I was hard set on never owning a Honda as I’m a Nissan fan, but having this one around made me realize why so many people own and love them.
The struggle was real. Gas prices were on a roller coaster. My girlfriend had gotten a better job working at Cedars-Sinai. It was a longer commute, and the efficient nature of this little car was of benefit to our budget.
The magazine we found it in
We actually found a silver colored model of the same year while browsing one of those free used car magazines found at most liquor stores in our area. The silver one looked nice in photos but in person the tint job was bad, had higher mileage, and more dings than we were both comfortable with.
This car was on the same small lot. It presented nicer. It did not have the tint but did have lower mileage. The only issue it had was the Honda OEM stereo was locked out, an anti theft feature Honda had to deter thieves that did not realize after market stereos were better. I did not mind the radio issue as I still had a Kenwood stereo that was in the old Altima.
The dealer let us both go for a test drive. I started off the drive but a few blocks away we switched roles as this was to be her car. She loved it, we switched roles again before arriving at the dealer. For under $10k it came home with us. She finally took her license test and gained her license after a few days of ownership.
I changed the stereo as soon as it got home. A week later I got a sweet tint job done on it, 5% on the rear doors/window and 15% on the front doors. After a few weeks I upgraded the tires from some no name brand tires to General Altimax tires. I was finally getting comfortable with automotive wiring. The final modification I did was installing a 2 way autostart alarm system that she put to good use daily to warm up the car. I still remember the melody that pager played when it started up every morning. It had hub caps, but I wanted the aluminum rims from the EX model, and she did too of course. But I wasn’t in to the car or anything.
Secretly though, I enjoyed that car. It was of higher quality car than I was used to. A bit plasticky and understandable in a compact car. The cloth seats were very comfortable, although as a “Festively Plump” gentleman I was never comfortable in the back seat.
No VTEC on LX models
It was an LX model with a 115 horsepower 1.7 liter engine which I would describe as adequate or fitting. I knew little about Hondas and was under the impression that they all were equipped with a VTEC system. But the VTEC never kicked in yo!
A little research and inspection on my part revealed that in this model Vtec was only on EX models. I really had to…I mean you really had to rev it to get the power. Once you got it going, you had to use the momentum and handling characteristics to keep pace. I find what they say is true about small or underpowered cars teaching you how to really handle a car.
Altimax Tires, I highly recommend
The tires greatly improved the handling, and for a long time my girl was scared of how I drove. The license tests in the previously mentioned Gran Turismo game honestly increased my vehicle handling knowledge. I passed the knowledge on to her, how to brake before turns and power out. How to aim for the Apex of a turn, and how to use the throttle to increase/decrease oversteer/understeer, to keep plowing of this front drive vehicle at bay.
I created a monster; after a few month the roles reversed and I found myself being the one scared of her driving. When I drive fast I have to lower the volume of the stereo to listen to what the tires were doing. She could do it while loudly listening to Rockabilly music. She would tell me to relax when I would protest. She’s still out there somewhere so be careful.
Reliability wise the car was solid. Only once did it let us down. The transmission did break down on her while driving home one day. I believe this is a problem multiple Honda lines of this vintage, I keep hearing solenoid contamination along with many other theories. She drove to my job to have it checked. I test drove it while she followed in another car. It felt like it was slipping in to neutral then back to drive. It finally gave up and I coasted it to a stop on a small street in Alhambra.
We towed it home ourselves under the cover of darkness with a simple tow strap. We then took it well known transmission chain for repair. It was around $1800, the mechanic told us a low/reverse drum had failed. It drove well but it felt sluggish, I believe they used the wrong fluid, it doesn’t take Dex/Merc. I left it at that because of what happened next.
The trade school I went to; Like anything in Life, it is what YOU make out of it
She was still hinting at going to the next level in our relationship; And that’s where the trouble began. We were together going on 10 years at this point. I thought to myself: If this is going to happen then I need to get educated and make more money to make it happen comfortably and not struggle.
I mentioned that I signed up to a trade school to her and it set her off. She somehow could not get it through her head that I was doing this for us. She was under the impression that I wanted to get rid of her and/or see other girls. She got more possessive and gave me an ultimatum; I had to never see or talk to Jill again or she would leave. In her words “Danny that girl likes you!”- Truth be told, yea I did like her too. I never got the chance to find out. Love is hard.
My girlfriend ended up moving out and our relationship was never the same. The end came when we were wirelessly sharing music through our laptops. Some of the files shared were of her and another gentlemen in compromising positions. My heart sunk when I saw this. I wanted to cry, I wanted to yell, I wanted to get violent, yet I did nothing but hold back those tears, face it and pack up my computer. She was on the phone as I slowly turned her computer around to face her. She had a slight hesitation but not much of a reaction as I walked out.
It was an unexpected way to find out, but it is better to know the truth. I’ve been physically hurt before many times, this hurt the most and it is a pain I hope to never feel again. Yet in a way I was relieved, I had made up my mind of what I was going to do with my life. Sure I wanted her to be in it, but she did not have my back from the get go, it was a sign.
I had learned what love and heartbreak felt like. I now knew why people enjoy and were passionate about their Hondas. They do get you from point A to B. But more importantly they get you to your next step in life. I knew it was not rock bottom but it kind of felt like it. I felt like I had nothing of use for the next step in my life…except the next COAL.
