Well my 5 day break is now over.

Finished masking up the stripes and getting the 1st primer coat applied. Getting kinda excited to see the result - but will have to wait till the weekend rolls back around.





Here is the finished Ranger grill also have to wait till this weekend to fit it and see the result.





Probably should switch over the another thread for this ...but what the hell....Hahaa

As everyone probably already guessed the Z Grill wasn't going to stay black either. At least it is different. The ole Wagon now has a little attitude after 28 years or so. Here is a little before and after shot.














And why did I buy some new door handles for the Ranger you ask? Rust NEVER Sleeps! This nasty $&!# was bleeding down the door and making an awful mess......





One thing I love about using that Cool Seal on the floorboards is how easy it is to keep it clean! Bucket of water and a scrub brush!! Perfect for a Truck!!





I lucked out on these seats years ago from a regular cab that had sit is a garage for years. It was a bit of work changing them form a Regular cab to a Super cab - but well worth the trouble. This old truck is like a tank - a shame they don't make smaller trucks anymore.





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Interesting change in color on the front end there.It least it flows with the blue and looks good to me.I am just worn out after yard working all afternoon man it was just plain hot.

Bought this little LOW cost gem at office depot last Friday! Wanted another model but they had none so they upgraded to this unit and for less money.Total cost was $69.37 with a two year service agreement can't beat that.So info on the goodies is has android 4.1 jelly bean cortex A9 dual core 1.6ghz processor with 1gb of ddr3 memory.Just a short list has google play,wifi with micro usb cord included.Plays most music and has auto rotation.7 inch diagonal screen has 8gb on board memory,takes front pics and has a video out HD and lithium polymer battery for up to 6 hrs of use.Built in speaker but you can use head buds or ear phones to listen.I bought this when in the house and we have wifi so can do the internet and or any place with wifi.I am buying a case for it Friday and have not used it a lot but for checking parts while in the garage is priceless on any ride instead of coming in the house to do the same.Just a new low cost toy but for good use anywhere I take it!!! My wife has a ipad which was crazy expensive last yr when she bought it.($400.00) even at walmat the new popular cost back then as the price has come down some.

Been real busy with work and lost my iphone day before vacation and had computer crash day before that so it has been a while since I have had time to post here.
Orlen, nice change and you can always go back to the stock grill if you want. The seats are probably more comfortable in the Ranger than the old ones.

I got all 3 pulled together for a group shot today.

7 years of trial and error on display here. I drove a LOT of ugly stuff in my life because I was afraid to attempt something like this. The big surprise for me has been just how much TIME you can wind up spending! Keeps me out of trouble though...







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Hey Orlen what year is your Ford Ranger? Neighbor and I have been putting together his 84 Bronco ii for the last year or so and I showed him your ranger, He got all excited lol.

'86 - first year with fuel injection I believe. Has 2 fuel pumps - one in the tank and one on the frame.

The 1st gens are like a TANK - has the twin I-Beam suspension just like it's bigger brother.

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Cool Pic of the three projects.

I have to get all of mine rolling and take a pic like that

Update still chasing the NO start problem on my wife's 2004 accord.Not to bore you guys with the specifics but I will keep it short.I have chosen to upgrade the wifes car battery to a larger version not oem to give it more cca as the oem one really imo is TOO small.The oem from auto zone is 500cca however after my studies found upgrading does help.I went to the duralast 34s-dlg over the 51r-dlg as the 34 has 660cca!I have since added a new negative ground cable plus a additional ground from the battery to the block.Car has has tune up new ngk plugs and denso coil packs.Still sluggish today and not even a full rotation for some reason?Upon my research found the EFI relay can go bad or get weak and have that ordered as even my big napa warehouse did not have this in freaking STOCK!!!!! Errrr ok I am ok but this is my next step.So I did new front brakes and rotors rotated the tires,changed the oil and just waiting on the relay I need to hopefully fix the slowww crank issue.I know this is not a ground issue or charging issue at this point and or fuel pump problem.I clearly do not want to just throw $ at this but do my dilengence to take each step to replace or upgrade each item until I resolve it.The wife's car ran solid all last week and up until today it crapped out but,it ran fine after the new battery upgrade and thinking the relay (cross fingers) fixes it.I know the stealership would just run the tab thru the roof and do exactly what I have already done!!! IF I get this resolved trust me I am so youtubing this on my channel and show each step and or upgrade to fix it for DIY people.Btw I took today OFF just to focus on the house stuff and wife's car.

