Several readers suggested that I document some early compact SUV crossovers in the process my scrap yard tour, shows that these pickup truck-influenced machines have gone on to remove most hatchbacks and small sedans from showrooms and are therefore historically significant. Junkyard Gems is of course about automotive history, so I set out to capture some interesting examples of the early Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V at their final stops (one The first generation Ford Escape appeared in this series few years ago). This is a first generation CR-V with a Impressive final numbers displayed on its odometer, was recently found in a Northern California cemetery.
Most other US-market Honda and Acura models used an electronic odometer at the time this car was built, but the 1997-2001 CR-V has an old-fashioned mechanical part that can readable without activate the vehicle’s ECU. This is the sixth discarded Honda I’ve found that has driven over 400,000 miles in its lifetime, joining the list that includes Agreement 1983, Agreement 1988, another 1988 Agreement, 1991 Agreement And a 1996 Civic. Maybe I was passing by More cars like thatbut Honda only started using six-digit speedometers here in 1981.
First generation CR-V was sold here for the model years 1997 to 2001 and its chassis was taken from the chassis of Sixth generation Civic. This is an entry-level 2WD LX, with front-wheel drive.
It was a tall Civic, the successor of Civil Wagovans of the 1980s. The list price is $18,750, or about $32,321 in 2023.
As is the case with most extra-tall vehicles I’ve found in car graveyards, this one’s interior looks pretty good.
Under the hood, the B20 DOHC inline four-cylinder engine produces 146 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. Speed-crazed Civic owners often grab these engines for cheap power upgrades, though most scrap yard shoppers will think twice about buying this engine after a quick glance. through the odometer.
Automatic transmission is standard equipment in CR-V 2WD LX 2001, while the 4WD LX and 4WD EX trim levels get a 5-speed manual transmission (the automatic is $800 more expensive for those two, about $1,379 today). The top-of-the-range 4WD SE has a sliding box at no extra cost.
One clever feature of the original CR-V was this cargo area cover unfolds into a picnic table. Someone bought one from today’s Junkyard Gem at the time of my arrival, but I already own one that I took from another throwaway CR-V.
Why did it end up in a place like this, after 22 years of reliable service? Looks like it broke down on the San Francisco Bay Area highway and was towed by Bay Area Highway Service Patrol. Perhaps the engine or transmission eventually stopped working after more than 16 trips around the Earth’s equator, and the owner couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for the repair.
Just the car you need for Mars. JDM advertisement for the original CR-V music is featured prominently by Billy Joel or Elton John and therefore cannot be embedded here.
