From Justin Howe, a LeMons guy with a lot of Honda background:
“First I was like, WTF?!? Then I was like, that’s not anything from anyone in 1979. Then I was like, but wait, I know that interior…. Finally I was like, why the hell would someone do this? The interior looks to be first gen civic, the wood wheel and shift knob denote a special edition (whose official name eludes me at the moment). That package also had houndstooth seat covers, but not these. The exterior screams early 80s kit car. So, I’m guessing this is exactly that. Some sort of low-production kit based, inexplicably, on a first gen cvcc civic. The 1979 model year is odd, since the second gen civic came out in 1979…unless some builder bought a bunch of left over 78s and his state titled them based on sale year and not model year (as happened in the time before 17 digit VINs). It’s a oddball for sure. The “formuling” name shows up in some classic honda European forums and redpepper (third gen civic forum) generally associated with the steering wheel. Odd, rare, and only tacitly honda.
…
Four square light accords did not start until 1982, but they could be the donor for this car. The spacing, setback, and marker lights seem right. The wheel, dash, and seats are definitely first gen civic.
…
Popped hood would answer a lot.
…
Wish there was a pic of the backside. I’d like to recognize the tailings.
…
The wheels are first gen civic accessories (4×120 bolt pattern really limits options), as are the center caps. The hood emblem is from the mid 80s, considering its size, probably a first gen CRX.
Door handles look first gen civic too, tho that’s sorta non-specific.”
By Hooniverse
Jeff Glucker
Yay! Team effort!
But we still don’t really know what this is do we?
This is the link that explains a lot:
http://www.1stgencivic.com/1stgeneration_civic/models_what_is_spex.htm
PS. Someone produced and someone bought these hubcaps? whoa
http://www.1stgencivic.com/1stgeneration_civic/photos/what_isspexelf17.jpg
And the red plaid interior turns out to be from the Canada-only ‘Special X’ Civic…
H’nda, we need more Acura-cy! My guess is homemade kit car, too.
Also, Ontario market gauging that leads to a convertible being build reminds me of another unlikely Northern hemisphere startup that got going without a top, predictably unsuccessfully at first:
http://img.motorpasion.com/2011/07/volvo-ov-4-en-exterior.jpg
http://www.banovsky.com/archive/spex-elf?rq=spex%20elf
Am I the only one who obsessively reads Banovsky’s Car of the Day, or has this just stuck with me because I want to do the same thing with a rusted out first gen Mazda3?
No. I don’t know how I’ve missed that.
I read bcod and had forgotten about that one.
BTW, I’ve got a rusted out 1st generation 3, make me an offer? 😀
Get the rare commodity goods trade going!
Huh. I hadn’t assumed any of you were on speaking terms with each other.
We’re not. We’re mostly on emailing terms. Well, Jeff called me today to tell me that I suck.
Jeff’s call to tell me I suck is practically my morning alarm clock…
Well, afternoon alarm clock, anyway…
It was a text… I don’t like talking on the phone.
Talking on the phone requires excess breath?
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltmq73UYmq1r5729fo1_500.jpg
I’m trying to imagine the thought that spurred the creation of this kit. All I could come up with is:
Man, I really want one of those new GM J-cars, but all I have is this piddling Civic.
Funny that it looks GM/Japanese to you guys. It looked like a Renault Alliance to me!
I would love it if my employer would hire you all as workflow consultants. We’re talking, what? 48 hours from ideation to implementation? In 48 hours I might hope my Entish overlords would be able to agree, conditionally, that I and my team mates were Hobbits.
More like 12 hours from the first email, but the whole thing came together in about 45 minutes. Hooniverse: Getting Shit Done.
Weird: http://jalopnik.com/what-the-hell-is-this-weird-unknown-honda-1727692875
(From a tipster named “David”, according to Torch.)
I haven’t seen the good old Positraction Torque Twister tires in decades. They were the shit in the early 80’s. The actually had a branded store in north Seattle (SE corner 130th and Aurora) that was a cool late 50’s early 60’s new car dealership originally. It is back to being a dealesrhip but now used cars. Just down the street was the Fitz auto wrecking Pinto/Vega yard. Yes a fairly large yard that had nothing but Pintos and Vegas OK there were a couple of Bobcats and Astres in there too. It was interesting because the rest of the yards were out in Woodinville.