Just thought I'd share some pics of the 83 Accord SE I had a few years ago...

[ItsaHonda]

I LOVED this car and I'm really sorry I sold it (that and the 81 Civic wagon I sold to get it)... but I just had no room to store all of the Hondas that I wanted. This car was fantastic, I found it on a used car lot back in 2004 with about 168k miles on the clock. It ran amazingly well and didn't need anything... it even had ice cold AC and all of the power features still worked. I was impressed with all of the features it was equipped with for being an 83. It had leather interior, cloth headliner (I had never seen a cloth headliner in a Honda before), digital clock & calendar, power sunroof/antenna/windows/door locks, cruise control, factory stereo equalizer and 'maintenance minders' for the oil, oil filter and service intervals. I had my 96 Accord EX as a DD, but I wound up driving the 83 most of the time. I even drove it from Orlando Florida to New Orleans twice and a lot of day trips around Florida... without ever doing a thing to it! It was just a great car... very solidly built (more-so than my 96 Accord), smooth ride, peppy and super reliable. I sold it in 2005 with 178k miles...I'd give anything to go back and be able to drive it again. Now that I own the 89, I notice that the maintenance minders didn't survive into the 3rd gen (but did make a come back in 1991, but only as a single indicator), nor did the cloth headliner or the chrome-plated trim around the interior dome light. I also liked the steering wheel and overall dash design better in the 83. Nevertheless, the 89 reminds me a lot of the 83, just a bit larger and with the Prelude-like front end that I love so much. Speaking of front ends, I did prefer the style of 82-83s to the 84-85s.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83Accord-1.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83AccordSE.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83accord6.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83accord5.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83accord4.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83accord3.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83AccordOdometer.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83AccordEngine.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83AccordSunroof.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/83Accord96Accord4photoBucket.jpg

[2geeSEi]

I have had my 1985 SEi since 1995. I bought it with 113k and now it has 286k. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[2ndGenGuy]

Wow! What a minty ride! Not many people can say they had an 83 SE. Probably the rarest now of all the Special Editions.

[Hazwan]

Wish you would kept it :( Car looks great!

[2geeSEi]

Wow! What a minty ride! Not many people can say they had an 83 SE. Probably the rarest now of all the Special Editions.

I think you are right John. I always think of the SEi as rare, but then every once in a while I see one of these beauties, then I remember that there is something even more rare.

[ItsaHonda]

I've seen a couple of 85 SE-i models in the last 10 years or so (both were gold/brown) but never an 83 like mine... I regret selling a few of my 'classic' Hondas, but I gotta say that the 83 is the one I regret the most. I sold a MINT 1981 Honda Civic 1500 wagon to buy the SE, that had only 59,000 miles. The Civic even landed me a spot in Intersection magazine (overseas auto mag) when they were doing a special article on owners of all generations of Civics, beginning with the 1st gens. They found and contacted me over on 1stgenCivic.org. I also frequented ThisOldHonda.

Here was the Civic and I, this was the photo used in the magazine article:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civic42.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/CarAlbum018.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civic-1.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civicengine2.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civic3.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civic2.jpg

I owned this car from 2003-2004, had all of the maintenance done (new timing belt, water pump, fresh fluids, filters, etc.) and it ran and drove like a brand new car. This one also had ice cold AC to boot. When I found the 83 SE, I sold this car to a co-worker who begged me for it and swore they would preserve it. I left that company about a year later (in 2005) and lost contact with the new owner... but I drove by the place one evening several years later (2009) and found this:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ItsaHonda/81Civic1.jpg

It had been used as a daily driver and not kept up... but was still running nonetheless (with over 100k miles at this point). I offered to buy the car back but he refused and promised he'd fix it up again once he got another car. I've driven by there multiple times recently (within the last 6 mos.) and I don't see the car anymore.

[charliekuney]

Both of those cars are fucking dope! It was nice that you got to own them, but don't regret selling them. Just make that a reason to get something better!

Also, I'm really starting to like the pre-1984 look of the 2G Accord. I like the slope of the front end better, but I hate those damn rear side markers.

[Dr_Snooz]

I always preferred the pre-facelift 2g Accord as well (no offense 2GG). It was such a little car, but the styling gave it so much dignity. You just knew the car was going to be a 7-series when it grew up.

I still miss my '82 Accord. It looked great and was heaps of fun to drive.

Thanks for sharing your pics, ItsaHonda.

[ItsaHonda]

It did look very BMW-esque... it was in fact a small car, but it had a larger car stance and personality. It didn't drive like a typical small car, either... it was probably one of the smoothest riding Hondas I have owned so far. When I drove it from Orlando to New Orleans (700 miles one way), it sailed down I-10 at 75 mph effortlessly. I made that trip a second time in it a few months afterwards.

Btw, if anyone is in the New Orleans area or Louisiana in general, I am originally from there and make frequent trips back home whenever I can.

[Dr_Snooz]

Somebody told me once that a big name designer, like Pininfarina, designed the 2g Accord. I was never able to confirm it though.

[2ndGenGuy]

I dunno about that... but I know Pinninininiinfarinnna did do design work on the Honda City Cabriolet.

And yes, I agree the early 2g has a certain old-school... maybe more classic... charm to it's design.

[charliefowle03]

Both vehicles are minty fresh! I love the 83 ecspecially ;)What a beautiful car. Old school is the new school!