Personal Project Start: Project Lazarus

I don't even know where to start about what has happened today. Something amazing. Without getting into the long and sordid backstory with me waxing emotional and retarded, my CRX has been hibernating for well over 5 years. Today, it was set free from the confines which formerly held it and held it back from running on its own. It still has a long journey ahead of it, but today was the start of something new and fresh. I know many of you reading have never seen this before, so I will just admit right off the front:

1. My CRX is a mess.

2. I love my CRX.

3. Everyone who knows me and my car knows that it is . . . special to me and overall. heh

Anyway . . . 

Thanks to Steve for helping tow my car. He went out of his way to help me out. I had a great day overall. I was so excited I barely slept. I hardly ever have that happen to me! 

Both of my cars:

 I had taken off the front bumper cover a long time ago to tow it from Maine to Staten Island:

What interior?

Half the door cards. heh

Now intercooler to be fitted:

Can't really tell from this pic, but the front brakes are pretty much done from rust:

Score another point for rear drums! They work just fine:

The last time my CRX was registered and inspected. It's been a while . . .

Faze vac/boost gauge:

I know, I know, but it was cheap and works perfectly fine.

Not too many miles for a CRX:

 I do hope to put many more miles on it!

Rear view:

I'll have to replace this eventually: I don't even know when this happened.

Passenger side rocker is a mess:

I have OEM lower rocker panels to weld in some time. The top panels are super easy.

Twisted up front bumper cover:

Does anyone have any tips for straightening something like that out? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to some aspects of bodywork.

The omnipresent smiley face quickly sprayed onto the hood.

I will ALWAYS have a black hood and a smiley face on my CRX. Always.

Missing some things?

Most guys will not know WTF I was thinking, but I assure you there was a plan, which got thrown out through the window and then beaten and kicked under a bus and left for dead. I just hope you see some of the early creativity years of problem solving have cultivated into a much finer art supported by much better skills I have now:

Yes, that is a copper line for the coolant supply:

I don't like using braided stainless lines. Ever. I will eventually use some annealed stainless tube and bend it up properly, but until then, the copper and braided stuff will likely stay since it works just fine.

This radiator is trashed:

I think the sunroof needs adjustment:

The hatch struts are failing, though it isn't surprising. They hold sometimes:

My first intercooler:

Some of you may recall that I had it installed on the exterior of the car. Laugh all you want, it worked extremely well. I may reuse this thing since I can now weld aluminum and, quite frankly, it is made better even with the dent than the cheap eBay bar and plate thing I can also play with.

This 20' section of 1/0 gauge welding wire was coiled up in spare tire:

 I had completely forgotten about it. I'm going to use that to wire in the amp I have for my Legend, and be able to power a local power transfer station at the same time. LOL!

I know I will get made fun of, have my credibility and sanity questioned, but . . . I sat in my CRX today for the first time in two years. I sat in it, and memories came flooding back. The worn out seats are so comfortable. The seat placement was as perfect as I remember it. The horn button I fabbed together fit perfectly under my left thumb. The view front and rear is nearly unimpeded. It feels like freedom to sit in a CRX, especially when compared to the claustrophobic messes that are designed today.

Little by little and piece by piece, I will be working to restore and improve my CRX. I'll remember a lot. You will learn much if you choose to read my journey with this car. This car was the starting point of many things that made me the man I am today. I cannot and will not forget it. Maybe by the time it gets back on the road again you will see a glimpse of what I see and feel.