Rusty But Trusty

You can still spot older Civics every so often in the dry states – since rust doesn’t kill them, and the mechanical bits seem to have great longevity, these cars can easily live to be 30 or 40 years old, especially as secondary transportation. The second-generation Civic started the growth trajectory that has left today’s Civic dwarfing the first Accords – they became bigger, more boxy, and got a larger engine. 1982 saw the addition of updates including square sealed beam headlights, which was a far cry from the flying cars we were led to expect by then. The following year brought the S model, which, beyond some extra badging, blacked-out trim, and sport upholstery, also had firmer suspension, a rear anti-roll bar, and Michelin tires. North American Civic S (esses?) received the 1500 engine with a brutal (wait for it) 67hp. You can find this 1983 Honda Civic 1500 S for sale in Shoreline, WA (just north of Seattle, for $3500, or if you’re patient, with bidding at $2010 and just under 2 days left to go.

These are never this nice. Most are faded, have torn upholstery, cracked dashes, smoking engines, you name it. This one appears to have been fanatically maintained, although it is currently being sold with a possible blown head gasket. That detail notwithstanding, the excellent cosmetics on this car are worth your consideration since trim bits for a 30-year-old econobox are usually in short supply. The car is said to have some rust spots on the hatch and rear fenders, but it must be fairly minor since it’s hard to discern on the pictures – one possible spot is visible at the left bottom of the rear window.

The seller mentions tears in the headliner and seats, but these appear in pretty decent shape, so the natural assumption is he either has very high standards, or the damage is hidden from the camera. Even the seat bolsters look decent, so perhaps he’s just referring to 30 years and 175,000 miles of use. The low-mile claim is a little ridiculous, even if it’s low on an annualized basis. While the Bride steering wheel is not original, the deep-dished look is pretty nice and it suits the car well.

The car’s engine bay also does not look like that of a 175,000-mile car – there is no visible oil leakage, and all hoses and other fittings look in decent shape. With any luck, the head gasket has not been leaking for too long, and the repair work should be fun. You’ll want to replace the timing belt and any other maintenance bits while you’re in there.

Here’s the rear. You can see someone hit a pole at some point, causing a slight dent in the bumper. But overall, this car is immaculate – you could be the only one at the local Japanese classic car show.

Tags: civic s, Feature, hatch, hatchback, honda, japanese

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