This is just a thread to document my build.
Prolouge:
I was cruising CL looking for b-series vtec heads, and honda alloys, and came across an '05 Accord EX-L v6 6-Speed Coupe for a nice price. It had been hit in the front, but engine, and trans were good. I figured I would swap them into my crx, and throw the built vtec b-series and gofast bits into my awd crv. After over a week of not quite working out a way to get it here, the guy mentions he has a trailer, and a deal is struck to bring it out. Agreed that if it starts and moves under it's own power (drives off the trailer), I give him money.
Arrival:
The day comes, he arrives with the car, and it's nicer than I expected. Pulls off the trailer perfect, and aside from obvious cooling issues, runs perfect. He mentions offhand it had recently had a clutch and timing belt. There is a CEL and MAINT light, but I can check those later, I give the guy cash and push it under my carport for the evening.
Discovery week:
A day later I am pooped. I spent all the previous week working on the white 5-speed 240 slicktop wagon, and it's nearing daily-driver quality (for sale, inquire), the backup crv (spent a day bleeding it only to realize clutch hose was split, Russel sells a braided steel one for about $35 made in usa, on its way), and the plumbing system that was fubar since we bought the house and was never done right. I digress, I was tired. Got a little done, but mostly just bodywork assessment.
The radiator support on these goes back further than expected to my delight, and is also the same from coupe to sedan, as are the headlights. From some posts here I discovered the AL subframe from the TL is a bolt-in upgrade, which with careful extraction should come with half the motor mounts I need. Driver fender is fixable, but the hood, and pass fender are toast, as is the bumper, rad support, and bumper cover is completely missing. Most of the fender mounts and headlight mounts look salvageable. Fender liners, radiator support cover are present, but a bit worse for wear. Accessory belt has a few chunks missing but seems functional. Moved the car a few feet closer to garage under the deck, clutch grabbed like a drunk uncle, I think I trust the clutch claim.
A day later, I, with great effort, extracted the condenser and radiator from the front exhaust manifold. A come-along mounted to the hitch of my suv helped. The manifold looks good, but both primary o2's are throwing codes. The o2's are also plugged into some evil pre-cats, which I plan to gut or replace. This engine regrettably has the exhaust 'manifold' integral to the cyl head, so it's a bit weird looking to my eye. All electronics check out and no other codes. I clean up a few bucks in change and clean up inside. It's not dirty, but has that "I eat E36 M3ty fast-food in my car, spill soda sometimes" smell.
Today: Ordered radiator and radiator support. Noticed front tires are bald, rears are like-new chinese no-seasons, yuck. Might just find new wheels with tires on CL and save the rims for crv summer tires. Anyone wanna buy some like-new chinese tires? Otherwise they get mounted to the burnout rims. I don't trust anyone I love to ride on those dogE36 M3 tire-shaped-objects. Alignment looks good, but my add some negative front camber based on tire wear. Fixed the flip-up armrest. 2 days de-sulfating, rocking and charging the battery seems to have brought it bak to life. Sunroof works, windows work. Trunk opened, found a new serpentine belt along with some bodywork bolts and the smashed passenger headlight.
Plan is to sell the volvo wagon to fun the rest of this adventure, so update may be slow until then. Hopefully I can take this on a road trip next month if all goes well.
Any advice attaching radiator supports, leads on cheap body panels, and moral (or immoral) support is welcome.