Reading of your woes as well as Matthews is a good reminder of just how lucky I really am. My little mixed bag of vehicles has been amazingly reliable and to a fault I have many times taken that for granted. Just little issues.
I see a lot of Hondas and Toyotas on the road and think to myself how few people today are interested in working on their own vehicles. Most of the folks I know (unlike our friend Ron here) own these makes because they have no clue how to repair/replace anything. Ironically the older these Makes become the more "normal" they seem to get and require as much as or more repairs due to the many years of running with the slimmest of upkeep. I even saw a Toyota broke down on the I-64 the other day!

Related to your issue Ron - have you checked for a drain on the battery when everything is shut off? It is an old school problem - and hard to find unfortunately....


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Update and feel VERY confident I have yet overlooked the obvious.In short no bad ground,just over sight with this newer ride.In short New updated heavy duty battery and cables and no change.DUH after some quick checks and my real diagnostics guess what a BAD starter!!!!!!! I will say with this car the EFI stuff can wreak havoc and cause this issue however the starter was just done.No clicks,or drag just a dead spot and slowwwwly turning.Turns out the 2.4 Honda engine bc of the heat wears out the starter life and I have to remove the intake manifold just to get to the dang thing.Either way I wacked the he-- out of it and wahlaa car starts fine time after time.Sometimes I over think a problem and it surely got the best of me today but guess what I found the route of the issue!! I clearly did not think a 10 yr old Honda would croke out the starter but with the heat from the intake and exhause go figure.I am on this 100% on Thursday new starter and intake gasket set to get my wifes car back up to par.I am so making a video of this in the finished process for sure on youtube.

so weird, I was thinking about that starter, but figured you would've checked that.

Tammy's '98 Cavalier did this too. Started dragging like the battery was going south. Replaced battery and later the starter died.....right in the parking lot of the Dealer we bought it at Hahaa. Might just be the way the newer permanent magnet type starters die. Well - $100 and a couple hours later we were back to normal. I bet Ron wishes the starter on that Honda was as easy to swap out as on a OHV Cavalier right about now!



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Well I'm much older now, nothing wrong with being young and stupid, and since the statute of limitations has long passed...

The original Hawk's starter crapped out on a Sunday evening. Yup, no parts stores open (this is long before AutoZone totally Wal-Marted the auto parts business), and it's not like I had the money for a starter anyway.

I said to my buddy, "you know, there's gotta be plenty of these on the used car lots around here..."

yeah, that's why I"ll never forget that a 2.0 engine has a bolt on top of the starter you must get from above.

I just would've loved to see the reaction of the salesman showing off that Cavalier to a potential customer and it did nothing when the key was turned. Then he gets the mechanic out to look and the mechanic just says, "well the problem is the starter is gone."

"Great, can you put a new one in?"

"no, you don't understand, it's not that the starter doesn't work...it's gone."

"so, what are you sayin', maybe tap it with a hammer?"....

It would be like watching Abbott and Costello at the used car lot.

I don't know why I never thought of it back then, but just now, I'm thinking if I had a REALLY big set of balls, I would've gone to the lot to act interested in the Cavalier...

ORLEN you are CORRECT sir!!!!! I have everything removed and pics to boot.However photobuckets site is loco and not working go figure.I have pics of the intake out and the location of said FUN to remove starter.I will pop pics Friday as I am well kind of tired.We went with auto zone on the starter life time warranty and only napa had the intake gasket in stock.I am really good on accords for some reason maybe it was meant to know foreign and domestic right.But I started foreign as with my mazda and those are complicated enuff,as my start point.Btw would good bloody scrap on the top of my wrist and yeah blood messiness on me mostly.I do keep a full array of first aid items in my shop so no worries.Plus I have a sink.

