I know, it is hard to get much smaller than Eleanor but somehow I managed.
Informally dubbed “Chip” I found this ’77 CVCC on a local classified list and couldn’t resist. Costing me all of $400 he is easily in LeMons territory. Do I want to take it in that direction? At this point, no. Granted, it looks a bit rough around the edges but this little guy runs better than your moms Camry (seriously, it has only 148k miles and runs fantastic) and the previous owner spent alot of time and effort replacing the interior. New seats, new headliner, new dash… you get the idea. I have no clue where he was going with the bumpers but for now they work.
I still haven’t decided what to do with it, but at the moment it shall serve as daily driver and/or parts gitter. I am envisioning a new flat black paint job with some red and chrome sprinkled here and there. What do you think?
Eleanor just got a little brother!
About
35 responses to “Eleanor just got a little brother!”
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Gorgeous. Love the shape of the car.
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Toss the bumper, find something proper, flat black would work. Don't go red just go chrome. Interior wise clean up and square away what was started then rock the hell out of the thing!
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I say black and zero chrome. Go for red or blue (but not both) details instead. It's a great car! Will look pretty.
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Awesome! I would leave it as is! It is the "Mad Max" of Hondas!
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2-speed Hondamatic! What's that like to drive?
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brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP…. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….
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Possibly one of the greatest comments of all time.
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no my cup of tea.. but ill gladly take the wagon for $400 american.. haha
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B16, tires, and nothing else.
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And a 5 spd.
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SWEET! I used to borrow my little sister's CVCC wagon when I came home on leave, and that little thing was PEPPY! A crap-load of fun to drive too.
Cool little car Jo! -
This is so obvious, I'm surprised it's not been mentioned yet. The only answer is a fresh coat o' primer, whitewalls, baby moons and rings, and some righteous pinstriping. Bang out some roll pans to replace the bumpers. Then hit every rat rod and trad show you can find.
Must be done.-
I really, REALLY like this idea
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I had the same thought, but you forgot the DIY flames.
Incidentally, we're finishing up a ratrod for my kid's Pinewood Derby race this weekend. He wanted it black with white-yellow-red flames, which we've completed. He also wanted whitewalls and was devastated when I checked with the technical director who told me he would have to disqualify a car with painted wheels. -
Scallops would be perfect. Leave the paint as-is, then go over with white, trimmed in red:
<img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/TheGraves666CC/todds%2051%20plymouth/stolen.jpg" width=300>
<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/459302714_0bc75431ee.jpg?v=0" width=300>
<img src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k17/TPost50Chevy/firstdrive1.jpg" width=300>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1960ChryslerNewYorker/Scallops/60NY-scallops.jpg" width=300>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1964ChryslerNewYorkerSalon/64NY-ScallopsColor.jpg" width=300> -
Came to suggest roll pans. Leaving affirmed in the spirit of the Hooniverse.
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Wow. That has to be the world's last Hondamatic. Cool. I like first and second-gen Civics way more than I should.
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Sweet!
My sister and brother in law had one. It was perfect for screaming down back woods roads. I learned basic parking brake turns in that thing. -
I like it, man. My mom had almost the same car in the early eighties when I got out of the Army. It broke a clutch cable, which I fixed for her, but that was the only problem I remember her having with it. Hey, at least with the Hondamatic, you don't have to worry about that.
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Leave the front bumper on, but have someone who owns a plasma cutter engrave the Hooniverse logo on it.
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I have no idea what I would do with something like this. It would require some thought and probably a good amount of alcohol. Still, $400 leaves plenty of room for both of those things.
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There's nothing quite like an old Japanese hatchback for basic transportation. My daily driver is a $250 1991 Geo Metro with a 3 cylinder and a 5 speed that is in a little better shape than that Civic. I've had it a month and driven it 3,000 miles so far with little more than a few seals and minor repairs that were needed when I resurrected it out of a back yard. It too was a Craigslist find and I negotiated down from the $300 the guy was asking.
<img src="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/151/l_aab1f5ca25af4e41843a038d30f5b384.jpg" width="600">
(Note: Picture was after a good and thorough cleaning and a can of bumper and trim paint was used on the black plastic surfaces.)-
Well done! You have inspired me to tread off to Craigslist to hunt for bargains. Has anyone turned their daily driver Geo into a track bitch?
