Grandpapa Two Speed Hondamatic Civic Test Drive

[@redsorgum]

The old Honda Civic‘s are definitely on the top list of great cars. It would be awesome if Honda remade these exactly like this

[@carlmoffett6632]

I'd be standing in line for one.

[@MrCarguy2]

You would be amazed... Look out for this: Honda City EV Thank me later

[@carlmoffett6632]

I just watched a video on KZbin for Honda City Ev. I'm impressed. They think it won't be big in America, but there is a lot of people who don't drive far. 124 miles on a single charge is all it can do.

[@gabrielpichardo1492]

I wish they would. That body style Civic is super rare and hard to find one in good condition and if you do find it you will pay some serious cash for it

[@redsorgum]

Pichardo Gabriel I remember them to be a fun car to drive, very solid and reliable.

[@davidmaddison2628]

In Australia I had a four speed manual version of one of these as my first car. Thanks for the memories. The car deserves more recognition as classic than it gets.

[@renn2210]

You piqued my curiosity, so I did it a little research. You have to shift the gears manually, start in 1st and then into 2nd. However, there's a torque converter in the car that allows it to be driven entirely in 2nd gear

[@keithc8108]

What is the mpg rating for this Honda?

[@renn2210]

@@keithc8108 The only info I can find is 'up to 48 mpg (imperial) on the highway'. Not very helpful

[@ryankorponay3917]

i own a 77 honda civic and never run it in 2 gear all the time otherwise you will wear out the 2nd gear clutch plates, it will become very dificult to switch from 1st to 2nd, when its worn it will slip in 2nd and only go into the gear at 80 km/h when its worn out

[@gabrielpichardo1492]

That's kind of like a primitive auto stick huh. Pretty damn cool

[@ProDigit80]

​@@renn2210 48MPG IMP equals 40MPG US. Sounds about right for an engine not made to go much over 45MPH. If it has a torque convertor, it doesn't have clutch plates. If it accelerates smoothly without stalling, and accelerates fine for merging in, it's safe enough to start in 2nd gear.

[@josephkay7785]

In the 80's a buddy of mine had one of these '75 Hondamatics. He drove it like it was stolen and beat on it mercilessly - used to repeatedly red line it in neutral then drop it into gear. That poor little car took incredible abuse, but still fired up every time and ran like a champ. Many years later when I needed an econobox for commuting I bought a new Civic, partly due to my memory of how tough that old 75 was.

[@2stroketurbo]

Wow Great back story

[@TheAbJGarage]

this was the gearbox kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@That_AMC_Guy]

Yes, the Hondamatic is similar to the Hondamatics used on their motorcycles. They are clutchless, but manual shift. I owned a Civic with the final incarnation of the Hondamatic: The two-speed with OVERDRIVE. The beauty and versatility of the Hondamatic is that should you want to, you can start out in 1st, then upshift to second. Or, if you're in heavy city traffic and creeping along, or driving in the city at low speeds, just leave it in second and lean on the torque converter. They used a static pitch converter, but the pitch was set to be just right for the power output of the engine and the gear ratio used. One of Hondas nicer little pieces of engineering. My Hondamatic, the one with Overdrive was a little different than the usual. While you COULD select overdrive right from the start, acceleration was downright pitiful. There were marks on the speedometer telling you where and when to upshift. Overdrive was generally not used below 70 kph. The other interesting tidbit is that on mine, you can cycle between the 2nd Position and the OD position without the use of the button on the shifter handle. But to get to first, or up past neutral, you had to use the button. It was pretty cool, but hard to explain to people when they'd borrow the car. They thought it was just a regular automatic, put it in OD and then got upset with how slow the car was.

[@REPOMAN24722]

So, what was the point of the trans if it couldn't select it's own gears? I am a hater of Autos and find this fascinating but i just don't see the appeal, why not just go full manual?

[@That_AMC_Guy]

@@REPOMAN24722 Using the clutch is what most people find the hardest part about driving a full manual. By eliminating the clutch, they made the car that much easier to drive. Keep in mind, the engine had enough torque to start the car off in any of the gears, so, a person could theoretically leave the car in 2nd or OD and pretend it's a full auto. The only drawback would be acceleration would be ridiculously dulled. So, now the person driving has the option to pull the stick back, start off in 1st for a nice quick takeoff and then snap the lever up into 2nd or OD and cruise. No clutching required!

