I feel like I've seen your car before parked at savers thrift store in fountain valley and at a target in Costa Mesa. Unless that was a different car LOL. I took pictures of it.
@@btrdangerdan2010 I'm from norcal, actually, but I've driven this car down to Irvine before. I've never been to either of those stores, but once I'm back in LA for school you might just see me on the 405...
To me this car is more interesting and has more character than any new car today. If I had to choose between this civic and a Tesla, I’d choose this Honda beauty in a heartbeat
My first car in high school was a 1983 Honda Civic 1300FE, that shifter would hit the passenger in the knee when you went into 5th gear. I miss that car and the 40mpg mileage these days.
Brings back memories! We (actually, my parents) had a 1983 Civic 1300FE, bought brand-new from Honda of Lisle. The "FE" stood for Fuel Efficient; a special model which had a 5-speed instead of the standard 4, and a whole bunch of weight reduction.... No carpeting, no headliner, no AC, no armrests, no sound deadening and no radio (although we did get one installed by the dealer if I remember right). The transmission had an extraordinarily tall 5th gear, and with the 55-MPH speed limit in those years it got fantastic gas mileage. I remember calculating 63 MPG one time on a vacation to Michigan (all highway driving). On the other hand, it was noisy, slow, difficult to start in the winter and eventually became a severe oil burner and producer of blue smoke by just 80,000 miles. You're right about Honda shifters, by the way. Every one I've driven has been precise and crisp. In comparison, I have a 2021 WRX and its shifter is awkward and clunky. Even my old S-10 pickup shifted better than my WRX! Somehow we've come so far... But still can't build a good manual tranny!
Been watching your channel for a little over month now, and you really find some great vehicles to review. Great reviewer, quick and to the point on what you really want to know about the vehicle. This must be great gig to have to test drive so many different vehicles. Keep up the great work Zack!
95 Civic is best civic. I mean the whole 5th gen production was great but the 95 had all the refinements. It had everything it needed and nothing it didn't. I seriously regret selling mine. Street legal go-karts, they were. Modern cars - all of them - feel wrong. Too heavy. Too bubbly. Too... safe.
I bought a brand new 1983 Honda Civic 4 door sedan way back in Oct. 1983. It had a 5 speed manual transmission. That was a really smooth shifting, enjoyable to use tranny. I loved that car, it was blue with blue interior. I believe the cost was $7500 before tax, license, etc. I took it on a few long trips, to the east coast, and out west and back, just a great car, very economical and reliable. Unfortunately I only had it for 12 years, got in an accident and sold it, but great memories. Also it was pretty quick, because it was light, and had the bigger engine as you said, handled great, was a fun little car. I used to do my own oil changes, not too hard as oil filter is accessed from the top of engine. I'd put a photo on here but I don't think that's possible
My first car was a 82 Civic 1500 5 speed.Silver , / Gray inside. I got it brand new and it was last car the dealership had in stock and the very last 82 to be sold. It was a great car that went over 300,000 miles ...I had it for 4 years , sold it to my mom and brother and they had it in the family for many years later . I bought a 86 Accord but really loved my 82 Civic.. mine was powerful with the 5 speed and great in the snow / ice ....it was equipped with no A/C and radio (which I added a good stero after the first week I own it)
Zack, I love your reviews and selection of reviewed cars. You speak about how it drives briefly in the Final Thoughts section, but I’d love to see you speaking about it along with some POV driving experience videos/clips. Hope your channel continues to grow!
Great review. When I was very little my mom had a first gen. It had the Hondamatic semi automatic transmission and had park, reverse, neutral and 1&2. You had to start in one and then upshift at about 30mph or so all the way up to it’s top speed. Which at that time was probably 80 if lucky, or Unlucky to do 80 in a late 70s Civic.
