Posts Tagged ‘japanese’

Troubled Child – 1978 Subaru BRAT

September 23, 2014

A past feature article included a list of criteria for featuring cars here, basically covering various features that come in unexpected quantities (4-seater Miata, anyone?) or dimensions, or things that function differently than you’d expect, like suicide doors. Subaru’s BRAT, designed to circumvent the infamous VW DoKa-killing chicken tax, is another perfect match – a half-car with two seats in the bed that look like someone beat up the local kids, stole their Big Wheels, and bolted the seats into the bed. Check out this 1978 Subaru BRAT for sale for $1900 in Vancouver, WA.

1978 Subaru BRAT right front

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SCCA F Street Prepared – 1978 Honda Accord Hatch

September 22, 2014

Honda’s Accord is not exactly known to raise anybody’s heart rate, barring some limited-production Si-R and Type R versions not imported to North America. But add a dash of Minilite wheel here, sports suspension there, and sticky rubber here, and all of a sudden you have a fun little car with a rev-happy four-cylinder that will entertain you on the way, even if getting there is not so quick. And as discussed before in this very place, it’s always fun to see these older Japanese cars from when eastern manufacturers were still finding their way in North America, and when their full-size offerings were the size of their current compact sedans. Check out this 1978 Honda Accord Hatch SCCA F Street Prepared for sale for $2900 in Salem, OR.

1978 Honda Accord FSP right front

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Why Is This Still Listed – 1972 Honda AZ600

September 18, 2014

The Honda 600 has long been the alternative to the wildly popular Mini, together with cars like the Hillman/Sunbeam Imp and Fiat 500. It’s also fairly significant for Honda – while the first generation Civic and Accord were probably their equivalent of BMW’s 2002 break-out hit, this was their first serious foray for a mainstream audience, much like the Neue Klasse sedans were for BMW. Really though, the Honda AZ600, as the sporting, cut-down version of the standard AN600, was probably closer to, say, a Mini Marcos. Either way, it was probably the lowest-priced car in America to have a tachometer, much less one that went up to a 6000rpm redline. Check out this 1972 Honda AZ600 for sale for $2900 in Sparks, NV.

1972 Honda AZ600 2 right front

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