1981 Honda Civic 1500 review from North America
"How the heck does it still run?"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Well, nothing when I had it.
I sold it to my good friend (nice guy, but dumb). He tried to change the coolant and broke the drain plug. He thought it didn't need coolant to run, so he drove it to work and blew the head gasket. It still runs and drives fine, it just leaves a huge plume of white smoke everytime you drive it.
So, nothing broke because it wasn't supposed to.
General comments?
This car is very peppy for how powerful the engine is not. Dynoed around 57 hp.
I loved this car until I sold it. Biggest mistake I've ever made.
It only got 22 mpg, but I think that was because it was running super rich.
It handled very well despite the 12 inch tires. Maybe 13, I never checked.
It was a super car for the money and was a lot more than I could have wanted for $500.
Even after 25 years, it passed emissions with no problem. I didn't even have the cat on it. (It rusted and fell off somewhere on the road)
I loved this car and I just wonder how in the world it was still running so well despite all of the age, rust and dings on it.
Recommended reviews
| 1981 - Civic 1500 Wagon 1.5 CVCC Still going strong after almost 24 years |
| 1980 - Civic 1300 DXCC 1.3 CVCC Fun drive for very cheap, and reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1981 |
| Year of manufacture | 1981 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 Liter I-4 Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 281000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 284000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercury Cougar |
| Date of Entry | 23rd December, 2005 |