[@REPOMAN24722]

@@That_AMC_Guy True, but by limiting the amount of ratios wouldn't the car be at almost red line at 100kph or highway speeds, unless the 2nd gear ratio or the overdrive in the later models was ridiculously high.

[@That_AMC_Guy]

@@REPOMAN24722 Well, these cars aren't purpose-built for super speedways. They're made to be little city-car runabouts. I don't believe they ever advertised a top speed, but I know mine could only do 140 kph with the Hondamatic and 160 kph with the 5-speed. And the 5-speeds 5th gear was still 1:1. It was not an overdrive box. IIRC, the Hondamatic had typical ratios, 1.45:1 for first and 1:1 for second. I think the overdrive ratio was only .80:1 Final drive ratio was in the low to mid 3's.... 3.42 comes to mind for the Hondamatic, but don't quote me on that. So, they could easily do 100 kph and no, not be screaming up against the redline. Don't forget, back in the 50's, the Chevy Powerglide and the Plymouth/Chrysler Powerflite were only 2-speed automatics. Hell, I think it wasn't until 1953 that the Powerglide actually became a proper 2-speed box. From '50-'53, it would start out in 1:1 ratio and just lean on the torque converter. Low ratio could only be applied manually by the selector.

[@TheAbJGarage]

here is the gearbox of the car kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@club1fan552]

I think the wood rim wheel may actually be original. Although it's a 70's car, they were quite common in the 60's. Mazda used them in their 1000 coupe and 1500SS. A good way to ruin the auto transmission was to start it in second (which in some markets was marked with a star), particularly on hills or with a load. It also had no kick down facility. What you put it in was where it stayed. When the Accord had this transmission later models had a 3 speed and third was roughly equal to 5th in a manual. Taking off in third could be particularly amusing; and as you can imagine, very s-l-o-w.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Very modern looking for 1973 introduction. Good designer behind it. It zips along nicely as a town get about. I have always loved the cute whine you hear from the Hondamatic. Very unique and futuristic sounding. Very luxurious feature for such a budget car.

[@davethehippieman2665]

Yes they are supposed to be manually shifted. The Hondamatics used motor oil instead of transmission fluid.

[@kalanikaau1]

Incorrect, Hondamatic's required Dexron II, manual transmission used 10W-40 motor oil

[@davethehippieman2665]

jkl 2455 my mistook.

[@TheAbJGarage]

here is how the gearbox is put together kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@Dave998100]

I remember those '70s Honda Civics, & Accords, very cool. Honda has come a long way since then.

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

Truly the beginning of Honda in United States 🇺🇸 They never looked back!

[@VinylToVideo]

If only we could go back and block it from happening. Terrible move to have allowed that junk in.

[@toyoscio]

@@VinylToVideo Lol Americans had their chances, but only took the fuel economy issue half hearted, hence cars as the Vega and Pinto.

[@VinylToVideo]

@@toyoscio Because there was no fuel issues in the 70s. Those were liberal lies. They'd have had you believe the oil wells would have been long dried up by now which isn't the case at all. The unfortunate thing is that as cars get more fuel efficient, oil companies will raise the price of fuel to compensate for the drop in demand and therefore profit which screws up ownership of normal cars for the rest of us. I'll never give up my V8s.

[@toyoscio]

@@VinylToVideo Maybe, then again, maybe not. There is nothing wrong with using less fuel.

[@VinylToVideo]

@@toyoscio Take that piece of shit 70s Honda and compare it with any decent GM or Ford product of the day. With that in consideration when fuel was 25 cents a gallon, who gives a damn?

