Nick on his rare Honda Accord: ‘Most of the mechanics are younger’

A decent car is always nice, and with the Honda Accord Coupe it’s just as nice. Many parts are rarer than the car itself … In any case, you see very few beautiful old Japanese in our country. Simply put, there are very few enthusiasts who cherish cars from the Land of the Rising Sun and keep them running.

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Rarer than the Audi R8

At one time, sedan and wagon versions of the Honda Accord sold reasonably well in the Low Countries. The Accord Coupe was less popular and the Accord Coupe is much rarer nowadays Dodge RamThe Knights are among the members of the Extinction Rebellion. According to the RDW, only 106 units of all generations have a Dutch license plate. affiliate Audi R8 – to name a few one side street – there are three times as many cars driving around in our country.

“The Accord Coupe is more exclusive than the Audi R8, to name a few.”

Made in the USA

The cheapest Honda Accord Coupe cost about 54,000 guilders (24,500 euros) in 1995. The automatic Honda Accord Coupe 2.2 ES owned by Nick Messemann (41) had to collect over 75,000 guilders! This made it about the same price as the BMW 318iS Coupé or the Audi Coupé 2.6 E. In this price range, the Dutch simply preferred the German. In fact, the Honda Accord Coupe was primarily intended for the United States. In fact, that’s where it was built, in Marysville, Ohio to be exact.

While we Dutch would have preferred to buy a middle-class German coupe in the ’90s rather than a Japanese one, the first owner of the wise green Accord on these pages was, of all things, German. Nick bought it about two years ago at a car dealership in Stadskanaal, 250 kilometers from his hometown of Walwick. Which suggests that he did not find it by chance …

Poor for Honda

Nick: “No, that’s absolutely true. For some reason, I’ve always had a soft spot Honda, which are known as mathematical and solid. One of my first cars was the Honda Civic EG. When I was about sixteen I saw one at an event at the Autotron in Rosmalen. In black with white edges. I was totally in love. I should have had it, and then I wanted to set it up too. In the end I actually bought one, but the tuning never came.

love coupe

“Maybe the fondness for Honda also has something to do with the charm of Asia. My dad is of Indonesian descent, I lived in China and the Philippines for many years and my girlfriend is Filipino. Anyway, I like having a car that isn’t on every street corner and I like coupes. When I came back from China before A few years ago, I first went looking for a Honda Prelude, but I couldn’t find a nice one.”

“It’s still a real coupe, not a fat monster with a man-sized, four-door coach.”

“I didn’t know this Accord coupe very well, but as I searched online I came across it regularly. It seemed like a great replacement. The car’s somewhat bigger advantage is that it’s nice and comfortable. It’s a great cruiser, but it’s also good in the corners, and with 150 horsepower Horse, they are very fast.”

No-nonsense design

We totally understand Nick’s love for his pact. For example, we can really appreciate the elegant no-nonsense design. Where many modern Asian designs lose themselves in an abundance of detail, Nicks Accord design is reduced to the essence: sleek, elegant lines. No far-fetched frills, severe-looking headlights or an all-encompassing grille.

Moreover, it is still a true two-door coupe and not a power monster that denigrates this classic body style with a four-door body the size of a leg and 20-inch wheels. Unfortunately, not many millennials understand a car like the Accord; Who thinks timeless elegance is the same as boring…

“With these Buddyclub wheels it becomes a grandfather-less car, as my friends call it.”

No maintenance history?!

If you’re going to drive 500km to see the car, you have to be almost sure it’s good. We therefore expect Nick to proudly show us a fully completed maintenance manual and a thick file with maintenance invoices.

Nick, with a big smile: “No, there was nothing in the car. Apart from the story that it was with the first German owner for a very long time, the history is unknown to me. However, the car looked very carefully for 190,000 km on the clock So I assumed the mileage was correct. And even if it was tampered with, it’s still a Honda, isn’t it!”

Rare: Old Honda in original condition

What I also like is that it’s still almost completely original and hasn’t been tampered with like you see on many other old Hondas. Only the parking sensors in the fenders and 3rd brake light have been modified. So now I can do it myself so… no, I’ll Just by installing other alloy wheels: the real Buddyclubs. They are often used in Japan under Hondas and are very rare, but I already have a set at home. This makes the Accord a bit less of a grandfather’s car, as my friends call it. I still just have to tidy it up.”

