'77 Honda Civic

[squirrel dog]

was given to my son by a friend . The car has not been run for 8 years . It has sat in a gargage covered up . What would be the procedures involved for bringing this one back to life ? I decided not to just put gas in it and replace the battery and crank it.Does the tank need to come out ?

 

[mwmorph]

Sounds like fun. A 1977 Honda Civic looks retro-nice when it's cleaned up and with some fresh paint.

I helped my friend resurrect a 1991 Acura Integra that had been sitting for 2 or 3 years a couple of years ago and it required new fluids(replace all of them, brake fluid, engine oil, coolant, gearbox oil). New battery and new brake rotors and pads. Also, give it new spark plugs, tires and an air filter and depending on condition, it should be good.

It's a solid, simple car with 52-53hp. IIRC it doesn't even have power steering so you don't have to worry about the power steering fluid.

I almost forgot, check all rubber parts for wear like bushings and cv joints and the like.

 

[shabby]

Empty the tank of the old fuel, replace the spark plugs, add a bit of oil into the cylinders and let it sit overnight, most likely replace the coolant and a couple other things that im sure others will add.

 

[MadAmos]

Time and sitting won't damage hard parts like others have suggested, on top of a new battery, drain the fuel tank and blow out the lines change the oil and filter and coolant and the fuel filter/s some Civics had two in this year range. The 70's vintage Civics have very small passages in the carburetor and most of the critical seals are rubber O rings, it would not surprise me to find that fuel leaks and or idle problems turn up and rebuilding a carb on a CVCC Civic is not for the faint of heart. All the other rubber parts like belts and hoses may/will need attention and If the timing belt should be replaced every 10 years regardless of millage. Then a thorough inspection of the braking system steering and suspension before driving as the rubber parts in the wheel cylinders, calipers and master cylinder are prone to being hardened and if they are not leaking may start to do so once used. It can be very time consuming to return a car that has been sitting to a safe reliable condition. Since you have no history of the maintenance and condition it was in when it was parked in the past pleas take the time to make sure it is safe before you allow it to be driven.
It can be a rewarding way to teach a young person about the responsibility of vehicle ownership and the bonding over a project like this can be it's own reward but it will cost way more in both time and money than you expect and in the long run it will never be financially a good investment.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Echoing what everyone else has said, change all the fluids and inspect everything rubber. Sitting for 8 years on top of being 30 years old I would be willing to bet most of it is cracked and rotted.
You might also want to look into a Webber carb conversion for it, as MadAmos has said the carbs on those civics are not the best in the world and from what i understand are very hard to keep tuned.

 

[adlep]

Keep it...
This is a vintage car even now and in 10 years may be worth a lot of money!

 

[funboy6942]

Dont forget to check and or replace ALL of the rubber brake hoses, front and back. Dont ever need your kid to kit the brake peddle and pop a dry rotted brake hose.

Once you are ready to start it, buy some cheap, regualr 30 weigh oil, and one bottle of trans fluid. Pour the 30 weight, not 0w30, just regular, non detergent 30 weight, and the tranny fluid into the crank case, and let the motor run for a good 10-15 minutes. Then replace old oil filter with new one, drain oil trans fluid mix, and stick in 5-1w30 weight. Anything left over will not damage the parts, infact the trans fluid has sooo much detergents in it, it will clean out the motor good and remove any moisture build up iy may have inside the crank case, anything left over will be a very small amount, just be sure to change the next oil at around 1500-2000 miles.

 

[JMapleton]

Man, I've never even seen or knew they had 1977 Honda Civics.

 

[Ford lover 194e]

Ford lover 194e... Sorry you missed it but this thread is 7 years old...?

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