[@douglas_drew]

I never had a Hondamatic, but my first fwd was a 4speed '73 Civic 1200 sedan which I bought used immediately after a week of using my parent's 5speed '74 (or '75?) Civic CVCC Hatchback. Viewers that didn't have experience with earlier rwd American cars or rear engine cars ('59 & '62 VWs) might not realize the revelation front engine fwd was for driving, especially in snowy upstate NY. These Civics were great fun to drive, easy to work on, and seldom needed anything but routine maintenance. My Civic was eventually traded with a friend for her 4wd Ford Bronco so I could move my sailboat around, and she loved the Civic as much as I had. Of course, the experience with the little Honda's and the 4wd Bronco eventually led to my first 4wd Subaru in 1982 and I never went back to the Honda's, but sure do love the look-back your video gave me.

[@theeaselrider4032]

I had a 77 for a while, mostly as a winter car instead of freezing my knackers off on my motorcycle. Sold it to a guy who worked at a Honda dealership ( who made it much nicer then when I had it ). I did like it though. Enough so that I bought an Accord in the early 80's which I kept for a long time. Loved that car.

[@TheAbJGarage]

this is the gearbox Honda used back then kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@baddestburrito4718]

I grew up with these in the neighbourhood when they were new. Really familiar sight. Seeing one again, 45 years later, is fascinating. My true love is the later, "EF," generation, but I can respect its roots, in this car.

[@kevinistalking]

I had a 74 Civic 4 speed manual. I bought it in the 90s and I loved it. Fun car and it got me through university in British Columbia. Bought it for 100 and sold it for 80. Great little automobile

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

I had a1978 civic cvcc with a/c 2 speed. In a world of big cars, this little car was so much fun to drive.

[@TheAbJGarage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@RadicallyLowly]

👏👏👏 Ty for a Ride back into the 70’s 🚙👍🏼✌🏼

[@IanPayton]

My 1978 was a 2 speed semi-automatic that you had to start driving in first and once you got to 35Km/h you pushed it up to second gear and could go up to about 110Km/h (about 65 mph). Loved that car as it felt like driving a go cart.

[@JohnnyTalia]

Had a '74 Civic with the manual trans, same color as this one. Bought it used and drove it for 5 years. Lots of memories with that car, especially the time it broke the timing belt 400 miles from home on a Memorial Day weekend.

[@chrisdavis6853]

My first car was a yellow 79 cvcc 5 speed. The interior was exactly the same as the one in the video, mine came with wood steering wheel and I think yours is stock. I loved that car! Thanks for the video :)

[@servicarrider]

These things were one sweet little piece of engineering. I had a couple of them and had more fun than I did in my Corvette. As I recall with the right tune on them they would get 50mph all day long. I;de still drive one if I stumbled across one. Pure fun to drive.

[@marzinjedi6437]

These little cars rock

[@turcksmachine6652]

This was my first car! I can't believe how seeing it makes me feel!

[@TheAbJGarage]

how about the transmission? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@theskig]

She reminds me about a "Police Academy" movie. Nice little car (and quite amazing transmission for an european viewer), I'm happy she's still running around the world!

[@ceriabestsb3023]

My dad used to have one like this but a 4 door.Actually I learned to drive for the first time in this Civic.

[@rubbersoul3723]

Just found your channel-fun, interesting car food-thanks for the posts.

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

Now that brings back a lot of childhood memories for me - even if the steering wheel is on the other side...

[@Trance88]

I love love LOVE these old first generation Civics! I'd love to have one in at least as good of condition as this one!

[@ilovetotri23]

Rode in the back seat of a '78 manual, in '83. It was kinda newish for the day. The ride in the back of the '78 was harsh. I owned an '84 that did not look much different, for a couple of weeks. Great video! Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

[@emeyer6963]

84 was squared up.83 was last that looked like this one.

[@TheAbJGarage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@Pressbutan]

I'm from Pgh but I recently moved to PDX and god I love seeing all these old, rust free Japanese cars. Makes me so happy.

[@douglasfur3808]

The key reminded me of working in a hardware store and having people come in to have a key made. Too many times it would be a 2 sided Japanese car key broken in half. Being cut from both sides there would inevitably be a wasp waist near the key head and the head end would still be on their key ring with a quarter pound of other keys on it. Torquing on the key is one thing but having that excess weight hung from the key didn't seem good for key or ignition lock. Having your car key on a separate or detachable ring seemed like the way to go. (If they were lucky I could get both pieces in the vise and cut a new key.)

