O/T maybe...but I love Hondas

[donsrods]

I know this isn't received well by some people, but I really have a lot of respect for the engineering Honda puts into their cars. Yesterday Dan and I pulled some long overdue maintenance on his Honda Accord and it was one of the easiest jobs we have ever done.

First off, he has almost 160,000 miles on the car and it has never even had the plugs out! His gas milage has been dropping and he has to drive to Orlando today for a gig so we decided it tune it up and change the valve cover gasket because it was seeping a little. The more we tore into the car the more we loved the way Honda did things.........it is all so straight forward and simple. The valve cover gasket fits into a perfectly machined groove and everything came apart and went back together like melted butter.

I used to maintain my Girlfriends Honda and we did everything from tuneups to motor mounts to CV joints on it and it was equally impressive in the simplicity and ease of working on it. You can say what you want, but the Japanese car builders put one together to last and be easy to work on. Front brake pads take like 15 minutes to change, all you do is pull out one bolt and flip the caliper back.

As someone who likes to build cars, I really admire the way these things are put together, no wonder they sell so many of them.

Don

 

[Old Gold]

in many ways Japanese engineering is far superior. No doubt about it. Look how many old bikes are still cruising the roads.

 

[Tripper]

CVCC

Anyone know who designed the Honda CVCC engine?

 

[Willowbilly3]

Anything with the Honda name has always meant good quality. Back in the days when I ran and worked in garages, I was really glad Hondas didn't break down much, those old ones were a bear to work on. The 80s ones anyway. I remember the alternator/belt was nearly impossible to get to and you had to press the hub apart to get the rotor off because it was put on from the back. Then there were those twin carbs down behind the engine with 8 zillion vacuum lines. That's what I remember about working on Hondas. And the interference head, do they still have that? (that means the valves all get bent if the timing belt fails) I'm sure I don't remember the easy stuff.

 

[Dobber]

I had a 75 civic cvcc, and I like others just remember the box of vacum lines, and all the fuel solinoids. I also had a 1979 prelude, I swaped the engine into a 1983 Accord, and that was a easy swap, exept for the oil cooler that was on the prelude engine.

 

[custom cabby]

Can you guys imagine what would be said right now if this subject was on the "other" site? Every one of us would have a suicide bomber coming straight for us! "I KEAL YU!!"

 

[22dodge]

Still driving my '89 civic, just passed 100,000 miles...
It's been a great car, no complaints..
Of course it only gets driven 100 miles or so every 2 months, for the last few years,
with my work situation.... '22

 

[donsrods]

I also have great respect for Toyotas. When I used to travel in business I always bought Corollas and even at 160,000 miles I would not be afraid to jump in them and drive 2000 miles from home.

I know lots of American cars have great engineering too, but the reason I started this thread was because of how simple and basic I find the engineering to be done on these Japanese cars. On the other side of the scale, my Son Don has a Volvo daily driver, and those things are very confusing engineering wise. Good cars, but really complex.

Don

 

[bob w]

Back in my working days I spent time in Japan, where we had small electrical appliances made. They didn't just try to meet our specifications, they constantly tried to control their quality and processes as tightly as possible. That way they has no rejections, no rework and few defects. They learned all this from an American quality expert that went to Japan shortly after WWII. I developed great respect for Japanese engineering.

 

[Tripper]

They learned all this from an American quality expert that went to Japan shortly after WWII.

Dr. W Edwards Deming... A quality control idealist!

Dr. Deming - Wiki

BoB

 

[Dobber]

Dr. W Edwards Deming... A quality control idealist!

Dr. Deming - Wiki

BoB

He was born in Sioux City Iowa....

 

[Willowbilly3]

Toyotas are probably my favorite, well that NSX was a sweet one for sure on the Honda side. But I've had the most Subarus. I used to fix those old 4x4 wagons up and sell them when I lived in Alaska. They were rusty little junkheaps but they would go through anything and were tough as nails. I even made a swamp buggy out of an 84 Hatchback.

 

[gassersgarage]

In 71', Honda released their first car to the American shores. It was the Honda 600 sedan. 600cc, 2 cylinder, air-cooled with a 4 speed crash box. I paid $1200, brand new. I got 45 mpg and top speed was 75 mph.

When I lost a clutch, I took it to the dealers. When I picked the car up, I drove down the street but the engine was knocking. I shut it and checked the oil. NONE. I walked back to the dealers and explained the problem. They said to drive the car back. Everything is roller bearinged so it won't hurt the car. I drove it back and they filled it with oil. Car ran fine with never any problems. Wish I had kept it.

 

[donsrods]

A buddy of mine was in the Navy, stationed in Japan. He told me lots of the Sailors bought those Honda 600's in Japan and were able to put them on the Aircraft Carrier to bring them back duty free. He said everyone bought 2 of them, one to drive and one as a spare. They used to bring them topsides on the carrier and drive them around the deck while they were on the way back home.

Don

 

[gassersgarage]

There was a wrecked Honda 600 sedan at the dealers. I asked what happened. Apparently a man and wife were driving down the freeway. They hit a dead Great Dane and it flipped the car. When the car landed on it's roof, both occupants slid out through the back window, which had popped out. They said it was the worse case of road rash they ever saw.

Now my wife and I have 2 Toyotas as daily drivers. Mines a Yaris and hers is a Prius.