Thanks for a great video😊. I had an 83 Civic 1,3 when I was a student in California in 1998. It already had 200 000 miles on it, but I drove it around California, down Baja and eventually across the US to Washington DC where I sold it to another student before returning to Norway. Mine had a moonroof, but it would leak when it rained, so no big plus. Good times! 😃
Honda shifters are also my jam. I must have skipped this or not known better as my first car was a 79 Accord. Later drove a 90 CRX 2.0 Si (Which admittedly after 250k would pop out of 3rd, but I blame that on my dad since it was his car) , a 94 Civic EX and now an 04 Civic LX. (I also had a 95 EX but it was automatic... a mistake I will never make again) The best seats though, by far, were the ones in my 90 Corolla SR5. Pop up headlights made the slightly chunky gearbox a non issue, because when you've got pop up headlights, nothing else matters. Shifts weren't buttery smooth, but you also knew you weren't going to break anything by slamming it around, because, well, Toyota. My 92 Celica had probably the best gearbox of any car I've owned. You barely had to touch it to shift. And lastly, I have to give a shout out to the Corolla FX. Maybe the most underrated Japanese hatch ever made. It shared suspension design with the MR2, which was in collaboration with Lotus. Gutless to be sure, but even with a stock configuration and a 4AC, so long as it was downhill and the brakes weren't fading, it would keep up with sports cars worth literally 100x what I paid for it. For a handful of miles anyway. Nice review, I appreciate the honesty. Cheers man.
I own a base model 1983 Honda Civic 1300. Got to drive it for six years until I just couldn’t afford to fix it anymore. It was my aunt and uncles car. They got it new from her parents for their wedding gift so I’m the second owner of the car. One day I hope to restore it. Some little quirks the car had was, I could start it without using the clutch, got to know the transmission so well I could shift after starting off without using the clutch. I also discovered that if you let out on that clutch extremely slow, you didn’t have to give it gas to take off. Oh, and if that shifter was stiff, there something going on with it. Mine shifted so easily I could shift it with my pinky.
Would be really cool if you could find a kp61 starlet. Pretty similar car, but they're rwd. Were quite popular on the touge, and later for rally in Scandinavia.
My '83 is amazing, despite being a Pennsylvania car all its life (from Suzuka to New Jersey, and a dealer in PA). It even passed a PA inspection 10 years ago.
Was my first car as a hand me down. No ac or power steering. Loved it though. I put a custom radio in it, got me through college. The main flaw was thin sheet metal and didn’t last NY winters. Eventually had a hole through the floor board and rust forming on wheel wells.
My mother had one when I was young, she drove my sisters and me around all over in that little thing. I don’t remember too much about it but the little chrome accent on the interior pulled off really easy. I’d love to have a ev conversion of a old civic.
Nice to see old Honda's still running. This looks in good condition. If you live up north where it snows, you would have to worry about rust on old Hondas
My Dad leased a new 1981 Civic base 4spd ,3 door like this for his business when I was a kid..I remember it and always liked them.Ours was Silver, 1981, had same style, but ,round headlights
They are also practically indestructible compared to modern Hondas. When I was in college I had a 1985 Peugeot 505s Wagon. One day, I was wearing clogs and accidentally hit the gas at the same time as the brake while trying to park. This did not bode well for the 1982 Honda Civic wagon opposite me. I sent the thing sailing out into the aisle, but miraculously, because we both had such strong bumpers and I think also rubber enhancements, neither car sustained any damage! I was so lucky!!!
كانت لدي نفس الموديل اللون اسود واحمر من الأسفل وكذالك لون المقاعد اسود واحمر والتكييف ممتاز جدآ واذكر الطاره خفيف جدآ تحياتي لك أشعلت الذكريات الجميلة ❤❤❤
@@linkinroach6292 even with due diligence on maintenance and repair? I thought it still possible. Maybe too soon to tell on the 2000's cars 🤷♂️. 90's? Maybe but only time will tell.
I used to drive one of these. It was an automatic, red and I put rims on it! And a grant GT wheel... I tried to kill it, I never put oil in it, for like a year, it never died...eventually sold it and as far as I know, it drove for many years after that, lol
Back when it was a new car my much respected oldest cousin had a metallic brown 1500 DX 5 speed with beige velour interior. I loved that car and wanted one just like it. He went on to much bigger and better things including a beautiful maroon Volvo 740 GLE Turbo Diesel (the only one I’ve ever seen)......and a stint in Federal prison about 7 years ago for running a Ponzi scheme.
