December 31st, 2018 - A Year In Review And A Look Ahead

December 31st, 2018 - A Year In Review

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone's holiday season has brought much joy and love this year.

For me, this year didn't turn out at all like I'd expected but I can't complain... the universe tends to unfold as it should. I don't know if anyone actually follows this blog. Sometimes I feel like this place only serves to document my build so I can look back on it years from now and reminisce about the "good ol' days"... but regardless whether there is someone out there on the Internet who enjoys reading about my little car and the work I've put into her, or whether I'm speaking only to my future self:  I owe you an apology for not making many posts here in 2018.

I had some health issues that took almost a year to diagnose, but I was very fortunate that the cure to my multiple issues was a simple one. By the beginning of Fall, after a full year of chasing this ghost, and less than three months after starting treatment, my doctor said I was healthy once again.

During my illness I struggled to keep it from affecting my day-to-day at work, but eventually it took its toll and I lost my job. My boss, recognizing that I had no short-term disability to draw on, laid me off back in March. Once I got better, I decided to move on instead of asking him if I could return, and since Labor Day, have been struggling finding a new job, what with Alberta's economy in a downturn due to Canadian oil prices being extremely low.

So, with all of that going on in my personal life, Project PRO.2 was back on hold... I had to switch my insurance to storage coverage to save money. New parts purchases were eliminated from the foreseeable future. I still managed to get a few small things accomplished but nothing major happened this season, which I found very disappointing after getting her out to a car show last summer.

For most of the summer I was so sick, I couldn't even muster the energy to start her up. Not that I would have wanted to anyways: Towards the end of 2017 I had noticed a few drips coming from the driver's side (right-side) of my radiator. I figured given the location and that I'd had a drain and fill done on the CR-X last May that it was most likely the o-ring in the radiator drain cock, but I was finally able to have a better look at what exactly what was going on. I didn't see any signs of cracks on the lower tank, and there was no evidence of leaks or coolant residue higher up, so I replaced the drain cock and o-ring with one from Honda and refilled the coolant. I put a drain bucket with some shop towels under the radiator to see if the leak reappears but so far so good. I charged the battery but sadly never had the chance to install it and start the car to properly bleed the system. This will be one of the first things I do once the weather warms up.

I had noticed that in colder weather, the hatch struts were starting to show their age and there was evidence of seepage around the strut body, so I replaced them with the old hatch struts from my Project 88 CRX. Unfortunately, they didn't store very well and are actually worse than the ones I replaced. Guess I'll either go with my OEM Honda ones next Spring and see if they are the same. had them for a few years as well.

As per an update I made to another blog post, I received replacement brackets for my hood dampers, and installed them. I am so impressed with the fitment and quality, and I just love how my hood opens so smoothly and effortlessly now.

Despite being unemployed I did manage to buy some pieces for my car. nothing terribly fantastic. I found a cheap hub for my Honda Access Momo steering wheel, though now I can't find my screws, so I'll have to try and dig them up when the weather warms up a bit or buy some new ones. There's always something, isn't there?

I purchased a spare RHD radio bezel that was on my list for cheap. You never know if someone will break in and wreck shit trying to get the stereo. I also found a hose that was on my list. It, too, was cheap AF. 

By far, my biggest scores were the Metal Monkey gauges. I heard they had stopped making them and were burning off their inventory so I snagged some before they were gone. A maplight mirror trim piece was another score. They are hard as hell to find nowadays. And finally, a matching keychain and dealership sticker to match with the document/owner's manual holder I bought years ago. 

All three are from Verno Shin Tokyo. 

Being a child of the 80's, I'm a huge Star Wars nerd. I also love my CR-X. Long before The Last Jedi and Solo, I noticed a pair of gold dice in the Millennium Falcon. Chewie bangs his head into them before they "blast their way out of Mos Eisley." After Solo was released this summer I saw replicas appear on eBay.

I knew what I had to do...

2018 was also a great year for die cast CRX releases. One of the best I can recall! 

There were: 

1. Six Johnny Lightning 1:64 CRXs in gloss white, pearl white, red, black, green, and grey (not counting the White Lightning variants), 

2. Two Minichamps 1:43 releases in blue and white,

3. Two Otto-mobile 1:18 versions in silver and black, 

4. Multiple colors of the Mark43 1:43 CR-X EF8 and EF7 models, 

5. Several colors of the 1:18 scale onemodel EF7 release, 

6. Finally, Hot Wheels released a red 1:64 second generation CR-X with a black one announced for release in 2019.

I purchased a couple sets of the Johnny Lightning releases (minus the White Lightning variants), one of the Otto-mobile 1:18 scale models in black, both Minichamps, and some of the Hot Wheels releases, including a loose black unreleased Hot Wheels. The onemodel, at over $300CAD was a bit pricey for a model so I've skipped that one, but I'm working on getting a Mark43 EF8 in black before they sell out and the price skyrockets, but as I type this they have already jumped close to 50% to $150CAD, and more in some cases. I got very lucky and scored a couple loose Johnny Lightning CRXs from the releases in the early 2000s. 

Otto-mobile 1:18 Black CR-X EF7

Otto-mobile 1:18 Black CR-X EF7

I kept seeing ads for a marketing company offering 60% off deals on everything from business cards, to mouse pads to banners to car vinyl for all your advertising needs. I don't need to advertise but I'm a sucker for a sale, so I decided to have a banner made for my garage using a photo of my own CR-X. So I spent a Sunday evening coming up with the design and $17CAD and a few days later, my banner arrived in the mail. I hung my new garage banner and I think it looks pretty good! Thank you, Vista Print! 

In September, a friend of mine texted me to say there was a CRX in a local wrecking yard. Being that I was still not feeling 100%, but not wanting to miss out on any potential pieces I need for my car (for cheap), I decided to take a risk and check it out. Came out of there with quite the haul. Some of it I will try and sell, and a few pieces I will keep for my car. Not bad for an afternoon's work.

Happy Birthday, Project PRO.2!

Hibernation time again...

Last but certainly not least, I had an old PC that I was using for a home theatre box. I upgraded my system in 2017, and finally got around to putting that old HTPC into the garage for use looking up Parts, or streaming hockey games or music while working on my CR-X. I hooked it up to the stereo in the garage and I am using a temporary 17" 4:3 monitor until I get my 32" 1080p TV and ceiling mount when I'm back to work. 

PC in the garage: I even streamed a movie while working on my radiator. 

A Look Ahead

I suppose that a lot of my plans for 2019 will depend greatly on my employment situation. An ideal situation would be:

 1) Re-insure the CR-X, which requires
 2) A second appraisal
 3) A possible second inspection
 4) Bleed the coolant system
 5) Get my headlights swapped over for the LHD EDM ones
 6) Replace the hatch struts
 7) Install C's Shifter and Mugen bushings
 8) Install Momo Honda Access Steering Wheel
 9) Purchase Indigo tail light from PK Customs
10) Replacement Door Visors

Remember, this blog was written in chronological order so, you will need to click OLDER POSTS to move forward in time, and click NEWER POSTS to go backwards.