Just got a 1983 civic

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:13 pm

Well just picked up a 1983 civic. Couldn't pass up the deal at all. Best patt i its really solid for a WI car. Car was actually from cali and texas. Was brought up to WI 3yrs ago and garage kept 1 winter. Car is a 5sp manual and it needs a little bit of work to get it looking darn good.This is my first time seeing a 2nd gen civic up here. Not many around like in cali and the southern states. Any one know where i can get interrior parts for this.
Only have this pic. Would like to do the round headlights that came in 80-81.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:22 pm

eduardo i. · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:51 am

Check out the honda for sale section, there is a civic s being parted out( dont know the status though)( as far for interior stuff)

Also Check out 1stgencivic.com, they might be able to help you on specific engine and everything else info and also parts.( also swaping your headlights for earlier ones.Though I must say i like the square ones more on the 2nd gen civic.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Oh and what are your plans for it?

kev84 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:46 am

hot lil stock civic. its missing its side mirrors and i think a new coat of paint will do wonders!

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:38 pm

Yeah i was starting to like the square head lights I might just get the the 80 vented hood. This one didnt come with the right side mirror. i believe only the Gl's and 1500s Did. Plans are to keep it stock. Just ordered my timing belt water pump,thermostat and valve cover gasket and new carpet from ebay. I want to keep it stock for now and during the summer find some jdm rims prolly 13s and lower it. I want to get it painted white but i might just keep it burgundy . Don't know yet. Had a blast driving it from Milwaukee though haha. kept up well with my friend's 86 regal. I just got done looking through all the records from 1983. All the way from the delivery date to current records are in a folder. Still have the original window sticker for it. Car brand new was $6500. Im dealing with my friend for his B16 so that might go in there. But i gotta finish my 81 celica haha.

ben · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 9:50 pm

Awesome find. Congrats! Keep us posted

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:01 pm

Oh i did sign up in 1stgencivic. But all the FS ads are very old.But i'm going to a junk yard near by that has a 1980 civic 4dr. I believe the sedan came with a tach so ill be taking that off of it and what ever parts are in good condition.

eduardo i. · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:33 am

Check out thisoldhonda.com too, they have a classifeid section too. With this cars one has to stay alert and buy when found not needed :lol:

I dont think all the sedans brought the tach, sure hope the one youll be looking does.

e-at_me · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:19 am

nice. the only civics i have not owned was a 2nd gen and a 5th gen. not counting the 7th.

nice little car. should make a great daily.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:48 am

Well since i have Christmas eve off. Im going to reupholster the door panle. Guy made a hole to fit some speakers and the panel is beat up. Ill be using black vinyl. Ill post pics tomorrow when im done.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:57 am

h did get to go to the junk yard did get out the door handle and some interior peicis. Too bad the door panels wont fit. Its a 4dr. But luckly it does have the tach on there! Was in the process of removing it, Then i found out that its driven by cable! Didnt have the all the tools in my tool beg to remove the cable. So im going back there on monday to take the cable out with the whole housing.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:04 pm

Well here is the door panel i just finished up. It looks 10xs better than the original one. I wish i could do it better but i guess this will do until i can find an original replacment (PITA) to find. Now i gotta do the driver side but that untill it gets a bit warmer out.

The before

and after

eduardo i. · **Posted:** Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:46 pm

Nice

What did you use, what process?

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:46 pm

Well the panel was pretty beat. I had to lay a layer of thin card board. the way the materiel was sitting on something soft and not hard. Also Previous owner cut a big hole for the speaker i layed some fiber glass behind the card board so it wasn't flimsy. Also while removing the panel almost all the clips stayed on the door and riped off the door panel. making it harder to put back. so i Put the clips on the door frame and got some white out and stuck the door panel on and the white out left its marks on the panle. So the i used fiberglass resin and stuck the clips on there.
Going to pick up some dye to do the door handles black and arm rest.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:00 am

well little update. The carburetor decided to take a crap today!. What sucks is this is my daily driver so now im stuck with no car and getting rides from my GF. Good news is i ordered a new 32/36 weber carb for it. So as soon as it gets here it will be going in and ill post pics give me impression on it. Also junkyard might have a full interior set for cheap. Cross fingers.

KresSlyda180 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:33 am

That's odd.. the car ran great when you bought it, right? Were there any indications, the carb was on it's way out?

I ask, because I'm thinking of picking up an 89 Accord DX, and the guy said it may need carb work... but he say's it runs good for now.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:26 pm

When i first got it it ran ok. But it liked to stall a lot every time id let off the gas a bit. So i had to maintain it with gas all the time. Then it just started getting worse just a week ago. It wouldn't even keep its own idle anymore. Every time i started its the car would stay idle then it would just shut off. Then i was driving it from my friends house to my gf's house which is a 15-20min drive. it started acting diffrent. Everytime i gave it gas it would hesitate and then it would smooth out but didnt feel right. About 2miles away from my gf's apt i started smelling gas really bad, got to a stop sign then it suddleny just stalled itself. Still smelling a lot of gas I saw some smoke but it was 3am so i couldnt see anything much. tried starting it but now i had to keep the gas pedal all the way down just to barley start. Finally got it going but drove horrible the rest of the way there. Woke up early to harass it and got it to start but ran Really really rich. Very hard to start took off the air cleaner and hat. Looked inside the carb and the whole barrel was full of fuel. For some reason the carb just keeps flooding the motor really bad. Didnt even bother with it after that since these klihen carbs just suck to do anything to and my haynes manual told me nothing. So i just ordered the weber conversion carb kit. Sorry for loong post.

neal851 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:37 pm

im looking to get an 83 civic from an uncle. i was thinking of lowering it. i looked for springs but couldnt find anything older than 84. anyone have any advice other than cutting the springs?

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:35 pm

sadly there is basically nothing suspension wise for most of the early civics. There is a way to swap in coilovers. You can get 81-83 prelude struts for the front with lower control arms. BUT... these are struts with cartridge shocks. So you can do what most toytota guys do and that is cut tube use a smaller stroke shock insert and find some slip on coilevrs and have everything welded in. So its till some work to get it going. And early preludes are very hard to find as well. and thats only for the fronts. rear well is different. Now there are companies that can make custom springs for any app. There is one that is pretty cheap. ill try and get a link. I though will more than like be cutting the prings and use coil inserts so there is not as much strees on the shocks.

pancho y onions · **Posted:** Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:44 pm

ll right well finished up on installing the weber carrrs fine. A bit rough. First time was it started right up! was happy with it. But it ran rough. It kept running rich so finally just spent an hour adjusting it it just right. Now she idles nice and has a bit more pick not much though whats nice about it is the motor idles nice and smooth and the response feels much more better than stock. But it does stumble here and there. im guessing cause of my plugs are fouled out after running many time with it not adjusted. Here is a picture.

Just got a 1983 civic

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