[Gibbscp]

coming along nicely i see, shame about the front grille, it is indeed a cut and shut jobbie like you found out, there have been a few project EP1 and early EP2's that had cut out grilles like youve got to do

 

[Bradley1500]

typerfusion1, thanks for the encouragement. My plan now regarding wheels is to go with the BBS's with a black centre, as I'm also planning on a satin black car wrap, the two should set each other off well.

Gibbscp, thanks buddy. I've started on cutting the old grille out with my new dremel, it's like cutting through butter with a hot knife. Not looking as difficult as I first imagined.

Whilst I'm doing this, I'm also planning on smoothing the recess for the front number plate. Anyone done this before and got any tips?

 

[Bradley1500]

Whilst I'm doing this, I'm also planning on smoothing the recess for the front number plate. Anyone done this before and got any tips?

I've been advised, the best way to go about this is to smooth over the number plate underneath. Cut off any excess plate you don't need then smooth over the top so you don't have a massive lump of body filler waiting to lift. Anyone done it like this before?

I got my Mugen rear spoiler through the post today, so set about fitting it this evening.

Once the rear spoiler was removed, I could start to see how much work trimming, sanding and filling the new spoiler was going to need.

Thankfully it's looking much better than I expected!

Only one bolt hole on the spoiler doesn't align with the hole in the boot lid, however elongating the hole with a file should create enough space to fit this.

It only took an hour to get to this stage, with these reproduction parts I was expecting more of a battle. Hopefully the grille and front splitter follow suit.

 

[YangTang]

Big plans for this beauty, i see!
Tidy car, keep it up.

 

[Bradley1500]

Thanks very much.

My Mugen front splitter came through the post yesterday. I should get around to trial fitting it tomorrow morning so will post some pictures up then.

After reading this thread, http://www.hondacivicforum.co.uk/32-7th-gen/32958-civic-2005-footwell-lights-installed.html, I'm thinking of copying and adding in some LEDs too seeing as they're only £1.65 a strip. :thumbup:

 

[typerfusion1]

typerfusion1, thanks for the encouragement. My plan now regarding wheels is to go with the BBS's with a black centre, as I'm also planning on a satin black car wrap, the two should set each other off well.

Dude your thinking is pretty much the same as what I was planning on my Civic Type R. Your EP2 is going to be awesome. I got a quote to wrap my car starting 2K but going for Matt Black but plastidip. Full car around 600 quid. Can't wait to see it. Keep it up :thumbup:

 

[Bradley1500]

Great minds and all that...

I had forgotten about Plastidip as I had looked into this before. I was half tempted to buy myself a kit and do it myself, IIRC the kit with Plastidip paint was only around £200-£300.

I'm not wrapping the whole car just half, along the lines of this.

I offered up my Mugen splitter to the bumper and again going to need some cutting.

And here's the offending hole that isn't lining up on my spoiler.

I also picked up a drivers side CTR side skirt yesterday so am now only looking for a passenger and rear bumper lip, if anyone has any?

 

[typerfusion1]

Yeah that's about right for the plastidip kit. It seems like you enjoy working on your own car I think carbon fiber wrap on the bonnet, roof and bootlid and rest in Black satin. Maybe also CF the side skirts too.

 

[Bradley1500]

I do enjoy working on my own car, gives you a buzz when you look back and think I did that. Either that or you look back and think WTF have I done.lol

Regarding the wrap at first I wanted to go gloss black as in the picture, but having had cars with wraps on before they do dull down and not a lot can be done to get them looking decent again expect reapplying. So as this car is going to be my daily I think satin will look better for longer.

Got some more work done on the car yesterday. The front splitter is pretty much there now.

The front splitter and rear spoiler fit was surprisingly good for reproduction parts, however the grille is becoming a big battle. Not just because of having to cut out the old grille, but it just doesn't want to sit flush against the bumper meaning I'm having to cut more and more away.

There is going to be a lot of filling involved once everything is fitted to get it looking right.

And here it all is finally mocked up on the car.

 

[muki]

Its coming on really nice. i may have missed it but you thinking of keeping the same colour or going for a colour change?

 

[Bradley1500]

Thanks very much. I'm hoping to get the fitting all finished this week and hopefully all the parts that need painting over to the bodyshop by the end of the week, at least that's the plan.

No not going for a colour change, although reckon it would look nice in a pearlescent white one day maybe, instead getting half the car wrapped in a satin black car wrap. Going to get the bonnet tapering down to the grille including the grille, the whole roof and the centre of the Mugen spoiler wrapped. At the same time I'll probably get the windows tinted as well.

 

[muki]

Sounds like a great plan to me. i need to defo see the finished product even though I'll keep a eye on the process

 

[typerfusion1]

Project is looking very well mate :thumbup: the front lower Mugen spoiler sure looks good. I wonder how the car would look if you satin wrapped the front lower spoiler, side-skirts, and rear lower spoiler. Too Much :think:

 

[Bradley1500]

Cheers fellas.

Think I'm going to stick with just the grille, bonnet, roof and spoiler wrapped.

I do really like the look of the Mugen front, looks quite aggressive, can't wait to see it on once painted.

Edit: Been working out my dates for working on the car as well as getting to the paint shop and it seems that the parts won't be getting paint until next Friday/weekend (12th, 13th, 14th).