Hey zack I tried to fill out the submit car application but I noticed it’s glitched and can’t fill out some of the sections, do you know what that’s about
come on bro you can't really expect a Honda Civic that was designed and built in the 70's to shift like the new ones. they do make the best shifting manuals on the market, but I dont expect my 94 f150 to shift like a sports car either.
Unfair multiple repeated opinion on the gearbox issue 😒 I've owned 14 2nd Generation CiViCs and it probably just needs checking, plus it's not a coupe it's a hatchback lmao
MyMother have 1 Civic 2nd Gen 4 doors yesterday..and it's broken that someday ,and my uncle take it from us and missing untill now 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. I really fail to make it better because not care about oil...so sad..tht story I was 13 years old..if I up more than That.. InsyaAllahhhh❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
The types of cars that invaded America and Britain. The types cars that competely ruined the two countries car makers. (Especially Britain) I really wonder what would have happened if Japan never took off.
The US would still be making land yachts that fall apart by 100,000 miles and the British would still be churning out incredibly unreliable archaic motorized carriages assembled by some blokes in a shed. Maybe the consumers would have demanded better quality, maybe not since they don't know what a quality car could be. The Germans would still be building fantastically engineered cars but they'd be even more expensive since Lexus never shook them up. The Taurus was a response to the Audi 5000's smooth aerodynamics so it might have happened but it likely might have been on the RWD frame of the Ford LTD instead of FWD unibody. Also of note, the Japanese killed the British motorcycle industry and nearly killed Harley-Davidson and the US industry. The Japanese bikes were faster than what Triumph, BSA, and Norton were cranking out and were more reliable and better built. They were smoother and more reliable and handled better than Harley-Davidsons. Harley petitioned President Reagan to put a heavy tariff on imported bikes over 750cc to protect their big V2 bikes. If Honda hadn't come out with the Super Cub and the CB series and Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki with their versions, we'd still be riding 1950s bikes that require hours of maintenance for every hour of riding and shake you to death. Actually, Harley is still like that.
Thanks for reviewing my car! The shifter feels a lot better now, it ended up being a worn bushing. Someday I hope to restore it too
Love that you still drive this classic 👌 very rare 😄👉🏼 love that sticker in the back hatch window
I feel like I've seen your car before parked at savers thrift store in fountain valley and at a target in Costa Mesa. Unless that was a different car LOL. I took pictures of it.
Don’t let anyone steal you H or nobody will recognize it as a Honda
figured that's all it was .
@@btrdangerdan2010 I'm from norcal, actually, but I've driven this car down to Irvine before. I've never been to either of those stores, but once I'm back in LA for school you might just see me on the 405...
Really love small 2-door boxy hatchbacks. i just like their straightforwardness
Have you seen the Hyundai N Vision 74???
It's liquid retro sex.
Not as boxy as I prefer but worth a look.
To me this car is more interesting and has more character than any new car today. If I had to choose between this civic and a Tesla, I’d choose this Honda beauty in a heartbeat
Agree.
And you'd have about $68,000 left over for fuel.
My first car in high school was a 1983 Honda Civic 1300FE, that shifter would hit the passenger in the knee when you went into 5th gear. I miss that car and the 40mpg mileage these days.
I had a 1981 Corolla that did the same thing!
Brings back memories! We (actually, my parents) had a 1983 Civic 1300FE, bought brand-new from Honda of Lisle. The "FE" stood for Fuel Efficient; a special model which had a 5-speed instead of the standard 4, and a whole bunch of weight reduction.... No carpeting, no headliner, no AC, no armrests, no sound deadening and no radio (although we did get one installed by the dealer if I remember right). The transmission had an extraordinarily tall 5th gear, and with the 55-MPH speed limit in those years it got fantastic gas mileage. I remember calculating 63 MPG one time on a vacation to Michigan (all highway driving). On the other hand, it was noisy, slow, difficult to start in the winter and eventually became a severe oil burner and producer of blue smoke by just 80,000 miles.
You're right about Honda shifters, by the way. Every one I've driven has been precise and crisp. In comparison, I have a 2021 WRX and its shifter is awkward and clunky. Even my old S-10 pickup shifted better than my WRX! Somehow we've come so far... But still can't build a good manual tranny!
