I remember walking to high school and passing by this tiny dealership that only sold Civics’s, can’t remember the dealers name though. Seemed a year later I bought a honking big 1969 Pontiac Bonneville 455 4bbl, paid $1000.00 for it, I should have saved my money because less than six months later I had a new 1976 Civic, gas was far too expensive to drive that big tank, so I downsized.
If it was not for a guy down the street blowing the motor in his Chevrolet I would have never got rid of that Pontiac Tank, It would be years later that I would discover how much I really hated Pontiac, “Dustbuster”
I bought my very first Honda Civic in 1976. This was my second car and I bought it for reliability, affordability and the fact that it would go two weeks on a tank of gas. The more I drove it became more than just a car to me it was an extension of myself and it was not long before it had a sunroof and it was an important part of my life. Then in 2003 when my wife was on her way home from a business trip she spotted a 1978 Honda Civic for sale and it was a vision of beauty at an out of town Honda dealership, needless to say I paid the asking amount of $3500.00 cdn and it is now sitting in my garage and is my pride and joy. I paid that amount for my new 1976 Honda Civic, which I kept in great condition until finally in 1991 with a heavy heart I sold it along with one other 1st Gen civic to a co-worker. There is not much I don’t like about the first generation civics only thing I never liked was being out sized by most cars and trucks that if involved in an accident could be fatal. My 1976 Civic had 125,000 miles on it when it was sold in 91, my current 78 gold one has 140,000 km while the black 78 has unknown mileage and the body showed it too. Frequent trips were made to Ottawa, Ontario, that was usually a five and a half hour drive non stop at which I could get about 46 mpg , approx 370 km. I have always wanted an old car but the opportunity was never came about, I enjoyed working on a co-workers VW Beetle several times and found my self wanting one too.
My 76 Civic was crashed to the point that costs exceeded the price I paid for the car new. I was broad sided by a 70’s Oldsmobile Delta 88 and pushed off the road and into a ditch by an impaired driver of a Ford F-150 pick up truck and almost squashed by two transports changing into my lane at the same time in a blinding snow storm. I have never been towed but I have towed a Volkswagen Beetle and an old Mini Cooper.
I participated in car rallies with it even though I was the center of jokes about the fact that I was going up against more powerful and bigger cars however, they soon found out after winning two years in a row that my little Honda could go up against the best of them. Camping trips were a breeze and long trips saw me laughing as my friends were visiting the gas pumps while I was parked waiting for them. For many years my girlfriend and I also participated in a Santa Helper program collecting toys from drop off boxes at shopping malls, many of the pickup locations were in the city where the big trucks could not gain easy access, the rear seats were removed to allow for floor to ceiling storage. (Chum City Christmas Wish)
That Honda saw me through my first serious girlfriend who became my wife and then the birth of our son and that Honda still kept going. I have met quite a few people that stop me to admire the car either in traffic while moving or at the lights. One thing that stands out in their conversation is that they all had something memorable to say about the car they loved so much when they were younger and I guess that is why I like my car so much too. I have always had good memories of the great times my girlfriend and I spent in the car together, if it was not the drive-in movies or the quiet Sunday afternoon drives in the country it was the silly fun things we did in the car. If you have a liking for Honda’s then you better find yourself a first generation Honda Civic because you don’t know what you have been missing until you have owned one.
