Welcome back! I didn’t intend for this to be a theme week, but for the second day in a row, I’ve got two cool stickshift cars that are basically ready to go. So I guess I’ll keep it going all week.
Yesterday’s Mazda and pretend-Mazda seemed to go over well, and a lot of you thought that either one would be a good choice. I agree. The Probe ended up taking the majority of the votes, however, securing it a spot in the Friday runoff, which we’re going to do again this week.
I think if I were going to pick one, though, I would take the 626, mainly because I’ve already had a Probe exactly like that one. And I really like the ’80s Mazda orange gauges. But I wouldn’t kick either one out of my garage.
Both of yesterday’s cars were red on the inside; today’s are both red on the outside. They’re a little scruffy, but good low-mileage examples in what sounds like great mechanical condition – and more importantly, stock. Let’s see what you think of them.
1990 Honda Civic Si – $4,800
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: San Fernando, CA
Odometer reading: 94,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The “Si” in this car’s name originally stood for “Sport Injection,” back when most Civics were carbureted. These days it means “the fast one with the big-ass wing.” During these in-between years, when fuel injection was a given, the Si tweaks were more subtle: a little more power, sportier seats, stiffer suspension, a tach, and a sunroof. And not an ounce of fat anywhere on it.
This Civic Si shows only 94,000 miles on the odometer, and the seller, who is also the original owner, says it’s accurate. It runs and drives great, and is completely stock, down to the steel wheels and plastic wheel covers. So many of these Civics got modified to death that it’s easy to forget what a stock one looks like. It has just had its timing belt done, so no worries there.
It does have a lot of wear on that driver’s side seat bolster for so few miles. But I guess if the driver got in and out of it a lot, like for a messenger or delivery job or something, it’s possible. The rest of the interior looks nice, and the bird’s eye view of the interior proves that the sunroof works like it should.
Outside, it looks like that warm California sun has taken its toll; the paint is faded unevenly. It almost looks like they started buffing it back to a shine but didn’t finish, or did a poor job. A paint job is in order it you really want it to look its best, and considering the prices these things are starting to command, it would be a worthwhile investment.
1991 Dodge Stealth – $3,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter overhead cam V6, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Chula Vista, CA
Odometer reading: 150,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The Dodge Stealth, and the Mitsubishi 3000GT from which it was derived, always seemed a bit redundant to me. Mitsubishi and Chrysler had the Eclipse/Talon/Laser triplets, which were the same thing, only a little smaller, and also available in three power levels, with the fastest model equipped with all-wheel-drive. Why the need for a bigger, heavier version of the same basic idea?
I know at least one of my colleagues is a big fan of this car. And it’s not that I dislike it; it just seemed weird that they’d offer basically the same car in regular and Extra Value sizes. This is a base model Stealth, which makes do with a single-overhead-cam V6 making 164 horsepower. That’s a little more than half the output of the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Stealth R/T, but you won’t find one of those in this condition in this price range. This car has had a ton of mechanical work done including a full engine rebuild and a new clutch. The seller says it runs and drives flawlessly.
Cosmetically, it’s not quite as nice. There is some sun damage to the top of the back seat, and the door panel on the driver’s side looks a little ragged. The seller also reports that the passenger’s side power window doesn’t work. Everything else is said to be in good working order, though.
The paint is better than the Civic’s, but not great. There are some worn spots, and the whole car is a little faded. It is completely stock, down to the wheels, which is nice to see. And as is the case with a lot of sporty coupes, including Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs, I like the clean lines of the base model better than the high-end models with a bunch of ground effects and spoilers stuck on.
The biggest trouble with either of these cars is that they’re more money than I feel like they ought to be. But they both have crossed the threshold from “old” to “classic,” and both are likely to go up in value as time goes by. Once again, the best advice is that if you find a car you like for cheap, don’t wait for it to get expensive. Grab ’em while you can. Which one of these is on your shopping list?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
The Base Stealth was a piss poor example of the model. Even the Dodge version of the 3000GT while good at the time is only a poor example of a muscle car, expensive to maintain, hard to source parts, and not worth it. The decent price Honda is a great daily driver. Only idiots and FANatics would go Stealth
Give me the sporty version of the basic car over the basic version of the sporty car every time.
