The Civic has arrived, safe and sound, at it’s new temporary home. That home is the Norco High School Auto Shop garage, which is where a team of students will bring it back to life. I ventured inland to have a look at the facilities and the car, and I know it’s in good hands.

So now that it’s in the shop, what does the team have to get wrenching on?

Plenty…

The very first thing that needs to be addressed is the alternator. I had recently put a brand new Optima battery in the car, and I was recently having trouble keeping the battery charged. A new alternator is already ordered, but since the hood is already off, the students will also be replacing parts that require attention. This means a new timing belt, plugs, wires, and a few other items.

The school also has a media blaster, so some tired looking under-hood bits will be getting some love. Exterior pieces will also be getting love thanks to the newly ordered hood, bumper, and grille. The Civic will finally once again have the pretty face it deserves.

The paint is actually in pretty good shape, according to the folks in charge of the upcoming body work. I found out why that is when I talked to my friend who is the prior owner of the car. It was repainted after it was recovered from the time it was stolen a few years ago. So any existing scratches will be buffed out, and the car is going to shine.

A few questions remain, however, with regards to just how this car is going to come back together. I have some choices to make with regards to some upgrades and appearance items. At the moment, I’m very tempted to remove the wheel covers and paint the existing steel wheels black. Then I would like to add new tires with raised white lettering. It isn’t a style normally used on a car like the Civic… but it might be something different and fun to do.

Additionally, the man in charge of the body work also has the ability to create wraps and stickers. He is trying to convince me to do some sort of sticker on the car, but nothing in my head looks right. I don’t want random stickers on the car, but there has to be something fun we could do. Share your ideas in the comments please, I’m looking forward to what you all can come up with.

It was great fun to go out and tour the classroom. My high school didn’t offer any sort of class like this, and I’m quite jealous of the wrenching knowledge this kids are learning. The rooms are clean, and the classroom setting is just ahead of the three-bay garage. If the kids have a day where they finish their work early, they get to have head-to-head races against the clock to see who can remove spark plugs the fastest.

(The class record is 41 seconds…)

At the moment, the school has just entered it’s Spring Break period but some bits have already been applied to the car, and the class will dive right back in when they get back to class. I’m happy and excited to see this car get a new lease on life. Every time I drive it, I get a smile on my face because it’s just that fun. Now I have the chance to make it even more fun with a few upgrades. I’m not sure what that entails just yet, but I’ll be sharing the entire process here as we move forward.

[Images copyright 2014 Hooniverse/Jeff Glucker]