A 1979 Honda Civic is a rare sight these days, given that so few of the rust-prone early models have survived to present day. Well, imagine that one of the econo-hatches has been stored in a garage for the past 25 years, where it sat with only 5,000 miles on the odometer. The plot thickens: its entire body had been swapped out for a rare Spex Elf kit car roadster setup. That vehicle is for sale right now on eBay Motors - opens in new window or tab. (although it's misidentified as an “Elf/Manx” design).
The creators of this unusual two-seat roadster were Kell Warshaw and Paul Deutchman, who weren’t afraid to take a Sawzall to the body of the first-generation Honda Civic in the pursuit of nobler lines. If you’ve heard Deutchman’s name before, it’s because he went on to bigger and better things, including the T-Rex trike - opens in new window or tab..
The Spex Elf represents a humbler beginning. In 1985, the Elf was created to convert old examples of Honda’s modest Civic platform into open-top specialty models. There was a compelling simplicity to Spex’s plan of attack. After cutting everything off behind the windshield and above the window sills, the pair of would-be modifiers replaced the vehicle’s entire bodywork with a fiberglass shell that borrowed liberally from the squared-off styling trends of the time (as well as the parts bins of both Honda and Ford). A subframe was added to keep everything nice and rigid, which led to high door sills blocking access to the vehicle.
The interior is still very Civic, although the doors and doorsills are completely custom. There's a roof, but no side windows for the Elf.
The original Honda Civic's four-cylinder engine was only good for about 50 or so horsepower, which means that the Spex Elf didn’t exactly trade on performance. The selling point was that it took a reasonable 200 hours to assemble—and cost less than $5,000 per kit at the time. If you were seeking a more exciting ride, you could replace the Elf's stock engine with a hotter lump borrowed from the Honda Prelude, which dropped the vehicle’s 0-60-mph time to 8.5 seconds. That’s exactly what was done to the Elf on sale now.
The Prelude engine under the hood gives the front-wheel drive Elf a performance boost.
With only about 20 examples ever assembled by Spex, you can be sure that you’ll never encounter another one at your local cars and coffee. Moreover, with its fiberglass body instead of the Civic's steel panels, this Elf will likely outlast a similar investment in an original model. Regardless, it’s a genuine chance to snag perhaps the most unusual Honda Civic kit car ever created - opens in new window or tab..
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.