I have the same year Civic, a DX sedan and the manual trans makes quite a difference. These cars a rock solid, it currently has over 230k miles and is like the energizer bunny, it just keeps on going. I intend on keeping it, doing maintenance and the occasional repair, I suggest you do the same, they’re real keepers.
The car was pretty reliable, the girl not so much. They are both gone now.
I have one in the fleet as well currently. A 2003 which is in a little bit of tough shape. We used it in our beater rally a back in 2017. The body is beat up but the drivetrain seems solid.
My fairly extensive experience with Civics does not include the covered model but I do remember that many people were disappointed when it debuted. Aside from the switch from double A arm front suspension, many complaints were about lower standards of quality…at least in regards to the interior and styling that was a bit ho-hum. Sales numbers did not look like they were going to hit projections so Honda made several changes/upgrades for the 2002 model.
As far as your choice of tire…I strongly agree. The P71 I am currently driving was built with Goodyear tires and when I got the car it was on its second or third set. However, being rated for high speed pursuit was not a criteria when I went tire shopping and after researching the internet I found these tires at almost half the price of the Goodyear tires. And for my uses they are quite good tires.
I use General Altimax RT 43 tires on three cars at the moment. When the 2018 needs new tires, and probably sooner than later being a factory tire, it will be the Altimax. The other cars are not quite suitable being whitewalls and the Focus uses Yokohama Avid Ascend.
“… as I slowly turned her computer around to face her. She had a slight hesitation but not much of a reaction as I walked out.”
That scene could be in a movie; you handled it well.
Honda auto trans fluid is unique and these transmissions do not tolerate well the typical trans flush service. The advice I give to Honda automatic owners is to have a knowledgeable service center drain out whatever fluid flows out, and then replace that same amount with Honda only transmission fluid.
Here in NJ, starting in 2003, tinting of front windshield or front side windows is not legal (specifics of VLT vary); other states vary as noted at the following web site: https://www.tinting-laws.com/.
In regards to the scene; stay tuned…
As far as the tint goes its illegal in here as well, however I do all my cars the same way. The only time I get hassled about it is when I get pulled over for something else. It’s usually speeding, but they add tint, no front plate, and modified exhaust. I just pay the fine.
I will confess to a tiny chuckle at the idea of a remote start to warm up the car in Los Angeles. But then it is snowing outside where I am reading this.
I have no firsthand time around this generation of Civic. But I still see quite a few of them in action. Most of the Hondas I have driven have some real personality. There is something about them that engages with you in a way that a Toyota does not. I don’t have enough time around Nissans to say where they fall on this metric.
I don’t know much about women; But they like heated and cooled seats. I call the heated seats “rump roasters” and cooled seats “bum coolers”
Aside from the fact that your GF didn’t mean to share the photos with you, why would she even take them in the first place?
Maybe she didn’t? Her “friend” may have taken them and sent them to her. Still, stupid to keep them but perhaps she was flattered…or (sub) consciously wanted to be found out?
Just like my parents (well, my mother’s anyway) advice to always wear clean underwear, it should go without saying: don’t leave incriminating photos on computers or cellphones.
Howard may be on to something there. I always delete the more questionable material.
One thing I notice about this vintage of Honda, and I’ve noted this multiple times: owners laud the reliability, but have to replace the automatic transmission at least once.
This goes for most Hondas/Acuras built around the turn of the century.
Oh, that is a sad story about the breakup. Who on earth thinks you’re going to an automotive trade school to meet girls? There are plenty of opportunities to cheat, trade school isn’t really one of them, and it was clearly a move to make your lives better. Too bad it turned out like this. I hope things have gotten better!
I could see myself being into any girl I met at automotive trade school though….
Especially if she know know where the dinglearm goes!
*I* don’t even know that! Will need her to teach me all about dinglearms….
Its highly documented…
https://youtu.be/rLDgQg6bq7o
I encabulate faster than ever now! Thanks for the link.
Women are the most complex spices in the milky way we(men) can never figure out what’s going on in their heads.
Amen, brother, amen.
This is actually the second COAL involving photos of someone in a compromising position with someone of the opposite sex. But the photos played a much smaller role in the other COAL:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1951-ford-f1-pickup-bonus-blunder/
Wow, this…. I probably have more breakup stories than I do car stories, though I can’t recall any instances where the two intersect. It sometimes feels like I’ve had more breakups than I’ve had relationships, which isn’t mathematically possible…
People don’t think it be like that sometimes, but it do.
Sometimes, I am more into this site for the autobiographical stories than the autos. This is one of those days.
Great to see how others are choosing to spend their limited time; with whom and with what rides as we move along our routes through life.
Looking forward to your next coal installment; keep ‘em coming….
My wife bought a new 2001 EX Coupe when we were dating. It was a fairly decent car. Fun to drive for an economy car and reasonably comfortable but not overly impressive build quality. Had some ongoing issues with sunroof and window seals, AC died 1500 miles from home on a road trip, and when we traded it in the transmission and struts were questionable. I think we put around 70K on it if I remember right. It was replaced with a minivan in 2007 when we had our first child and we’ve been in large rather dull vehicles ever since.