1989 Honda Civic

Si Hatchback

4 - Cyl.

Manual

2HGED7369KH513928

Gasoline

1989 Honda Civic Si You are bidding on a unique opportunity for either a restoration or street racer — or just a dependable, cheap car that's way more fun to drive than it should be. This is a one-owner car — non-smoker — I took delivery from Mahwah (NJ) Honda on March 3, 1989. For a number of years, this was my every day driver car. After buying an 1994 Honda Del Sol Si (don't ask), I began converting this car for use in SCAA Autocross and National Road Rally events. As a result, it got an enhanced suspension — firmer bushings, five-way adjustable Tokico struts, a thicker front stabilizer bar and a rear stabilizer bar. Then it got a new stainless steel exhaust and performance muffler and a hand-bent exhaust manifold and of course, a K&N filter. But wait...that's not all. It got a complete engine rebuild, with a hand-ported throttlebody and a light-weight flywheel. What was a nice, sporty little car became a much more formidable performer. I campaigned it through 1998, but settled down, moved south the Delaware Valley, got married, had kids and and it became a car I drove for fun on weekends. It has less than 10,000 miles total on it since the engine rebuild, and has been carefully maintained, lightly driven. When some minor rust issues became evident on the rocker panels, I had them expertly repaired with better water drainage, so water can no longer pool below the doors inside (a design flaw that has plagued all Civics of this generation, which is why finding a rust-free example is surprising). It's never been in an accident (check for yourself on Carfax), although it was broken into and damaged in Philadelphia. Thanks to the fabulous (profound sarcasm) repairs done by Allstate, the car has a few issues. The interior and dash need love -- the center stack rack was damaged and not properly repaired, which put the HVAC controls out of whack -- they sort of work, but it could use attention. The passenger side door had some fairly awful Bondo work done where the door handle was pried off and 15 years later, it needs some love. The key doesn't work either (the door and lock work fine, though), although that's just an issue of having the lock reset. I did replace the seats (with Japanese-Market Si seats that are grey and match the faded carpets). And a recent snow storm snapped the antenna...so it will need replacing. From a mechanical standpoint, the engine runs strong and true. The brakes are solid and the Falken ZE-912 tires have less than 1,500 miles on them. The only original piece left is the alternator, which seems to be fine, but after all these years could fail. The clutch slips a bit — the engine makes more torque and power than the original, and it's been on my list to replace it, but I figured whomever bought it would want to put their own unit in, as people like different feels, etc. The AC needs to have its coolant recharged, as it hasn't been done since 1994. The sunroof motor is burned out and needs replacement. I've put more than $10,000 in performance upgrades in this car. It is solid mechanically, and frankly, just needs someone to spend time on the cosmetic issues to make it a fabulous car. Why am I selling it? Two reasons: 1. I'm selling it (and my 1979 VW bug convertible) to get downpayment funds for a 2011 Mustang Convertible. 2. It deserves to be driven more...it seems so happy when I take it out and zip it along a twisty road, but my WRX gets the lion's share of my seat time, so I want it to find a good home. I'm laying out all of the warts not because this car is a basket case, it's anything but, but to be totally upfront. It's passed PA state inspection (due this March, but would absolutely pass). I drove it last week and it cruised at 75 happily, all while getting 30 MPG. If my son were 17, I'd give it to him to drive without a worry, but since he's 9...well, you get the idea. You'll need to pick up the car in suburban Philadelphia. Car has a clean PA title, no issues. $500 expected on deposit for winning bid within 24 hours of end of auction. Gah. Selling this car has been a saga...and yes, this is the third time I had to list it. First time, a scammer tried a "buy it now" scam and was promptly deleted. Then we had a mishap with the title...it was defaced inadvertently, rendering it useless. Now, it has a fresh, tasty clean title. So...maybe third time is the charm. I reserve the right to end the auction early if the car sells locally, however.