Oh yeah, consider this a "before" picture. Will post the "after" picture with the new headlights. Unfortunately, you can't see the broken marker light on the passenger side here, nor how cracked and brittle the remaining units are. Just suffice to say, they're way overdue for replacement lol.

 

The car itself looks good. Yeah some plastics don't like the heat. I've had several GM trucks where I needed to replace the head lights in, mainly to be able to see at night.

 

Much cleaner appearance, and now it has functional parking lamps too!

A remarkable improvement here, less wind noise and shouldnt leak any more.

Not in person, lol. It's a "20 footer" car, as in it looks fine from 20 feet away. The paint on the top surfaces (hood, roof, etc) is very faded and the clearcoat is all but gone. Some kid named Chad carved his name into the paint on the hood. You can see there is a dent in the passenger fender where it meets the marker lamp, and the tab that holds the bumper cover flush with the fender is broken.The passenger rear quarter panel's paint is particularly rough. There is evidence of minor impacts on both front and rear bumpers.

However, I got the new headlights installed, and the new door seal for the driver's door. Some things were frustrating (getting the turn signal lenses in the bumper out, getting the old weather stripping clips out), but overall, it went well.

 

Yeah, the clear coat issue is pretty common with Honda's of that era, along with the 6th gen models. Don't know why, but it is pretty common. The new headlights look great on it, and really give it a fresh look.
Yeah, I hate wind noise myself, and I'll adjust the window more down just to get rid of it. These cars are built so tight, that just cracking a window open will give you a whistle.
Well it might have it's bumps and bruises, but it is paid for. That alone beats a car payment any day.

 

I thought it looked particularly good when I walked out of my neighbor's house this evening, so I snapped a pic.

Thanks again man! I haven't had a car payment since the early 2000s. I will have them in late 2020 or 2021, and they'll likely be on a Ford Bronco with a manual transmission and two doors. Second choice is a Honda Civic Si coupe.

Regarding noise, my Taurus is far quieter, even though it's not particularly quiet. But, more sound deadening would make the car heavier, and that would take away what makes a "peak Honda" so special, as in the lightness and sportiness. Really, my 1995 Taurus is more Honda-like than those that followed. Its lighter, handles well, and is generally well built.

 

So, its been a while, therefore I thought I'd post an update on the Accord. I went to the junkyard today and scored several things it needed. One being a spare tire, which came in the form of a full size wheel/tire (steel wheel). I knew my trunk weather stripping was pretty ragged, and I found one that was seriously like-new, so I nabbed that as well. Also got a glove box, climate control panel, "ACCORD" and "LX" badges (I hate the no-badge look), and a dimmer switch.

so far, I've installed the glove box, the badges and the trunk weather stripping. Oh, of course I threw the spare in the trunk, too. The glove box matches the color, but there's a gap between it and the side dash. Not huge, I've actually seen a bigger one in a nearly-new Toyota Highlander! But, I think I can do something about that tomorrow. Anyway, its certainly better than the big cavity that was there before.

the only thing I forgot was a console lid. Mine is missing the top half. I am gonna be back down that way Tuesday, so I'll grab one then. I would have loved to have found a better driver's door panel, but every Accord of this generation there was 4 door (LX automatic). Every one was the exact same color as mine, inside and out, lol.

I have also put the Accord up for sale, however I'm asking too much ($1500) and I won't go below $1000. Before I take less than a grand, I will keep it as a spare car.

don't worry about me losing faith, lmao, I'm gonna try to find a nicer EX version of my car come tax time, or maybe a 98-02 EX 4 door 4 cylinder manual (I prefer the 4 door in that generation). I would also consider a 92-93ish coupe with a manual as well. That would be my "nice" Accord, a car I wouldn't mind spending serious money on upgrading (like new paint, a nice stereo system, tinted windows). I am very reluctant to spend too much on this '96 due to its condition. It would take far too much to fully restore and it still wouldn't be the EX model like I really want. Don't get me wrong, I do not for a second regret buying it, and as I said, I'll either make a few hundred off of it, or I'll keep it as a spare car.

included is a picture of the glove box installed. As you can see, I do need to adjust it and make sure that side trim is screwed down correctly later on. Also, the new badges, gorilla glued in place lol.