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My brother and I love detailing/restoring shitty old cars, especially cars that are cheap! A few days ago an 04 TL was traded in at the local Honda dealer where he works, Price was $500 before it went to auction, then it changed to $200 at the time of exchange, weird but we weren't going to say anything, and both gambled 100ea. It was pretty trashed... 260k and a few problems, neglect, & poor repairs. I've been doing mechanical repairs and my brother has been detailing the inside..
The good
*It kinda runs
*It's not on fire
*Found some weed in it
The bad
*Multiple misfires
*Plenty of codes
*Beat the heck up
*Sluggish steering
*Smokers car
*Missing/broken parts everywhere
*Wrong parts used for repairs
After a thorough outside was it's a solid 20 footer
Progress pictures coming soon..
Last edited by brotatertot; 02-09-2018 at 10:49 AM.
always wanted to buy a TL super cheap and just bondo, sand down scratches and rust spots, replace parts that are beyond repair, and then finish off with a DIY vinyl wrap job, throw coilovers on, new wheels and bam. show car for the low.
I have a slightly different problem; I drink a special Oolong tea from Taiwan and the leaves are individually hand rolled and dried, and not surprisingly, before infusion they look a heck of a lot like pot. A few years ago I was working on a mini-ERP system in a factory just outside of Taipei and I brought back two kilograms of green tea. Yeah, about that; the tea got confiscated.
Well it was throwing p0300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, & 306. After a couple minutes of playing hopscotch with the coils I found the #2 coil to be bad, I also found Autolites in it, after a new set of NGK's & a coil I have no more codes and it idles decent.
Well it was throwing p0300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, & 306. After a couple minutes of playing hopscotch with the coils I found the #2 coil to be bad, I also found Autolites in it, after a new set of NGK's & a coil I have no more codes and it idles decent.
Well done; I can't tell you the number of times folks have posted (here and on other sites) the "had" to replace all six coils and plug because the codes showed misfires on all (or most) cylinders. While two or more bad coils has happened a time or two, I'd bet 99 times out of 100, when a misfire code is thrown on an otherwise healthy J-Series motor, there is simply one bad coil.
Well done; I can't tell you the number of times folks have posted (here and on other sites) the "had" to replace all six coils and plug because the codes showed misfires on all (or most) cylinders. While two or more bad coils has happened a time or two, I'd bet 99 times out of 100, when a misfire code is thrown on an otherwise healthy J-Series motor, there is simply one bad coil.
Thanks, I try to take heed to basics first lol, I understand completely. And spending money is annoying.
I actually picked up a 6spd TL as a winter beater a few months ago for $500 bucks. Car needed some love & had multiple misfires as well but ended up needing a motor. Gave the car a solid refresh along with the swap & I've been having been having too much fun with it. Hurt some feelings along the way which is always a plus..
Good luck..
And some nug?! You guys really lucked out... In all seriousness though I really enjoy the threads like this of a beat up car brought back from the brink of death. In for more!
I actually picked up a 6spd TL as a winter beater a few months ago for $500 bucks. Car needed some love & had multiple misfires as well but ended up needing a motor. Gave the car a solid refresh along with the swap & I've been having been having too much fun with it. Hurt some feelings along the way which is always a plus..
Good luck..
Agreed! Best part is knowing how close this total dumpster fire came to being a fixture at the local salvage yard.
Originally Posted by mdnborg
And some nug?! You guys really lucked out... In all seriousness though I really enjoy the threads like this of a beat up car brought back from the brink of death. In for more!
Right?!! That's exactly how my brother acquired his 1990 Accord for $250, rust free, but it was totally wasted & trashed. Been his super clean daily for 3 years now.
Originally Posted by DesertMistTL
another Desert mister brother! gluck with the restoration!
Great work! That TL has seen much better days. Reminds me of why I'm not willing to let go of my TL. One of my biggest fears was having my pristine TL turn into a rolling dumpster. If you're ever interested in replacing the leather, an Ebay seller has the replacement skins for a very good price. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-2008-A...JY9jae&vxp=mtr. I posted a quick DIY in my build thread on how to replace the leather.
I need to look but I'm pretty sure I have a 04-06 3G steering wheel in my garage. Can't imagine it costing much to ship...interesting in buying it cheap?
PM me.
Great work! That TL has seen much better days. Reminds me of why I'm not willing to let go of my TL. One of my biggest fears was having my pristine TL turn into a rolling dumpster. If you're ever interested in replacing the leather, an Ebay seller has the replacement skins for a very good price. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-2008-A...JY9jae&vxp=mtr. I posted a quick DIY in my build thread on how to replace the leather.
I hope this car holds up, because that's a priority at the moment, thank you!
Originally Posted by rockstar143
I need to look but I'm pretty sure I have a 04-06 3G steering wheel in my garage. Can't imagine it costing much to ship...interesting in buying it cheap?
PM me.
If this one is a turd I'll get a hold of you for sure. Thank you!!
Not as much got done on my days off, as I would have liked, we kept coming across broken/messed up parts at the salvage yard, so now its a waiting game until something else shows up. In an effort to keeps costs low we're sticking to salvage yards for parts, due to it's age, mileage, & condition. We also suspect it to have a bad head gasket, so that has us at a quandary with the next step, but there's plenty to work on in the mean time.
I started by cleaning up the rest of the bullshit in the engine bay
Aforementioned Autolites
All nice & factory looking, minus the plastic covers.
Next I painted the new mirror & replaced the busted one.
Decent match, I didn't know any mirror above 04 had 10mm studs, as opposed to the 8mm from the original, drilled the holes out a tad & it fits perfect.
Last edited by brotatertot; 02-14-2018 at 10:13 AM.
02-09-2018, 10:34 AM
little guys
