I am new to the group but I wanted to get opinions and share some questions. My grandparents owned a basic 1982 Honda Civic wagon. I loved this car for a couple of reasons.

1.) It was a basic vehicle. They bought it because it did not have a radio and it's only option was a/c.

2.) It could carry a wide range of cargo. At least if my memory serves me correctly.

On my soapbox: In my humble opinion, Hondas have lost that mojo of a basic, no frills vehicle. I don't like all of the bells and whistles that come in vehicles now, (other than most safety features) and I know that it is almost impossible to find a vehicle like that anymore. I am just looking for a basic wagon/sedan with dependability and something I can brag about that will hit at least 250k miles and only replace the oil, water pump etc. I have spent years trying to replicate that basic Civic feel and have been unsuccessful.

My questions are:

1.) If I can find an '82 wagon, is it easy to work on, find parts etc?

2.) I know this is a website for pre '88 Hondas but is there another auto manufacturer that produces anything new (or used) that can replicate that basic feel of an old Honda other than an '82 Honda Civic?

Thoughts are greatly appreciated but please hold judgement on requesting information on other auto brands. In defense, I miss the "old" days of what Honda produced.

 

The cars are out there. The parts to keep them on the road are long gone. Getting hard to find parts for even the 90's Hondas these days.

Something that old and prior to being mainstream is going to have virtually no aftermarket support. Need to at least get into D series stuff 88+ to get aftermarket support. But again body and interior parts have completely dried up.

I have a 91 Wagon RT4WD myself and they are impossible to find parts for.

I know what you mean about basic vehicles with no frills. Unfortunately in the modern stuff the frills are largely government mandates and designed by a committee and are more or less all junk.

 

I have a 1981 Civic hatchback. I love this car for its basic-ness as well, and it does haul a surprising amount of cargo. I get 38 miles per gallon in it, and it's a 5-speed. The problem is there just are no parts for this car anywhere. It's even getting hard to find tires for it. Over the years I've had to jury rig and bypass several things to make repairs. To turn my heat on or off I now have to get out and turn a valve under the hood. I don't dare open the windows for fear something in the door will snap and I'll never close them again. The windshield wipers work when they feel like it, so I never drive it if it might rain.
All that said, the interior was completely redone in the 90s and is still like new, the body is in fair shape with not too much rust and with a paint job would look great. It has around 195,000 miles on it, and I had the clutch replaced sometime in the 2000's. They found the very last spring of some sort that was needed in a warehouse somewhere in Arizona where it had sat for over 20 years. I had a new carb put on it 2 years ago. I will be very sad when this car no longer runs and I can't fix it any more just because of lack of parts. It runs like a top and would probably last my lifetime otherwise.

If you are looking for that basic feel in a more modern vehicle, I also have a 2005 Kia Rio. It has crank windows, manual door locks, no fancy bells and whistles. It has A/C and air bags, that's about it. I don't know if they make basic models like this one any more, but you may look around for a used one. Mine has 185,000 miles on it and other than the faded and peeling paint job it's in solid condition.

 

Love reading about your 1981 Civic Hatchback. I bought a 1991 Honda Civic DX Hatchback in November 1991 and has been my daily driver ever since. It has about 256K miles right now and it's my baby. Everything is OEM except wheels and a few SI upgrades like seats, tachometer, steering wheel, center console, rear speakers, and front spoiler. No issues whatsoever with this car over the years. Just changed the original clutch while changing a input shaft bearing. That's it. That's why I only buy Honda and Toyotas. I just bought a 1986 Civic SI which I am restoring and having fun every step of the way, knowing there are only a few of them around now so once it's on the road, chances are, it'll be the only 1986 Civic around. I'd love to get a CVCC Civic or a 1977 Honda Accord (Used to have one but traded it in for my 1991 Civic DX).

 

I bought mine in 1995 in Rochester, New York. The car came from Oakland, CA, and the person I bought it from bought it there and drove it to NY. I bought it and in 1996 drove it to Virginia, where I was moving. In 2018 I drove it to Ohio, where it now resides.

 

I have a 1976 Civic 1200 that I bought new. I wanted a wagon with a CVCC 5-speed, but that was too much for my meager wallet at the time. I still have the car and have had good luck finding parts through junkyards around the country, EBAY, etc. They can be hard to find -- depending on what you need -- but you can usually get them REALLY cheap because no one else wants them. I needed a new radiator a few years ago and found one in Wyoming in great shape for $25 plus shipping. I've got around 300,000 miles on it, but who knows? The odometer died years ago. AND there are complete OLD Civics on EBAY all the time. OK, so this one is not a wagon, BUT:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Honda-Civic/373241672830