NKOB or...NHOB (New Honda on the Block)

[Sodiebergh]

Hey folks-

I'm a lucky guy--I adopted a '79 Accord HB from member Rippen Griffin here, and this car is amazing. Just turned 34k miles today! It was his wife's grandmother's car, garage kept, all receipts, never left its hometown in VA until it came down here to live in Adlanna, GA.

Have had several 1G Accords in my life (a blue '78 got me hooked in high school) but this is my first Hondamatic. Fascinating gearbox--anyone care to talk about it? One old-skool mechanic I took it to for a check-up said "Too bad it ain't a fahv-speed...you'd enjoy it more." Ah, shaddap.

I'll post pics and some short vids I have on YouTube, when I hit my five-post requirement. Thinking of more posts now...hmm..

[Sodiebergh]

Can you reply to your own post?? I guess I'll find out. Bigallstar (Jeff), I'm going to use your technique of telling my 1G story so I can speed things along..

There's a great adventure movie called "Time After Time" with Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. Came out in 1979, and he plays H.G. Wells. It's set in England at the brink of the 20th century, and he's developed a time machine.

I'm leaving out a lot, what's really cool is he travels forward in time to chase a murderer who's escaped in his machine to 1979. Once H.G. arrives, he meets Mary Steenburgen (Amy)at a bank. Guess what Amy drives...a blue '78 Accord. Really, really good shots of it in the movie, including her introducing him to 'motor cars' and how they work. Anyone seen it?

Well, after that movie, I had my hopes up high that someone in my family would buy an 11 year-old (me) one of those. Didn't happen. But! My older sister came home one day a few years later, and said that her '65 Chevy Nova had been totaled. Guess what her boyfriend bought for her, and was sitting outside?

[Sodiebergh]

Yep...you got it right! A blue, 1978 Accord hatchback. Sister's boyfriend had found it and 'financed' it for her--I think her note was $120 a month? Anyway, that car defined my teens. First car I ever drove, and learned a manual shift on. She let me borrow it quite a lot, in exchange for detailing it, which I happily did.

It was almost exclusively mine by senior year (she'd gotten married and was busy with her new life) and even though it wasn't a 'cool' car like my friend Tim's brand-new Honda CRX his mom bought him, or another classmate's new BMW 3-series, I loved it.

And then, one weekend in the spring of '86, I went to visit a friend in Dallas, TX. When I returned, the Accord was gone, and in it's place was something completely different. No warning, no signs....just gone. What was in the parking space......? Say it...c'mon...you can say it....FffffffffFF FORD TEMPO.

Silver, two-door, jelly-bean, stick-shift, four-cylinder....Ford Tempo.

[Sodiebergh]

Hey, this is working out pretty well, thanks for bearing with me. One more post, musings, then pics.

Still to this day don't know why sister replaced the Accord with a Tempo...temporary insanity? The Ford didn't last long either, but for different reasons: built-in obsolescence.

I've had a few more 1G's in my adulthood, but none of them have been like this '79: Garaged, low-miles AND a Hondamatic. Never have been able to find one until now. I'm fascinated by it--two speeds to get you where you need to go. The sounds it makes are interesting too, maybe it's the parallel sliding gears instead of planetary? Have I lost you?

No more rambling...post number five coming with pics (hopefully)

[Sodiebergh]

Hopefully this works...maybe in order, maybe not. Getting a bath, interior shot, trying to keep up with freeway traffic (you can hear those RPM's) and turning 34k today. Thanks for reading...

[ShyBoyCA6]

ill have what your smoking...

[Sodiebergh]

Well, sadly, I haven't been smoking anything...this is just me normally aspirated.

I'll try one more thing, and will spare you all.

[obdriver6]

Nice story and congrats on buy this minty 1g!

[79cord]

Congratulations, it does look amazing.
I'm glad to hear it has gone to such an appreciative owner, it was a bit sad to see it advertised for sale after he had had/known it for so long.

I must admit I can't comment upon the Hondamatics since I only drove my Prelude quietly home before removing it for a 5-speed, but that was no jewel like yours and I'm sure it has plenty of character to enjoy just as it is.

I've now got such a hankering for an Accord in that bright '77-8 metallic blue, and the lower '77-8 front wheelarches.. and my '77 has more evenly spaced gearing and a more free revving feel with its smaller flywheel than my '79...
But I could never let go of the beige '79.

[2ndGenGuy]

Damn, yeah that is a clean car. I'm super glad to see it go to another appreciative person who is willing to come on the forum! Those 2 speed Hondamatics are interesting. Is this the one where you have to shift from 1st into 2nd? I think some of the earlier ones were like that... maybe on the Civics. I'd just love to see how they work.

[Sodiebergh]

Thanks for the snaps, ya'll...I feel really fortunate to have found it. The interior is perfect--no fading, cracks, all vinyl is supple. Oddly, the seats are velour, which I thought only came on the LX and 4-door. Maybe they were special ordered? Looking back at its history, there's been a "runs rich; adjust carb" request in the work orders back to '79. Still runs rich.

IIRC, the Hondamatic was on the Accord '76-'79, and the Civic '73-'80. If you're scooting around town, it's pretty happy. Torquey enough at a green light, and if you shift right where the actual number "1" on the speedometer, it's smooth. Anything over that is jerky. When I'm cornering I'll shift back to first, but pulling away from a light in 2nd is a fail.

79cord, I know the grille from '76-'78 was the same, but changed in '79. Did they alter the front end/arches along with the grille then? Interesting the 1.6 is more free revving.

[79cord]

Yep '79's had different grille, headlight mountings, fenders, frt valance, rear suspension, engine & g/box, wiring & dash detailing.
Ironically I'm comparing the '77 1600 non-cvcc to the shorter-stroke '79 1602 non-CVCC engine; so technically 1602 should rev better (1751 almost same stroke as 1600)

[lostscotiaguy]

No warning, no signs....just gone. What was in the parking space......? Say it...c'mon...you can say it....FffffffffFF FORD TEMPO.

Silver, two-door, jelly-bean, stick-shift, four-cylinder....Ford Tempo.

All I can picture is this:
http://youtu.be/oKI-tD0L18A