[@TheAbJGarage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@donkeyballs3307]

I drove the shit outta many of those when I was a young teenager, newly licensed, bulletproof, u cant kill them , 4x4 in the dunes , taking jumps & still driving home

[@raylarkin5004]

Drive is for driving. Low is for climbing steep grades and the Honda car made in the 70s and imported here was totally fast and safe enough to merge with traffic. PS, Nice little car👍

[@vintageappliguy]

Ray Larkin that is not true of the Hondamatic Transmission. In truth it is a semi automatic. According to an owners manual I have for the 1975 Civic, you put the car in first to start and shift to second when you get above (if memory serves) 15 or 20 miles an hour. The plus of the Hondamatic was the elimination of the clutch pedal. Chevy offered the same set up which they called Torque Drive on 4 cylinder Nova's and the Vega from 1971 through 1973.

[@jamesfrench7299]

That makes sense as it would then be effectively a single speed transmission like Buick's Dynaflow from the 50s, but that had a beefy V8 where it didn't matter as much.

[@TheAbJGarage]

this was the magical gearbox kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@johnford5568]

Love it. I've had Accord, Fit, and now two seat CRZ with cvt, which is sublime. Also many motorcycles from aero 80 to goldwing 1800, now on NC750X DCT amazing all arounder.

[@zoneb609]

I loved that quick tour!! Neat car!

[@willstaffan3229]

I love those "How to keep you _car_" alive books! Such neat illustrations. Spotted that in the passenger floorpan

[@carlmoffett6632]

Beautiful. Keep it going for another 60 years.

[@TheAbJGarage]

with this gearbox? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@snocrushr]

My dad had one the same colour, and yes you had to shift it manually just like the Hondamatic motorcycles of the same era.

[@TheAbJGarage]

I happen to have the gearbox kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@cuda70gt7]

That civic had what was known as a semi- automatic transmission. It was automatic but you had to shift it manually from first to second. I had one in high school .

[@vwnut-uc1gw]

When you zoomed in on the tire pressure sticker it showed that it was equipped with 155sr12 tires. You were correct. My VW autostick has a similar transmission. It has three speeds but you have to shift through them though you can leave in in drive (3rd) for all your sluggish driving needs.

[@TheAbJGarage]

this was actually a 2 speed transmission kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@michaelwilliams761]

Nice classic. Didn't know Hondas even came in automatic back in the 70s

[@toyoscio]

They did. called Hondamatic

[@ohyeayea5721]

@@toyoscio he literally said he didn't know that dipshit

[@slamcrank]

but they weren't really automatic. They still had to be manually shifted.

[@TheAbJGarage]

it was actually semi automatic kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@zzzdogutube]

believe it or not I had a 78 brown one just like that one. I loved the car and give it to my mother. I'd buy another one if I could find one. FYI :I was cool back in the 70s. I also had a Chevette and a Pinto. COOL Dude

[@5610winston]

The "Hondamatic" was a semiautomatic. You notice that the forward gears are labeled "1" and "2", not "L" and "D". While it was marginally more sophisticated than the Volkswagen "Automatic Stick Shift" (actually a three-speed manual with a torque converter and an automatic clutch), and it could be driven in "2" without shifting, the reality was that full manual models were superior in every way. By the way, the Civics of that period were more rust-prone than early Chevy Vegas: you could watch the car crumble away before your eyes.

[@unclebs4732]

I had a 1975 civic with a 1.3l and a 5 speed and a rod knock. Cool little cars for cheap back in 1981.

[@ausmartin1]

First car was Honda 1976, rebuilt the motor and rev'd out nice at 6000 RPM with a 4 speed, but running the engine over speed meant frequent point adjustment. But I still smile what that Honda engine could do and it never blew up. Really great engineering even back in the 70's Honda !

[@TheAbJGarage]

have a look at the engineering in the transmission!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@josephineoliver9499]

I had one of these and I absolutely loved it! The fella I brought it off explained it to me that it was semi-automatic and that took a bit of getting used to but after a couple of weeks I was right, I only brought it for 500 AUD. I regretted selling it.