This one was a little difficult, but I can’t pass up a Civic that clean/low miles
This Civic is such a reminder of how inadequate and miserable vehicles were back then. How did we survive? Like, this is what we were happy driving? Terrible engineering, packaging, overall design. :SHUDDER:
It’s just great to see how far Honda has come since then. /S
That Civic is a little expensive, but I guess that’s what they cost these days. I much prefer the looks of the Civic over the Dodge. Civic for me.
This is so easy. Civic all the way. The Stealth is a bloated, underperforming heap. I mean it always was, and even moreso after three decades. The Civic would be more appealing at this price if the paint was nicer, but it still wins handily.
Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 making 160ish horsepower. Sounds like the motor in my old Plymouth minivan. Not exactly a sports car motor. Nope ill take the Honda.
Civic please. I’ve never been able to fit in the Stealth.
If that Civic Si was about a 1000 miles closer to me, I would absolutely be running to that seller with a fist full of cash. Have always had a soft spot for a good hatchback, and that my friends, is a good hatchback.
Welp, I’ve got a pretty good history with Honda products. The latest entry was rolling out my portable Honda generator to power my Central New Hampshire home for the last twenty-four hours. And it’s almost the same color as that Civic. So Honda.
Having owned an 88 CRX Si that I’d purchased new and owned for a dozen years, I wouldn’t mind tearing around with its slightly bigger brother if only for old time’s sake.
Stealth for me. I’d feel much cooler driving it, if only b/c I’m old enough and pop-ups.
At the point, it’s mainly about style, which the Stealth definitely has. Sure, the Civic may be the better performer, but unless you’re going all FnF, does that really matter for cars this old?
Yeah, I’m pretty sure the Honda is fun to drive for what it is, not relative to newer cars with way more easy power or older dedicated sports cars.
OTOH, I’d be a little worried that the base Stealth is a little heavy for its engine. I don’t need raw power, but I’d like more than the secretary’s model, as they used to call base Camaros.
Yeah, and they were pretty big, for a sport coupe, weren’t they? It does seem like it would be the equivalent of driving around in a base model SN95 Mustang for sure – more show than go.
I find in those cases, the manual makes all the difference in the world…if not fast, you at least get fun.
Exactly. But I’d love to test drive one. Those things looked so futuristic when they came out.
IIRC I like the simplest Stealth best, but the craziest 300GT—each design had a natural expression that was either relatively clean or full-on baroque.
For me, as silly as it seems, it was the spoiler that makes the difference. The uplevel 3000GT’s (the one with 4 wheel steering, all the Japanese bubble era excess gadgetry) spoiler looks better than the oddball Stealth one.
I would fix up and flip the Stealth to a kid who wants something to bling out, make a little cash, and reinvest in another Showdown vehicle.
Playing the long game.
Actually, it would be kind of fun to do a Fantasy Showdown league—you start with $X, you get to buy & sell, but you also have to repair & maintain. Totally infeasible, but a fun idea.
I’ll take the pink Honda
The Honda is a deal. At comparable mileage, the Stealth would have a chance, but without a little more muscle, it’s an uphill battle.
That li’l Civic brings ALL THE NOSTALGIA. So light, so zippy, so much usable space.
Civic, close to 50 MPG and a fun high revving flickable car? Yes please. A little high on the price point though
Faded glory beats just faded away. It’s the Honda, sorry SWG.
I’m still in the Stealth’s corner, but well said.
Admire your loyalty.
I may be a fanboi for peak-era Honda, but that is the obvious choice and in today’s market a reasonably fair price for an unmolested example. My son is still driving his first car, a ’92 EG Civic purchased in 2015, and it’s still going. If I had any need whatsoever for a daily driver I’d be running up to San Fernando with a stack of 100s in my hand right now.
How is this not 100% for the Civic? Those are legendary. This would be a good time to meet a hero. If disappointed, there will be another buyer for about the same price.
Civic SI for me. Practical, cheap to own/maintain. All it needs is a paint job and it’ll be nearly perfect.
I’m a sucker for pop-up headlights, but that Civic is pretty sweet, so it gets the nod.