1982 Mk2 Honda Civic Hondamatic 1.3 Goes for a Drive

In 1982 the mk2 Honda Civic was a serious threat to European car makers, today we try a 1.3 Hondamatic version to see what it was like
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[@russellthechemist8291]

I think these cars represent engineering excellence at a great price point. The Japanese educated the World on car building.

[@narglefargle]

"It's like a Nissan Micra, but just a bit more interesting." Said with sincerity and enthusiasm...I should laugh, but I completely agree. Those old Civics are awesome.

[@terryatkinson3182]

Perfect little classic for someone who doesn't like getting their hands dirty... it will run forever reliably. I'd be bored to death with it, no leaks rattles sqweaks and to do list.

[@Kirollos__Nabil]

that is true af my grandfather had one 1982 also like that one and he just change oil till our day and do his regular maintenance xd

[@grayfool]

Great little sewing machines. Hondas always felt so much more refined and modern than any European car of the time. I'm pretty sure that the gearbox was basically a three speed auto. Honda just played up the OD thing. Nice one. Good to see an otherwise forgotten car.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

2 speed semi auto with torque converter lockup giving it 3 speeds.

[@rgallen6782]

Here in my house we got one of these. It's a 1980, early style model, with round headlamps and metal bumpers. It's also a 5-door hatchback, with the 1.3 engine and 4-speed manual. Car's in pretty good shape, even though it needs some body work and new struts. We recently overhauled all of the engine, and it's almost always daily driven. Quite a charming car in its own way. Unfortunately here in my home country they have become an endangered species. It's not easy to find an example walking through the streets. I hope our Civic can last many years to come 'cause it was a very well built and very well engineered car.

[@mickdebrou9235]

Love the cool sophisticated Honda interiors of that era

[@club1fan552]

With these 3 speed Hondamatics, low was roughly equal to 2nd gear in a manual, star equal to 4th and OD to 5th. Perhaps surprisingly, this made them better for highway driving than city driving as you could use star for highway hill climbing or overtaking and OD for flat cruising. A conventional 3 speed auto fitted to most other cars was better than the Hondamatic around town as the ratios were closer. Try driving a 5 speed manual and only use 2nd, 4th and 5th and you'll see what I mean. Please show some more old Japanese cars. Although the series one Civic is my fave, this one is luscious!

[@PaulinesPastimes]

So fastidiously designed. 80's goodness. I also love the wheels. They look sporty and decorative with no plastic hub caps to warp and fall off. Just lovely. Cheers

[@bcfairlie1]

My brother had a 1980.Hondamatic It was reliable but unecconomical and slow. I had a 1982 5 speed. Very reliable cars. However rust rust rust. Never known anything this side of a Lancia Beta to rust away so fast, before your eyes.

[@marknelson5929]

I can recall here in Sydney at the time, these cars where literally everywhere in the traffic - such were their popularity. In the 60s here in Oz the Morris 1100 was one of the most popular cars you saw on the roads.... soon to be replaced by the Civic for all its tremendous virtues of cost, equipment levels, reliability etc etc. The big three car makers here kinda saw it coming, but did nothing about it to their peril at the end of the day.

[@club1fan552]

That's true Mark, but when Mazda released the front drive 323 at the end of '80, it was the beginning of the end for Honda. The 323 did everything Honda had been doing for years but only better. The 323 was bigger, better, faster, more spacious bla bla bla than the Civic and sold in even bigger number AND took out Wheels' magazine Car of the Year...something Honda had done with the first Accord which was a brilliant car only a few years earlier...

[@marknelson5929]

Hi 'Club 1 Fan' ... yes your perfectly right re the 323. They were everywhere, I saw one of the first generation 323s on the road the other day and whilst it brought back a lot of memories (and looked so tiny on the road) I always felt the contemporary Honda's were better built... from my personal experience in the workshop. My first boss (in Sydney) had a first generation Honda Accord Coupe, gee that was a lovely car. Amongst all my cars, I have a 'boring' 1991 Honda Legend (2nd Generation) sedan. It is so well built, etc after all these years etc. It doesn't miss a beat, uses no oil, leaks nothing and is very comfy etc. Its 'Ks' are high but frankly you wouldn't know! All the best.

[@club1fan552]

@@marknelson5929 Mazdas were built to the same high standards. We had an '82 Prelude which was the biggest rip off known to man as it was generally an Accord with much, much less rear room, no folding rear seat and cost much more than an Accord. My sisters decision to buy. I have an old Mazda and it has all the virtues that you describe of your Legend and we have had it since new. Unlike your 29 year old Legend, our Mazda is 45 years old.