[@hack2it]

The early Honda Civic’s are great cars. Got my attention

[@dtmoore5506]

Severely underrated car.

[@timm9631]

Those wheels are from an '81 Accord and the steering wheel is a sport wheel for the 1st gen Civic. Many of the 1st gen cars with manual transmission sport model also had the wood shifter knob. You don't need to shift the auto. It did just fine with putting it into "2" which is the same as D on a newer car.

[@thoang0126]

You start in 1st then shift to 2nd!😆

[@rexjolles]

or you can jsut keep it in 2nd

[@ggrreeggy]

Had a 1976 4 speed version of that with even the same color. Bought non-running for $100 with a blown head gasket. Gasket kit for the car cost about the same... Was in VA at the time (1987?) Did the gasket on the street on a weekend. If you want neighbors to get mad, start a car with no exhaust hooked up. Moved back to MN and then the rust started to kick in. At some point, the head gasket started leaking again. When a MN parts store, 10,000 Auto Parts stores were closing down, I walked into a everything must go clearance sale. I spied a small skid with a tiny engine on it, ignored way in the back room. Turns out, it was a completely rebuilt Civic 1200 engine. I put an offer on the table for - you guessed it, $100. They said no. But 1 week later I got a phone call asking if I was till interested. I said yes. I actually had them cut it off the skid and carried it out to my car myself in my arms. I think it was possibly 80 lbs dry with no heads or intake. Got another 5 or 6 years before rust took her away from me. I computed on highway driving getting 50 mpg going steady 60 mph.

[@chipsramek3868]

I owned a 1976... 850 Hondamatic motorcycle...awesome to drive.

[@GoliathAngelus]

I could almost buy the same Civic in new state 20 years ago from an old lady but the family from this lady was agains it. They said it should stay in the family but the children weren t interested in the car at all. Such a shame.

[@TheAbJGarage]

this is a simple and nice transmission kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@dougs184]

Thanks for the video, nice car. I like old and simple cars.

[@pogo1140]

These old Hondas, up to 1980 had what I use to call hurricane vents. At 55mph and up the air coming out of the dashboard air vents was almost as fast as the air outside the window. This changed with the 1980 model year and after that you had to actually turn on the fan just to get any air moving out of the vents.

[@toyoscio]

Lol what's wrong with that?

[@tombob671]

Very nice ride. Older cars in great shape keep your money in your pocket. I have a mercury grand marquis, 2001, in perfect shape. It's an old man car owned by an old man. (72). I think it's money in the bank every month I don't have to buy a new one. Well cared for this little honda will serve for years to come. BTW starting in 2 is just fine stop light to stop light... neat little car! And I would rather pay a guy like you to fix my ride than 30k for a car plus interest lol

[@TheAbJGarage]

want to see the inside of that transmission? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@ronmelys2854]

had a 77 non cvcc 5 speed in yellow. great when it ran, unfortunately it was down a lot. broke the camshaft, 6 months later spun the bearings on the crank. at 79000 miles.

[@theembalmer3987]

I had a great little 78 Honda cvcc hondamatic. Such a great little car got it for 300 because the old guy filled it with diesel so it was farting fire lol but I got it running gear again sure loved it great little car smooth drive

[@wittemanadrian]

Nice car but poor Stella...she goes everywhere with you!

[@jaggass]

In the UK Honda offered the Triomatic in the Triumph Acclaim. Its like this but with 3 gears.

[@uxwbill]

That is a neat little car (even if I think the front end's kinda ugly). Looks to be pretty well optioned, too. What a survivor! Never knew Honda had a two speed "automatic" transmission. Thanks for the ride!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Old Japanese cars were very reliable and still are! You only have to prevent rusting...

[@rscarawa]

Was not my experience. Nice car cut I remember seeing alot of early 70s Hondas stuck in driveways. That did not seem to be the case with models a couple years later. Seemed that they were vastly improved around that time.

[@RichieRouge206]

What a brilliant little car and far more character, substance and soul than a car park full of modern cars and better engineered and longer lasting than any of the new plastic German crap. A true little gem worth preserving

[@45AMT]

I haven't seen one of those on the road since the early 90's even here in the south.

