1976 Honda Civic 1200 1st Gen

[trigger]

Recently I was looking for a newer car to replace my wife's Suzuki Alto when I spotted this little Civic on the autoshite ebay thread that was for sale locally, It looked quite sweet so I decided it's gotta be worth a look.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 1st Gen by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

I went to view it and it was a real gem, Family owned from new, the current owner was a local doctor who's aunt gave him the car 3 years ago to teach his daughter to drive in, he brought it up from Ilford, the daughter decided she wouldn't drive it so it's sat in the garage unused since, other than a poorly repaired wing and some light scabs on the wings it's totally mint and original.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 1st Gen by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 1st Gen by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

I've had to wait a few weeks before I collected it as the owner wanted to keep the number plate on retention so it's gone page to it's original LME 258P plate now.

I collected it last Wednesday and I'm pretty chuffed with it really.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 GL by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

It also have all the paperwork and receipts back to 1977!.

Apparently it's a early 1974 car, even though it's a 1976 reg as it's thought to have been Eddy Grimsteads showroom model for it's first 2 years hence the sunroof and it's also believed to be the oldest Honda Civic still on the road in the country.

I'll get some better photos hopefully tomorrow so I'll go into more detail then!

[grifterkid]

Holy curse word, that is STUNNING...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[darrenh]

ignoring that this is gonna sound like more congratulatory back slapping, but i genuinely love it !

[8tee8]

Amazing, like the pulp fiction Honda (I think) but a lot less crashed

[trigger]

Cheers,the Pulp Fiction one that Brian Willis drove was a 2nd Generation model but Hightower drove one in Police Academy film where he took the front seat out of it to drive it!.

The cars done 78000 miles but most of those were done in the first 10 years, the body work is remarkable for a Civic, I think a good session with the polisher will get it looking great again, I'm looking forwards to getting this looking nice again and to buzz around the country lanes with that full length roof back!

[Geordie]

That's awesome. Great find!

[mk14dr]

Do you want to swap it for a Mk1 Civ... oh, I see...


joking aside it looks ace Trigster, though, I thought the Alto was pretty freaking cool too.

[trigger]

I've still got the Alto! Funny enough my wife rings me tonight on her way home from work "My choke has broke and it's revving really quickly, what do I do".

I tell her to limp it home as she wasn't far and I'll fix it, she gets home and all that's happened is that the nut that holds the choke to the dash has unscrewed itself, rescrew it back on again and it's fixed, lovely!

[flodoms]

A great find.

Brings back memories of working on them in the dealer as a kid!

[sixpot48]

That is amazing. I had 1975 1500 CVCC 4 door non-hatch model. I've never seen another one. It breaks my heart to think I got rid of it because of curse word neighbours and I lived with my mum at the time in a council house. Wish I still had it.

Well done for spotting this one.

[trigger]

An exciting update time!

I woke up this morning after a nightshift to a loud thud, I came down stairs to find treasure on my door mat...



I ordered these from a company called Tippers, £51.50 delivered compared to Framptons which was £65, much better then plastic or pressed metal plates.

So after nipping to the post office and claiming my 6 months tax I popped over to my old mans to start work on the old girl.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

My first job was to tackle the grubby engine bay, after nearly 40 years it was a bit dirty looking.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

After a short while with my new pressure washer and a some TFR it was looking much better.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

Great!. I took it for a test run for the first time, It drove drove brilliantly but the clutch is high and the brakes were shocking, After stripping them down, freeing the front calipers and bleeding them (they were full of air and the rear brakes had loads of curse word in the fluid) they felt much better.

The interior needs a Vulgalour style clean up as it smells fustier than a grannies knicker drawer.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

It still has it's original Eddy Grimstead tax disc holder that sticks perfectly.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

So after all that I drilled my new plates on and fitted a old AA badge I had and enjoyed the moment.


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


My 1976 (1974) Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

My jobs for tomorrow is to give it a oil change, drive it the 25 miles home, hopefully without breaking down, and then start thinking about breaking the polisher and the G3 out!

[cianha]

A genuinely brilliant find, well done Triggs!

[trigger]

It's home!


My current old car collection by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[RRT 22R]

Very nice, and a fine collection you have goin' on there...

[grifterkid]

Cripes!!! There really is nothing to say about that little lot...

[trigger]

Busy morning so far, I've finished polishing the outside, It still needs a good hand polish and the roof doing but it's getting there, then I've stripped out the interior and made a start cleaning the inside, Just call me Vulgalour.

The front wing isn't great so I'll have to break out the moths and get that repaired professionally.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

After spending £27 on a new headrest i found the missing one wedged under the passenger seat.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

It should look a lot nicer once the bumpers have been refitted.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[trigger]

Apologies for the overkill on here recently but I'm very excited at the moment with my Civic!, I've spent hours, and I mean hours working on this, Today for example I started at 10am this morning and apart from an hours break earlier I haven't stopped all day until now!.

I stripped all the interior out this morning to deep clean it all and get rid of the fusty smell inside.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

I cleaned all the boot out which is mint, I still haven't found the colour code though.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

Now after polishing the bumpers with Autosol and refitting them it looks fantastic!


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

Both front wings need paintwork ideally, especially this offside one, I'll have to get some estimates on it.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

It's gleaming! I fitted a chrome exhaust tip too which looks much nicer I think and I changed the oil today, I wish all cars were that easy!


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr.

I've put all the interior back together again and fitted some new mats, it's a much nicer place to be now, it no longer smells like a granny knicker drawer.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

I think I'm going to enjoy this car!

[grifterkid]

Git...!!! That is well tasty...

[79cord]

Looks amazing all polished up, even with that dubiously '70's-tastic vinyl roof treatment extending under the side windows!
The big fold-back sunroof should suit its character perfectly, they feel like such speed-bubbles to sit in already with that simple interior & low dash, and the extra light will magnify that even further. Lovely.

[trigger]

If anybody has a pair of wings that would fit this could you pm me please, I bought a pair of ebay which are turned out to be 5 door wings which are slightly longer. Bum.


1976 Honda Civic 1200 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr