Getting Rid of Pop Up Headlamps!
 

I have a 87 Accord LXi. I was driving at night with those damned gas sucking pop up headlamps. I checked my mileage when I filled up, I was losing 4 mpg with the head lights on. I realize some of it is electrical load but most of it had to be aerodynamic losses. So this is what I did, I got rid of them and put in 1996 Grand Prix lights topped off with lexan covers.

did you replace your hood too. that actually looks pretty cool. very low profile and fairly stock looking

I didn't replace the hood, I welded the pop up doors to the corners of the hood. I think it looks a lot better than the stock headlamps too.

I agree, that looks nice. You did a nice job on the fender skirts as well. I'll bet it will be a really sharp looking car once you get it painted. My aunt had an 87 Accord, it was a nice little car until she gave it to her brother and he trashed it. He was messing around under the hood drunk one night, didn't latch it properly and when he took it out the next day the hood flew up and got bent backwards. The car took a progressive slide downhill after that.

good job on the welding. really good job on the welding.

I have seen some work that people have done and that is really good. you took time on that. looking back at the picture, you can tell a little but I wouldn't have know if you hadn't told me. nice hood.

Wow nice job!

yes looks alot better than i expected while i was reading it.

Thanks for the input!

It has more to do with not being scared to try something new. Especially when modding a vehicle for economy purposes.

This car was given to me not running. I now have a total of just under $750 invested in this car (most of it tires, fuel pump and main relay). But for that price and a few cheap mods and good gas mileage I can't complain. I realize some might think I am polishing a turd but even so I am getting 32.5 average mpg (so far).

Better yet, I am going to polish it with a gallon of Rustoleum when I am through. Why spend tons of money on a cheap mode of transportation? My plan is a descent looking car for under $1000. I think I can easily make it.

nice job :thumbup:

Those mods look sharp, and if you're looking for cheap instead of painting it by hand, why not do the $200 Maaco paint job? I know they're not the best, but they are certainly better than anything I can do at home by hand, or with cans of spraypaint.

-Jay

No, it's more than that...there's real skill involved there, and some less common tools/resources. I wish I had welding equipment and skill, for example.

As for your paint job, google around for how to do a really nice job on DIY car painting. It is possible. It's quite a bit of work (IIRC there's a lot of wet sanding involved) but people get great results.

Very nice! I had your car's sister, an '88 Hondan Prelude, and it also delivered 30mpg + . I find it embarrasing that modern vehicles still can't match that old of technology. They really don't look aerodynamic either. Those sneaky buggers.

true what about 80's (TPI)vettes the can run 13 sec. 1/4's and do 26-28 mpg on those wide azz tires

How about my old 1980 Pontiac Bonneville Safari wagon? I used to average 16 MPG in that car, and that was a 3 ton vehicle with a big block V-8 and a 4bbl carb - with a teenager driving it.... drag racing, burning the tires, seeing how fast I could get it to go... BTW, I don't know how fast that actually was, but it took about 10 seconds of me standing on the brakes before the speedometer needle even pulled off of 85. The guy I was chasing claimed he was going 110, and I was gaining on him quickly.

-Jay

Rustoleum Paint Job
 

I didn't say I was going to use spray cans...I am going to get a gallon of whatever color and spray it on with a paint gun. You can roller it on too if you thin it with mineral spirits and sand between coats. Believe it? Check this link out,

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...0&fpart=1&vc=1

Scroll down the page to 69chargeryeehaa's posts and check his links. There is also a pic embedded a little farther down. It's been painted with a paint roller and rustoleum. You can't get a paint job at Maaco like that for $50!

Hmmm....I can see the Geo looking better already....

ROFL at catbus avitar

ANYHOO

those roll on paint jobs look amazing, spray on is just as good i think. but you can get an orange peel effect if you spray.

I was thinking I will have to use thin coats and buff it too.

i have a couple to use rustolum on :thumbup:

HAHAHAH!!! A progressive slide huh??

Oh sorry... I guess that is a disaster but common you phrased it pretty dam funny :D

Well, in the span of just a few weeks it went from a beautiful garage kept 13 year old accord (85 or 86) to an ugly POS that ran like crap, and rattled like hell on the highway. I guess that's what happens when you have your friends Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Jhonny Walker help you fix the car.

-Jay