND. In the end I found one with slight
frontal damage (bumper and rad and bumper bar) right behind my house in a
neighbours.
Enough about the new shell it was time to start stripping the battered
one and the first available Saturday was put aside and even Camper chipped
in a whole day. He is far more methodical than I and that’s what I need
throughout this whole thing.
Ok so what’s first we pondered? Well I suggested, the easy stuff first.
Seats and belts. As I began a strange sense of “you idiot” set in, but it
was a beautiful day and I took that as a good omen. After a while and a few
knuckle cuts the seats and belts were out, all the while camper took the
photos. I think it was around mid-afternoon he felt guilty and started to
help. We examined the cage and removed all bolt in bars and nuts and bolts.
Then the dash had to be removed as the cage was also welded gingerly to the
bulkhead. Cousin Brian here introduced me to power tools but did the
grinding himself as I could not be trusted. Five minutes later I had
a potential rally car no more, but a battered spares package. Camper
finished with the dash and plugged everything out assuring me that in the
new car when the dash comes out no hammers or cutting equipment would be
needed because he now “knew where all the screws were”.
Happy with a good days work I phoned my fiancé. Fiancé, wow weird. Still
freaks me out a bit. Only joking really its grand Annmarie. Anyway she
brought me back to earth as only loving partners can and she was right to do
so. It was only when gathering tools we discovered we plugged out something
somewhere and the stupid windows wouldn’t close. “Brian you don’t have some
duck tape and a few plastic bags lying around do you?”
More in a few days.
Macca.
And so it begins……
First I guess a little background so you can catch up to where my head’s
at. I have rallied before as both a driver and at first a navigator. It all
started through cork motor club where I got to know competitors and
organisers and learned how to marshal properly and do a little organising.
Too many people don’t start like this and its not good at all. Something
goes wrong and no one has a clue what to do. A crash or something happens
and the crew begins to ask what do I do? Where is midpoint radio? Will I
stop and help? How do I know if the crew is hurt etc…
Anyway I digress, because it was only here at the tender age of 18 I was
offered a spin in a certain green and gold 1300cc Toyota Corolla. Does
anyone remember? It was the car Big T eventually went on to purchase. From
there I sat with Jerry Murphy a few times in sunbeams and an Avenger and sat
with one guy (his name escapes me) in the forest in a 106GTi. Very
interesting spin. After some time I started work and was bitten by the bug
so I myself purchased. It was an ex works (it worked before they took all
the cool stuff out and sold it to me) Skoda Felicia 1600 8valve. It like
most rally cars broke my heart and wallet. Here is where I must say a big
thanks to a genuinely gifted Keith McMullen and his trusty sidekick Damien,
in C.I.T engine tuning, without whose help the car may never have seen a
stage. Both went well out of their way to help and guide me all the way and
to Darren McCarthy who helped me with the mechanical work.
I'll say no more on this chapter other than considering the package I had
I was very fast over very short distances. Normally scuppered by a ditch
after 2 or 3 stages.
Then came the usual. Had to buy a house and save money. She was adamant I
would prefer a house and that at least damaging a house would be impossible.
Oh how wrong you were my dear. How wrong you were. (I learned tiling from
the bucket of grout instructions. How straight forward it seemed at the
time)
…..and that brings us to now. House bought and happy I did but still want
to drive a rally car.
Decisions decisions….
Firstly I decided wit the help of all at Red Mist, I wanted to build not
buy. At least I would know every bolt and that the car was safe when
finished and after all I would build a fairly standard machine so it cant be
that hard. Can it?
Next was the easy part. What car to build? It had to be a VTEC Honda
Civic. It was impossible to go faster for less money and parts and advice
were thick on the ground. Unanimous agreement from all then. All but Camper.
He hates them because of their boy racer image. "Shut the hell up Camper"
was the general theme here for the rest of the night and to be fair he did.
Soon after I was called by Big T who knew of a Civic e.g
.
with the engine I wanted and going cheap. We checked
it out and true enough it was handy money with a cage seats and belts,
though the shell was well worn from night navs. I beat the owner down even
more as the VTEC wasn’t working and the guy had just
come from the pub, but I was hopeful that it’s a simple enough fix to sort
the engine. From here plans were set back as the light of my life took ill
and spent some time in hospital and was out of work for a year or so. As you
can imagine the Civic was parked but all is well now
and she’s back fitter than ever and I'm back on track
too. I knew it was time to hit the overtime and try save some money.
Well folks now you are all caught up on the ups and downs. I'll leave ye
all hanging. I'll update every week or so to let ye know how its going and I
really hope as the build moves on some of ye will be encouraged off the
ditches and into clubs and cars. We need clubmen and women. We are the blood
of the sport and the more the merrier.