Cheap and Fun: 2002 Honda Civic Si
This next car comes as a tip from Art who recently purchased his own version of the 7th generation Honda Civic hatchback, which hopefully isn’t as sunburnt as this one. These cars live in the shadow realm between modern cars that normal folks are willing to drive everyday and classics that everyone wants to pay too much money to own. Find this 2002 Honda Civic Si offered for $3800 in Palm Springs, CA via craigslist.
From the seller:
2002 honda civic si
fuel: gas
odometer: 143000
title status: clean
transmission: manual
2002 Honda Civic SI
Clean title – no major accidents
Body has small dents dings and damages
Paint in fair condition
Interior in fair condition
143,000 original miles!
Power train and mechanical is great!
Has aftermarket wheels, intake, and cat.
Kicker sub and amp included.$3800 or best offer
See a better way to drive something hatchy? tips@dailyturismo.com
Serious question for all of you (I know, coming from me, that’s hard to believe, but really, I’m dead serious):
I lived in California for years. I’d often see older cars that were pristine (no rust, classic California cars) but *only* the paint on their hoods would be peeling (aka “sunburnt”). The paint job on the rest of the car looked amazing (not even faded most times).
What caused just the hoods’ paint jobs to get so messed up? Was it the combination of heat from the engine plus the sun beating down on it 365 days a year, for 10-20 years?
Or is it something else?
Inquiring minds like Stan want to know.
(and my sincere apologies for such a non-snarky post. I’ll do my best to return to my usual curmudgeonliness next time)
-Stan (the ever-inquisitive Stan…)
My hypothesis is that starting the car in the morning with lots of dew (condensation) on the hood and rapidly heating and drying it must do something to the clearcoat. Anyone who lives in the hot part of California knows that the hottest outside part of a car parked in the sun is the roof because of the greenhouse effect, yet the roof generally doesn’t suffer any more than the trunk.
Also, the fog/condensation/dew is strongly acidic and heating the acid before it evaporates probably makes it much worse.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/10/Acid-fog-in-Southern-California-is-100-times-worse/9674405752400/
The paint fade is on the roof too. It has to do with the angle the sun is hitting the paint. Straight on does far more damage than at an angle.
Pretty funny that the listing says the paint is in fair condition. Maybe what he meant to say is that the paint that is not completely destroyed like it was left out on the surface of mars is in fair condition?
I think this era is actually Peak Car. That hadn’t yet been supersized, the balance between HP and efficiency is very good, unibody construction, they include lots of the most safety features like airbags and traction control, and almost all of them are available in manual shifters. And now cheap to boot. Buy one with lowish miles, replace all the suspension pieces, and you will have a nice and tight little driving machine.
Your analysis is spot-on. Soichiro Honda’s influence lasted a number of years after his death, an emphasis on engineering over accounting, this Civic marks the beginning of the end for what made Honda special.
When this generation came out I was disappointed that they’d ditched the double wishbone suspension for plebeian MacPherson struts like any other economy penalty box. I realized after driving one I was too harsh in my assessment. I’d happily put this in my garage and unlike some guys I wouldn’t fear that I was less of a man for doing so.
A Kucinich or KQED sticker would really tie this one together.
This would be the one I’d be looking for if I were in the market for a Civic.
To quote another manly man..”me thinks thou doth protest too much”
Mine has intake, headers and midpipe. Just installed coils, braided brake lines and new rotors/pads. Sways are imminent, and with the soon to be installed Hondata reflash they put about 170 to the front wheels, and it raises the rev limiter safely to 7700.
That’s at/slightly above stock rsx type-s #s, and it’s in the 2600lb range.
It’s a fun little daily to keep miles off my truck and smiles on my face 😠can’t wait for auto-x season!
One of my most disappointing cars. The gearing is short so it revs high on the highway- should have had another gear. My car was bone stock and it rode like it had 18″ 30 series rubber- just crashed over bumps. There are things you can do to mitigate the cars issues, but I broomed it shortly after buying it.
Isn’t that exactly what the si package is supposed to be like? More civilized than a shifter kart?
Sounds almost like a marketing brochure.
Anyway it sounds like taller tires would have fixed most of your problems.🙂
It was on stock 15″ wheels and stock suspension. It rode like an oxcart!
To ‘that Stan’ 🙂
Hood only paint fade or lacquer peel, can also be a car that has cooked its engine. Ask me how I know! Yes I’m looking at you mk1 Golf GTi!
If the roof is faded as well, the sun is the most probable cause, but otherwise, buyer beware!