[SiSilver]

its great color, perfect tools for every day transportation.
Regards from me

[CTinline-six]

That's a sweet Honda (did I just say that? lol). Back when they made good cars. My friend's dad has a 5 speed 1989 Civic. What a blast to drive. The car feels solid, is quiet inside, and actually handles better than the POS tin cans they sell now with incredible amounts of road noise.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Barrique91

Thank you very much! Sorry but my wagon fanboy nerdiness is going to have to correct you. RT4WD is not AWD, it is part time 4wd. That's why it's not called "RTAWD". Wagovan is also a trim, wagovan never came in RT4WD. Calling every RT4WD civic wagon a wagovan would be like calling every base model 335i a 335is or every 328i a m3, etc. Sorry again, I had to

Ah... I never knew that! Thanks for educating me... I assumed all Civic wagons were Wagovans. I had a teacher in high school who had the 6 speed 4WD (with those same white wheels unique to that model), that was the only other Civic Wagon I have ever seen in person. When I got to college, I had a physics book that had an example problem that used a light blue Civic wagon in the diagram!!!!

You'd get along great with an old friend of mine in VA. He had a Buick Roadmaster wagon when he was in high school, then bought a Mazdaspeed 3 (that's still a wagon) and now he's back to a V8 American Wagon in a CTS-V.

[Barrique91]

Originally Posted by SiSilver

its great color, perfect tools for every day transportation.
Regards from me

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

That's a sweet Honda (did I just say that? lol). Back when they made good cars. My friend's dad has a 5 speed 1989 Civic. What a blast to drive. The car feels solid, is quiet inside, and actually handles better than the POS tin cans they sell now with incredible amounts of road noise.

[QUOTE=lowrydr310;23661232]

Thanks guys! My dad and I have restored it over the past 4 years. He taught me a ton about it. The e91 lacks the fun factor and feels overly "stiff" compared to the civic. Don't get me wrong the e91 is fun to drive everyday but the civic has the upper hand in fun factor and putting a smile on your face.

Originally Posted by Barrique91

Ah... I never knew that! Thanks for educating me... I assumed all Civic wagons were Wagovans. I had a teacher in high school who had the 6 speed 4WD (with those same white wheels unique to that model), that was the only other Civic Wagon I have ever seen in person. When I got to college, I had a physics book that had an example problem that used a light blue Civic wagon in the diagram!!!!

You'd get along great with an old friend of mine in VA. He had a Buick Roadmaster wagon when he was in high school, then bought a Mazdaspeed 3 (that's still a wagon) and now he's back to a V8 American Wagon in a CTS-V.

They have gotten scarcely rare in my area. There are only 2 others in my town; an old lady's that is pristine, and a middle aged man who's is pretty beat.

Wasn't expecting the bmw forum to like the little Rt4wd, thanks guys.

[Barrique91]

Well I figured I should update this thread to bring everything up to speed. I enjoy looking back on forums and seeing progress from long ago. Since my last update, both front struts and bump stops were replaced by my mechanic, and an alignment was done. The front rotors, pads, and sensor were replaced. My dad showed me how to do one side, and I did the other. I enjoyed doing it.

Myself and a couple of buddies were heading home from a concert one night and my car started freaking out with a Christmas tree light show. I pulled over, left the car, and got a ride over to the mechanic to drop off my keys. We suspected it was the alternator. His usual tow guy wasn't working, it was pretty late. I took his advice and agreed that the car would be fine staying there until the morning to get towed to the shop. That next morning he visited us at work and told me my car was no where to be found. The first thought that came to mind was someone stole it. This was fortunately not the case, the car was impounded. Where we left it was a tow away zone:. After calling a few people we found out where it was and after $3xx in fees and what-not it was out. Just now remembering that my father has AAA, we used them to tow it from the impound yard to the mechanic's shop. AAA payed for $175 of the impound fee which was very nice of them. This was a huge learning experience for me, I could have went about the situation better. My dad totally forgot that he even had AAA, he has been a customer for over 20 years and only used it once. I will keep that in mind next time.

[Barrique91]

Shortly after the unexpected trip to the mechanic, we deleted the CDV. The car feels amazing now! The clutch is very predictable and just flat out "normal" now and I love it.

The sound system in my e91 was not up to my standards. Everything sounded really great, except for no bass. Bass is important to me and I love it in almost all of the songs I listen to. After reading on e90post's electrical section, I decided to purchase a 12" kicker subwoofer and kenwood amp. The kenwood amp is the same model of the one that I had in my old pickup, nostalgic. To work with these, I also picked up a lc2i. Although more challenging than a normal install, it was all pretty simple "once it clicked" in my mind. I am extremely satisfied with the sound. It's great and blows every other car that I've heard out of the water. My dad liked it so much that we installed an under seat subwoofer in his car as well.

[Barrique91]

After the subwoofer install I was extremely happy with the sound in my wagon.

