-McClarenDesign's-
Very Serious SLS AMG Review of the Car of the Week N Stuff
"If you're under control, you aren't trying hard enough." -Parnelli Jones
Week 16: 1979 Honda Civic 1500 3door CX
Over the past month, we've experienced more than our fair share of tragedy. First, my wife left me. Then I was nearly arrested for flying through the streets of Monaco. We followed that up with a reminder of how far Chevrolet has fallen, and then Carroll Shelby dies. While the cars that we've tested have been noteworthy, we needed something to lift up our spirits.
After our multi million Credit spending spree last month, our producer decided that this week we deserved something a bit cheaper, and hopefully a lot more cheerful. He then began babbling something about the gas crisis of the 1970s, Jimmy Carter, and the typical Japanese small car invasion
(expletive). I'm sorry, but if I wanted a history lesson about the 1970s, I'll ask my parents.
Look, I'll test whatever you want, so long as it isn't a shade of Avocado/Olive green, any shade of orange, or Chocolate brown.
Obviously somebody thinks they're cute.
Towards the latter end of the 1970s, the Japanese had invaded the United States, offering affordable, light, economical cars for people that weighed more than the car itself. People across the nation began trading in their super-sized behemoths, not because of the environment, but because of the savings and reliability. At the time, Americans just couldn't make good, cheap, small cars.
President Jimmy Carter once referred to the time as "
a crisis of confidence" in America. Our Civic serves as a reminder of just how right he was. Rather than taking the fight to an emerging market, U.S. domestic makers continued with the same tried-and-failed formula that worked, or didn't, in the past. In fact, the willingness to adapt with change was eerily similar to how Chevrolet and Chrysler continued to build SUVs, even though the public made it quite clear that the market had moved on. While the Prius sold like hotcakes, the Tahoe bloated into a 60+ day inventory on dealers lots, and the taxpayers footed the bill.
Then the Volt comes out, and all is forgiven? I think not! Our little Civic is evidence that if you don't know history, you're bound to repeat it. Both GM and Chrysler are hard at work developing fuel efficient vehicles, even though they're years away from the competition. However, like the battery fires that plague the Volt and the Karma, the Civic had its share of teething problems as well.
According to Polyphony Digital via Translator-san:
Translator-san
Known in Honda circles as the "Super Civic," the second-generation compact front-wheel-drive car was better in every way than its predecessor. The new 3- and 5-door hatchbacks were dramatically bigger than the original model, with an overall length of 152.3 inches, width of 62.2 inches and height of 53.1 inches. This in turn accounted for a spacious interior. Making things even roomier were a 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon that were added to the mix in 1980. Power came from either a 1.3-liter or 1.5-liter SOHC inline-4.
The sportiest in the line was the 3-door 1500 CX hatchback, the spiritual successor to the 1200RS of the first-generation Civic. The CX possessed a long list of exclusive parts that set it apart from the normal 1500; the most significant of these was the engine. sitting beneath the hood of the CX was Honda's 1.5-liter SOHC inline-4 based on the first-gen Civic's low emission CVCC. This reliable motor came mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and produced 84 HP and 88.9 ft-lb. of torque. That it could still pass the strict exhaust restrictions of its day while turning out this much powers was nothing short of incredible, and the sporty nature and overall packaging of the Civic CX proved a winning formula with all enthusiasts, from the young weekend racer to the suburbanites who occasionally liked to stomp their right foot down.
I don't know exactly how a
Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion engine works, but what I do know is that 1) you don't have or need a catalytic converter, and b) it can use either regular or unleaded gasoline. Granted, in America we use things like eco-friendly unleaded gasoline for our cars, but expecting the rest of the world to follow is like expecting coal to somehow be clean. It just isn't. So along with its economical and cultural heritage, comes its candidacy for a
Pan-American road trip.
When the car arrives from the garage, I'm pleased to see its a lovely shade of period-fashionable orange, and not some (expletive) stain brown, or repugnant green. It may not look like much, but remember, it gets excellent fuel economy, which is exactly what you want for a long distance rally. And to ensure our Honda receives the finest care, we've enlisted the services of a gentleman named
Johan, and his team of reputable repair men.
Well what on Earth did you expect, Target Chip Ganassi? Well, as luck would have it, they were a bit busy winning something called the Indianapolis 500. Perhaps you may have heard from it. And besides, we've already had
the lucky race winner here before, testing the Alfa Romeo way back in
Week 2. While I'm sure he'd positively jump at the chance of driving our 78 hp rocket, apparently he'd prefers pouring milk all over himself like some sort of child.
Johan (waving), and his Hondura, whatever the hell that is.
Performance As Purchased: February 22, 2011 Santa Fe Orange (
Orange)
Displacement: 1,488 cc
Max. Power:
78 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Max. Torque:
84 ft-lbs. @ 3,500 rpm
Drivetrain: FF
Length: 3,870 mm Height: 1,350 mm Weight: 780 kg
Tires: Comfort (Medium)
Performance Points:
333
Mileage: 14,961.4 mi.