[@the_pigs_have_rebelled]

@@club1fan552 what model of Mazda?

[@jashugg]

The early Hondamatics without OD were 2 speed, later ones such as this example were 2 speed plus OD so effectively three speed.

[@That_AMC_Guy]

Correct. Starting (I believe) model year 1981, you could get the 2+1 Hondamatic. I had both an '81 and an '82 1300 with the 2+1. I sure wish I had the car today. $12 bucks worth of gas would fill it to the brim and I'd be able to drive around for 2 weeks!

[@johang7498]

I have to say, this is just such a lovely little car. To me, perhaps the prettiest car in its class in the early 1980s. And what a condition it is in. If I would live in the UK, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Allways loved also how Honda has changed the style of the civic drastically with almost every generation, as they continue to do to this day, so that, everytime you buy a new civic, it's unmistakably the latest version. If I'm correct, there was a yellow civic of the 2nd-gen-type quite present in the True Blood-tv-series.

[@frothe42]

I haven't seen one of these in such a long time! When I saw this (your thumbnail), I almost had a stroke, it has been that long! Definitely Reminds me of the Triumph Acclaim. And in the US, we had moved on from the Hondamatic (two speed semi-automatique) to a three speed, but everything about this says loudly #Retro! Who ends up with this is extremely fortunate, a time capsule from another era, and a very well looked after classic. Well done!

[@andrewstones2921]

I drove one of these which was about a 1981 car and about 10 years old at the time and as new condition with extremely low mileage. It was incredible compared to other cars that were made in the late 70s or early 80s, and that Hondamatic was lovely in city traffic. I recall that these were pretty much all driven by elderly drivers, not sure if that’s true or just my recollection. It was that experience that convinced me to buy a Automatic Rover 213 SE for my then wife, as that Rover was a badged Honda, that was a a great car and even though I owned a Mercedes 190 at the time I would often use my wife’s Honda/Rover if I was going into London.

[@RichieRouge206]

Such an appealing, lovely car - you can definitely see the influence and beginning of the R8 design ethic! Why has car design gone away from this open, practical design? The condition and cleanliness of this car is mind blowing! Great test there Matt.

[@azaz911c]

The beauty of a 1980s Honda Civic is in the rationality of design. I love how everything is designed with care for everyday use, and without pretence. It's just so wonderful. The 2 speed automatic though? That's very surprising. I never would've thought a car would have less than 3 speeds.

[@histriamagna1014]

Once the Golf class was so small and almost all cars were. It is funny to see a car from that era parked next to you and realize how the cars had grown. The E class Merc from 1985-1994 was 1.73m wide. Less than todays Corsa !!!!!!

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

And yet these tiny old cars feel like they have more room inside them than modern cars.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge Yeah but they do fold up like a sardine can if you crash into them.

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

@@rimmersbryggeri Well that's an easy fix, just don't crash lol.

[@DashCamSerbia]

"Golf class", year right. Money talks (German marketing and bribes).

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

@@DashCamSerbia Ne znam zašto se svako auto slične veličine zove "Golf Klasa", ili "Polo Klasa" za manje i "Passat klasa" za veća auto. Glup sistem.

[@paulchevrier9961]

Wow, does this bring back memories. My very first car was a 1982 Honda Civic 2-door hatchback. I had the 4 speed manual transmission in mine. I loved that car, great memories, adventures and freedom.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

How clean is this relic! Amazing. Did this get lost behind the couch for 38 years?

[@Snufkin812]

I was born in 2003 and recently got to know this little adorable early Civic and fell in love with it! He has a simple but beautiful design and looks very practical. I want this car as my first car. Today's cars are too big and extravagant. :(

