A Collection Japanese Classics from Matt

This collection of cars comes from Matt C who writes: You've done them for vans and land yachts of this period - here's a round up of Japanese econoboxes from the late '70s and early '80s, many in better shape than these have any right to be.  What could be better than a collection of Japanese econoboxes on a Thursday afternoon?

Today's quartet of quintessential Japanese econoboxes comes from the Atlanta area craigslist and is evenly balanced with two Hondas and two Toyotas...it just needs a Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Mazda to be complete [ed CFlo: hey Vince, don't forget everyone's favorite car-building truck company... Isuzu!!1!]

First up is this 1976 Toyota Celica offered for $6,000.  The seller claims that it is "in great shape" (reminds me of the old comedian line: I am in shape...round is a shape) and "runs good."  It features a manual transmission and claimed one owner means it probably comes with an interesting story.

If hatchbacks are your thing, this 1977 Toyota Corolla SR5 Liftback offered for $3,000 seems to be a decent deal.  The car has been in the South its entire life, but it does have a few spots of surface rust and will need a battery and/or starter soon.  Otherwise, it is said to run/drive well.

Moving into the 80s, we've got this 1981 Honda Civic with 4-speed manual offered for $5,500. According to the seller, it has been repainted, all seats reupholstered, new carpet, new battery, new tires, complete tune-up, freshly rebuilt carburator, etc. all within the last year. If the paint is a quality job (and not from a 24 hr spray 'n' pray) this could be a nice car to drive around for a few years and you shouldn't lose any money when you sell it.

Lastly is this 1981 Honda Accord LX (with a sweet set of rear window louvers), offered for $2,750.  It features a 5-speed manual gearbox, nice carpet, new seat covers, and a strong engine, but it could use a new paint job -- or you could just drive it around like a survivor.

Got your own list of inexpensive classics? Send it here: tips@dailyturismo.com