Open Road

OK, fine.......until it actually clears customs this is now a creepy/redonkulous van thread

While still waiting for the microvan to clear customs, I have now lost the use of my neighbor's truck & trailer.....so now we need to shop for a shipper to deliver it

NSXguy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 10:12 pm While still waiting for the microvan to clear customs, I have now lost the use of my neighbor's truck & trailer.....so now we need to shop for a shipper to deliver it

Do you know if the track is too narrow for my open trailer? You can use it and our truck, if it will work.

NSXguy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 10:12 pm While still waiting for the microvan to clear customs, I have now lost the use of my neighbor's truck & trailer.....so now we need to shop for a shipper to deliver it

Can't you just mail it in USPS standard box?

It's time for the guy doing the importation for us to figure out next moves, but if push comes to shove I'll get the track dimensions.

Oh and yes, the van pretty much IS a standard postage-sized box

Update?

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:09 pm Update?

It's finally here!

With a borrowed truck and a rented trailer my Importer and I drove to Baltimore early on Monday morning.
There were a few issues and we ended being forced to stay in MD overnight, but after a looooong day brought it to MI by 7:30pm.
We'll need to make an appointment with the SoS to get it registered/plated, so in the meantime I'll look after a few things that this well kept 28 year old vehicle needs.

NSXguy wrote: ↑Wed Aug 31, 2022 11:00 pm

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:09 pm Update?

It's finally here!

With a borrowed truck and a rented trailer my Importer and I drove to Baltimore early on Monday morning.
There were a few issues and we ended being forced to stay in MD overnight, but after a looooong day brought it to MI by 7:30pm.
We'll need to make an appointment with the SoS to get it registered/plated, so in the meantime I'll look after a few things that this well kept 28 year old vehicle needs.

CONGRATS!!!

I know the feeling when I import stuff from the US and it takes weeks…

lupo.sk wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 2:43 am
CONGRATS!!!

I know the feeling when I import stuff from the US and it takes weeks…

Yeah, this was more like 6 Months

I’d love a little tipper truck like that.
Been looking for a golf cart like it, but this would be more fun.

TRAKCAR wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 6:59 pm I’d love a little tipper truck like that.
Been looking for a golf cart like it, but this would be more fun.

Right, these little Kei trucks/vans are a whole bunch more practical in places like MI that allow them to be licensed for road use.
Ours is full-time 4WD and capable of 70mph, plus has heat/wipers/lights & even A/C so great all-weather protection.

Here are a few more pix...

Got new 13" tires fitted to the Shelby alloys, so the "+1" setup is now installed.

It's a big improvement over the stock 12" wheels that are fitted with snow tires

Since the original Clarion AM radio couldn't tune in any US frequencies, I decided to replace it with a much more modern choice.

To cover all bases, I got a Blaupunkt Beverly Hills AM/FM/CD/DVD unit that also has MP3/USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

To make installation easier I ordered a wiring harness adapter, and paired up all the various connections so then with high confidence for success I soldered/shrinkwrapped them all.

Once installed into the dash it was time to fire it up.................nothing!

No power, not a thing. WEIRD.

Then I remembered that it came with a remote, so after installing the battery I hit that Power button and voila, it came to life.

Since the van only has Front speakers I ran the balance to 100% Front, but after checking Left and Right only the Left speaker was working.

Sure of my connection prowess I thought maybe the wiring to the Right speaker was at fault, so proceeded to remove the inner door panel.

Um, there was NO SPEAKER installed in the Right door (DOH!)

Mystery solved, so now I have to decide if it's worth it to buy and mount another speaker, or just live with it mono-phonically

While it was out, I cleaned up and painted the lower console Black...which looks 10X better than it did before!

DVD? I assume it only plays the audio portion.

Let me know what size speaker you need. I may have one or more to match. You can at least experiment with something before spending big money.

Update us when you get the window crank off. There is a simple technique to reinstalling.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:46 am DVD? I assume it only plays the audio portion.

Let me know what size speaker you need. I may have one or more to match. You can at least experiment with something before spending big money.

Update us when you get the window crank off. There is a simple technique to reinstalling.

There is no screen, so don't know why you might want to play a DVD ???

I got the window crank off, I used a slim screwdriver with the 90* bend at the tip to pull up on the clip

It takes a 4" round speaker, but like you said I could use a different one to experiment with getting it wired up and working.