[@jareknowak8712]

"2 speed auto" today sounds like Leonardo DaVinci technology :) My uncle had one of those many, many years ago. Dont know exact year or engine, but it was an automatic.

[@misterfunnybones]

When sitting in the passenger seat there's a brake pedal bar that extends between the driver & passenger side because it simplified the left/right drive configs in different countries. Place your foot up high & push the bar to confuse the driver & give some "phantom" braking. The driver will probably see your leg moving, but will still be confused when the car brakes for no reason. Then, reveal the "secret" brake bar.

[@RideCamVids]

Some markets had a L and Star symbol for the two drive modes. This was around 1978, just before the OD feature was added to make them a three speed transmission.

[@TheAbJGarage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@nightmathzombieethan]

If you think that 2 Speed manual-matic is trick, you should check out what Honda did with the old City Turbo and their "Hypershift controller". I may be wrong but as I understand it it was like a regular standard transmission, but you could not only change gears, but the final drive ratio was selectable as well; essentially making 2 gears out of each 1. It's almost like an early VTEC, but done with the transmission rather than having the equivalent of 2 different cam profiles.

[@byronh60]

I used to own one. Mine was a 1974 with Hondamatic. I loved it! Just like any other automatic, just put it in drive (D) and go. It should shift from 1st to 2nd somewhere between 25-35 mph, depending upon how far you’ve pressed the accelerator. Mine was blue just like that. You’re right, the steering wheel was black and it had smaller wheels and tires.

[@GettingNervous]

There is no drive (D). There is only P, R, N, 1 and 2.

[@minuslr]

my brother had one of these in the 80s, he serviced it all nicely himself then took it for a drive in the country to test the new performance - whilst he was looking at the speedo to see how fast it could now go he looked up to see a tight bend, lost it and went through the fence and ended up in a field - the car was written off and he had to pay the farm for a new fence section! Not a good day

[@davidmorris9204]

Hondamatics were meant to be shifted from 1st to 2nd manually probably in a speed 15 to 22 mph. A lot of people I knew drove them only in 2nd gear and burned up the transmission clutches.

[@karlmorton9881]

This is how I remember Honda civics, I'm 64 now

[@jamesbrown3352]

Start in 1st then shift to 2nd at 25mph (no need to downshift when braking)

[@wildbill23c]

Yep its a clutchless manual transmission, you still have to shift it manually, just no clutch to operate. Starting off in 2nd gear is great in snow/ice though, it helps you get going without spinning the wheels as much.

[@TheAbJGarage]

it was so cool to finally have the gearbox here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@crosslink1493]

2021, so a little late in posting. Is that a John Muir repair manual on the passenger's side floor? Great book for Hondas, and the original books for VWs (my vehicle-of-choice back in the 1970s-early 1980s). My parents had the next gen of the Civic. I took my driver's test in it and I remember the DMV examiner was impressed that a teenager could competently drive a stick shift car.

[@1986tbirdwilly]

IDK if anyone else has said this. But my 2 speed 1.2 75 hatchback said in the user manual that was in the glove box, to start off in 1st and manually shift into 2nd past 25-35mph.

[@chuckster3629]

That semi-auto transmission is probably similar to the one on the old Hondamatic motorcycles. I bought a new '77 Honda 750A back in the day and it has Low and Drive. Low was just low gear and Drive was just high gear. You had to shift from one to the other. But, you could take off in Drive since the bike had plenty of power. It was weird taking off in Drive and never hearing a shift. And those transmissions were bullet proof.

[@MidnightClubStillCancelledSoz]

Civic is love, Civic is life

[@CreRay]

Pretty nice Civic, actually my grandpa had one of these too! Might even have been the same color. I think it said Hondamatic on the back. I remember that he couldn't start it when the engine was hot, he probably didn't know to give it some gas, so they just let it cool down for a while first:) Seems to me the idle is a tad high, and the speedo might have come out of a manual, since it indicates shift points.