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

It was actually a 3 speed, hydraulically shifted manually selected gearbox. I remember these cars well, the Hondamatic was very popular with wealthy old woman who often dyed their hair slightly blue. Well in New Zealand at least. The word Hondamatic was a brilliant piece of marketing because the owners usually thought they had an automatic. Hondamatic was often used as a term to describe a 2 door civic. By labelling the gears as L,*,OD they had people thinking they had something better than the 3 speed auto shifting competition because the Honda had the "OverDrive". The ealier Civics and Accords in the 70s had a 2 speed HondaMatic. In that case just * and L. Historically Honda wanted to build their own automatic gearboxes however they did not want to give any royalties to the likes of the American BorgWarner. To do this they started with a clean sheet design that had very little in common with the American transmissions. They set up design aspects that would make the American patents useless to them. These included a very thin torque converter, an engine that turned counter clockwise, twin shaft meshing gear layout (not epicyclic) like a manual car and a stater torque sensing device to boost line pressure under load. All this put together created a very small efficient unit. In fact their torque converter worked so well that it was then possible to make a car that would perform perhaps better than the contemporary 3 speed auto without shifting gears at all (just in *). In some markets like the US, they had the extra hydraulic controls on these boxes to self shift, without the HondaMatic name. I remember driving a number of these and being impressed with how quick off the mark these cars were even in *, however for more sporty driving I used to start of in L and then shift up to * at 10 to 20 mph. It was possible to just leave it in OD if you wanted to, the car would still start off on most hills except the steepest ones ( I think the owner's manual warns against this but we had to test it). You could also go way faster in each gear than the marks on the speedometer indicated (we were teenagers once...). The next generation Civic brought a whole new era of the Civic, finally HondaMatic was dead and Civic buyers were young and cool.

[@jammy_rex3038]

Interesting info and anecdotes, thanks Andrew 👍

[@club1fan552]

Good information. Yes, it is a 3 SPEED. However, other conventional autos with the same power to weight would perform better than the Civic or Accord in star, especially from a standing start as the star mode was a similar ratio to 4th in a manual.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

@@club1fan552 All 70s and 80s autos were absolutely pathetic with less than about a 2 litre engine. I remember driving a mk2 1.3 C3 Escort Auto and that was slower off the mark than a Civic in star.

[@club1fan552]

@@andrewthompsonuk1 Andrew some were and some weren't. Along with the Sunny, you've picked one of the very slowest and I doubt the Escort had the same power to weight as the Civic. As auto's, the Gemini, 323/Laser 1.5, and the Leone 1.8 were all quite good as auto's. Not all sub 2L auto's were slugs.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

@@club1fan552 ok, I gusss I was exaggerating a bit. I learnt to drive in a mk1 Laser 1.5 auto, I agree it was not too bad except for the unpredictable 2-1 kickdown.

[@gotham61]

Great to see one in such great condition. My first car was a 1980 with the 1500 and a five speed manual. Put a lot of miles on that one, but it rusted away very quickly.

[@paulgriffiths6344]

It foesn't rattle it doesn't creek, is that you then Matt?

[@rhspek]

I remember an Acclaim Triomatic that my father once brought home. He worked at BL (NL) at the time. I believe it was a driving school demonstrator, so with two sets of pedals. Of course we tried driving it from the passenger seat, leaning over a bit to steer it. Much, much later I got me proper rhd cars ;-) Basically these Trio-/Hondamatics were fairly crude three speed semi-automatics, so for that reason alone they're now worth saving.

[@davidhinkson8856]

I've recently started seeing a newly restored sedan version of this car in my country (the car you Brits got as the Triumph Acclaim) - this hatch is beautifully kept, and one of my classmates had a Civic sedan this same color when I was at school.

[@morthren]

The MKI Honda Ballade?

[@davidhinkson8856]

@@morthren yes but we called it the Civic in this market

[@aca2983]

Our family had 2 of these in US spec. Moms was 1982 and brown, mine was 1983 in this color (was "Avignon Blue" in the US). Both were the "1300FE" model with the same engine as this, but with a 5 speed manual. It was one of the highest MPG cars you buy in the US at the time. Mom's was bought new, with standard equipment. My was somewhat fancy, with dealer-installed A/C, aftermarket cruise control, and a 4 speaker stereo with cassette. By this time, US cars did not have manual chokes, and the under hood view in your video was *much* different with lots of voids. Our car had lots of vacuum hoses and emissions controls equipment. 1300FE's had a single piece folding rear seatback, a rear defogger, but no rear wiper. Tachometers were standard, and for 83 there was an upshift light to coach you to better fuel economy. The dash in the car in your video is different than ours, I think maybe that design is carried over from the 80-81 design. To us, compared to US built subcompact cars of the 70's and 80's, the Civic was a marvel. So quiet and smooth, great handling, and trouble free. One weakness was the 1300FE's had a nylon tricot seat fabric that was thin and did not last. My car was bought used with 100k miles on it, probably considered risky by most people. I had the seats redone in a nice plush blue velvet, and drove it 205k miles before I foolishly traded it for a 91 Civic. The 91 was crude and noisy to me by comparison, (and a gas hog), but much more roomy, especially in the back. My 83 Civic was my favorite car ever, it exceeded my expectations and I truly had an emotional connection with it that I've never experienced in any other car. I still have dreams at night of finding another one, or driving another, but in most parts of the US, these succumbed to rust decades ago.

