Sad Cars In Need Of Rescuing: 1980 Toyota Supra vs 1991 Honda Civic Si

Sbsd 3 5 2024
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Welcome back! Today, we’re looking at a couple of sad, abused cars in desperate need of a good loving new home. These poor things have had a hard time of it, and both of them deserve better. Won’t you help?

But before we cue up the sad Sarah McLachlan song, let’s close the books on yesterday’s luxury cars. I had a feeling the Lincoln would win; Mark VIIs have historically done well here. And I agree: the “Gentleman’s Mustang” is an awfully nice car, and I don’t mind that this is the slower, flabbier Bill Blass model instead of the LSC.

But between these two, I’ll take the Caddy. It feels more honest, more straightforward. And I’m one of those weird people who actually really likes boxy cars.

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I guess you could say I like a good underdog. I’ve always had a soft spot for things that need me – I can totally see why Charlie Brown chose that Christmas tree. Sometimes the underdogs I champion are literal, actual dogs – that’s my old dog Luna in the top image. She was a rescue, abused, scared of everything when we got her, but she latched on to me right away and ended up being a fantastic companion for years.

The point I’m trying to make – other than an excuse to show a cute dog – is that you shouldn’t count cars like these two out just because they’re ugly and abused. They might just surprise you. Let’s take a closer look.

1980 Toyota Celica Supra – $2,350

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.8 liter overhead cam inline 6, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Odometer reading: 90,000 miles

Operational status: They claim it runs and drives

The Toyota Supra became a legend in later generations, but it all started here, with what was not much more than a Celica with a big nose. Under that elongated hood is a fuel-injected inline six in place of the Celica’s four-cylinder truck engine. The inline six became the Supra’s calling card, all the way up until the current generation, which is available with a four.

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This Supra has only 90,000 miles on the odometer, but from the look of it, they’ve been hard miles. The seller says it runs and drives, but adds the unnecessary caveat that it’s “in project condition.” Yeah, we can tell. But it’s got the right transmission: a five-speed manual. And if you can at least limp it home, that’s half the battle right there.

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The inside is a mess: cheap aftermarket steering wheel, power leather seats of undisclosed origin that don’t even look like they’re bolted down, and a dashboard that’s more cracks than good vinyl. And I don’t even know what to make of that rat’s nest of wires under the steering column. Here’s hoping the seller actually has the title, and the right to sell it.

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You may have guessed this, but purple was not an original color choice on the 1980 Supra. It looks like this car was originally silver, though some parts came from a blue car. At least it’s reasonably straight. Those hideous wheels will have to go, of course.

1991 Honda Civic Si – $2,500

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Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Ontario, CA

Odometer reading: 230,000 miles

Operational status: Has massive oil leak, not drivable

Here we have a car that may have suffered more greatly than any other from the whole “tuner” craze: the fourth-generation Honda Civic, in two-door hatchback form. Countless Civic hatchbacks of all trim levels were mercilessly modified and trashed in an effort to make them faster and/or more furious, to the point where there are almost none left. This started out as an Si model, the most desirable version, then and now.

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The beauty of the fourth-gen Civic Si was a suspension system that punched well above its weight, combined with a revvy four-cylinder engine and a five-speed stick, and not a whole lot else. It had a purity and a straightforwardness that just doesn’t exist anymore, at least not in compact hatchbacks. Sadly, this one is not well. It sounds like it might start and run, but it has a massive oil leak, and the seller suspects it may even have a cracked engine block. In any event, it isn’t drivable as it sits, and will have to be towed.

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This car actually hasn’t been messed with all that much it seems. It’s lowered and has aftermarket wheels, but it’s the original color, except for the lower third which has been coated in Plasti-Dip. If this car were anywhere else than inland Southern California, I would suspect it was done to hide rust, but in this case I think it might just be a style choice or a half-assed attempt to protect it from rock chips.

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Inside, it’s acceptable, and stock except for the steering wheel and seat covers. I imagine after 230,000 miles, the seats are pretty well toast under those covers. But who cares? This is never going to be a show car anyway; fix the engine or find a good one to swap in, and just enjoy having a cheap Civic Si to bomb around in.

I don’t know what drives people to do some things to some cars. I know, we’re supposed to be positive and accepting of all forms of car culture, and I think generally I am. But this sort of half-assed modification that never gets finished and ruins everything nice about what the car used to be just feels wasteful to me. Undoing the damage will take some work but it can be done, and in either case you could have a pretty cool old car at the end. Which of these strays are you willing to take home and feed?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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58 thoughts on “Sad Cars In Need Of Rescuing: 1980 Toyota Supra vs 1991 Honda Civic Si

  1. The Civic. I’m not normally a fan of these third gen cars, but the rims and color scheme works well on this one. And the interior looks to be in better condition than the Supra.