Been watching your channel for a little over month now, and you really find some great vehicles to review. Great reviewer, quick and to the point on what you really want to know about the vehicle. This must be great gig to have to test drive so many different vehicles. Keep up the great work Zack!
It’s crazy to think my 95 Civic had almost the same HVAC controls and that the design wouldn’t change until 1999
95 Civic is best civic. I mean the whole 5th gen production was great but the 95 had all the refinements.
It had everything it needed and nothing it didn't.
I seriously regret selling mine. Street legal go-karts, they were. Modern cars - all of them - feel wrong. Too heavy. Too bubbly. Too... safe.
I bought a brand new 1983 Honda Civic 4 door sedan way back in Oct. 1983. It had a 5 speed manual transmission. That was a really smooth shifting, enjoyable to use tranny. I loved that car, it was blue with blue interior. I believe the cost was $7500 before tax, license, etc. I took it on a few long trips, to the east coast, and out west and back, just a great car, very economical and reliable. Unfortunately I only had it for 12 years, got in an accident and sold it, but great memories. Also it was pretty quick, because it was light, and had the bigger engine as you said, handled great, was a fun little car. I used to do my own oil changes, not too hard as oil filter is accessed from the top of engine. I'd put a photo on here but I don't think that's possible
We had a 79 model when I was a kid, it was a fantastic little car in it's day.
My first car was a 82 Civic 1500 5 speed.Silver , / Gray inside. I got it brand new and it was last car the dealership had in stock and the very last 82 to be sold. It was a great car that went over 300,000 miles ...I had it for 4 years , sold it to my mom and brother and they had it in the family for many years later . I bought a 86 Accord but really loved my 82 Civic.. mine was powerful with the 5 speed and great in the snow / ice ....it was equipped with no A/C and radio (which I added a good stero after the first week I own it)
I wedged my Big Gulp in between the E brake and the seat. It worked!!
My first car (back in '87) was a 1980 4dr Honda Civic. Loved that car! this video has made me nostalgic
Zack, I love your reviews and selection of reviewed cars. You speak about how it drives briefly in the Final Thoughts section, but I’d love to see you speaking about it along with some POV driving experience videos/clips. Hope your channel continues to grow!
Great review. When I was very little my mom had a first gen. It had the Hondamatic semi automatic transmission and had park, reverse, neutral and 1&2. You had to start in one and then upshift at about 30mph or so all the way up to it’s top speed. Which at that time was probably 80 if lucky, or Unlucky to do 80 in a late 70s Civic.
Thanks for a great video😊. I had an 83 Civic 1,3 when I was a student in California in 1998. It already had 200 000 miles on it, but I drove it around California, down Baja and eventually across the US to Washington DC where I sold it to another student before returning to Norway. Mine had a moonroof, but it would leak when it rained, so no big plus. Good times! 😃
I used to drive a car like that. Mine came with a hondamatic transmission, but I changed it to a 4 speed. I really liked the 4 speed.
Very rare classic 👌 love it 😄 that sticker on the rear hatch window
[ NO AIRBAGS WE DIE LIKE REAL MEN ]
Honda shifters are also my jam. I must have skipped this or not known better as my first car was a 79 Accord. Later drove a 90 CRX 2.0 Si (Which admittedly after 250k would pop out of 3rd, but I blame that on my dad since it was his car) , a 94 Civic EX and now an 04 Civic LX. (I also had a 95 EX but it was automatic... a mistake I will never make again)
The best seats though, by far, were the ones in my 90 Corolla SR5. Pop up headlights made the slightly chunky gearbox a non issue, because when you've got pop up headlights, nothing else matters. Shifts weren't buttery smooth, but you also knew you weren't going to break anything by slamming it around, because, well, Toyota.
My 92 Celica had probably the best gearbox of any car I've owned. You barely had to touch it to shift.