[@deloreanman14]

I cannot get over how perfectly clean this car is.

[@mattw8332]

Lovely! Has anyone noticed that 1970s-80s Honda seem to share a similar front end profile/design with the line above the headlights and grille? I can even see it on the Rover SD3! Also, the dashboard with the prominent teashelf and strip along the back. Again you can see that on a dashboard on an SD3 and even a 1989 R8/Honda Concerto.

[@johnmcglynn5050]

The Triumph Acclaim(81-84) was basically a three box version of this vehicle.It was an excellent car and I owned one (82-85), having previously ran a 1700 marina from 79-82.The Acclaim was a positive revelation in every sense from the marina.It was a pity that in the eighties BL did not undertake more cooperation with Honda and brought in more variations of the civic and larger Accord.These could have substituted for the rather inadequate Maestros and Montegos ,helping better to preserve market share and the future of the business- a missed opportunity!!

[@gilesspencer4278]

My grandad had the exact same model, in the same colour, with the Hondamatic gearbox, although it was a four door. I had the five speed manual. Fantastic cars. So well specced, amazing build quality (apart from the rust) and ultra reliable. With the manual gearbox it was pretty nippy too! Loved the little 'ping' noise it made if you opened the door when the lights were left on.

[@ASVESTAS23]

I grew up as a kid with the 4-door saloon version, 1.2 cc, 55 hp and 4-speed manual transmission. My father was driving it daily for 18 years! No creeks or rattles till its last day. Absolutely immaculate, since my dad was taking care of it like nothing else. I first saw its original seats as a teenager, since he covered the seats with quality sammet covers. Its only flaw, was the knee space for the passengers at the back. Buttery smooth clutch and stickshift. The red colour was the one that suited it most!

[@jandemuynck2756]

My parents owned two mk1 civics with one of them an mk2 engine and its 5 speed gear box in it. I learned to drive in it, georgeous that was ....

[@manofthehour6856]

Cool! My first car was a MK III with stick and AIR CONDITIONING, but no radio. It was a stripper Calfornia model. Suited me perfectly because I never listen to the radio in a car, but the air conditioning was most welcome. Mine also had the 1.3, which was the base engine by then. 55 HP in US guise, but adequate acceleration for the times. The fuel consumption was a bonafide 33 MPG which even today is outstanding in the US. It was my first introduction to "foreign" cars, and it was stellar. I wish Honda made cars with such personality today.

[@colrhodes377]

We bought one of these little gems years ago as a second car. We absolutely loved it and it complemented our Accord beautifully

[@aaronaaron6196]

Feel like I have waited ages for a new video ! Binge watched all the rest about five times now ! Keep it up ! 😊

[@maxidyne]

What a pristine example! I remember these well, you saw them everywhere in the 80s. Sadly most are gone. You got much more kit than with the European competitors. Japanese cars where more reliable, more luxurious and cheaper. Only the rusting was worse... Great video Matt!

[@turquoisecat761]

My father had a 5-speed Y reg one of these in about late 90s, to replace a Y reg Fiesta pop plus, as I finally convinced him Honda were way better than equivalent Fords lol. Parents also had a B-reg Civic with Hondamatic, could never make out if this particular car was a hatch or estate. Ta for the video.

[@10feetup]

Never owned a Civc, but had many a K10 Micra back in the day. all super reliable.

[@Andyface79]

My parents had an 82 accord with those door handles. They never broke in 15 years. Honestly the interior was wrecked by us kids but it was made of really high quality materials.

[@morthren]

What a fantastic little car! They also brought out a sports version called the Honda Civic S which featured twin carbs like what were fitted in the Triumph Acclaim. You could get them in red or black, totally awesome and underrated in their day! I've always liked early Honda's, with all the range they once had. You had the Prelude, Integra, Accord, Legend - all now discontinued from the European line up... Honda have really lost their way.