“I’ve also done all the maintenance. As a young boy I worked for a car cleaning company for years, so I’m good at cleaning. But other than that I can’t do much. Or really nothing at all, haha. Or yeah, spray a bunch of rims and replace a filter air or lamp, which will still work.”

Every mechanic is smaller than the Accord

Therefore, Nick relies on specialists in maintenance and repair. Since the car had no service history, he took it away for a major service shortly after purchase. To be sure, go to the professional: your Honda dealer. The man who greeted her said, “Oh my God, you have such a nice introduction!”
“It made me doubt the knowledge there… And when I drive an Accord, all the mechanics seem to be younger than the car itself. Nowadays I bring it to a one-man business for an older guy, who actually loves working on cars like that.”

Accord Coupe body parts are rare

Nick didn’t have to replace or repair much. With a new radiator, a set of disc brakes and a wheel bearing, the to-do list was ticked. Most of the technical parts are still readily available. With body parts, it’s a different story. Nick: “Luckily it’s not rusty, but I’d really like to replace a scratched windshield. The window itself is still available, but rubber isn’t. Polishing is also possible, but not every window will survive that. So I’ll leave it at that for now.”

No old car can be found in China

Does Nick have other plans for the deal? “A friend of mine has an original Accord sports exhaust for sale, but I’m not sure if I should do that. Because the plan is to buy a Civic with it. And I want to start tuning seriously: lowering it, big wheels, the whole picture.”

“It was a dream for me before I went to China, but then I didn’t have the money for it. I could afford it in China, but there are almost no old cars left. Simply because your point is not. It is allowed to drive longer, and this It is why the opportunity presents itself only now.”

“A genuine Honda from the ’90s is rare anyway and this Accord is totally unique.”

“A tuned civilian car like this is of course great fun for short distances and events, but it really doesn’t drive a meter, hahaha. I keep a pretty much original Accord to drive 60km of commuting a day in comfort. But also on weekend trips besides the fact It drives very pleasantly, everything is there: air conditioning, ABS, electrically adjustable and heated seats, electrically operated sunroof and power antenna to her. ”

Many compliments to the Honda Accord Coupe

We breathe a sigh of relief because Nick has pretty much left the Accord tuned technically. We’re not the only ones who value originality. Nick: “I get a lot of compliments at youngtimer events, because an original Honda from the ’90s is unique anyway and this convention is quite rare. A lot of people – just like one mechanic – think it’s a precursor. Only true fans will recognize it” .

“In 1995, not everyone over 50 had to own an SUV or an electric bike…”

No pretensions, lots of luxury

Enough of the chatter, it’s time to test drive the Japanese beauty. Certainly compared to many modern cars, the entry and seat are quite low. Nobody complained about it in 1995, but then not everyone over 50 needed an SUV or an electric bike…

The finely finished interior instantly takes you back to the 90’s. A little fuss and a lot of gray plastic, but a lot of luxury, like the leather-trimmed and heated seats. There are no wide screens and complex menus, but a heating system with rotary buttons and simple push buttons leave nothing to be desired in terms of clarity. There is a cruise control on / off button to the left of the steering wheel, but to regulate the speed you can – very modern – use the buttons on the steering wheel.

Automatic shifts with jerks

In the 1990s, automakers didn’t go to great lengths to make the gear selector on an automatic transmission look like the gear lever on a manual transmission. The Accord also has a long, simple T-handle with a huge release button on the left. When the engine was cold, the four-speed automatic transmission shifted with noticeable jerks, but that wasn’t anything special at the time.

Respected top speed

The grunts of the four-cylinder are satisfied and beautiful and smooth, like the chassis. Those who want smooth performance can get it, but they’ll have to kick the 2.2-liter four-cylinder’s power on the tail; Maximum torque is released only at 4,500 rpm. One hundred sprints takes about 10 seconds and the top speed is 205 km/h. Nick: “Because it’s a 4-speed automatic, it revs a lot and isn’t really economical. On average, it drives about 1 in 10, but it’s not expensive in road tax and I expect maintenance costs to stay low. For now, I’ll continue to enjoy it.”