Boise Street Sighting: Honda Civic wagon

Everyone knows by now that Boise is cream of the crop for old car sightings; but those sightings aren't just limited to American iron of the 1960s and 1970s. Pre-1990s Japanese cars are fairly common out west as well. Must be something to do with the combination of lack of road salt, and immensely strong reliability records. Even in the junkyards, the Japanese cars sitting on death row were visibly wrecked rather than just mechanically dead.

Like Toyota, Honda (as well as Datsun) started off small, making a rather tiny imprint in America's growing import market. One of the first nameplates from the brand to really take off was the Civic nomenclature. While we did get the CVCC in the US, changing the name to "Civic" really put Honda on the map. No longer was it seen as the "rollerskate on wheels" that cars like the Z600 were seen as. The Civic marked Honda's place in the economy car market for good. However, the Civic also signified something else for Honda--that reputation sells. 

Introduced in 1980, this generation of Honda's venerable compact would last three model years, and then would replaced by a more modern design (which unfortunately didn't include a wagon.)  All of our Civic wagons were one-spec, and were closely aligned with the DX trimline. While not "loaded" by today's standards, the Civic wagon was nice little grocery wagon--especially when you considered what the small-car competition was.

As a longtime Honda fan (expect for the more recent models), I tend to geek out over anything older than say, a 1990, two-door Accord DX.  Being brown, being a wagon, and being a vintage Honda (yes, I did just write "vintage Honda", so STFU), all of my attention was focused on this little car. Unfortunately, like the neighborhood it resides in, this poor little Honda is quite dirty.

Aside from the surface "patina", this example was very clean. No dents, only minor dings, and nary a bubble of surface rust; the stock wheels were in great shape, all of the correct moldings were there, and the delicate bumpers and grillework were still intact.  Time capsule Honda? Quite possibly. Yes, I realize that this one was far from "mint condition", but a thirty year old Honda Civic is amazing in of itself--let alone a wagon.

I am very happy I found this, and even in the rustbelt where my chances are extremely slim, I might have a chance to spot one again--in a shady neighborhood.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Subaru 4WD Wagon

In my searches for finding the right car to blog, I often scour certain streets multiple times per day, to look for vehicles I have seen in the area, but am unsure of where said vehicle resides; that's how I came upon this clean Subaru wagon.

When this car was first introduced, Subaru did not have much of a presence in America; they were a relatively obscure brand with a lineup of vehicles that all looked the same, in different lengths (sort of like Mitsubishi is seen today); there was a three-door, a five-door, and a sedan, and each was available with 2WD and 4WD (like the Impreza is today). But, here in America, the car didn't really have a "name"; it was simply sold as the sedan, hatchback or wagon, whereas it was sold as the Leone all over the world. What does Leone mean? Apparently it means Lion--in Italian; sorry, but the roar from this thing isn't that strong.  Maybe Subaru Lumaca would've been more appropriate? (It means "Snail" by the way).

Nevertheless, this is the car that built Subaru's reputation here in America, and we have this one to thank for the arrival of the Impreza--or did this one evolve into what we would know as the Legacy? Hard to say, really, but this is the car that allowed everthing after it to be sold here--including the much-hated XT6 coupe.

I actually really like this cars; I don't see them around very often, and when I do they're always beat to hell and back--usually from rust; surprisingly, this one was not--at all. I have never seen a pre-1986 Subaru this nice--ever. Probably in my childhood I did, but I am in awe at this one.

The paint is clean, bu shows some fade, and all the trim is intact--and in perfect condition to boot; its even got the factory 4WD badge on the tailgate--something I would've thought surely would have fallen astray by now. The US-spec bumpers are silly, though I do like how there is space for non-US license plates, and that means either Subaru was thinking ahead as to not design specific parts for different markets--or it was cheaper to make one part then adapt said part to each market.

I like the wheels on these; ever since I was a toddlers, I've always liked white multi-spoke wheels, on everything from cars to heavy duty pickups; to me, the white wheels mean business. And not in the "I'll kick your ass" way, but in a "I work hard on the job" way; I fondly remember white wheels on work trucks and fed-ex trucks and box-trucks of my childhood, and it was a rare sight to see them on a passenger car; thus, white wheels re-enforces Subaru's theme of longevity and durability.

I will cherish this find as one of my best finds; I never expected to find something this rare, and this clean here in salt-hell. I hope I can find more clean 1980s Japanese cars that aren't fan favorites.