[@malcolmscott4150]

Beautiful car and came with optional AC and power steering in ‘82 - such an advanced car for the time and so smooth - that star mode whir was so smooth compared to Corollas KE20/25 Toyoglide 2 speed auto that whilst it would change gears automatically changing up at around 30mph if pushed compared to the manual versions they were glacial :)

[@khew1]

Great video! I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep so this was perfect to watch before my porridge. Great to see the smell review again 😊

[@jacksonbrucea]

My parents let me use their old car when I was in high school but the first car I actually owned was a '77 Honda Civic I bought used with 128k miles on the clock in '84. Mine was a white 4 speed coupe. Rather than a hatchback it had a "pillbox" trunk. I drove it a until '87. When I started a job that required me to drive 100+ miles a day my old Civic just wasn't reliable enough breaking down every month or so. I actually got my car up to 90 MPH once. The car didn't have a tach and my poor little engine was revving so high at 90 MPH that I was afraid to try to go any faster. Your 2nd generation Civic looks a lot plusher than my 1st gen. Now I'm driving a 2008 Civic to work. The model changed a lot in 30 years!

[@Infinitrium]

As I understand it, the 'overdrive' in the 2 speed Homdamatics was actually a torque converter locking device which probably felt like another gear change but actually didn't change any gears

[@davidperrott5743]

No, it was a two speed with an overdrive grafted on to make three gears. Later ones got a lock up torque converter and a fully automatic option.

[@jamesgallagher1992]

That dashtop is like a precursor to the late 80s early 90s rovers matt...with the swoop on the left and the wood inlay....and the teashelf..magnificent...a cracking wee motor👍👍👍👍

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

What a thoroughly beautiful little car! It’s stood the test of time aesthetically better than any other hatch I can think of. Even the steel wheels look nice on it, and that pale blue paint is perfect. I’d be proud to own and drive this car! To think the Fiesta was the big seller back then, it wasn’t even in the same league as the Civic. The kit, the interior, the engineering and the looks of the Honda are all superior IMO.

[@drpaulcampbell188]

I had the 1.5 version of this and it was a really good car, really reliable and was pretty quick for a car of this type. Great video as usual too

[@paulwilkinson7746]

Wow that civic looks so clean and looks very modern for its time. The dashboard really reminds me of an R8, the strip of 'wood ish' trim, the shape of the instrument binnacle etc and of course the tea shelf. Thanks again for another great video 👍

[@emreb.2983]

My mom had that same car , a 1982 civic same blue colour but with 5 gear manual transmission. It could drive 160km/h max as per the speedo. From the back seat I pushed those rear wiper bottons as a kid during rain. And when I was around 13-14 I drove this car myself many times. The engine was Quite powerful I remember 😄

[@petersimpson5859]

Banqueting shelf. The genesis of all that was good about 80s and 90s Rovers.

[@doktoruzo]

Great as always Matt. Beautiful little car that. Looks almost new!

[@stevesrover]

Nice! Japanese cars of this era were quite unique in their style and very logical. You certainly got a lot for your money. My parents had the basic versions of the Metro and Micra and I recall the Micra being a tad better equipped. The Metro didn’t even have reversing lights! Either that or they were disconnected.

[@mpersad]

I got my UK driving licence in 1985. In my various jobs I drove many marques including, Citroen, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes, Rover, and Vauxhall. But... the cars that I loved to drive, the ones with the best gearboxes, performance and reliability were Honda, Nissan and Toyota. When I didn't have a company vehicle after 2006 I bought a Toyota. I drive one today. They are exceptional cars.

[@cpreviews3404]

One of my favourite Honda ever! I've had both manual and auto over the years. Did you notice the rather fun "music box" headlight reminder sound :) Also Bruce Willis's character in Pulp Fiction drove a white one of these that he famously had to crash :(

[@davidsingleton9864]

Honda Civic's are always reliable from decade to decade.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

A sweet little ride. There are a few still around here in NZ

[@petergouldbourn2312]

Great show. Thank you Furious. Like always after seeing a car review of yours I want one. That car is brilliant IMO. Pete 🇬🇧

[@andygriffiths9916]

I had the Accord. It was quiet, powerful and smooth, totally reliable and had the most amazing car smell and a cool interior. A motoring high point for me. The previous owner wanted to buy it back! I also had someone else ask to buy it off me.

[@Michka1001]

This video just scored you another subscriber! Awesome video with amazing detail. Well done mate!

[@tolrem]

I had a 1979 in 95 here in NZ.Rust did for them in the end like all the cars of the time.I used to just start away in 2nd.Worked fine.Great little car.Used to load it up.Took a lot of heavy stock from the wholesaler too.Such mechanical simplicity.Never thought I'd see one ever again.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

My friend's grandmother had an 81 in New Zealand. It rusted very quickly requiring rust work before 3 years old. Other than that it was great.