I got my recall notice in the mail a few weeks ago. I was reluctant to deal with the dealer, but it had to be done. The dealer was surprisingly a great experience, the employees there liked my car and even let me sit in a brand new M5. I left with a new airbag and part of the blower motor wiring replaced. Peace of mind.

This last week I bought some vinyl to cover up the wood trim. I never hated my lighter wood trim, but I would like something "sportier". I purchased vivvid dry carbon fiber and 3m anthracite. I also decided to buy a red Start Stop button. I covered up the old, scratched, steering wheel trim with carbon, along with the center console. The vivvid vinyl was pretty stubborn and unforgiving to work with. I did a decent job, it was also my first time working with any type of vinyl. The 3m anthracite came in and it was a dream to work with. Because I was used to the vivvid carbon, it made the 3m vinyl especially easy to use. I wrapped the rest of the trim in 3m anthracite and did a pretty good job. There are only one or two spots that sometimes catch my eye. I personally love the way everything looks together, especially the nice flakes in the anthracite. Will get better photos when I get the chance. Just finished this up tonight and it was dark.

[lowrydr310]

Subwoofers in wagons/hatchbacks sound amazing! I had a single 12" sub in the rear cab of my truck and it sounded incredible. I moved it to the trunk of a coupe and lost half the volume. I have a single 12" subwoofer in the trunk of my e90 and it's a nice boost over the stock system but still relatively weak due to it being enclosed in the trunk. I've been keeping my eyes open at the junk yard for a rear seat back with the ski (bass) pass-through slot.

Glad to see the progress on your car, it looks great. Why did you replace the front struts? Any specific symptoms? Mine have torn boots with disintegrated bump stops and don't feel fresh so I want to replace them. I also get a creaking in the front and I'm not sure if it's just the worn struts or the swaybar bushings (had a similar creaking in a family member's Lexus and new swaybar bushings didn't make a difference, replaced the struts and the creaking is gone).

The vinyl covered trim looks great too. I've been thinking of doing this myself. I had several cracks on the large trim piece on the dash and using a sample of vinyl I tried covering it but the cracks show right through the vinyl and it looked bad. I ended up getting a new wood trim piece from the salvage yard for $8 and it's nearly perfect so I might just leave it as is for now.

[Barrique91]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Subwoofers in wagons/hatchbacks sound amazing! I had a single 12" sub in the rear cab of my truck and it sounded incredible. I moved it to the trunk of a coupe and lost half the volume. I have a single 12" subwoofer in the trunk of my e90 and it's a nice boost over the stock system but still relatively weak due to it being enclosed in the trunk. I've been keeping my eyes open at the junk yard for a rear seat back with the ski (bass) pass-through slot.

Glad to see the progress on your car, it looks great. Why did you replace the front struts? Any specific symptoms? Mine have torn boots with disintegrated bump stops and don't feel fresh so I want to replace them. I also get a creaking in the front and I'm not sure if it's just the worn struts or the swaybar bushings (had a similar creaking in a family member's Lexus and new swaybar bushings didn't make a difference, replaced the struts and the creaking is gone).

The vinyl covered trim looks great too. I've been thinking of doing this myself. I had several cracks on the large trim piece on the dash and using a sample of vinyl I tried covering it but the cracks show right through the vinyl and it looked bad. I ended up getting a new wood trim piece from the salvage yard for $8 and it's nearly perfect so I might just leave it as is for now.

That's why I'm glad I have a e91, better sound and more cargo room(even if the sub took up a portion of it

The reason why we replaced the struts was the passenger side one was bent. We couldn't get the alignment right before replacing them and couldn't figure out what was wrong. Took out the strut and you could see a bend pretty easily just by looking up close. Now the alignment is perfect and it rides great!

Thanks for the compliment on the vinyl! If you are gonna do it I strongly recommend 3m with air release! It's easy to work with.

[vilord]

Your wagon is looking great! Wish I could find one in that color, though I am pretty sentimental about my '07.

Did you do the polishing yourself? Mine's a bit dull at this point.

[Barrique91]

Originally Posted by vilord

Your wagon is looking great! Wish I could find one in that color, though I am pretty sentimental about my '07.

Did you do the polishing yourself? Mine's a bit dull at this point.

Thank you! I really love the color and how rare it is.

I did all of the polishing myself with a harbor freight dual action and griots garage backing plate with pads. It's interesting to see the difference after polishing but after a few hours into it, you do get pretty tired.

[Barrique91]

A photo in slightly better light to show the trim. Photos can't do it justice, it's hard to show the flake without flash on.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Barrique91

Thank you! I really love the color and how rare it is.

I did all of the polishing myself with a harbor freight dual action and griots garage backing plate with pads. It's interesting to see the difference after polishing but after a few hours into it, you do get pretty tired.

I have a harbor freight DA along with the harbor freight cutting and polishing pads. I was skeptical about the pads but they work great. So far I've used the cutting pad with Meguiars ultimate compound and the polishing pad with Blackfire Polish. I have Meguiars ultimate polish which also works well but I prefer the blackfire polish (maybe it's because I paid more for it?) Unfortunately after a recent car wash, the attendants used some towels that had trapped grit and royally screwed up my finish. Not that my paint is perfect, but there were obvious fine scratches matching the pattern of them wiping my car dry. Time to polish again.

