Honda CVCC Wagon. 1st Gen. 70's time capsule with low miles and NO RESERVE!!

Price: - Item location: Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States
Description:

1978 Honda Civic Vinyl

Up for sale is this extremely rare yet mass produced first generation 1978 Honda CVCC wagon. This blue baby Godzilla was among the first wave of Big Three compact car slayers that took America by storm in it's efficiency and design. There is a legion of first generation Honda fans and because so few have survived or not been modified or disintegrated to dust (I think they were built out of recycled tuna cans back then) this is certainly a car worthy of a place in a savvy buyer's collection.
History:
I purchased this car in October of last year for $4100 as in my younger days I owned 2 of them and loved them (everyone knows someone that has owned one). I was struck by how solid it was and the EXTREMELY low mileage. The seller represented that much of the mechanicals had been updated but when I received it that was hardly the case. I have invested nearly $5K (and have most of the receipts to prove) in refurbishing the brakes (all new everything from front to back including wheel cylinders, master cylinder, hoses etc) In addition it has brand new whitewalls (hey it's a '78, gotta look the part) trim rings, complete tuneup, new carb, battery, paint and several other things I forgot.
Mechanical/Body:
As stated considerable money has been spent sorting out the mechanics. Engine and trans. are numbers matching and car retains all original body panels. Never hacked or modified in any way even has original radio delete panel. There is ZERO rust on this car though from the sunfading of the paint and carpet and obviously being outdoors most of its life I found that to be amazing. Floors fenders and frame all rock solid. Body has some shallow dents on hood and dings that were missed during repaint and to be expected of a car of this vintage one one built with such thin sheet metal. The only spot of current rust I could find is on the lower right tailgate there is a small thin line of bubbling. I opted for a Maaco Paint job in the original color (Forel Blue) after minimal body prep and fixing the few more obvious dents. Certainly respectable enough for daily use but not museum quality by any means but definitely presents as honest and well loved. Engine runs amazing and as it should for a 71K mile car. Rides very nice down the highway with good road manners and no shakes shimmies or rattles. Clutch is good and shifts with ease. I always get tons of thumbs up and remarks on this car since there's so few of them left. Everything works including rear defroster, lights, signals, heater, gauges, and even dome light. Horn is inoperable but probably an easy fix i just haven't gotten to tinker with it yet. Because of the age of the car (almost 40) it qualifies as an antique and thereby specialty plates and cheap collector car insurance. I drive this car almost daily locally so the mileage may go up slightly by delivery .
Items to address:
Interior is in amazing condition from seats to door panels and dash etc however the cheap carpet used (felt like and paper thin) has gone threadbare over time. The plastic covering the interior wheel arches is also broken on both sides. Both easy fixes. Seatbelt warning light is oversensitive and often tend to shriek inappropriately or if door is not securely closed. Door latches could use some adjusting as it sometimes takes a couple good slams to get them to latch tight. I tried lubricating them but probably due to age/wear. Shallow hood dents and dings could probably be massaged out but depending on how perfect you want the car could be perfectly acceptable.
Conclusion/Sale Details
I have a clear PA title in my name. I am letting the market dictate the final sale price of this car with NO reserve for the price I paid for it prior to my substantial investment and do NOT have this car for sale locally. (I have no time for kids with no money wanting to go for joy rides). Serious buyers only!! (that means clear the purchase with your wife, accountant and cat before placing a bid) Please do your due diligence with this car. I welcome any mechanic, personal, or third party inspector to view prior to purchase. I have 100% feedback, been a member since 2000 and have bought and sold dozens of cars over the years but am NOT a dealer or car expert just a car lover so the car is sold WHERE IS/AS IS. Understand you are bidding to purchase not to come back after the transaction or delivery and start picking the car apart. I have presented this Honda honestly as a car that's meant to be driven and enjoyed and not a museum piece and it's priced to move. Deposit must be paid within 24 hours and is non-refundable. Final Payment can be in form of certified check, wire transfer, cash in person or Paypal (though buyer must pay associated fees.) Sorry I don't accept trades, livestock or yen as payment. The only reason for sale is lack of storage and a divorce and a means to raise cash. The last picture in the cache is of my "fleet" and all the other vehicles are/ will be listed for sale as well. I'm truly saddened to see them all go at a significant loss versus investment. I am easily accessible by all major transportation and close to the Philly airport and will help in any way possible to make this an enjoyable transaction. Feel free to contact anytime with any questions and thanks for looking!