[@keithmatthews1673]

Tea drinking is a ceremony in japan, hence the shelf. If helps if you have a couple of Giesha girls as well.

[@StevesMachines]

Using my wipers to indicate is my favourite trick in my Bongo. Can't believe how nice that car is!

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

16:33 - yes, the Buick Dynaflow was a two-speed "automatic" transmission that required the driver to shift ratios. The early 1st generation Civics with the Hondamatic had the gears labelled '1' and '2', later changed to 'L' and '*'. The 2nd generation Civic added a third ratio and labelled it 'O/D'. The original 'Hondamatic' from 1968, fitted to the N360AT was a fully automatic three-speed unit.

[@williamegler8771]

I own a 55 Buick Century station wagon with the Dynaflow transmission. Put it in drive and no shifting is required.

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

Good point - perhaps "required" wasn't the right word. I wanted to communicate the idea that the transmission does not shift itself. But yes, in both cases shifting is entirely optional due to the action of the torque converter. I believe that's why Honda changed the labeling from "1" and "2" to "L" and "*", so the dealers didn't have to tell people they can "just drive it in second" if they prefer. Given the performance of a 1st gen Civic, I suspect many drivers would have chosen to start off in "L", rather than leave it in "*" all the time, though.

[@nagaraworkshop]

I drove a few of them in the 1980s, manual and auto, and they were truly in a different league compared to the staples of the British motoring scene. Contemporary Datsuns and Toyotas were as well made but dynamically no where near as good. I doubt if younger drivers (I'm in my 60s) can appreciate just how brilliant were the Honda engineers of the period. Great video.

[@willswheels283]

Great cars, and very reliable, the hatch version of what BL used for the Triumph Acclaim with the same 1335cc engine. Rust could be an issue as was with all cars of this era. But excellent as a classic daily driver if you wanted. Great in depth vid mate, thanks👍

[@laurarichards4667]

My older brother taught me how to drive his Hondamatic. We were in New Brunswick, Canada.

[@joeseeking3572]

First car was a '77 US Accord - That used the first Hondamatic which was 2 speed semi-auto, no overdrive. You could start (slowly) in 2 or somewhat quickly in 1, and then manually shift to 2. First was good to about 50, but by that time the engine was screaming, and you might as well have shifted 5 mph sooner. It would clunk into 2 and there was no neutral stop so the careless could overshift with attendant alarming sounds from the engine. Car turned about 3000 rpm at 60 even in 2nd, so 75-80 was really pushing it. At one point after a few years of teenage abuse, the trans went, leaving me with only first gear, no '2', no 'R'. Yes, 2 position manual choke (you rarely needed the second detent, but did need the first one), and the best ram air vents from 2 outboard dash outlets. With those open and the quarter windows flipped (with practice and the seat recline level possible on the move, lol) you could do w/o AC on even moderately warm days. In the end it smoked like carzy on start and I needed to carry a quart of oil at all times. Sold it to a guy over the phone and then ran out to the parking lot and warmed it up for 15 minutes to let the smoke clear before he arrived. Good times.

[@eggy1962]

This is a quality car to what i was driving back then, ( a ford escort estate....in a state more like needed bailing out every time it rained), for a newly qualified nurse not earning much my choice of cars was dire....2 years later i had my first low milage looked after car..... a skoda estelle and i loved it , dry and reliable

[@VintageLynx]

My mum loves driving her Estelle still. And even at 32 years still no leaks and dry and comfortable!

[@eggy1962]

@@VintageLynx they were very under rated car i had 3 in total the last one being the 1300 cc,i got it cheap as the car sales couldn t start it, they put a battery pack on it and left me alone. I had it running in minutes , it ran poorly as its idle jet had fallen out and was residing loose in engine bay. They were amazed to see it running,when they were not looking i put idle jet back in and it ran better ,paid the man and drove it home, the threads on the idle jet screw were worn ptfe tape fixed it.

[@paul1153]

That is one very tidy and clean Honda.

[@marklittler784]

Rich retired bought them, probably with lucrative civil service pensions courtesy of the tax payer.