I got a cheap set ($20 shipped) of marine coaxial 4" speakers, and installed them in both front doors.
Instead of messing with the factory wiring (which was present for the Left side only anyway) I decided to tap the harness adapter leads labeled for Rear speakers and ran new wiring to both doors.....that way everything is new and fresh.
I still need to re-install the door panels and lower glovebox, but the installation came out quite well I think.

And of course the little microvan can rock out in actual stereo now

I had the old (original) black & blue striping removed, which was faded and chipped since 1994.
It looks pretty good without them, or maybe I'll do a different type of stripes on the sides (haven't decided yet).
I do have replacement Realtime 4WD decals for the front doors, which will go back on for sure.
Plus, I've had a little fun with badging/decals on the hatch as well

I thought the second picture was of the 'special' ACTY you looked at.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Fri Nov 04, 2022 1:01 pm

I thought the second picture was of the 'special' ACTY you looked at.

I think they are all special, but the one with the dual sunroofs and EFI was white...

It's Storage Season for Fun Cars right now in Michigan, so time to address some issues while we wait for the big thaw and Springtime pothole remediation!
I have a few tasks to deal with on the microvan, so after installing a new Steering Bushing the next target was the glovebox hinge.
As a hinge, it was just thin plastic that eventually work-hardened to failure...so no big surprise that from 1994 it timed out.
I found a stainless steel (black) piano hinge to fix it, and it worked great.

I found a 3D model of a cone adapter that would allow using a cheap and common WIX air filter element in place of the hard-to-find and expen$ive OEM (JDM Honda) unit, and my neighbor with a 3D printer made me one.

Gotta love technology that actually aims to improve your life, rather than enslave it

Our RR tail light lens was damaged during transit, so my Importer found me a replacement in Japan.
While swapping the new one in, I decided to also upgrade the backup light bulbs on each side to LED's

I spent today in the garage upgrading the Acty microvan's front strut rod bushings (w/MOOG poly) and removing the entire (heavy) stock exhaust system.

None of these fasteners had been turned since 1994, so I prepped days in advance by spraying them with PB Blaster and to my complete amazement they all came off without excessive drama!

Omg, all that exhaust for a sub-1L engine?? Good riddance!

lupo.sk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 10:51 am Omg, all that exhaust for a sub-1L engine?? Good riddance!

That's one thing Honda has been consistent about over the decades, complete overkill on exhaust systems.
We took 50lbs off the NSX when swapping to an aftermarket exhaust, it was just massively overbuilt.

Are those coolant hoses? Please explain.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 11:38 am Are those coolant hoses? Please explain.

I think those are just air hoses to get warmer air into the engine in winter months to help warm up. I’ve seen it somehwere like this, can’t remember for shit what car was it.

lupo.sk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:08 pm

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 11:38 am Are those coolant hoses? Please explain.

I think those are just air hoses to get warmer air into the engine in winter months to help warm up. I’ve seen it somehwere like this, can’t remember for shit what car was it.

That makes sense. My early Colts had a little tube from the exhaust manifold to the air cleaner, for that very reason.

Yes, they are pipes to deliver warm air to the carb.

Since this will start out as just a Summer toy I'll delete the de-icing function, BUT if I ever configure it with a snow plow then I may well add that function back.

The LED marker/brake light bulbs arrived, and they are a very nice upgrade!

I found a local muffler shop that is 'game' to make me a custom piece to adapt the stock 1.5" exhaust piping to a 2.25" (18"L) Supertrapp muffler I had laying around.
You'll have to forgive the sheeny way I located the muffler using the tiny chains meant to hang shop lights, but between them and the flex pipe it only has to make it about 7 miles to the shop
It's still snowy Winter here, so I'll have to wait until the roads are clean and clear before driving there....so hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks...

Here's a quick fly-by featuring the new muffler, courtesy of a Blink camera;

You've really unleashed those 38.5 wild horses.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 9:36 am You've really unleashed those 38.5 wild horses.

