For Sale: 1983 Honda Civic in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

Vehicle Description

1983 Honda Civic 1300 Hatchback

The model that still sells in excess of 200,000 units in the U.S. was the "it" car in the early 1980's. Very few compact cars could compete with its space, handling, gas mileage, reliability, and rather attractive design and proportions. As a result, they were everywhere, or at least they seemed to be. Records show that 137,469 were sold in the U.S. in 1983 and by then, almost a million from previous years were already on the road.

For consignment, a 1983 Honda Civic 1300 hatchback with at title verified 14,711 actual miles. Not only might this be the only one for sale in the country as we write this, (according to Classic.com), but it may be the one of the lowest mileage examples around. We can't substantiate that, but how many people preserved a 1983 Honda Civic by keeping it in the garage and not driving it? Not many, to be sure.

Exterior
Single stage Oslo Ivory paint is a fancy name for beige, a color not uncommon in the 80's for commuter cars. 1983 saw a facelift which created a more integrated front fascia with square headlights between a more refined grille and a slightly beefier wrap around bumper. But the "cute" shape remained and is adorned with a pinstripe that follows the contours of the rear window to climb the C-pillar. The simple square tri-colored tail lights come at the end of a hatch that waterfalls to the rear panel, clean here, unobstructed by body lines and chrome. Honda's slogan for the '83 Civic was "We Make it Simple" and looking at the efficient use of metal and glass in this practical design says it all. 12-inch steel wheels are in great shape and every piece of plastic, metal, and paint on the car is showroom fresh. We could not find glaring imperfections.

Interior
A beige exterior lends itself to a tan interior, which begins with simple vinyl door panels and fitting the scale of the car, the hardware is diminutive. It may have been an economy car, but Honda went above and beyond designing the seats which are tan vinyl buckets with black piping and a perforated tuck and roll patterned insert looking very smart and clean. The rear seats where we routinely piled in a few more high school friends, are 2+2 style and mirror the pattern and level of tidiness. Honda's simplicity mantra is exhibited in the control center with an uncomplicated steering wheel, a molded brown plastic dashboard housing a simple gauge cluster with only essential information that includes speed, fuel level, and engine temp. All other systems are monitored with idiot lights. A storage bin is built into the dash pad which hovers over the vent controls and an AM/FM radio while vents are up high on the dash flanking a Honda plastic nameplate. It's all spotless, practically museum quality preservation here. A floor mounted stick shift rises straight up and is topped with a black knob while the low pile tan carpet is fresh with just a few spots indicating a human has been in this car at some point. The headliner is tight and unmarred.

Drivetrain
A 1.3 liter SOHC inline 4 cylinder engine is spotless under the hood, as expected. The engine is rated at 62 horsepower and depending on the source, gas mileage was rated anywhere between high 30's and mid 40's per gallon. Sipping the gas for the engine is a 1-barrel carburetor and setting the car in motion is a 4-speed manual transmission keeping power to front wheels with 4.066 gearing. Power disc brakes occupy the front and power drums in the rear.

Undercarriage
Surface rust happens, even on well preserved cars with low low miles. It rears its ugly head on the exhaust and suspension components in particular, but also on the edges of the frame. The belly pans are clean and there's no sign of oil leaks. A single exhaust pipe travels through a stock style muffler. MacPherson struts are employed on the independent suspension found on both front and rear axles.

Drive-Ability
Flashes of my 1983 Tercel come to mind as it shared exterior and interior colors with the Honda and that rather sparse interior. But that was in the early days of economy compact cars. The little engine fires up and we shift through the gears to get it going. It wasn't built for speed, rather to get you from point A to point B and it does so here in fine fashion and with no malfunctions. Every bit of operational equipment worked as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Sure, it's Radwood fodder, but you could take this to any car show and be an instant hit. It's one of those once ubiquitous cars that all but disappeared from the roadway landscape yet seeing one brings back memories and elicits emotions from everyone because it's a car that played a part in most Americans lives at one time or another, (at least, those of us 50 or older). Get your hands on this rare example in near flawless condition!

JHMSL4311DS031634

J-Japan
H-Honda Motor Company
M-Multi Purpose Passenger Car
SL-Civic 1.3 Liter I4
4-4 Speed Manual
3-2 Door Hatchback
1-Base Model
1-Check Digit
D-1983
S-Suzuka, Japan Assy Plant
031634-Sequential Unit Number

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!

Vehicle Details

  • 1983 Honda Civic
  • Listing ID: CC-1868324
  • Price: $19,900
  • Location:Morgantown, Pennsylvania
  • Year:1983
  • Make:Honda
  • Model:Civic
  • Exterior Color:Oslo Ivory
  • Interior Color:Tan
  • Transmission:Manual
  • Odometer:14711
  • Stock Number:6574
  • VIN:JHMSL4311DS031634
Listed By:
Classic Auto Mall
6180 Morgantown Rd.
Morgantown, PA 19543

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