Thanks for the kind words guys. It has taken me nearly 10 months to get to this point. I can't tell you guys how many times I wanted to just give up and quit. Every time I lost my inspiration I jumped online and browsed though members rides, pictures and even some total BS racing stories which always seemed to help me.
Here are a few updates...
Remember that gap between the windshield and the cowling that wasn't suppose to be there? You know the one from my little @$%# UP
Well here is a refresher...
The spare rubber seal I used to fix it was originally from between the roof and the sunroof tray. I cut it to the length needed and used some 3M adhesive to attach it to the cowling. It isn't perfect but will work for now.
After double then triple checking things I decided to take the car for a quick test drive down the road and back. I didn't make it very far before I realized the car was very hard to shift into 2nd gear. Putting the car in 1st gear wasn't exactly easy either.
When I installed the shifter I noticed that the shifter mount plate was crooked but didn't think much of it. The shifter linkage was supposedly a Zero play shift linkage and whoever welded it up didn't take the time to ensure it was properly clocked. Look at the arrows which point to the gaps between the shifter and the mount plate. The tips of the arrows are located on the edge of where the mounting plate contacts the shifter. The shifter is sitting in neutral which is between 3rd and 4th gear but the shifter is already tight to the left side of the mounting plate(left arrow touching the shifter) and the right side of the mount plate has a large gap between both the shifter and the bottom of the car where it should sit flush.
My solution was to remove the linkage, cut and reweld it properly. I shortened the shifter linkage on my last B16 swapped EF civic so I was confident that I could do it right. How hard is it to weld two surfaces so they are inline? Stick one end in a vice and the other on a flat surface, done and done!
Cut reclocked and about to weld it up. Here is a quick pic of how I held it together (pulled apart only for the picture), this makes it easier to weld since the hollow pipe has another one inside it which makes it thicker so there is less of a chance of burning through.
With the shifter linkage welded up properly I took it for another rip down the road and back. She shifts beautifully and with the B&M shifter the throw is nice and short. A little shorter than I am use to but I think I will like it in time.
The car has a nice torquey feel and great acceleration. It would destroy my old B16 down low and seems comparable up top. The B16 would bog out if you didn't launch it high enough where the B20 seems to just take off. I made the mistake of launching it above 3500rpm and smoked the tires through first and second up to 5500rpm when it hooked. Another 1000rpm up top along with that VTEC sound would be nice but will have to wait for a little while.
With that said I have pulled the car into the shop and that is where it will stay until Monday when I tow it in for a Safety, Etest and four wheel alignment. My Speedo was unhooked but at 6000 ish rpm in 4th gear (85-90mph, 135-145km/h) the car was super hard to control. It was wandering all over the road and felt very sloppy. I am sure the guys at Windsor Spring and Alignment will have her fixed up for me on Monday. The wait over the weekend is going to kill me lol.
Here is a pic with the side protectors on. The car has only been wet sanded from just above the protectors down so there is still lots of sanding and polishing to do but it is coming along. It is difficult to tell with the white paint but she is dusty and needs a bath.
I have a few finishing touches to add to the car over the weekend so I will keep tinkering away and keep you guys updated on the progress.
Planned Upgrades:
Front adjustable camber control arms
Custom (DIY) front traction bar
J's racing polyurethane front lip/spoiler
Ground Control coil sleeves with adjustable Koni yellow sport shocks
Constantly searching for a JDM center console
Tint the windows dark
LSD cable transmission upgrade
Neptune demon RTP and forced induction (turbo or maybe a JRSC)
2.5" Custom mandrel bent stainless steel midpipe (High flow cat, maybe from an S2K)
A nice set of reclining racing bucket seats, comfortable yet sturdy (Bride, Sparco, Recaro etc)