The Traccord - 2003 Honda Accord Coupe

It looks like the Accord Hybrid did have its own unique rear knuckle part number that's not shared with any other Honda. Oddly it's much less expensive than the V6 model rear knuckle. Not sure if the V6 is aluminum or not, will look when I get out. 

There were a variety of V6 and four cylinder accords in both coupe and sedan and they were all cast iron except this car. Might not fit, who knows. It was less than $100 each for the complete rear knuckle with all the brake parts on it. I still need parking brake cables to do a conversion (it was starting to rain) but the plan isn't to swap to rear disks for a while anyway. I just couldn't pass these up.

It looks like Front springs are Hybrid-specific, but rear is shared with the V6 cars. Rear anti-sway bar is also Hybrid-specific. *edit: so is front. I don't have details on sizes. 

I seem to recall the Hybrid model got indicator side view mirrors too. 

So what you're saying is that I need to go back with my caliper? Dammit. 

Brer Seth says:  "No!  Not the briarpatch!! Anything but that!"  

I'm going to link the thread about cutting Miata springs that Tom posted about the Turbo Miata that they kept blowing up. I need to read the linked articles a couple of times before I get out the grinder. 

measure once, cut twice!

Wooopee... rear discs.. even if it is in the future. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I believe that directly above the engine in this photo, you should have found an aluminum hood...

In reply to Woody :

Thank you. I'll go back for that. Can't make it tomorrow but probably Thursday.

The batteries have most likely have been removed already, but it’s worth noting that those orange cables are the high voltage ones. 

The battery was still behind the rear seat. You have to remove the seat back to get to the rear shocks off. I was surprised it was there. The cabling is basically like the Insight I had. Felt right at home. Cool stuff. 

Measure twice, cut first.

cast iron rear knuckles on my V6/6mt sedan.

That hybrid find is making me want to visit the local junkyard!

In reply to Erich :

I need to go back. Some reading last night suggests that maybe the front and rear crash beams are aluminum too and the front bumper didn't have any cutouts for fog lights which might be useful from an aero standpoint. They didn't make a lot of them so it's interesting to see what the "good parts" are that can be used on more pedestrian cars. As usual I think Honda was right on the cusp of being able to make a serious parts bin car. The K20 6spd with LSD out of the Civic Si overlapped with the 7th gen accord. Put that motor in a non sunroof coupe with the aluminum parts from the Accord Hybrid. Sway bars from the TSX (or whatever the biggest ones were) and some shock/spring tuning and they could have had one hell of a car. 

When did the the Civic get the K engine? 2002? What years did the Civic Si have a K engine, six speed and LSD?

All this parts swapping stuff makes me wish I had access to a decent JY. The guys locally all want around 75% of what new parts cost and you are not allowed in the yard with tools. It's a call ahead and they pull the part and have it waiting kind of deal. 

In reply to Woody :

The '06-'11 Civic Si has the most overlap with the 7th gen Accord. They had the K20 and the good transmission. The '12-'15 cars got a variant of the K24 with the same transmission but at that point the whole rest of the car (electronics and such) are almost two generations ahead of the Accords. The 7th gen Accords have a shift in 2006 when they update the whole engine management system to go to drive by wire and all that. I think the '06-07 cars probably have the most potential if you want to stay with regular Honda tuning possibilities as they share a brain with the TSX and that's supported well. The suspension and all of that carries over. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I'm having a mental tug-o-war between an 06-07 Accord sedan and a four door Civic Si.

Man this is a great thread!  I love seeing what you can find to swap over just from scouring the junkyard.  One of my favorite past times. Keep the posts coming (I know you will)!

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Yeah, it does look like the Hybrid's bumper beams are specific to that model, wouldn't doubt they're aluminum. My reading suggests the rear sway bar is about a mm bigger than the standard V6, and the front is the same, though it does have a different part number...

All my reading of period reviews talks about the lighter/more efficient wheels, aluminum hood, and "aluminum suspension components" - guessing that's the rear knuckles you found. 

Had Honda put out a non-sunroof lightweight V6/6mt with a LSD and aluminum parts, I can't even imagine what a hot rod that would have been. 

edit: If Amazon's to be believed, the weight of the aluminum knuckle is about 1 lb less per side. 

You should check the trunk lid while you're at it. It's a hybrid-specific part number, who knows might be aluminum also. 

In reply to Woody :

Same size car, one has struts and one has A arms. The Civic is  technically a generation ahead at that point. The Civic Si Sedan from thst period is the most "complete" out of the box. The One Lap car is an '09 sedan and just needs pads to be a proper competent track car.

Gah! Forgot about the struts. Civic Si is probably priced outside of my comfort zone anyway.

What year is the junkyard Hybrid?

2006 Hybrid sedan had a 25.4mm front bar and a 14mm rear.