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There are a few (mostly Suzuki Swift GTi's and Pontiac Firefly turbos) but the car's suspension is not really that well suited to the task. Yes, it has 4 wheel independent suspension and weighs 1600-1700 lbs, but the strut front end has very limited travel compared to, say, a double wishbone Civic. The ride is quite choppy and agricultural on mine which has stock suspension with a good set of KYB GR-2 struts up front that came on the car. The car is best suited to running around on a minimal amount of gas. I have seen anywhere from a disappointing 39 mpg city to 43 mpg city from it. Still, with turmoil heating up in the middle east, that kind of performance is very useful for limiting your exposure to fuel price fluctuations. Plus, the interior can seat 4 in reasonable discomfort and the fold down seat makes it able to haul home treasures from the junkyard (and the interior is in good shape save the carpet and driver's seat).
Here's an engine pic after I cleaned it up:
<img src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/142/l_f133fb983920479d8d760d04bf52955d.jpg">
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Wow, Jim-Bob! Your car looks like a thousand bucks. When fuel hits $5 this summer, you can probably sell it for $2,500.
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More flat black paint with red pinstriping and red wheels…I like the front bumper…industrial!
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Just sand the bumper and paint it flat black. Maybe hit the rest of it with a belt sander and bondo then MOAR flat black. Clean and mean.
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Needs Minilites.
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Wrap the bumpers with barbed wire, just in case anybody has any smart-ass ideas.
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My friends used to pick up my Festiva and leave it on the sidewalk. When I lived in the Netherlands, we used to pick up Minis and Daihatsus and leave them blocking the one-way street I lived on. By europeans standards, we were minor league bastards. The real jerks would smash the recycling collection domes and create oceans of broken glass in the street.
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I hate you and love you all at the same time- I've mentioned my "Escape Pod" before (jag article),
and now you go and post this, stirring up all those decently buried memories! Leave the past of
that honored Hoonette alone, and let me move on! For the love of transversely mounted screamin'
Goldwing motors, please! :-p
Nyah-nyah; I got mine with both bumpers and untouched interior, for 300. Whatever you do, rock
the hell out of it and enjoy the stares. -
WOW! The memories are coming back:) I had a red, 4 sp in the 80s. It was a blast to drive. Handled like a go-cart.
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I just realized – paint a skull and lightning bolts on the hood, and it could be Death Proof Lite! All the destructive mayhem, but with 50% less self-aggrandizing dialogue!
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uhx0nyCuOm8/TF2TrRnOgzI/AAAAAAAAAOs/hmPFsDPUQn8/s400/death+proof+pic.jpg"> -
Did you lose a bet?!?! haha, just kidding, it just looks really ruff around the edges.
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the ev1 shares the engine with honda city turbo and those you can wind the boost up to 20 psi with no mods whatsoever
![http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/TheGraves666CC/todds%2051%20plymouth/stolen.jpg"](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/TheGraves666CC/todds%2051%20plymouth/stolen.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/459302714_0bc75431ee.jpg?v=0"](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/459302714_0bc75431ee.jpg?v=0"){kind=link}
![http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k17/TPost50Chevy/firstdrive1.jpg"](http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k17/TPost50Chevy/firstdrive1.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1960ChryslerNewYorker/Scallops/60NY-scallops.jpg"](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1960ChryslerNewYorker/Scallops/60NY-scallops.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1964ChryslerNewYorkerSalon/64NY-ScallopsColor.jpg"](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/BigBlockMopar/1964ChryslerNewYorkerSalon/64NY-ScallopsColor.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/151/l_aab1f5ca25af4e41843a038d30f5b384.jpg"](http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/151/l_aab1f5ca25af4e41843a038d30f5b384.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/142/l_f133fb983920479d8d760d04bf52955d.jpg">](http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/142/l_f133fb983920479d8d760d04bf52955d.jpg">){kind=link}
![http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uhx0nyCuOm8/TF2TrRnOgzI/AAAAAAAAAOs/hmPFsDPUQn8/s400/death+proof+pic.jpg">](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uhx0nyCuOm8/TF2TrRnOgzI/AAAAAAAAAOs/hmPFsDPUQn8/s400/death+proof+pic.jpg">){kind=link}
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