[@furiousdriving]

Its astonishing how good it is. Stone Cold always find incredible survivors, its always a treat to look around there

[@robshipway2269]

The mk2 Civic, seems almost Fiesta size rather than a car that would be competing against the likes of Escort/Focus and Golf size cars. But owning a MK8 Civic from new, I can see how the Civic in size, engine power etc...it has grown over the years as has the rest of it's competitors. The current civic MK10 to me, seems to be about the same size as the previous Honda Accord with the latest Honda Jazz being about the same size as my Mk8 Honda Civic. This shows how cars have grown, just since I brought my Mk8 from new in 2007.

[@jimififul]

That reminds me sooo much of my 1982 Triumph Acclaim, which was also 1335cc and was my favourite car for a very long time!

[@Pfirtzer]

Honda looks very modern even though it was a 70's car, their time far ahead. My Suzuki Swift sedan had similar look inside and it was built in 1994 an MKII

[@neilwalsh4058]

Extremely clean example and rare as hens teeth today but I still feel like I'd need a tartan blanket, thermos flask and a free bus pass to fit the buyer profile.

[@RideCamVids]

The rectangular panel between the central air vents is where the digital clock would be fitted (optional in some markets) 1500 models got a tachometer and a revised fuel/temp gauge and warning lamp layout.

[@gaufrid1956]

Hondas were always good! My late wife in Australia owned a Series Three automatic Honda Civic Wagon for about 10 years with no problems. I bought a 2012 Honda Jazz auto and it was a great car. Unfortunately, my wife suffered heart failure while driving it and died as a result. As you can probably guess I didn't keep that car for too long afterwards...

[@nick2203]

The Hondamatic transmission was also fitted to the Triumph Acclaim and was known as the Trio-matic, not the best name for a two auto.

[@jammy_rex3038]

Well it was really a 3 speed transmission, (2 speed plus OD), so actually it's quite apt 👍

[@nick2203]

@@jammy_rex3038 as I recall that’s not what the motoring press thought at the time. Yes technically it was 3 speed but O/D was selected manually. Had it been called triumph- matic or similar it would have been fine. Trio implies 3 speed fully automatic which is not the case and that is why motoring press thought the decision to call it Trio-matic was misleading.

[@jammy_rex3038]

@@nick2203 I see, thanks... I wasn't aware of what the press had to say about this transmission at the time.

[@nick2203]

@@jammy_rex3038 a family friend bought a new Triumph Acclaim. He was going opt for the auto until he read road tests reports and reviews and learnt that it was the Hondamatic box that was fitted to the Acclaim. He bought an Acclaim with manual box and was pleased with his purchase and part exchanged it for another after a year.

[@jammy_rex3038]

@@nick2203 they were very good cars for their time; build quality and reliability wise so much better than anything else British built back then.

[@Landie_Man]

My mum and dad survived a serious offset head on collision with a Land Rover in 1988 in a Mark 1 Civic with no injuries. 50:50mph. No cabin intrusion. My older sister was a baby at the time and in the back and wasn’t injured.

[@dinisfigueira9918]

My brother had one too. 3 crashes and no injuries. The last one was a T-Bone on the driver's side which rolled the steel and pushed my brother into the passengers side. The car was badly wrecked, was sold and after 12 years is now running again by a good friend of mine.

[@furiousdriving]

Id suspect the LR driver came off worse

[@Landie_Man]

furiousdriving he was ok! But it ripped a wheel and hub off apparently.

[@davidtoups4684]

That must be the most perfectly preserved 82 Civic in the entire world!

[@MarcusTDM]

Wow what a great example of a cracking little car. Great video as always.

[@doctorzaius4084]

Someone explained down in the comments that this is actually a 3-speed (L=1st gear, *=2nd gear, OD=3rd gear), and thanks to that person - it was driving me nuts trying to figure out what the "L" range did! I owned tons of Hondas from this era, but none of them were automatic. I've always been curious to see what one of the 2-speeds were like. Pretty crazy they hung onto that weird transmission so long. And then they came out with a 4-speed auto o/d transmission around this same time. I've driven slightly later Honda automatics (3rd gen accord, 1st gen Integra) and they were excellent for 1980s autos.... but the stick shifts were so good, so smooth. It's really a crime to lose the 3rd pedal in any of these cars!

[@davidhall7744]

The 80’s were ‘peak Honda’ in my view Matt 🇯🇵🚙😀👍 Lovely example. Great review as always 👍

[@stevenjones19-m8i]

Hi Matt,great video about the Honda Civic,very similar to a triumph acclaim minus the boot.

