Finding a well-preserved Japanese car made in the 1980s is not exactly easy. These cars were vulnerable to rust and certainly dealt with their fair share of abuse from drivers who knew they could be driven into the ground. The 1986 Honda Accord LX-I shown here on craigslist is in stunning condition, with beautiful paint, a well-preserved interior, and an engine that supposedly still runs like a Swiss watch. The seller is asking $9,999, which seems quite fair for a car that could be put into duty as a daily driver tomorrow.
That’s one of the details that always drives me a bit crazy about loving old European cars. I can find the best one on the market, but there’s still a fair chance the water pump will fail, or the rear main seal will give out before too long. You can literally buy an old Honda, and it will still run exceedingly well despite being on the road for four decades. My mother has a 1997 Honda CR-V that she bought new and still daily drives, and all it needs is an occasional oil change and belt replacement. Her annual maintenance budget is a pittance of what I spend on a BMW made in the last 20 years.
And when you find a car like this that has been loved -much like my mom’s CR-V – well, you have a vehicle that will run like new. Look at the engine bay! It is spectacular. I had a 1986 Accord LX-I sedan, which also belonged to my mother, and it was much like this one in condition-wise, but I also inherited it in 1998. The fact that this Accord still looks as-new in 2026 is remarkable. Engine-wise, in LX-I trim, the Accord came equipped with a 2.0-liter, fuel-injected, 4-cylinder engine good for 110 b.h.p. and 114 lb.-ft. of torque.
The interiors were quite nice for a car that wasn’t exactly a luxury vehicle. Supportive bucket seats, power windows and locks, air conditioning, and a clean dashboard design put these vehicles light-years ahead of their domestic counterparts. The seller doesn’t tell us much about the history of this Honda, but we’d love to know how it stayed so nice. Mileage is just under 54,000, which certainly helps with its long-term preservation. The asking price seems more than fair for an Accord of this vintage that still looks so new, and thanks go to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
The dealer has had it listed since the end of May. It seems like a good deal, but there is something off putting to potential buyers. I’m a bit surprised it didn’t have a manual, for some reason I thought early LX-I’d had stick shifts.
Steve R
Perhaps it is the auto trans putting off potential buyers. Not that there is anything wrong with that transmission, but people into classic Hondas tend to want manuals. As would I, those Honda sticks shifted very well, and made the meager HP come alive.
Buying a Honda with an automatic was like getting the chicken at a seafood restaurant. The pity is they could’ve brought in nothing but sticks for the entire VRA era and still sold every one.
This reminds me of the maroon 1989 Accord LX-I sedan that my father inherited from my grandmother. It lasted just over 200000 miles before he traded it in for a 93 camry . Still disappointed that he didn’t sell me that accord.
Comfortable cruising right here. ✅️