While still working through some drive-ability issues, I did manage to solve one minor inconvenience item.
I added a GPS speedometer/compass to the dash (so I don't have to convert from KM's on the fly), which needs a 12V power source.
I was using a 12V socket adapter that also had USB slots, but since the cigarette lighter (remember those?) is always HOT I had to unplug it after parking.
Not a big deal really, but I came across an easier solution than even hard-wiring it in......I bought a 12V adapter that has 2 USB slots that also sports an ON/OFF switch.
The display that reads battery voltage can be switched off, and at the touch of a button I can turn the power off to the speedo.
Not bad for under $10, I think

I might have just had a breakthrough in the drive-ability issues the little van has been presenting.
It starts and runs great, but after heading about 1 mile down the road it acted like it was being starved for fuel.
The carb (and its 2 solenoids) has been rebuilt, there is a new fuel pump and a bunch of fresh ignition parts so it was initially baffling why it acted like that.
Then after a drive I removed the gas cap and whoooosh, the tank was in vacuum!
I had already checked out the vent canister and lines, so it turns out that the vent on the gas cap no longer works properly.
I left it off and with a rag in the filler neck (Molotov cocktail style ) it ran great!
Rather than mess with the original (1994) gas cap, I'm going to grab a cheap one from an auto parts store.
I also finally got around to placing the new REALTIME 4WD decals on the sides.

C'mon Summer weather

We have a couple really good Auto Parts stores in town, so after a nice breakfast at our favorite local restaurant we hit them to see what they had for a modern compatible vented gas cap.
These are the kind of places where when you tell them "this vehicle isn't in your catalog" instead of bailing, they invite you back into the racks to rifle through what they have in search of a match.
Long story short, neither had a viable alternative.
Now in eff it mode, once home I decided to drill a proper vent hole to replace the non-functioning original system.
It's been too cold and wet to give this hopeful fix a proper test, but time will tell

OMG you will literally kill the earth and destroy the atmosphere!!!!!!!!! CARB would have a field day with your ass, hehe

Worse yet, that didn't even fix the problem

I can get another gas cap for $10, but I need to correctly diagnose and fix this issue!

DOH!

Fuel pump? Filter?

Did you check for vent line on the tank? if so, is it plugged or kinked? It also my have a check valve in the vent line to minimize fuel spill if the vehicle goes tits up.

My $.02

Greg

Scott- the fuel pump and filter are both new.

Greg- my fear is that this is exactly where this is leading....there IS a check valve but it's not reachable without much PITA work.

I'm hoping to not have to drop the driveshaft & tank to resolve this!

Drill a hole in the top of the tank? ;)

NSXguy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 25, 2023 10:55 pm Scott- the fuel pump and filter are both new.

Greg- my fear is that this is exactly where this is leading....there IS a check valve but it's not reachable without much PITA work.

I'm hoping to not have to drop the driveshaft & tank to resolve this!

Could be a sticking float - even though the carb has been rebuilt.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 9:11 am Could be a sticking float - even though the carb has been rebuilt.

Ahhhh, Could Be....

After a looooong session in the garage, I have a couple updates.

The straight-through exhaust was a bit too loud to live with, and since Supertrapp apparently doesn't sell the 5" SS end cap with the hole already drilled.....I decided to make one from a solid end cap.
Scott at Team Harco suggested I start with 3 holes with the possibility of adding more if it's too muffled, but after a spin around our sub we decided it was good just like that.
I prepped and painted the end cap high heat black, which came out great.




Now for the fun job, pulling the carb to replace the original (degrading) 1994 fuel line.
UGH, this tiny mid-engined van has packaging issues to say the least.....but I finally got-er-dun

The saga continues, as the apparent fuel starvation issue is still present after the feed line swap.

Since it was really nice out today, I snapped a picture of our lowest and highest horsepower mid-engined Hondas...just for fun

I didn't want to have to go there, but I dropped the fuel tank to eliminate the remaining variables in our carb gas uptake issue.
The tank actually looked quite good inside, so I've cleaned then coated the exterior with Dupli-Color Rust Fix....which is designed to encapsulate surface rust and after curing leaves a surface ready for painting.
I have blown out all hard lines and will replace the fuel feed and vent hoses, and even tested the check-valve to confirm it's still working.
A bunch more work than I had hoped to have to do, but that's just how the ball bounces sometimes

Blast those fuel pipes generously with carb clean.

Scott at Team Harco wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 5:35 pm Blast those fuel pipes generously with carb clean.

Will do, Scott