And lastly, I have to give a shout out to the Corolla FX. Maybe the most underrated Japanese hatch ever made. It shared suspension design with the MR2, which was in collaboration with Lotus. Gutless to be sure, but even with a stock configuration and a 4AC, so long as it was downhill and the brakes weren't fading, it would keep up with sports cars worth literally 100x what I paid for it. For a handful of miles anyway.
Nice review, I appreciate the honesty. Cheers man.
I own a base model 1983 Honda Civic 1300. Got to drive it for six years until I just couldn’t afford to fix it anymore. It was my aunt and uncles car. They got it new from her parents for their wedding gift so I’m the second owner of the car. One day I hope to restore it. Some little quirks the car had was, I could start it without using the clutch, got to know the transmission so well I could shift after starting off without using the clutch. I also discovered that if you let out on that clutch extremely slow, you didn’t have to give it gas to take off. Oh, and if that shifter was stiff, there something going on with it. Mine shifted so easily I could shift it with my pinky.
This is the exact car I serviced for a friend of mine years ago. Adjusted valves, brake job, carb tune up. The next week he totaled it. What a shame!
I think I've seen this car before I parked my 1989 Nissan Sentra next to it once.
Can't wait for you to review my 1989 Sentra in December Zack!
Great little Honda. I loved the look of these. Good revirs as always Zack. Love your honesty in your videos. Keep up the great work. 👍
I love the nonairbag funky steering wheels of the 80/90s cars. Keep the interesting reviews coming.
Would be really cool if you could find a kp61 starlet.
Pretty similar car, but they're rwd.
Were quite popular on the touge, and later for rally in Scandinavia.
My '83 is amazing, despite being a Pennsylvania car all its life (from Suzuka to New Jersey, and a dealer in PA). It even passed a PA inspection 10 years ago.
Was my first car as a hand me down. No ac or power steering. Loved it though. I put a custom radio in it, got me through college. The main flaw was thin sheet metal and didn’t last NY winters. Eventually had a hole through the floor board and rust forming on wheel wells.
hope to see a 1st gen on the channel soon!
My mother had one when I was young, she drove my sisters and me around all over in that little thing. I don’t remember too much about it but the little chrome accent on the interior pulled off really easy. I’d love to have a ev conversion of a old civic.
Nice to see old Honda's still running. This looks in good condition. If you live up north where it snows, you would have to worry about rust on old Hondas
Great review yet again! Love seeing these old Econoboxes
My Dad leased a new 1981 Civic base 4spd ,3 door like this for his business when I was a kid..I remember it and always liked them.Ours was Silver, 1981, had same style, but ,round headlights
They are also practically indestructible compared to modern Hondas. When I was in college I had a 1985 Peugeot 505s Wagon. One day, I was wearing clogs and accidentally hit the gas at the same time as the brake while trying to park. This did not bode well for the 1982 Honda Civic wagon opposite me. I sent the thing sailing out into the aisle, but miraculously, because we both had such strong bumpers and I think also rubber enhancements, neither car sustained any damage! I was so lucky!!!
I have an 83 also, I spent far more than the car was worth but it now will run & drive till i'm done with it. And ac too
Raina Telgemeier's "Smile" book features this.
Beautiful civic I yes buy it a 1986 4 doors 5 speed with 108 miles it runs and drives very nice
كانت لدي نفس الموديل اللون اسود واحمر من الأسفل وكذالك لون المقاعد اسود واحمر
والتكييف ممتاز جدآ واذكر الطاره خفيف جدآ
تحياتي لك
أشعلت الذكريات الجميلة ❤❤❤
You're very articulated and you have a great flow and very knowledgable. Keep up the good work. Great review!🤙
0:56 this here cracks me up I love it lol. Great vid!
This year the Civic celebrates 50 years, 5 years after the Toyota Corolla celebrated 50 years (2017)
I've got an '83 1500S. Love that thing to death
The name of the colour on the Honda is Oslo Ivory, it was not a yellow but a tan beige shade.
A driven and driving unrestored car that is 40 years old, yeah Honda, you did it right.
Ving Rhames went flying over the hood in pulp fiction in this Civic, Bruce Willis singing Captain Kangaroo
Old cars is better than these new cars
How?