[@jamesharan8225]

CreRay

[@TheAbJGarage]

the gearbox and speedometer is shown here... want to see? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@bbear753]

Work the choke

[@glenbo2464]

My mom had a dark blue one just like it. It went pretty good with the 1500 and auto. We had it up to 100 on the freeway ! Also , it had the 3 spoke wood steering wheel and silver brake pedal trim . I don't think the speedometer is original , ours had a white line and #'s at the shift point when you supposed to go from 1 to 2.

[@MrGazzw]

Definitely a cool little car. I haven't seen one of them here in the UK for, must be 20-30yrs now. I guess you could call it a semi automatic really, given you have to shift it manually.

[@noesph1637]

True, I think most of them have dissolved here. Bad weather, damp conditions and loads of road salt. :(

[@TheAbJGarage]

super cool gearbox this car uses kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@FiddlerSteve]

My first car was a '77 Civic CVCC 4-speed (with a trunk, not hatchback which was fairly rare) in that same color. I liked that car a lot but the person who had it before me (for 46,000 miles over 4 years or so) had apparently abused it. By the time I sold it, at around 100K miles, it needed carburetor and clutch replacement, and full engine rebuild (plus struts, timing belt, all the normal stuff). But I'm not sure that was out of line for cars of that era. I've owned 3 other Hondas since then: '85 Accord, '92 Accord and 2000 Civic. Each one has been more reliable than the last!

[@emeyer6963]

Didn't think sedan came out until 1981

[@G56AG]

One of the Honda dealers in Oklahoma City, the original Honda dealer there, has one of those on their showroom floor in pristine condition. Unfortunately its strictly 'Do Not Touch', I'd love to sit in it and see how much room it has inside.

[@brianandrews7099]

My parents owned a bunch of these back in the 1970s-80s. They were very basic and cheap, trim wise, even by the standards of that time. Some of them had air conditioning, at least in the later years. At around 120,000 miles, the carburetors were usually worn out on them. They were a weird 3 bbl and, back in the early 1980s, they were expensive and hard to find (dealer item) and the cost to replace them typically was more than you’d want to spend on a car of that age/mileage/value (fuel injection was a godsend on a Honda when it came out, maybe 1983ish). Although they were probably alittle roomier inside than a VW Beetle, they never had as much charm with owners in the 1980s and so they were usually tossed out when they got old and broke down whereas Beetle owners would sometimes hold onto them after they broke, or fight to keep them running, so a late 70s Honda is a much rarer sight than a 70s Beetle today. By the mid 1980s, I was so tired of these cars! I remember the Dick VanPatten commercials on tv for the Oldsmobile Delta 88 (the family car that didn’t forget the family) and wishing my parents would buy one so we could have something roomy and comfortable to ride in! Even today, I don’t care for Hondas. My mother even tired of them and swears she will never own another Honda.

[@kevinistalking]

Thanks for the cool video

[@chiswsuburbs6523]

"Ya gotta make a car live!"~2stroketurbo

[@daveogarf]

A former GF had one just like it, but with a 4-speed. 1.2 liters, I think. Same blue color. Ahhh, memories!

[@vwgolf6487]

I'm just curious. From what I remember, the hood and extra lights were only on the CVCCs. Maybe someone switched the standard hood with this one.

[@simong6855]

Reminds me of the film Police Academy "rip out the front seats sit in the back"

[@patricknesbitt4003]

2 speed semi-auto. Shift manually. Same type of transmission as GM had in the early 70's called Torque Drive used in the Vega.

[@scottm7878]

I had a torque drive in a 1970 nova with a 4 cylinder. never saw one in a Vega !

[@noelaguirre7104]

My first car was a 1974 Civic bought used it had manual transmission. Unfortunately, that car failed to turn us into Honda aficionados. It was our first and last Honda ever.

[@TheAbJGarage]

really? I happen to have the gearbox kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@Sanpedranoazul]

This Is a relic!

[@chuckster3629]

A good repaint and a repaired front bumper would make that little car look like new again. And it would be worth putting the money into.

