Last month, we shared news about how Speed Academy rescued a 2004 Honda Civic from the scrapyard—and turned it into a fun daily driver. eBay Motors sponsored the project.
Peter Tarach and Dave Pratte from Speed Academy just posted the second video about the Civic on YouTube. Both videos (embedded below) are fantastic.
Before you push play, read through this post for highlights of the best tips and tricks learned during the project.
Pimp My Civic: Quick and Easy Honda Civic Build, Part One (15:30)
Pimp My Civic: Quick and Easy Honda Civic Build, Part Two (20:23)
Free Up Rusted Exhaust Bolts
Not even two minutes into the first episode, Tarach and Pratte noticed a leak emanating from a cracked OEM exhaust manifold. If you own an old Civic, you’re likely to encounter the same issue.
The 2004 Civic’s exhaust manifold uses an integrated catalytic converter. Tarach selected a high-quality Dorman manifold from eBay Motors to replace the OEM unit. But removing the pesky bolts on the exhaust manifold’s heat shield was tricky.
Removing those bolts took persuasion and patience. And it also required a trusty Bolt Buster Heat Induction Tool to get the job done.
The Bolt Buster works by transferring heat directly into the bolts. It worked like magic on the first bolt. But the second bolt was frozen solid, so Tarach put his acetylene torch to the task and eventually removed the manifold.
Read more: “How to Remove Rusted Nuts and Bolts”
Remove Contaminants from Clear Coat
In the second installment of Pimp My Civic, Pratte puts the shop’s new WestForce pressure washer to good use. He tidies things under the hood and gave the exterior a foam bath.
It’s essential to get all of the contaminants off the car before polishing. After the Civic was dry, Pratte gave it a thorough spray down with Sonax Fallout Cleaner to remove impurities in the clear coat. That’s at 1:35 in the second video.
Pratte also shares a nifty trick using an everyday plastic bag to identify areas where contaminants remain. Who knew that you could feel more with a plastic bag over your fingertips?
After the clear coat is squeaky clean, Pratt hauls out the polisher and removes 75 percent of those nasty swirls with Sonax Profiline ExCut 05-05 polishing compound.
Also read: “A Powerful Tool in Auto Detailing: The Clay Bar”
Restore a Tired Door Panel
Time takes its toll on door panels. Our $225 project car was no exception. The fabric on the Civic’s driver’s door card had peeled away from the panel.
The previous owner used office staples to reattach the material to the panel. That’s a temporary crude fix.
Tarach shared a cool tip to bring the tired door panels back to spec by carefully applying a coating of specialized DAP Weldwood contact cement. He applied it between the fabric and panel. You’ll see that at 4:40 in the second video.
After the adhesive dried, Tarach gives the carpet and upholstery a thorough cleaning with a Tornado cleaning gun.
Choose Tasteful Exterior Mods
Speed Academy took a cautious approach to cosmetic modifications for the ’04 Civic Coupe.
Matching the color of the side view mirrors adds a touch of class without incurring much cost. The aftermarket front and rear lip are tasteful additions, and 242 Customs expertly applied all the paintwork in a metallic blue OEM hue.
After deliberation, the Speed Academy guys chose a set of polished 17×8-inch flow-formed Konig wheels wrapped with 205/45R17 Continental Extreme Contact all-season tires.
The Konigs are reminiscent of the classic OEM Civic HX Enkei wheel. They are shinier though still tasteful.
Konig wheels immediately dress up any ride.
Cool Mods on a Tight Budget
Money spent on quality parts is money well spent. Speed Academy made careful investments in upgrading the Civic’s exhaust, suspension, and its wheel-and-tire combo.
Replacing the cracked OEM exhaust manifold with a high-quality Dorman unit was a prudent choice. The stainless steel 2.5-inch Yonaka system adds a resonant tone without the drone. That was accomplished for a reasonable $499.
Swapping out the stock suspension system for a set of K-Tuned Street Series coilovers is covered at 10:43 in the first video. It added adjustable ride-height settings and 32-way dampening for less than $1,000.
It was a successful build, with the team spending a total of $4,610.
Speed Academy recouped some dough by selling the old broken catalytic converter to the scrap yard for $350. “That’s literally more than we paid for the whole car,” said Pratte.
Saving the car from the scrapyard was a noble feat. More than that, the guys from Speed Academy made videos that show us how it can be done—with a little skill and a reliable supply of parts from eBay Motors.