@@edgaryzen4925 this car is still around after 40 years. Today's cars won't last half of that time
@@linkinroach6292 even with due diligence on maintenance and repair? I thought it still possible.
Maybe too soon to tell on the 2000's cars 🤷♂️.
90's? Maybe but only time will tell.
survivorship bias buddy
@@PositiveParakeet yeah
That's a cool looking little car!
I used to drive one of these. It was an automatic, red and I put rims on it! And a grant GT wheel...
I tried to kill it, I never put oil in it, for like a year, it never died...eventually sold it and as far as I know, it drove for many years after that, lol
Nice review great show just subscribed I love the Civic
Back when it was a new car my much respected oldest cousin had a metallic brown 1500 DX 5 speed with beige velour interior. I loved that car and wanted one just like it. He went on to much bigger and better things including a beautiful maroon Volvo 740 GLE Turbo Diesel (the only one I’ve ever seen)......and a stint in Federal prison about 7 years ago for running a Ponzi scheme.
Press the little door and the clock lights up even if the ignition is off.
This car reminds me of that movie, employee of the month.
Piece o'shit honda
Perfect car to chill on your lunch break while listening to kiss you all over by exile
Cool civic. How’s the suspension on this little civic?
I had a "81 civic, automatic, no air
عتقد انها لدينا في السعودية القير خمس سرعات من غير الريوس
I would daily the shit out of this car.
Aunt Barbara adores you!
Did you see this car in the 2006 movie "Employee of the Month"?
Can still you get this one at dealship across your country?
where can i get that airbag sticker
one k series engine and that solves all the problem
Hey zack I tried to fill out the submit car application but I noticed it’s glitched and can’t fill out some of the sections, do you know what that’s about
Really cool
Cool😀
I had an 83 s. And this does not look like 125k mile example.
come on bro you can't really expect a Honda Civic that was designed and built in the 70's to shift like the new ones. they do make the best shifting manuals on the market, but I dont expect my 94 f150 to shift like a sports car either.
Ha. I wouldn't expect a 94 ford to shift at all. Thats a bonus. Kidding.
@@watchingitallhere the transmission is made by ZF and they build high end units for mercedes and bmw
The least known generation of Civic, right there! It's just below the disastrous 9th generation 😂
Later on, Honda pioneered the VTEC engine. Toyota calls it VVT
hey it's old car, maybe honda hasn't perfected shift throws yet
Satsuma
Unfair multiple repeated opinion on the gearbox issue 😒 I've owned 14 2nd Generation CiViCs and it probably just needs checking, plus it's not a coupe it's a hatchback lmao
MyMother have 1 Civic 2nd Gen 4 doors yesterday..and it's broken that someday ,and my uncle take it from us and missing untill now 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. I really fail to make it better because not care about oil...so sad..tht story I was 13 years old..if I up more than That..
InsyaAllahhhh❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It's an old car. You can't compare the transmission to 90's and newer Hondas
It’s not that old quit hating
The types of cars that invaded America and Britain.
The types cars that competely ruined the two countries car makers. (Especially Britain)
I really wonder what would have happened if Japan never took off.
The US would still be making land yachts that fall apart by 100,000 miles and the British would still be churning out incredibly unreliable archaic motorized carriages assembled by some blokes in a shed. Maybe the consumers would have demanded better quality, maybe not since they don't know what a quality car could be. The Germans would still be building fantastically engineered cars but they'd be even more expensive since Lexus never shook them up. The Taurus was a response to the Audi 5000's smooth aerodynamics so it might have happened but it likely might have been on the RWD frame of the Ford LTD instead of FWD unibody.
Also of note, the Japanese killed the British motorcycle industry and nearly killed Harley-Davidson and the US industry. The Japanese bikes were faster than what Triumph, BSA, and Norton were cranking out and were more reliable and better built. They were smoother and more reliable and handled better than Harley-Davidsons. Harley petitioned President Reagan to put a heavy tariff on imported bikes over 750cc to protect their big V2 bikes. If Honda hadn't come out with the Super Cub and the CB series and Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki with their versions, we'd still be riding 1950s bikes that require hours of maintenance for every hour of riding and shake you to death. Actually, Harley is still like that.
cute kei car