Also, when I saw your initial post update with your car on a flatbed and the hood open you had me worried. I thought you got into an accident with front end damage. It was only until after I read your post that I realized it was just towed away.

[Barrique91]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

I have a harbor freight DA along with the harbor freight cutting and polishing pads. I was skeptical about the pads but they work great. So far I've used the cutting pad with Meguiars ultimate compound and the polishing pad with Blackfire Polish. I have Meguiars ultimate polish which also works well but I prefer the blackfire polish (maybe it's because I paid more for it?) Unfortunately after a recent car wash, the attendants used some towels that had trapped grit and royally screwed up my finish. Not that my paint is perfect, but there were obvious fine scratches matching the pattern of them wiping my car dry. Time to polish again.

Also, when I saw your initial post update with your car on a flatbed and the hood open you had me worried. I thought you got into an accident with front end damage. It was only until after I read your post that I realized it was just towed away.

The harbor freight polisher is my favorite thing I've bought from them. It has transformed my paint and hasn't given me any trouble. After this winter I definitely am gonna need to polish my paint again I can see new scratches that have formed.

Now that you have pointed that out about the first photo I can definitely see that

[Barrique91]

A little update on the touring. I have had a small power steering leak that we've been trying to ignore until spring. Well, that didn't work out. A few weeks ago it started losing fluid like crazy one day, after further inspection I needed a new rack and pinion. We got the car to the mechanic with a part we ordered off of eBay. We get a phone call from the mechanic saying it doesn't fit. The seller on eBay stated it did fit and it didn't have servotronic. The part DID have servotronic and was about an inch longer at the shaft that connects to the steering column. The next day we sourced a different used one locally and I got it to my mechanic. I just picked up the car yesterday after getting aligned and it feels great to be back! Now all we have to do is battle the seller on eBay because he is ignorant and refused to acknowledge he is in the wrong, won't even look at the side by side photos we provided for him. Very happy to have my car back after about two and a half weeks.


I contacted "SickFinga" on the maxbimmers forum for production numbers on my spec of car. Happy to say I own a 1 of 1 car.


One of my best friends got me this cool present for Christmas, all the way from Ukraine!

[Barrique91]

Have been enjoying the car more and more despite having some problems. For her 1st birthday, I bought KW V1s. Loving them so far. The back is maxed out, the front has 3 threads left to go. I have been battling some odd codes and problems. First crankshaft position sensor, this fixed some problems and a code. Then almost all maf codes, mixtures codes were fixed when the connector to the maf sensor was rebuilt. Now all I am left with is mass sensor signal. Honestly have no idea what we could check, have replaced the maf, connector, checked the fuses. I think it might be a vacuum leak because the cold start idle does fluctuate when you hold the brake. Any help is appreciated. In the meantime, here's a mini shoot I did today.

[RND1]

Just read through your entire thread and loved it! My 16 yr old son and I are looking for an e90/91 6sp sport for his first car so I'm curious about the auction you used? Can you tell us more - what's the auction site, what's the process like, do you need to be local, etc?

[Asimo]

looks really good maybe go for some aftermarket lci look alike taillights would really freshen up the exterior

[vilord]

Did you end up getting the seller to take back the servotronic steering rack?

[vilord]

Originally Posted by Asimo

looks really good maybe go for some aftermarket lci look alike taillights would really freshen up the exterior

There are not a lot of options for wagons, at least that I've seen...

[CTinline-six]

Did you swap in LCI headlights or did it come with those? Looks good!

[Barrique91]

Originally Posted by RandyBonnette

A nice one.
I bought my 2007 325i BMW second hand with 66000 kms in 2015 but I love it. And I'm trying to make everything possible to keep it clean and in a perfectly condition.

That's what I like to hear

Originally Posted by RND1

Just read through your entire thread and loved it! My 16 yr old son and I are looking for an e90/91 6sp sport for his first car so I'm curious about the auction you used? Can you tell us more - what's the auction site, what's the process like, do you need to be local, etc?

Thanks!! I used IAAI. For public accounts(depending on state) you just buy an account which is $200 a year. Wait until the car is assigned and then you may manually bid or type in your maximum bid and it will bid for you. Very easy and simple, wouldn't recommend unless you guys DIY. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Asimo

looks really good maybe go for some aftermarket lci look alike taillights would really freshen up the exterior

Thanks! I would love some blacklines but they are pretty pricey.

Originally Posted by vilord

Did you end up getting the seller to take back the servotronic steering rack?

Yup! Since he wouldn't when we communicated with him, eBay forced him

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Did you swap in LCI headlights or did it come with those? Looks good!

Forgot to mention that, good eye! I swapped in the LCI headlights a few weeks ago and put in LUX V3s. Thank you!