Character. When it comes to cars, there are few things more important than the sense of character it exudes. In other words – it’s aura as the kids like to say. And although social media has brainwashed a lot of the younger generation into thinking that horsepower & quarter-mile times are the only things that matter, the fact is… they’re not. Specs & stats get beaten. And some of the fastest cars on the streets today, are also some of the most boring & disengaging. But a car’s character – or soul if you will – is timeless. It’s not measured in numbers, but in emotions – messy, nonsensical, and real. And that’s what actually matters. This is Justin Floyd’s 1982 Honda Civic Wagon.
Justin Floyd (aka @FrostyChrome) is the proud owner of this fine vintage Econobox – an 82 Honda Civic Wagon…
He hails from Richmond, Virginia. And I’ve had the pleasure of Justin’s friendship for years now. We met at an indoor car show that frankly, neither one of us really wanted to be at. He was showing his trusty light blue Datsun pickup, with a color-matched classic Honda motorcycle in tow. And I was there with my old man tan 3000GT Spyder. From the moment we saw one another’s cars, a friendship was forged. Not because there was anything particularly special about either of our vehicles, per se. But rather, because both vehicles had character. They weren’t just copy-&-paste NPC builds in a sea of sameness. See where I’m going with this?
Justin has amassed a small but eclectic collection of vehicles…
In addition to the aforementioned Datsun truck, he also owns a Kaido-Racer style ‘77 Toyota Corona Hardtop Coupe, a Porsche Cayenne tow-rig, and of course – this ‘82 Civic Wagon. Each one of them is carefully & intentionally modified. Looking at Justin’s fleet, you can tell that nothing feels slapped-together, forced, or followed. Rather, every modification flows with a sense of purpose, style, & conviction.
So let’s talk about this rad little Civic Wagon…
At first glance the ’82 Civic Wagon looks relatively tame. But when you get into the nitty-gritty – the attention to detail – that’s when the gears in your head start to spin. Starting on the outside…
Exterior
This 1982 Honda Civic Wagon still sports its original paint & bodywork. I would argue it’s the perfect amount of patina. Clean enough to be a “survivor car”… yet worn enough to have earned authenticity & grit. Gone are the OEM sealed beam headlights. And in their place sits a set of Dapper HID lights, featuring city-lights that illuminate with the parking lights.
Continuing with the OEM+ theme, a single fender-mounted mirror pulled from a JDM 1st-gen Honda Accord sits atop the driver-side fender. It’s funny to think there was once a time where “a passenger-side mirror” wasn’t even standard equipment. Especially considering how much safety-tech is crammed into today’s appliance-mobiles.
Up top there’s a Yakima roof rack, outfitted with a Honda optional equipment rooftop cargo box. It adds a pinch of functionality and flair for the long car show weekends that Justin often partakes in. Finally, the windows were tinted, and some very *choice* stickers were added from the likes of Fatlace, Illest & Canibeat. The intent was to pay homage to the late-2000’s/early-2010’s car scene, when the newer “stance movement” was organic & magnetic… and hadn’t yet devolved into a stagnant clout-chaser breeding ground.
Interior
Moving to the cockpit of the Honda Civic, you’ll find a pair of Recaro Classic LX seats. The seats are complimented by a refinished 1st-gen Civic woodgrain steering wheel. And behind that steering wheel, the instrument cluster was exchanged for one that features the optional mechanical cable-drive tach, which was standard on the Civic S (precursor to the famed Si model). 80s simplicity & functionality is the narrative inside the Civic, but the same cannot be said for this wagon’s underpinnings. it’s the stuff you don’t see on this car that really shines.
Suspension
An ‘82 Honda Civic Wagon has very little aftermarket support overall, so getting this car to sit this way is no easy feat. However – that didn’t stop Justin from putting it in the weeds. He measured, cut, and modified components in his garage until everything played nice together. On the rear of the wagon, he custom-designed & built a new rear axle. Additionally, he reinforced the “tin-can” unibody (his words, not mine), and added triangulated 4-link bars to tie everything together. Slam Specialties RE5 air bags with custom mounts round-out the rear suspension setup.
Up front, the Civic Wagon rides on Universal Air Aero Sport bags over BC Racing struts, with custom top hats & frame notches to provide the needed clearance for the front axles. The air bags are fed by a single Viair 444c air compressor (mounted in the OEM jack-storage location) and a 4-gallon tank. Keeping things in the old-school nature of this car, Justin kept the entire air management system analog. You won’t find any digital management here. Instead, he outfitted the car with 4 paddle valves and 2 Viair dual needle gauges to keep everything in-check. The air compressor is toggled on/off through the OEM rear wiper switch.