[@paulw.woodring7304]

My second car was a slightly used 1976 base Civic 4 speed, 1237cc non-CVCC engine. MSRP was $2800.00, I got it for $2600 at six months old and 12K miles. It was truly a horrible car, but I had really no choice as a poor college student and chronically unemployed grad in the Reagan recession, so I had it for 7 1/2 years. (For comparison, my used American subcompact choices in that era were: AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto, or Chevy Vega, so yeah.) I only got 106,000 miles out of it, and I really should not have driven it the last six months I had it. It was dangerous. Thank goodness Ohio didn't have any vehicle inspection program back then. I was in Northeast Ohio at that point, so the salt got to it after about four or so years. Generally, in the 1970's automotive steel was really bad, so cars rusting out was a common problem among all manufacturers. You might notice that generally speaking, you don't see very many preserved mid-1970's common sedans from the North and East. Specifically, all of the chrome-plated auxiliary lights (front yellow marker and rear backup) rotted out. The paint job was really fragile. Being the 1970's, I had a CB radio for awhile with a magnetic antenna I stuck on the roof, which scuffed the paint and eventually the roof rusted out. Among the quirks that these cars seemed to have: The door locks easily got water in them and froze in the winter. I never smoked, but I always carried a lighter so I could put the key in the lock (all metal, not like the one in this clip) and hold a flame under it to thaw the lock out so I could get into the car. Eventually I had to replace at least one of the locks, so I had more than one key to drive the car. If you noticed, this model had a manual choke, and if you forgot to push it in after a few minutes, it would load up and remind you by backfiring. Mine didn't have a clock, radio, AC, or even power brakes or steering; but it was light enough you could get by. Twelve inch wheels were the standard. It broke timing belts twice in 100K miles, both front axle boots tore at separate times (probably from road ice) and I had to replace both transaxles. It spent almost as much time at the mechanic's as a British Leland sports car. About 6 months before I sold it for parts (mostly for the engine, which was also really shot - only was getting 23 mpg at the end), I was driving on a fairly deserted two lane road very early one morning when for whatever reason the throttle floored wide open and I was doing over 70 mph before I realized that I could stop it by shutting the engine off. Nothing happened to anyone or me, and when I restarted it it ran normally, and never did it again the rest of the time I had it. I swore off Hondas for 35 years after that.

[@emeyer6963]

Remember the 1st Accords were recalled for fenders rusting out within a few years.

[@paulw.woodring7304]

@@emeyer6963 Honda actually did recall and replace both fenders on my Civic. The rest of it was a rusted-out mess, but the front fenders were relatively good at the end. You don't know how bad I wanted them to just buy me out by the end.

[@emeyer6963]

@@paulw.woodring7304 Wasn't sure they had trouble with rusty fenders on the Civic's also.They sure have come a long way since then

[@TheAbJGarage]

wow this is the gearbox back then kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@jurivlk5433]

No, It doesn't shift! It has two gears plus the torque converter. You're supposed to drive it in D and only to use L on steep grades! Wasn't there a * instead of a D? Great car, bought one where the first gear didn't work at all but I did very long trip without any trouble. Was a very reliable car and I love it! It is 45 years old and looks so good!

[@juljasmaharchive]

Really nice today except for the weird wind

[@nivan231]

I loved the car make.. decent looking car

[@dukedima3164]

i love that speedometer

[@jffrocks]

I remember seeing thousands of those on the road in California during the 70's and 80's

[@NotSoCrazyNinja]

I did not expect it to accelerate that fast. Every old Honda I've had has always been a bit on the slow side lol.

[@2stroketurbo]

Me neither it actually accelerates quite well

[@frothe42]

Actually the Hondamatic was a semi-automatic. You could have looked up the history of the Hondamatic, which they also used on Honda Motorcycles as well, one of the school bus drivers had a Honda motorcycle with the Hondamatic. I think even the first generation Accord had the Hondamatic as well.

[@TheAbJGarage]

well said!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3jLn5R_mKySqa8

[@fabulousprofound]

those wheels do look like accord steelies... my only experience was in a cvcc but it still brings back good childhood memories. i do not remember a wood steering wheel but it was wrapped in some sort of vinyl steering wheel tape?

[@dudley7540]

They look just like my 76 Accord wheels with forty dollars worth of trim rings.