Craigslist Find: 1987 Accord is (Almost) Track Ready

Marcal Eilenstein

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1987 Accord
Now here’s a Lemons worthy car if I’ve ever seen one.
The Accord coupe hatchback was always one of my favorite cars when I was a kid. I didn’t have a good reason, but I just liked the way it looked. Maybe that’s why this one is so appealing – it’s got the looks, but not much else.

I have a race car I would like to sell. The tires on it are good, the motor needs replaced, brakes and clutch are in excellent condition, transmission shifts good. It has a quarter inch metal plate over the gas tank, all the gages work. It has a 14 point roll cage. It needs seats and new seat belts. This car cannot be made street legal.

You know those stinger races at the local race track that put on such a great show? I imagine this would work well.
For my money, though, I’d almost rather have this. It would make a better race car, too, no?
image 1
Actually, for my money this might be just a good car, period.
So, Honda or Volvo? Wagon or hatchback? For $500, I’m not sure you can go wrong either way.
[Source: Springfield Craigslist]

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Marcal Eilenstein

Marcal Eilenstein

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5 responses to “Craigslist Find: 1987 Accord is (Almost) Track Ready”

  1. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    Not much of the Accord’s cage is visible in that photo, yet even what little is shown would fail a LeMons inspection. In particular the crossed backstays and what I assume are protruding crash bars would both be a no-no. It would be cheaper and easier to start with the Volvo wagon. More fun, too.
    I do appreciate the challenge that the Accord “cannot be made street legal” but not enough to try it. There are already a number of street-legal Accords out there, so no need to add one.

    Reply
  2. mad_science Avatar
    mad_science

    Harrell already hinted at it, but seriously: DO NOT BUY A “RACE CAR” IF THE CAGE HASN’T ALREADY PASSED A RECENT LEMONS TECH INSPECTION.
    It’s very common for people to show up with “hornets” class dirt-track cars with cages that look complete, but are woefully out of spec. It’s nearly impossible to start with a bad cage and get it to pass tech cleanly.
    When it comes to “what to start with”, an LeMons car that’s got a bunch of tech/safety things sorted is a good bet. Otherwise, start with the most complete car you can, so as to be able to sell a bunch of stuff and buy down your budget.

    Reply
  3. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    I’ll take the Volvo thanks and treat it to a V8 conversion and then…. finished. Drive it on the road with occasional trips to a dragstrip to take money off people.

    Reply
    1. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      Actor/Racer Paul Newman had similar ideas:

      “There were three Volvo wagons. The first was a 1988 740 GLE that proudly hosted a turbocharged 3.8-liter engine from a Buick Grand National—tweaked to around 400 horsepower. That one was reportedly fairly crude, so Newman moved on to a supercharged 5.0-liter Ford V-8-powered 960, built by Ross Converse Engineering between 1996 and 1997. Newman recruited his friend and fellow Connecticut resident David Letterman to buy an identical one (there was a third, too) and they were duly outfitted with Edelbrock aluminum heads and a Kenne Bell supercharger.”

      “The car at the show was the last in Newman’s series, a 1998 V90 with a 5.7-liter LS2 Corvette motor sourced from a 2004 Z06. The Volvo was built to Newman’s specs by Newman/Brockman Racing in 2007 and 2008, right near the end of his life (at 83). It’s very cool to think that this particular car guy was thinking about going fast even then.”

      http://www.cartalk.com/blogs/jim-motavalli/paul-newmans-v-8-volvos-getting-groceries-style

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        And now V8LVO conversions are available worldwide.
        As I remember he organised Letterman into one on live TV on Letterman’s show

        Reply