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Thread: New TN member here - Back in a B13!

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Posts: 1-10 of 20
2015-03-26 19:00:20
#1
New TN member here - Back in a B13!
My first car was a 1991 Sentra (XE, I think it was.) Anyway, it was 4dr, with a GA, and it always held a special place in my heart.
My 2000 Accord replaced it in 2008, and it was passed along to someone else who got good use of it up til over 300k mi.

Anyway, I always wanted an SE-R, and just today, I bought one!



(edit - more pics - https://plus.google.com/photos/+TroyMcKeown/albums/6130695675280278609)


It's got lots of miles, but zero rust, a great body, and it comes from a good previous owner. He saw part of the paint going dead on the roof, so he decided to take it to a shop that did a two-tone job to it. Neither door sags, the 5th gear doesn't pop out, the sunroof doesn't leak, there's no water damage in the trunk, driver's seat has been replaced, the struts are new, the entire AC system is new, it idles smoothly, new tires, etc. etc. etc.

The old man puttered around at 30mph for years in it, racking up miles, but it feels tight.

I greatly look forward to taking it and making it my own, with at least as much care as the last owner took.

Right now, my initial plans are to get to know the car. I see lots of cool things that other people have done, but I'm looking forward to keeping this car for a long while, so I won't be doing anything to really test its limits (or my own.)

3-31 update - Failed emissions test (Only HC, and not by a lot) and subsequently learned that the cat had been gutted to make a psudo-straight-through. New cat on the way.

4-2 update - Did my first wrenching on her. I removed the below mess. It was a shittily-installed 3rd brake light flasher that clicked as it flashed. It would have driven me crazy for real. I put in some new license plate bulbs (LEDs) and moved the trunk latch catch to tighten the closed trunk.

4-6 update - Installed some new oem window molding - https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+TroyMcKeown/albums/6134764524303943249 I like how it looks so much that I dropped some more money on the window runs that are also in bad shape. Ouch my wallet, oh well, it's worth it for oem stuff that will hopefully last as long as the original stuff did. This past Saturday, I also went to the scrap yard and got a couple of things and I installed a new pass. handle, tightened the speaker, filed out the speaker hole a bit, and a couple of other small things.


4-12 update - worked on it with my Dad over the weekend and we did lots of stuff. Oil Change, Spoiler Brake Light crack repair, Fried aftermarket horn removal (now only has the OEM one,) Regrounded the negative battery terminal, cleaned up some headlight wiring solder joints, New rear rotors and pads, Installed new cat to pass emissions (man, it feels really neutered now, but I'll probably go back to the gutted straight through cat after the inspection,) New Fuel Filter and top side fuel line, Repaired some vacuum line, Mounted some stray wires, hoses, and relays, Sandblasted and Flex Sealed (like a textured plasti-dip) the rusty battery tie-down, Fixed a couple of missing panel rivets for hood insulation pad/weatherstripping, and probably a couple of things I'm forgetting. This morning, I went to the salvage yard and pulled a G20 Auto ECU, which I hear is a bit better than the stock SE-R ECU.




5-5 update - This past weekend, my Dad and I undertook the project of:

* Replacing Inner and Outer Tie Rod Ends/End Links/Boots
* Replacing LCAs
* Replacing Water Pump
* Replacing Front Rotors
* Replacing Front Wheel Bearings
* Replacing Front Sway Bar Bushings
* Installing JGY Underdrive Pulleys
* Reinforcing the Motor Mounts
* Installing 3-point Progress LCA Brace
* Installing Octotat RSTB with triangulator
* Installing B14 seatbelts in the B Pillar
* Turning the gutted cat into a test pipe

Here's a few pics - https://plus.google.com/photos/+TroyMcKeown/albums/6145372274915856689

The front motor mount was completely gone, I could feel the shifter move when the engine was torqued. I decided to turn the existing mount into a solid one with some plate steel, some welding, and some JB Weld.

The other 3 mounts were reinforced with some PL adhesive to fill the existing voids, since they seemed to be in decent shape already.

One of the two captive nuts inside the front chassis rail that receive the front-to-rear crossmember seems to be stripped. We cut a hole in the top (near the condenser) to inspect it, but decided to hold off on any welding until I got another bolt from the salvage yard.

5-26 update -

Got some more work done on her.

The front crossmember captive nut held nicely once I pulled a new bolt from the salvage yard, which was a huge relief.
Installed new steering rack
Pressed in new front wheel bearings
Installed new LCAs
Installed new End Links
Installed Progress LCA Brace
Installed new ES Sway Bar bushings
Installed old gutted cat, with a new straight pipe inside.

Front rotors that I ordered were too small, so old ones are going back on for now.
First two belts I bought were the wrong size, so I got two more.
Radiator's Upper hose mount was smaller than the engine block's, so we fashioned a sort of spacer out of trimmed hose in order to tighten it up.

We're pretty close to getting it rolling again, but the RSTB and Seatbelt mods will be put on hold a little bit.
Last edited by vorin on 2015-06-03 at 20-39-00. Reason: Updates
2015-03-26 19:19:41
#2
Welcome to the club! More pics ASAP!
2015-03-26 21:06:53
#3
sweet .sounds like a great buy on a babied car.
yes,more pics please. Welcome to the family
2015-03-27 00:02:01
#4
Alright, here are some more pics - https://plus.google.com/photos/+TroyMcKeown/albums/6130695675280278609

I just got her home from the 150 mile drive where I picked her up. Not a single problem (besides a locked gas cap that I wasn't given the key to. Nothing a trip to Auto Zone couldn't fix.)

I'd love to hear what you seasoned pros have to say about the engine bay shots, if that FSTB is any good or not (I couldn't find a brand.) Or if you spot anything that I didn't.
Last edited by vorin on 2015-03-27 at 00-05-20.
2015-03-27 00:06:48
#5
The two-tone actually looks pretty good.
2015-03-27 01:39:20
#6
Car looks great with a great story behind it.

Congrats on your new car purchase and welcome to the forum. Enjoy your time here.
2015-03-27 01:48:22
#7
I like the two tone as well. Where in TN are you?
2015-03-27 01:51:49
#8
Nashville, I bought the car in Chattanooga. She really liked driving the mountains!
2015-03-27 01:54:59
#9
I'm in Columbia, nice to have another local.
2015-03-30 16:40:48
#10
Welcome sir congrats on finding a dime
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