I was chatting with a friend when this idea was brought up. I used to have a few attainable dream cars, and I guess now the one that goes front and center would be the Honda Jazz.
For this thought exercise I'm going with my original dream Honda Jazz, the first generation GD. It has to be as unmodified as possible, and an automatic transmission. Why an automatic? The variants here that had front driver and passenger airbags were the supposedly the automatic transmission ones. Finding one of those, if I were to base it on Facebook Marketplace, is a very big challenge. However let's assume I did find one to my liking and I had unlimited budget, these are what I plan to do. In order of priority, of course.
- Make it reliable. Thorough check of the entire car. Engine, electricals, transmission, brakes, suspension, you name it and it gets checked. If it has an OBD-II port, check for errors. Fix all problems, replace all old components that need new ones. Wiring harnesses, ignition coils, brake hoses, radiator, if it needs a new set then replace it. Ideally with quality OEM aftermarket parts.
- Fix the body. Check for rust, check and repair dents. Replace the headlights and stoplights if they're too yellowed already. Replace the glass if needed. Replace the molding for the windows with new ones. The GD Jazz are notorious for having leaks in the top rear, near the hatch area. Make sure the rubber molding there are new so that no water leaks occur. This youtube video is a great reference for what to look out for when buying a used GD Jazz.
- Upgrade lighting. I'm not talking about using LED bulbs that blind oncoming traffic. Ideally if we can use LEDs properly then I'm all for that. I do want the LED lights to not be pure white. Use amber bulbs for the fog lamps. For the interior lights, if we can replace the bulbs with LED lighting I would do that too. And of course it would also be good to replace the dashboard light.
- Upgrade sounds. Android Auto ready head unit, better co-axial speakers, tweeters, maybe a small amp if it fits. Nothing very expensive, just enough to make podcasts and music sound better than stock.
- Upgrade the horn. Again, nothing too expensive. Just loud and powerful enough to be useful for daily driving.
- Roof rack system. Yes, I've always wanted to have a registered roof rack system. This would give extra cargo space, at the cost of aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. I'd love to have a cargo basket, two bike racks, a big and small cargo box for the roof rack system.
- Rims and tires. As usual nothing too crazy. Ideally just replace the stock rims with aftermarket rims that look better but have the exact same spec. Get new tires as well since there's a chance the tires on this theoretical GD Jazz might be old or worn out as well. If there's one thing I'd want to try with new rims, is to have the tires a bit more flush than stock. Flush meaning the sidewalls are a bit more aligned with the body of the Jazz.
- Suspension upgrades. Coilovers and polyurethane bushings are some things I've seen on Instagram. I'd like these as well, but to raise the ride height by 1 or 2 centimeters. Added ground clearance is something I'd want, but nothing too extreme.
- Fresh coat of paint. Then some decals to make sure I can identify the Jazz in a parking lot.
Out.