[@leotoczyski263]

I owned a 2000 plate 1.4is honda civic and the dash looked similar to the 82 version you were driving. I had the car four years and very little if anything went wrong with it. It was tatty and worn out looking but had good service history. I'd have another tomorrow. Great video 👍

[@neilmustow368]

Wow what a minter this 31,000 mile Civic is that front end styling bit like the Triumph Acclaim or Honda Ballade in other countries

[@andygreen1a]

Great little car. My best mates mum had one just like this in a light metallic green. Cracking little car

[@neilduncan8657]

I had a 1980 civic with the 1.3 4 speed stick totally loved the car drove it til it rusted to death extremely efficient and reliable I would love the blue one....would prefer a stick and left hand drive though great car

[@club1fan552]

Synchromesh was common in Japanese manual cars in the late 60's, not the early 80's, like the Mazda 1200 or 1500 or the Corolla or Corona...

[@davebicker8618]

A car you can actually see out of. I wonder if this'll catch on with modern car designers? I do hope so.

[@haqitman]

For a few years in the 90s I had a USDM 81 1500 GL 5 speed 3 door. It had a ton of miles on it but it was still a decent car, really satisfying to drive. It pretty much sold me on Hondas. Interesting to see some of the market differences, like the US cars didn't get the headlight adjuster or choke. Not sure about the Hondamatic but cool little car, unbelievable condition!

[@droge192]

Had this gearbox in a 82 Triumph Acclaim back in '90 - an automatic that doesn't change gear! The car runs in s single gear with the torque converter. The Acclaim had a 'L' and an 'OD' but they had to be selected manually. Very odd setup but I quite enjoyed it!

[@BungleBare]

Austin Rover should have pleaded with Honda to be allowed to build this alongside the Triumph Acclaim. It would have slotted nicely into their range between the Metro and Maestro - maybe even with a handy price premium for being a Triumph?

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Austin Rover missed most tricks...

[@Infinitrium]

Also, fun fact. I had a 50 CC Honda moped with a fully automatic 2 speed transmission that was also labeled hondamatic

[@phil955i]

Around the same time they did 750 & 400cc motorcycles with a similar gearbox (there was a pedal to change from low to high ratios), they were called Hondamatic too.

[@fulwell1]

Absolutely adorable little cars these - I loved them, but sadly was never lucky enough to own one.

[@desparsons4076]

First of all you gave it a good review. However, you made the same mistake that almost every Honda salesman did in those days... say "just put it in the star position and drive." The result of this is that the torque converter took some of the strain but effectively you are pulling away in 3/4th gear which is why you said it was a bit sluggish. They would eventually burn out the second gear clutch assembly discs and plates if driven in this manner permanently. It was instantly noticeable by the acrid burnt smell and black (instead of pink) oil on the gearbox dipstick, which gave it away. I worked for a Honda franchise in Somerset UK from 1972 to 1990 and repaired dozens of these and the earlier Mk1 generation two speed. As good as the gearboxes were they weren't bomb proof! In fact the early two speed one could be driven up to about 50mph in L and with foot still to the floor pick speed two. They were really quite quick. A little bit of advice to the driver after repairing would hopefully stop a return visit to the workshop for another invoice!

[@paultaylor9652]

Looks mint. I left school in 1982 , how cars have changed since then.

[@retrodeejay5286]

Honda Civic = Best Japanese Car Ever Made

[@Beagleman1996]

Film and TV references for the MK2 Civic? The one that comes to mind for me is Bruce Willis' very early (round-headlight) white Mk2 in Pulp Fiction. He knocks down Marcellus Wallace at a crossing, but then gets sideswiped by a passing car. Much sad did occur from me when the little Civic was destroyed :(

[@furiousdriving]

I thought thar was a mk1, mainly because of those headlights!

[@Beagleman1996]

@@furiousdriving That's understandable; the very early MK2 Civics (I think only for the 1979 and 1980 model years) kept the round headlights of the MK1 before switching to the square ones after 1981.

[@andreasphotiou1886]

I’m sorry baby, I had to crash that Honda

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

What a cracking little car, when a civic was a small car!! I can see some styling Q's one being the front end is Triumph Acclaim look and that tea shelf and wood is so Rover. You can defo see why Rover went with Honda.

[@furiousdriving]

yes, can totally see where the Acclaim came from here, great little car!

[@shayanshaffey]

Wonderful video, your content is always much appreciated! By the way, did you stall at 16:13 (hence the cut)? Just wondering if the car is theoretically capable of taking off in OD (barring some lugging).

[@furiousdriving]

no, paused for a slowly turning car that dragged on for ages!