Here is the fun I jumped on last nite.Got the intake off and starter bolts loose to remove it today.I showed my wife the starters location before I yanked it so she could see the hardwork it requires.Installed new starter and reassemble everything clean up mess and tools.Start car and it ran horrible? Short story I had 2 sensor plugs on the tbi area and one seemed too short on the plug but it snapped in and I put everything back exact? SO after car running CEL obvious there and I cut it off.Go get my scan tool and then said WAIT!!! I relook at those two plug and realize I plugged them up to the wrong sensors(ding ding).Run the car and all is smooth.I hook up my scan tool and clear the 7 codes that came up due to those incorrectly installed plugs to the wrong sensors (it happens) as they have the same ends.Car runs fine and starters stupid fast.Now the kicker we go out return the core and buy new batterys for the key fobs as I have never replaced them in 10 yrs.Make two more stops then car does not start BUT,the EFI main relay I went to get but chose to get a refund and not buy starts clicking(go figure).Car runs fine and having the wife go back to napa Saturday to buy that as they should have the one we should have bought ANYWAY.This relay is very prone to failure on this model car and engine.SO in short one step shy of 100% but all my researching surely saved the wallet a boat load over the dealer cost to diagnose and fix.The funny thing is how both the starter and relay both went south at the same time.Good for me as I will save time by having the issues resolved all at once.I am so buying a factory Honda accord shop manual off ebay before you can blink.I have a Haynes but it kind of sucks on the relay location above the fuse box in the car as for say A,B,C and what they are for.I did find a diagram indication which is which though.Sorry for the mile of reading but until I do a video on this in say 3 minutes for youtube this is the just of the drama.Wife is happy and end of story for now I hope.

Dayum Ron! ....Ouch......

PIA X 2 = Honda ?

You are teaching me a lot about Hondas and I don't like what I see!! I really expected the design of such a high quality Brand to have some common sense in the placement of such common failure parts. This is crazy. The alternator isn't any better and I think I would have replaced it while I was in there and it was "easier" to get to. I'm scared to even discover what is involved in the water pump.........

It is nice to broaden my horizons a wee bit beyond the scope of this website - in the end it just helps me appreciate my venerable old fashioned OHV powered Cavaliers ever more! The alternators are place high and proud up top where replacement is a snap!! Starters are a no brainer. Water Pumps are a piece of cake! The OHC powered models are more complicated but even then there is plenty of room to get around - but their starters are a nightmare as well too. GM deserves a pat on the back for sticking to the basic overhead valve design as long as they did.

Think I'll keep buying $35 gallons of paint and keep what I got as long as I can!!

I noticed even when the old starter was "Kaput" it was still CLEAN!!!



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Thanks orlen.I had the alternator bench tested three times and it is fine.The alt is really pretty easy on the wifes car as you just have to remove the ps pump three bolts to pull the alternator up and out.I have already replaced the alternator in both my nephews cars the 02 civic and 98 accord and not to horrible just a touch more than I want to explain.So now I just have to figure out which position my new relay for the EFI goes in the fuse box in the accord as there is not a diagram in my Haynes and there are like 8 relays.I have already decided to buy a true Honda shop manual for my wifes car on ebay which better describes things in detail unlike the idiot car manual in the glove box or Haynes or chiltons.Todays new cars just have too damn much electrical bs controlling everything but your thoughts in your head.I told my wife the fuse box diagram in the car is really handy for idiots or people who do not have a clue imo.Too bad Honda did not list the freaking relays as they are RIGHT above the primary fuse box which is detailed nice but really why not list the relays too?I will figure out which of two relays in the set I have to change as they are color coded and side by side for the one I need to do(question is both are red colored but have not idea which is which) at this point.On the 04 the car has two relays for fuel 1 for the pump it is blue however the EFI relay for the injectors that I have to get more specific info online I hope to replace the right one.Complicated yeah but dealers love that for well more work at jacked up labor cost.Tired and winding down.

BETCHA thought this would be about the Ranger - Hahaa!!
Another HAPPY wagon run this weekend!! Jumped on the 86 Hatchback - it is now missing a few things.





So ...if anyone ever was curious. The rear area of a hatchback isn't the same dimensions as the wagon. I got the rear carpet to use over the one in the wagon!






So I decided to put the 1st gen seats out of the Hatchback into the 2nd gen 2nd phase Sedan. The before shot.






Ok - the drivers side base has to be swapped - but here is proof positive that 1st gen seats will fit on the 2nd gen base. The seat belt buckle is anchored to the seat base on the drivers side on the 2nd gen 2nd Phase.





Due to this cable I elected to leave the 1st gen base on the passenger side. It operates the slider when the seat is folded forward from the back seat. The passenger side is a DIRECT swap - same base on both.





