At $6,000, Is This 1981 Honda Accord LX Movie Star An A-Lister?

Claimed to have made its mark in multiple movies, today's Nice Price or No Dice classic Accord LX is a star in its own right, thanks to its condition and well-optioned features. Let's see if the price tag has us saying "action!" or "cut!"

A modern Mitsubishi could be a pretty solid getaway car for a bank heist. Since only a couple of models are sold here right now, witnesses probably wouldn't recognize the car—only noticing a few dollar bills cartoonishly fluttering out of it as it zooms away.

The 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Limited that came our way on Monday is a different story, however. Also appreciably rare in this day and age, its old-school boxiness and chunky flared-fender styling would, most likely, stand out in the minds of passersby. So, helpful tip: don't rob a bank in a Montero. With its high mileage, many of you felt that our Montero's $9,800 price tag was a bit of highway robbery. That was obvious from the comments and the 79% 'No Dice' loss it suffered in the voting.

Before we delve into the value proposition of the 1981 Honda Accord LX we're looking at today, let's first marvel at its modest dimensions. Honda introduced the Accord to the North American market in 1976 as a bigger sibling to the Civic, from which it derived its platform. The original three-door hatchback was joined a year later by a four-door saloon, the company's first for the U.S. 

Both models shared the same diminutive 93.7-inch wheelbase, with the hatchback stretching to 163 inches in overall length, and the sedan's extended rear overhang adding a mere foot to that. In comparison, a modern Civic—still the Accord's smaller sibling—rides on a 107.7-inch wheelbase and has a bumper-to-bumper length of 185 inches. That makes this Hampstead Green with a wonderful color-keyed interior not just a classic Accord, but an interesting piece of historical dialogue, providing a taste of what once was.

According to the seller, this Accord has featured in the music video for "Bruises" by Reneé Rapp, shot on Los Angeles' iconic Broadway Street. Don't watch it, though, because it has the singer getting stabbed repeatedly with knives and is rather disturbing. It also had a background role in the movie "Joker: Folie à Deux," which I can't confirm because I'm not watching that crap. It doesn't show up on the IMCDb listing, so take that claim with a grain of salt.

Regardless, there's more to like about this Accord than its supposed Hollywood history. First off, if you're looking for a classic first-generation Accord, this is the model you want—an up-optioned LX with the five-speed stick. The base cars and those with Honda's life-sapping two-speed Hondamatic are far less comfortable or fun. For power, the LX has a 72-horsepower 1.8-liter CVCC (Compound Vortex Combustion Chamber) four-cylinder. That assumes this has always been a California car with a catalytic converter. 49-state cars without the cat maintained 75 horses.

Per the ad, this Accord has 122,294 miles on the clock, comes in "good overall condition," and has a clean title. That's all we get on the car's current condition, as the seller instead chooses to detail some of its acting credits.

That "good condition" does come across in the ad's photos, though. The paint appears to be in great shape, and the bodywork beneath is free of any noticeable dings or dents. There is some minor rust bubbling up at the base of the hatch, but it doesn't seem to be out of control. On the plus side, all the trim is intact, and the car wears fun '80s louvers on the back glass that are high enough to still let the rear wiper do its thing.

The interior is an Eighties-gasm of green with cloth upholstery on the seats and solid plastics everywhere else. Well-equipped for the time, the LX came standard with A/C and power steering, the latter proudly denoted by the steering wheel hub. These cars also have a wonderful rolling-barrel digital clock in the dashboard, another cool kitschy element. A proper '80s AM/FM/cassette stereo and lidded compartment atop the dash marked "COIN" complete the picture.

Discounting this Honda's history in front of the camera, it's notable simply for surviving in such seemingly great shape all these years. This model just isn't seen all that much these days, and its specs should make for a decent driver, at least to car meets. This probably isn't something anyone with any sense would want to drive daily. There's also no word on the age of things like the timing belt or the myriad of vacuum hoses the CVCC engine is saddled with.

I know what you're thinking: what then do we do with this Honda? Well, maybe we should now look at its value proposition at the seller's asking price of $6,000. That's not much money to get into a classic car. The question, though, is whether this is the classic car to get into. Its Hollywood connections could also keep it in front of the camera, which could be a money-making proposition for anyone eager to rent it out for filming, so that's another consideration.

What do you think? Is this Accord a bargain—and desirable—at that $6,000 asking price? Or is that too much, even if it's ready for its close-up?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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