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EP3 Civic Type R - clean up

Markaa

Hi.

I thought that I'd post a thread with the clean up work I've done on my Type R since I bought it a few weeks ago & get some feedback & advice.

I'm really only looking to get it back to stock & have it as clean as possible so don't expect and major engine work etc.

I don't have a lot of experience working on cars so this is really my first attempt at anything like this but I'm really enjoying learning as I go.

Anyway here's a few pics of the engine bay when I bought the car first & my progress to date.

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Markaa

Started cleaning up a few bits around the bay & did my best to get as much rust as possible off the battery tie so I could paint it & make it look half decent! Also put a few of the nuts & bolts in vinegar overnight & cleaned off the rust the next morning with a stiff bristle brush - give it a try it worked really well (make sure you clean off the vinegar & I also degreased & sprayed with some WD40 before going back on the car)

Markaa

Gave the rest of the bay a good scrub & next was the rocker cover. I used VHT red wrinkle paint & was delighted with the results. Also changed out the gaskets etc as I think the old one was on it's last legs. Apologies for the poor pics of the final product but it was dark by the time i finished up!

Markaa

One in daylight

Dr Turk Turkelton

Fantastic job Markaa.

Wibbs

Very nicely done and I'm impressed with the wrinkle finish on your valve cover. I tried similar on a B series one and it came out arseways.

Markaa

Thanks I'm delighted with how it looks now. Sorry about the terrible quality of some of the pics but the hosting site make them look like ****e. Here's a before and after to show the difference side by side..

Markaa

Wibbs wrote: »

Very nicely done and I'm impressed with the wrinkle finish on your valve cover. I tried similar on a B series one and it came out arseways.

Cheers its actually not too hard to get right but you just have to patient. Heat is the key to getting a good wrinkle effect. I swept out the whole garage before spraying as I knew I'd be lightly drying with a heat gun & the little portable rad! Check out some YouTube videos they go into some good detail. Here's a better Pic of the rocker cover finished

Wibbs

Markaa wrote: »

THere's a before and after to show the difference side by side..

Jaysus, that's some improvement alright.

Markaa wrote: »

Cheers its actually not too hard to get right but you just have to patient. Heat is the key to getting a good wrinkle effect. I swept out the whole garage before spraying as I knew I'd be lightly drying with a heat gun & the little portable rad! Check out some YouTube videos they go into some good detail. Here's a better Pic of the rocker cover finished

Fair play M. Especially in this weather. That looks better than most I've seen online and off and looks bloody close to the stock finish. Dunno why Honda's original paint is so damned delicate. You only have to look at it crossways and it chips.

galwaytt

...that's brilliant - how did you get all the black plastic back to that condition - especially with all the nooks & crannies ?

Wibbs

While their valve covers go mouldy with the slightest breeze(and their paint finishes can be variable) I have found Honda's plastics can polish up like new even decades on. I've always used the autoglym plastic and rubber spray and found it did a great job.

Markaa

galwaytt wrote: »

...that's brilliant - how did you get all the black plastic back to that condition - especially with all the nooks & crannies ?

Cheers. The most important step was the first one - I used a hairdryer and some small brushes to loosen all of the dirt and dust before starting the wet clean. After that it's just cleaning in as much detail as possible with brushes and towels. One good tip for the tight areas is to wrap the thin end of a toothbrush in a microfibre towel and you should reach everywhere you need to! I cleaned all of the rubbers and plastics first and then coated with rubber/plastic protector.. Just make sure it's a water based one as dirt sticks to the greasier ones and the finish won't last long! Hope this helps

quietsailor

Markaa wrote: »

Thanks I'm delighted with how it looks now. Sorry about the terrible quality of some of the pics but the hosting site make them look like ****e. Here's a before and after to show the difference side by side..

That is incredible