I'm planning on going Mimms for the first time this year, but am getting confused with the date, is it the 14th or 21st of April?

If it's the 14th I may be going in the Pug.

 

[Bradley1500]

Been doing a lot of work on the car recently with not a lot to show it seems.

Got the final coat of red on the front callipers, meaning I could get the car down on all four wheels again.

Cleaned and touched up my CTR side skirt. Also got another on order, but hasn't yet been delivered.

Removed the original airbox and started building up my custom induction kit.

Don't worry the cable ties are just temporary whilst I'm waiting for my jubilee clips to arrive.

My CTR backbox finally came through the post. It was given a well needed clean.

And the old backbox was removed.

Sheared a bolt.

The old exhaust flange is going to be welded onto the new backbox because of the difference in size between the EP2 and EP3 boxes.

I finally got around to buying a file so I could elongate the hole so that the rear spoiler could be bolted down properly.

I also got my rear bumper lip through the post so trial fitted this.

It's going to be painted the same time as the front bumper etc.

With all this done I could start on the front bumper modifying, and it's bloody hard work.

I repaired the old crack in the bumper by heating and pushing the damage back into the bumper. Once it was fairly flat I sanded it down to get a smooth finish, it's just waiting on a skim of filler now.

The front splitter was glued/fibreglassed in place.

And then I could start work on the grille again, it's a right bugger to fit.

The top of the grille is at the wrong angle compared with the bumper meaning that it sits too far in.

It's not looking great at the moment and is needing a lot of filler but hopefully once it is done it'll look respectable.

My plan was to get all the bodywork preped and down to the bodyshop to be painted this weekend. However this hasn't happened and it doesn't look as if the car will be making Mimms next weekend.

 

[Bradley1500]

Got both the backboxes down to my welder who swapped the flanges over for some beer tokens.:thumbup:

Here it is fitted up.

It's given the car a nicer tone, but it isn't really loud enough to hear and at low revs doesn't sound much different at all. Because of this I'm going to remove one of the central silencers to see what impact this has on the noise levels.

As well as getting the backbox fitted up I've been doing more bodywork.

Here's the progress.

The rear bumper lip had some damage so that was filled and smoothed as well.

Hopefully one more skim of filler on the bumper and the job should be a good'un.

 

[Squirrelking]

I really hate to say this but there's no such thing as a universal grille, they are specific fits to pre-face or facelift bumpers.

Also I'd watch that exhaust flange, that's a pretty shit fit tbh and may see some grief come MOT time. Looks like the welder spent the beer tokens before he did the job! Exhaust gum is NOT for filling shonky welds.

Not sure about using a number plate as filler, sounds like a bodge job and asking for cracking or peeling when it inevitably shifts.

Sorry to come across so negative, everything else is looking good but these things are better sorting sooner rather than later! Keep up the good work

 

[John525]

I'm liking this mate nice to see your taking it in your own ands lol once done should look well will be keeping a eye out to see it finished

 

[Bradley1500]

Squirrelking, yep faux pas on my part there. Reread the eBay listing and it says to confirm your year of car before purchasing, I can't remember ever doing this and can only think I've got the wrong grille now.

It also mentions the seller offers a fitting service for £10! Wish I had taken up that offer, it's cost me more than that in filler! :lolno:

Don't worry about the exhaust flange, it's a better fit than it looks in the picture. As we tightened the bolts some exhaust assembly paste was squeezed out and I didn't bother cleaning it off.

Not sure whether I'm going to bother with smoothing the number plate recess now, not sure it's worth the hassle. Fed up with bodywork if I'm honest.

John, thanks for the encouragement. Looking forward to seeing it painted myself but still a lot left to do after that. :thumbup:

 

[Bradley1500]

Whilst most people have been enjoying Japfest this weekend I've been doing more work on the Civic.

Haven't got any pictures at current but more filling and sanding has been undertaken on the front bumper. I got it to the best standard I could then handed it over to my uncle who's finished it off. He use to be a professional SMART repairer and has done a fantastic job. It seamless blend into the bumper now as if its all one piece.

The bumper, spoiler and rear bumper lip are all being painted this week and I should have them back ready to fit, the middle to the end of this week.

After the disappointment of the EP3 back box alone I decided to remove the central silencer. A new piece of straight pipe has been welded in.

It has made the car louder, but still not loud enough or a deep enough tone! And now I'm not quite sure where to go with the exhaust as there isn't a lot more I can do to make it louder without changing the rear box, which I don't want to do.

I may open up the EP3 box, remove some of the sound deadening and weld it back up, but for the time being it'll do.

My jubilee clips came through the post so these were fitted to my induction kit.

It's nearly there, just waiting on some custom brackets to be made now. The cable tie is defiantly a temporary measure.

Thought I'd get a bit showy with the gold.

I've decided on a colour theme for the car which is going to be red, black and gold. Slowly I'll replace all the little bolts, washers, nuts etc. to suit this theme.

I've also received my passengers side skirt through the post as well. This meant I could trial fit both, mark out where the holes need drilling and then cross my fingers I'd got it right!

I also removed the type R decals seeing as its not a type R and I don't want anyone thinking it is.

I've also just been doing some general tidying.

The front wiper arms were looking a bit tatty so these were given quick a blow over with some satin black.

I think little touches like this really smarten a car.

And then the whole car was given a good clean. I was going to wait until I receive the painted parts back but was too impatient.