While Johan and the boys went to work on the Civic, I went to have a word with our driver. I found him off at the edge of the track, suited up and ready for the challenge. Upon approaching him, the wind fell dead and silence enveloped us. Whatever it was I had to say, I forgot. Like an idiot, I just stood there... for what seemed like ages, while our driver just stared off into space. Meanwhile, the respectable replacements managed to massage an extra
9 hp and
12 Performance Points, which work in a manner similar to turn signal fluid. As an added bonus, we also opted for a set of custom Rays Volk Racing CE28N wheels. After all, what Civic would be complete without a set of wheels and an audio system, both costing more than the price of the car itself?
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: Max. Power: 87 hp, Max. Torque: 93 ft-lb., Max. Performance Points: 345 PP
Back in the pits, I asked Johan about his choice of pilots. He tells me that Tommy, apparently that's his name, is a rather gifted genius that has a knack with cars. Johan then tells of how Tommy would stop by the shop on his way home from school, walking around and examining the work being done. Since he never got in any of the mechanic's way, they let him watch while they completed whatever they were working on.
When Tommy graduated from high school, he stopped by the shop, picked up a few tools lying around, and started working on a car that was waiting in line. For hours, he labored away, never noticed by the mechanics, or by Johan. When he was finished, the shop was closing, and everyone gathered to see what Tommy was tinkering with. As they gathered, Tommy fired up the engine.
Since then, he's worked full time. Johan says he rarely speaks to anyone, and just goes about whatever work is needed that day. When Johan took Tommy to the local drag strip, Tommy took to racing immediately, scrounging enough parts together to qualify for a variety of disciplines at the local amateur level. In fact, Johan says that Tommy's recently purchased a salvaged NSX, and intends on using the car to compete in autocross, drag racing, and drifting.
Before we can begin our adventure, we first have to establish our baseline of performance. However, since this week's challenge is a bit more difficult than usual, we've decided to forgo our original Super Secret Raceway X, and instead wire the car with enough electronics to make NASA jealous, although with their current budget you could just as easily accomplish that by purchasing a Garmin GPS.
With the car wired, Tommy and I agreed to launch hard for the data, then sit back and cruise to the finish line. We would start at the Pan-American highway origin, but we don't enjoy the thought of our micro-compact Civic wedged between the tread of some Ice Road Truckers tire. Instead, we chose actual tarmac, and thanks to global warming, in fair but frigid conditions.
Like clockwork, Tommy nails the throttle, propelling the little Civic down the open, straight asphalt ahead, while millions of calculations are recorded about the run. Since we like to be as accurate as possible, Tommy's run is recorded with the heater on, and sans his co-pilot... w-who is o-outsid-de... freezing to d-d-death...
Thankfully, there isn't much to record, and Tommy dutifully returns and picks up my frozen remains. Fast? How's
0:18.511 and a 0-60 mph of
0:11.261 grab you? While it is light, and economical, it's also very, very far removed from anything that could be considered A) fast, or 2) furious.
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: 0-1 mi.: 0:46.483, 0-100 mph: 0:34.460, Max. G-Force: 0.41G, Top Speed: 116.9 mph
While I'm thawing, Tommy silently goes about plotting our course, heading south towards the United States. As there is no official U.S. route, we've decided to trace the
Pacific Coast Highway. With a light foot, and gentle inputs, I'm soon fast asleep for Tommy's first stint behind the wheel. By the time we reach the border, I should be refreshed and ready.
I'm not exactly sure how many red flags one needs in order to understand a bad idea when he sees it. One? Three? Fifteen?
What should have been a pleasurable globe trot soon turned into a nightmare. The sluggish performance should have been a preview to the sluggish craftsmanship, and I do mean sluggish. Before we departed, we spent the extra 5,000
Cr., and opted for the body restoration. Johan doesn't specialize in body work, so we had to send it to another local shop, and were assured that all the previous rust had been removed.
35 miles from the U.S. border, a piece of the suspension breaks, and we're forced to gingerly hobble to the closest gas station. A quick inspection reveals a sheared bolt, as a result of rust. No big deal, a new bolt will solve the problem, right? Well, 5 miles later, the rear bumper falls off, even though the roads remain smooth and free of potholes. Fifteen agonizing minutes after that, and we're forced to call for a tow.
Remember when I mentioned the sluggish build quality? Well, it turns out that these Civics didn't respond very well to areas that use salt as a means of melting snow. Our relative proximity to the ocean further aided nature's cancer, eating the car away within hours. When the tow truck finally did arrive, it found that it only needed to carry back some glass, a few bits of rubber, and four tires.
In the end, Honda really did make it simple.
Week 1: 2001 Alfa Romeo Spider 3.0i V6 24V
Week 2: 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto
Week 3: 2000 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (S. Shigeno Ver.)
Week 4: 2007 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 Quattro
Week 5: 1983 Nissan Silvia 240RS (S110) and 1985 Nissan 240RS Rally Car
Week 6: 1973 BMW 2002 Turbo
Week 7: 2004 DMC DeLorean S2
Week 8: 1971 Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (HS30) and 1971 Nissan 240ZG (HS30)
Week 9: 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car
Week 10: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II and 1992 AMG Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II Touring Car
Week 11: 1999 Lotus Motor Sport Elise and 1996 Lotus Elise and 1998 Lotus Elise Sport 190
Week 12: 2001 Audi RS4
Week 13: 1968 Isuzu 117 Coupe
Week 14: 1969 Camaro Z28 and 1969 Camaro Z28 RM and 1969 Camaro SS
Week 15: The Shelby Cars
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