Installed that tiny arm rest on the console - and I couldn't believe all I had to go through to get the thing on. PIA







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Ever see folding seats in a Sedan? Love it!! I now have a thoroughly confused Sedan Hahaa!! Gotta get some hardware so I can do this to the wagon! Rear 60-40 folding seat backs were an option on 2nd gens. I know Ron - before you say it ...... the carpet is shot and needs replacing! The seats out of the 1st gen are faded and actually match the rear seats surprisingly well! Who would have thought.....











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Orlen you can order carpet from like ACC auto custom carpet and they do have a big choice of colors,styles,and while it is meant to fit,you really have to remove the seats,front and rear and all the plastic trim and console and cut to fit the overlap.It took me about two days on my nephews accord but that was boat load of work.I first removed everything and then had to clean the metal floorboard on his and just get everything ready for the new carpet.The key with the new carpet is lay it out for two or three days and let it settle.Once you lay it inside you mold and push and get it settled and then start cutting around all the areas (there is too much to list) but you know the idea.I did use some self tapping screws to hold it tight in some spots mostly the sides,and at the back seat in the accord.The carpet comes with the padding already so no worry there.We paid about 120.00 or so for the product and shipped pretty quick I think out of Atlanta ga.I could go on but I am just wiped out and those seats look good and I myself have a spare set of z 24 seats to from back in like 2011.

nice score Orlen. those struts look fairly new. a brand new loaded strut is about 120 bucks. did you get them cheap? how hard was it to get them out at the yard? when i replaced the ones on the vert it seemed i needed every tool in my box, torch included to loosen and remove the bolts. it was well worth it though, it rides so much better now

Yeah John the struts were about $25 each. I figured since they looked fairly new they wouldn't be too hard to get out. As would be my luck I took off without my 1/2" drive socket set so no go on pulling the axles or lower control arms like I had wanted to. The exhaust was in pretty good shape so I grabbed it too knowing the wagon is on borrowed time ($16). So I managed to remove the big nuts at the spindle with just a big adjustable wrench and beat the bolt out with a hammer - ruined 2 nuts but the bolts themselves are in good shape! I pulled the caliper & rotor ( the pads looked like new so they accidentally fell in my tool box...Hahaa) - knocked out the tie rod end ,remove those 2 big bolts and the 3 nuts at the top of the tower and out they come. I also dropped the gas tank - wanting the fuel level sensor but my God it was TRASHED!! Have a pretty good idea why it is in the yard now and in fairly good shape. Served as a good lesson and reminder after Rons ordeal with his gas tank too. Got to keep these machines running regularly or you are wasting time and money!

The only thing anyone else has pulled off the hatch other than myself has been the fuel injector and the steering wheel. The Z24 is still there too - doesn't look like it has been touched other than what I've already pulled. Guess there isn't much interest in these old cars outside us nuts here on J-Body....Hahaa!



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Wow Orlen !!!!!!!! Those seats look great. I have been looking for a blue 1st gen set just like those for 10 years. Mine are clean but just sun faded and are starting to separate at the seams. I have just started this year to put silicone on the seams to help prolong the inevitable (re-upholstery).
If anyone knows where there might be a blue velour set of front and back seats just like those hanging around let me know.

Ok guys just a small update on the wife's 04 Honda accord.So far all my fixes have remedied the problem of the slow start and eventually the efi relay clicky noise!! I really had to do some serious homework to finally get this I hope solved long term.The short is I guess any 03 up to 12 accord with the 2.4 k series engine is prone to the starter going out sooner due to heat because of it's location under the intake.Another analomy is the efi relay listed by napa as the computer control relay idk why but is really the 2nd pgmi relay for the fuel system.These cars have 2 relays one for the fuel pump and one for the efi at the injectors techy I guess.The finale is after doing a tune up new plugs,coil packs and upgrading the ground from the battery to the fender and adding a 2nd ground to the block and upgrading the battery to the bigger size and intake gasket and efi relay,new starter things seem solid after 3 days fof normal use.I will be making a nice tutorial on this job and placing this on my youtube page for those who encounter the same problem.End of day glad I did the work and fixed it myself minus Honda being a big bucket to dump money too (dealership) and hopefully this last another years to come.Tired I am but yard work today wore me out.Things to come is a true Honda shop manual and a diagnostic tool to scan for the srs systems mostly Honda but at this point any ride I touch.The newest actron scanner does everything but SRS and while this area is kind of vague and does not pop up too often I want this feature personally.

Lots of studying/cramming today...spending both days of this weekend in new York auditioning for the chase