Other noteworthy modifications include a relocated fuel tank, fuel pump, & filter. The fuel filler neck was also modified, and a custom exhaust was rerouted from factory. All this was done to clear the newly beef’d-up suspension components. But with the suspension dialed-in & the Civic ready for its date with the ground… the wheels were decidedly in need of a glow-up.
Wheels
You might not recognize the wheels at first… given the amount of work that’s gone into them. But these are genuine Honda Prelude wheels, specifically the OEM-optional wheels offered on the ‘79-’82 models. Originally measuring a puny 13”x5” +45… this set has been split & rebuilt into a 3-piece setup measuring 15”x7” +12. They also feature custom lathed faces. Rubber is sized at 165/50r15, providing the mild stretch needed to get them to tuck neatly inside the Civic Wagon’s fender arches.
Peek behind those front wheels, and you’ll find a set of calipers & vented rotors from a 1st-gen Accord. And behind the rear wheels, Justin added MK2 VW GTI hubs, spindles, bearings, brake calipers, and brake pads. This was done because his new custom axle setup was no longer compatible with the OEM Civic components.
Engine
Popping the front-hinged hood reveals a simple, era-appropriate setup. Justin wasn’t fixated on swapping a B or K series motor. Instead, he simply wanted to tidy things up while simplifying the car’s serviceability (and simultaneously improving reliability). A Weber 33/36 carburetor was installed to streamline fuel delivery, and the car’s engine/chassis wiring harnesses were modified to run through the rain-tray & fenders. Other tucked components include the relays, fuse panels, HID ballasts, washer fluid reservoir, coolant overflow reservoir, and the battery. The result is a much cleaner look.
To bring us home, I’d like to quote Justin himself…
“The goal was to create a Kyusha-inspired OEM+ look with lip-to-fender fitment, while pushing my own abilities in design and fabrication. I really enjoy that this Civic Wagon was originally perceived to just be a disposable economy car… yet has survived Cash For Clunkers, AND 44 years of existence in a world where it’s been largely irrelevant within the automotive space. The apathy towards these econoboxes in general, with years of wear & neglect, have provided the right amount of character to make this wagon something really special to an audience with the right eye. It’s an obsolete appliance that’s been given a new existence…. and maybe that makes you look twice. I really get a kick out of it when people appreciate it.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Cheers.
Article by Josh Guillot | Photos by Rebekah A Drilak
1982 Honda Civic Wagon
Engine/Transmission
1.5cc inline 4-cylinder 12 valve SOHC “CVCC” engine
Weber 32/36 carburetor
Modified/tucked engine & chassis wiring harnesses
Tucked & relocated relays, fuse panels, HID ballasts, washer fluid reservoir, coolant overflow reservoir and battery
Stock 5MT transmission
Exterior
Original paint & bodywork (featuring sunbaked patina courtesy of Illinois sunshine)
Tinted windows
Yakima roof rack
Honda optional equipment rooftop cargo box
JDM 1st-gen Honda Accord mirror (mounted to driver’s side front fender)
OEM RHD mirror block-off blanks (for passenger side mirror delete)
Dapper Lighting HID light assemblies
Interior
Recaro Classic LX seats
1st-gen Civic woodgrain steering wheel
‘80-’83 Civic S instrument cluster
Suspension/Brakes
Universal Air Aero Sport bags over BC Racing struts & custom top hats (front)
Slam Specialties RE5 air bags with appropriate length shocks & custom rear axle (rear)
Viair 444c air compressor & 4-gallon air tank
Analog Viair management system (4 paddle valves, analog gauge tank pressure gauge, single water trap, hidden tank drain, 2 dual needle Viair dual-needle gauges)
1st-gen Honda Accord calipers & vented rotors (front)
MK2 VW GTI spindles, bearings, hubs, brake calipers, & brake pads (rear)
Wheels/Tires
’79-’82 Honda Prelude optional wheels rebuilt & modified with into 3-piece wheels measuring 15”x7” +12
165/50r15 rubber
Misc.
Relocated fuel tank, fuel pump, & filter
Modified fuel filler neck
Custom routed exhaust
Front frame notch
Link to Barnfinds article on the car in stock condition (circa 2017)
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