1975 Honda CVCC 4sp 78K mi (as of June 2009)
1975 is the first year of the CVCC engine. I'm the 3rd owner. Sadly, I'm probably selling this car. Times are lean and I moved to a new neighborhood with much better public transportation but worse street parking, and I can't afford to treat it as well as it deserves. So, unless my ship unexpectedly comes in, I'm setting the canary free... so to speak... to better lands where it can sing... ((SOB))...
So here's all albout my charming car...
Yep. It's no typo. This 1975 Honda Civic CVCC Hatchback has only about 78,000 miles on it. Manual 4 speed transmission. Rare handy optional roof rack. Glass perfect. Black pin stripes. Original owners manual & maintenance guide. Bright canary "Carolina" yellow, with caramel colored seats, and mostly grey, silver and black everything else. Hatchback area holds a surprisingly large amount when rear seats folded down. Sturdy bumpers have real rubber, and rear ledge is flat and long enough to hold grocery bags while opening the hatch.
Commercial plates (to park in yellow zones). This is a great thing in San Francisco and other cities.
It's VERY rare to see a mid 70's Honda with a body & interior in this kind of great shape. It's not perfect, but very attractive. I get love notes and thumbs up and offers to purchase this car on a regular basis. It sat in a garage for 25 years. This was good as far as external wear and tear, though not so good for moving parts. I am the third owner, and I have the contact info of the mechanic in the East Bay (Oakland) that's done the major work on it since the beginning (the car belonged to his girlfriend's parents).
I had this car appraised, and it was deemed a good investment because it's now a 33 yr old classic and will only go up in value. I even found an article on the internet, with a photo of my car and lots of praise for it...
http://motoringjstyle.blogspot.com/2008/03/daily-driven-1975-honda-civic-cvcc.html
The bad news is that it needs a rebuild. The good news, to mitigate much of this...
The appraiser said so much had been fixed on it from the previous owner in the last 30K miles, that it was worth rebuilding the engine.
The mechanic that's done the major repairs since it was first owned (by his girlfriend's parents) is in the East Bay. He specializes in rebuilding and rennovating vintage cars, and works with a machinist he knows and trusts.
This car is small so is much easier to park in SF at any hour... I'm sure I save at least $700/yr on parking tickets... not to mention reduced stress and wasted time... how much is that worth?
Sadly, I can't afford to rebuild the car. It should be done soon if it's used as a daily driver, since one of the plugs fouls quickly so it burns a lot of oil and gas. I want to find it an appreciative home. It is special... it just needs some TLC, and the new owner will be rewarded with a reliable, convenient & fun ride for years. It will surely pay for itself in the money saved on parking tickets.
No matter what needs to be fixed or maintained down the road, when it's all said & done, it's certainly a lot cheaper bottom line & to maintain, than a Mini Cooper... and more fun since vintage car lovers stop you regularly and chat in parking garages, at stop lights, etc!
Bonus convenience and money savings: I'm told that cars over 30 years old no longer need to be smogged.
I have all the repair records. I recently had the rear brake shoes and springs replaced.
search words that apply: cute vintage retro charming wagon utility tiny small short CVCC am radio Carolina yellow