One thing we can all agree on whether we fancy Camaros or Civics is that period upgrades are cool as heck. Really, any car that was modified in-period and survives to this day with modifications that are otherwise near impossible to replicate are cool as heck. There’s entire stories based on the choice in modifications that can be told, whether someone was building the car that the factory wouldn’t or a vehicle to go to war with at the local drag strip. This 1978 Honda Civic CVCC listed here on craigslist comes with a boatload of racing history in the form of many desirable and long-out-of-production Jackson Racing components.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip. If you are a Honda or Acura fan on any vintage, chances are high that you’ve heard of Jackson Racing. The company began in the late 70s in California and specialized in engine upgrades and related components for Honda enthusiasts tackling local road courses and the autocross circuit. Today, they are mostly known for high-end supercharger set-ups for modern Honda vehicles. While Comptech is currently the tuner of choice for Acura, Jackson Racing is synonymous with Honda. As you can see, this old-school-cool Civic sports a wild widebody kit and American Racing Equipment Vector turbine wheels.
The seller notes this Civic has great local history. It was purchased new at Riach Honda in Seattle and raced at nearby SIR many years ago. While it is a project and a car listed as having “ran when parked,” it remains in incredibly clean condition. The interior obviously had a trick set of Recaro-style buckets at one time, which have been pillaged, but you’re getting so much other amazing components with the sale that you really shouldn’t care. The list includes an entire spare Jackson Racing widebody kit, 1982 dated 13″ SSR Formula Mesh wheels, all extra glass, NOS parts, toys/collectibles, Honda and Jackson Racing brochures, rare parts from Japan, and “…even more not pictured.”
According to the listing, a variety of receipts are included that document all of the engine and suspension upgrades the previous owner performed. The seller doesn’t go into any great detail about those parts, but based on the body kit and wheels alone, it’s safe to say the previous caretaker spent money in all the right places. For some of you, this looks like just an old, used Civic (and it is) but for others, it’s a piece of history. I would imagine there’s even someone out there who can remember seeing this humble CVCC racing back in the day. Do you?
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