Mileage Miser: 1982 Honda Accord – Sold?

June 27, 2021 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this vintage Honda Accord “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

With U.S. import tariffs to contend with, Honda’s second-generation Accord launched in the fall of 1981 also happened to be the first car built in the company’s Marysville, Ohio manufacturing plant.  This is the car that really put Honda on the American sale map. While this generation of Accords proved to be extremely reliable, rust and extremely high miles have claimed most examples forty years later.  A fine exception to that trend is this 1982 Accord Hatchback we spotted in Midland, Michigan on Craigslist in June 2021 offered at $5,900 currently. Comparing that price against the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the asking price is five dollars above this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $5,400.  Go ahead. Find another example in this shape at a better price. We’ll wait…

Honda launched the slightly larger second-generation Accord in the fall of 1981 as a 1982 model.  Modernizing the interior and exterior, the second-generation Accord was mechanically very similar to the original, using the same 1,751 cc CVCC engine in the Japanese market. Vehicles with a manual transmission and the CVCC carburetor earned very high EPA gas mileage ratings (30mpg City/41 Highway) that helped them grow in popularity.

Accords came equipped with popular features of the time such as shag carpet, velour cabin trim, and chrome accents.  Models were available in Silver, Sky Blue, and Brown. The LX hatchback offered a digital clock and slightly higher fuel economy (due to its lighter weight).  In the United States, Federal lighting regulations required sealed beam headlights in a standard size and shape on all vehicles, so Accords in North America were equipped with four rectangular headlamp units rather than the aerodynamic composite replaceable-bulb units used on Accords sold outside North America.

In November 1982, Honda made a fully four-speed automatic available with the 1.8-liter engine, a major improvement over the earlier, three-speed semi-automatic “Hondamatic” transmission. This quickly filtered through to export markets, where the outdated Hondamatic was soon superseded entirely. The manual five-speed transmission remained unchanged. A new 120 mph speedometer replaced the earlier 88 mph unit.

Burgess Meredith was a long-standing narrator for Honda Car commercials in the U.S. Here’s one featuring him talking about the 1982 Accord:

The yellow plugs shown in the pictures of the door jambs hint at the major reason this Accord survived so well for so long: the original owner opted to have the Ziebart rustproofing process applied to this car. This is a unique time capsule from the early eighties that will make a great AACA touring and/or preservation calls judged car.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Time Capsule, Very original and rust-free. Well maintained, newer tires, rack and pinion, tune-up
rebuilt carburetor, rustproof. Runs and drives great. shown by appointment only Wayne“

Show or go: what would you do with this Honda Accord Time Capsule?  Comment below and let us know!