Hello all,

I recently obtained an 80k miles, one owner '78 Accord hatchback (5spd) that has been sitting in a barn since 1983. It's very dirty and has some light surface rust, but the car is 100% complete and I have the original title and dealership paperwork. The interior is also very dirty (barn dust) but complete and in good condition. I just got it home tonight and have no idea what to do with it. I'm a honda guy for sure (I own a '96 hatch and an SCCA ITR Honda S2000 racecar). Here are some pictures... Does this thing have any value? I'd like to restore it and daily drive it, but I just don't think I have the time. I'm open to ideas, suggestions, or offers for it. Other than that, enjoy the pics!

 

Where are you located?

 

put some new oil in it, prime it, check all the fluids and see if it turns over. The rust doesnt look bad at all and should be pretty easy to fix.

 

I'm in St. Louis Missouri. If I do wind up selling, delivery is available.


I'm currently rehabbing my house and garage, so I just don't have any time (or place) to mess with it right now. As cool as this car is, my options would be to sell it or just pay someone to fix it up.

I work at a bodyshop, so I can at least say that the rust is all superfluous and just on the surface. The paint was so thin on these cars! It would basically just need to be sanded or ground off and then new paint. I think the RF fender could use to be replaced, but all the floor pans, the trunk pan, the doors, and the quarters are perfect.

 

Ill be in St. Louis this summer and i would love to pick it up, however i dont have money and i dont think my dad wants another project.

 

Good solid post there, nice work

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Hey, if it's got vtak, i'll pay eleventybillion.

Casey's General store FTL. QT Grill FTW.

Sorry Jeff, i've got cabin fever after being in bed all afternoon

 

wow. i hate noobs with nothing better to do.... /\

anyways, great find. i'd keep it if i were you. these aren't very valuable, but a restored one does look great.

 

I spent some time with the car today and it really is in fantastic shape. There isn't a single part missing from the car (I found the little hood ornament inside) and all the rubber looks good too. I vacuumed out the interior (although it still needs a weekend's worth of time to make it look new again), pulled the spark plugs, and put some WD40 in the combustion chambers to see if I can get the engine to turn. I'll try that in a day or two.

The carpet, dash, gauges, etc are all in perfect condition.

I really don't have time to be messing with this car, but it's really hard to resist. I think I'm falling in love with it.

 

That's an awesome find, good luck with it!

 

Unfortunately Jeff... that's not a neon. I demand you sell it and buy another neon.



Good luck with the restore. Awesome photos!

 

ROFL, yeah I had 'nothing better to do' on Saturday, so there I was in the middle of nowhere winching that '78 barn-find onto my trailer.

Sheesh, be more careful next time, before you 'hate'.



Jeff! ....I hope you wait until I get there before you fire it up. It'll run, it's a honda.

 

nice find man,i had a 81 accord hatch as a my first car and i loved it..then i had a 84 accord sedan.. what a classic

 

meh.. could have at least said something about the car!! besides, your location gave it away anyways. i pretty much expected you to be the guys buddy.


whatever. anyways, i still say you should keep it, but from the looks of your parking area, you are getting full. tuck it next to the miata. you'll not even notice it until you have to work on it.

needs more panasports...

 

That would be a stellar idea if I could figure out what the damn bolt pattern is for this thing.

The car was actually missing a wheel when I went to pick it up. I took one of every four lug wheels I could think of. 4x100, 4x108, 4x110, and 4x114.3. All of these were too small and I just cut out a 4x100 miata donut to fit it so it would roll onto my trailer.

 

4x120

 

yeah, that's why i recommended panas. they are one of the few wheels that actually can be acquired in the fun but awkward 4x120.. maybe rota RB's? i'm not sure.. i'm pretty sure the 1st gen RX7's were also 4x120.

 

If you want some wheels for that thing, you can pick up some Konig Rewinds and have a shop drill the 4x114 lug holes out to 4x120. It will slot the lug holes a bit, but it's cheaper than Panasports at about $90 each, and looks almost as good! That's the plan for my Accord!

The car's value isn't going to be a ton. If the interior is pretty nice, and it runs like a champ, and you can get some fresh paint on it, it might catch between $3000-5000 on eBay on the high high end. Also, that's assuming it really is 80,000 miles, and not 180,000 or even 280,000 miles. If you've got the documentation, people go NUTS over that ****. Even if it means the car sat for years and rotted. In the condition the body is in now, you might fetch $500 if it runs. Overall, the 1g Accords get no respect.

But, it looks like a good find. If you know some people who can hook you up with fresh paint, you'll be good. But it looks like a ton of work to me. It's a fun car though, and you'll get a LOT of people asking you about it.

The fun really begins when you try looking for replacement parts. :D But nothing is more satisfying than finding them! Makes the smallest bits into trophies! Soon you'll be the crazy guy telling your friends about the MINT-*** window crank you found at the wreckers!

 

He He.. Another one, I like it! I just got a 75cvcc the other day almost like yours.

I'm in the same boat, trying to think where to go with it. I am going to restore I think.

I was wondering the bolt pattern too when my crx doughnut didn't fit.

Nice find!

 

i saw this on craigslist cars/trucks section yesterday! glad to see a honda-tech member picked it up!.....did you pay what they were asking or did you get an even better deal?

congrats!

 

No, that's me that listed it on Craigslist. I really don't have time for it, so if someone wants to give me my asking price I'll let it go. Otherwise, I'll fix it and drive it.

I work at a body shop, so if it needs paint or repair I'm in a good position.

 

Nice find ... I hope you decide to keep it

 

x2

 

updates?

 

sold

 

price?