  2. I went with the Honda, though I actually prefer the Toyota. But for the money it’d need, I’d wait for a more desirable car. The Civic isn’t much my thing, but I’ve got a strong feeling you can easily get parts for them, albeit a lot of aftermarket stuff.

  3. I’d absolutely walk away from both, but if I had to pick one it’d be the Supra. Why? Back in the day when we were car shopping with my parents kid version of me tried to talk Dad into the Supra.

    It didn’t work. We got a used Ford Gran Torino Elite III, white over red.

    Talk about disappointment.

  4. First, both are overpriced. And garbage. In a perfect world I would take the Supra and restore it and when done it would actually be something. It’s not a perfect world and both cars need a match and a Duraflame log left inside. All these owners succeeded in doing is ruining 2 cars.

  5. I’d prefer the Supra but I could likely never get it to where I was happy with it. My guess is a dash top is pure unobtainum. The Honda looks presentable inside and complete elsewhere.

  6. Yeesh! I know we are still in the throes of the carpocalypse, but >$1000 for either one of these?!?

    That said, rwd+I6 wins any day over fwd+I4, even if it is a beloved Civic. I have a soft-spot for the 70s-80s rwd Toyotas, and a first gen Supra would make a pretty damn cool car, after a couple of years of getting this one into presentable shape.

    1. “Yeesh! I know we are still in the throes of the carpocalypse, but >$1000 for either one of these?!?”

      To be fair, those are only asking prices. The owners seem a bit delusional as to what they have (not exactly a rare occurrence on Craigslist), but maybe that will change when the cars are still for sale in 2027.

  7. I’ll start with the obligatory “both are overpriced” comment. Now that’s out of the way, my heart would be with the Supra for a full resto, but I think that most of the interior stuff would be difficult if not impossible to find. So I guess I’ll go with dropping an engine in the Civic, making it reasonably right, tooling around for a little bit and then selling to someone who will turn it back to current condition soon enough.

  8. Supra, because the civic owner needs a lesson in civility
    >ONLY CALL OR TEXT IF READY TO PICK UP
    >$2,500 FIRM NO LESS NO TRADES
    It’s fine you can keep it

  9. I’ll take the Civic. The mods that are there are minor enough to where they don’t bother me at all and the car overall looks way more solid than the Supra.

  10. I usually like beat up but interesting cars, but these are too much. Both of these cars need 5 gallons of gas and a match. I beg the owners to put these cars out of their misery. It is cruel to allow these cars to continue to exist in this state.

    But if I have to choose, I’ll go with the Civic. The wheels are an abomination, the plasti-dip ruined an otherwise nice looking exterior, and it isn’t even drivable. The only upside is that more can be undone on the Civic than the Supra, and there is an outside chance this ends up being a decent car with some effort. $2,500 is ridiculously overpriced for this car in this condition, but this might be a reasonable purchase at $900.

    1. I’m in the same place – I’d prefer the Supra but I could likely never get it to where I was happy with it. My guess is a dash top is unobtainum. The Honda looks presentable inside and complete elsewhere.

  11. I really wanted to go with the Celica Supra until I saw that interior shot. I’d want the car I can most save, and I think that’s the Civic in both of these cars’ current states.

  12. Great name for your dog. My wife named our Lab/Rottie mix Luna too! Short for Lunatic. We just call her Tick. Our second dog named Luna. She was also a rescue at 6 weeks of age. She is so nuts that she makes MTG and the current GOP seem sane. Thanks for making my morning wake up time better. And when it came to Christmas trees, the boss ALWAYS went for the Charlie Brown tree btw.

    Have to go Toyota today. These are some grade A shit boxes today. Well done. As such, would consider finding a decent donor for the engine and junking the rest.
    Honda looks way too screwed with. Way too much boy racer appearance, which does not bode well for the rest of the machine here.

      1. I always name them—then usually normally refer to them by something else. Percy is perpetually unkempt, so I call him Scruffy Boy(well Fluffy for a couple hours after bath, but that doesn’t last long). Leon the cat became Raul because of his weird plaintive cry

  13. I can’t avoid voting for a 1980 celica, even if it’s the supra rather than the more desirable (to me) 20R. It still has the bones I’d want. The civic is “meh” to me.

  14. I went Supra because to me, RWD>FWD every time. But good GAWD those wheels have to GO!!! That applies to the Honda as well, but they’re slightly less egregious.

    Slightly.

  15. I want the Supra, but it’s too far gone. I guess I could get the Civic and fix the oil leak and flip it to a tuner/boy racer. Tough choice today

  16. The 90’s teal, its calling out to me, but in that condition, I wouldn’t spend more than half of asking, the Supra at least is a more compelling base. The pictures make it look really rough, but almost entirely complete, and is at least drivable, versus a very clapped civic.

  17. Went with the Civic, because sadly, I think the Supra is too far gone unless you plan to make it into some sort of stripped track car. Those seats look to be from a BMW.

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