93SE Update: Project Restoration

[hiptech]

I'm blown away, I really like the attention to detail. The NOS wheels really are a nice touch Are those the original rubber trims around the foglights?

Thanks and yes the rubber trim is original...

[GTRON]

Wow. The car looks super clean bro. I actually like that its almost 100% stock. Looks like it just came off the factory floor. I'd prefer that you don't mod it. K, thanks lol

Hahaha

I say keep stock looks, and turbo it

[hiptech]

Hahaha

I say keep stock looks, and turbo it

I think I'd do a Prelude engine before a turbo...

[GTRON]

I think I'd do a Prelude engine before a turbo...

That too! A turbo would be pretty sleeper in that though

[7beast]

Beautiful car

[hiptech]

Well yesterday I completed another few items on my restoration... the leather seats and door panels.

Trim Fit Upholstery here in Phoenix has done work for me in the past. In fact the Acura dealer used them to replace a seat cushion outer panel on my then new 04 TSX after it turned blue and Acura issued a service bulletin.

The bulk of their work comes from local dealers and they never advertise. In fact their only web presence is on Yelp.

The driver's seat received new padding and new leather on the seat cushion and back side bolsters. Both front door panels were redyed along with the hard plastic trim on the doors and seats. The passenger seat was in excellent shape so it was only redyed to match the driver seat.

BTW the slight "puckering" on the driver's seat should go away in a week or so as the leather slightly shrinks. Overall I'm very pleased with their work and highly recommend them for anyone in the Phoenix area.

My only oversight was forgetting to shoot pics of the seats before they were refinished so I included the old panels for reference.

For now I need to still replace the wheel opening moldings, modify one of the seat heater plugs to accommodate the Bose aux jack, reinstall the console and eventually find the courage to install my overhead courtesy map lights with HomeLink which I also color matched to the interior. I'll keep you posted...

Sorry for the oversized pics found new hosting site and still trying it out.

[Rilas]

Hiptech I really like how the seat and panels turned out. I'm wondering what this cost you though, I've always wanted to get some seats redone but what I hear on the cost always scares me off and I haven't even inquired about it?

[hiptech]

Hiptech I really like how the seat and panels turned out. I'm wondering what this cost you though, I've always wanted to get some seats redone but what I hear on the cost always scares me off and I haven't even inquired about it?

Its always fascinated me how expensive seat trim and coverings cost especially through dealers. On my TSX the cost of replacing one seat cushion is somewhere between $600-$900... crazy right!?

Before I go further I know some ppl may think it's crazy to invest so much into a CB7. Who else would install clear paint protection on the entire front end of a 24 year old Accord? My car doesn't have a half million miles, in fact it recently hit 129K so I doubt Honda will ever throw me a celebration in Torrance and offer me a new car as a gift like they did my friend Tyson.

But I do derive satisfaction from maintaining all my cars to the highest level I can. To some it's an obsession but to me it's normal, it's the way I'm wired and was brought up. If a new car is the 2nd most expensive purchase most will make why treat it like crap and not take care of it? LOL I suspect around here I'm preaching to the choir...

To be honest I didn't expect to keep the car this long but now that I have one of my goals is to make it 25 years in September 2018, get it to the highest level I affordably can and reach 130k miles. After that we'll see...

In answer to your question the cost of replacing the left seat cushion, both left seat back side bolsters, new padding, dyeing both front seats, door panels and labor it came to $570 OTD.

Most ppl know it's the driver's seat that gets all the abuse followed by the front passenger seat and then the rear. The way I justify this is if I was able to get these to last 24 years through diligent care then this latest expense is a small price in comparison (plus its way cheaper than a car payment )

[Fleetw00d]

That's not as bad as I expected. When I got my 93 EX in 2012, I had the driver seat redone for about $240, and I was the one who removed and reinstalled the covers. For an additional amount, they also replaced the top panel on the upper back seat cushion where they get baked in the sun. On all my cars I find a big towel (preferably in matching color) and use it to cover the top of the rear seat cushion and side bolsters.

[hiptech]

Window tint would make a world of difference. It doesn't need to be dark since all high quality tint has excellent UV rejection properties...

[Fleetw00d]

Window tint would make a world of difference. It doesn't need to be dark since all high quality tint has excellent UV rejection properties...

The SE I rescued was tinted; I guess I'm too used to clear windows - it was really disconcerting driving at night. Maybe my age, maybe the eye injury.

[hiptech]

The SE I rescued was tinted; I guess I'm too used to clear windows - it was really disconcerting driving at night. Maybe my age, maybe the eye injury.

Maybe but as I say they offer window film that is virtually clear without tint now. It still offers the UV rejection without the darkness. In fact even though it's illegal to apply film to your windshield I know several people who have done just that to help keep the heat load down and protect the interior...

[Fleetw00d]

OK, I must have read over the the "doesn't need to be dark" part.

[apalileo]

This is a beautifully kept CB7! I have a lot of respect for anyone willing to put in work to keep their car so close to factory new!

With regard to tint, I recently got my car re-tinted with SunTek Carbon 55 which has 60% visible light transmission and 99% UV rejection. This line of tint goes up to 70% VLT. I'm sure there are others with even higher VLT. Even if it's almost completely clear, the UV protection is a huge benefit!