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I can't believe it...

Recently, my friend got this BF 323-Familia Executive: https://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/933700/blog/35909550/

On Thursday, I was in town at the Barbers. As I was leaving, I saw my friend and he called me over. He said he saw my YRV and he had some news for me.

He said "Right now, I'm trying to buy a Honda Quintet!"
("Quintet" is the European name of the first generation "Quint" from 1980-85).



I made a face like this:
(ﾟロﾟ) !!


The Honda Quint(et) is incredibly rare, almost extinct. In the entire UK, I think there's only two of them left. I haven't seen one for about 10-15 years and I didn't think I would ever see one again. I'm not sure if there's even any in Japan...

The car is about 350km away from where we live, but my friend just contacted me now to say he's paid for the car and he'll be bringing it back as soon as he can. Here are a few photos of it.





Anyway, we're both very excited about this! I'm going to buy some beer!! YEAH!

It seems this weekend I've been very busy with 1980s Japanese cars, today I spotted a KE70 Corolla!!

Actually, I knew about this car already, because I've talked to the owner before (he has a few older Corollas). However, this one is his most valuable one and he usually keeps it in the garage, so I've never actually seen it before. My friend saw it once, but he didn't get a photo.

It's a 1983 model with the 4K 1.3L OHV engine, a later type model with the new style headlights. I'm not sure what grade it is. Probably "DX" or "GL".

The condition is perfect, I couldn't see any scratches! It looked so cool with the original steel wheels and half-size hubcaps.



My Charmant A35 is based on this model, using the same 4K engine with a Toyota stamping on the engine top, but it has a Daihatsu oil cap. The body is similar, but the panels are different. Nearly all of the mechanical parts are the same, though.

I was very glad to see this car. If you ever have a chance to drive a KE70 Corolla (or A35 Charmant!), you should try it. Even the 1.3L OHV engine is great to drive and the steering response is excellent.

Recently I tried to get my friend to buy a BF Familia-323 Wagon. I didn't hear anything, so I guessed I was unsuccessful...



However, he called me a few days ago to say he'd seen another BF 323 for sale on the Internet and he was interested in buying it for himself. I looked at it, it seemed OK. Here's the photo from the advert.



It looked quite good to me! It's a later model, Executive grade with 1.5L and Automatic gearbox. I noticed the hubcaps aren't Mazda ones, I was sure they're from a Renault.

Anyway, I said I'd go with him to take a look. It was about 45 minutes to drive there, we got out to look at the car. There were some areas needing paint, but the main problems were in the engine compartment.



There was a big oil leak, but it's from the rocker gasket. It's actually very cheap and easy to fix, but the seller said it only had a small oil leak. That looks very big to me.



The main problem was the radiator. The old radiator was damaged. Instead of replacing it with another radiator for the Mazda, they used one from a first generation Honda Fit (UK name: Honda Jazz). It was about half the size, with different hoses and plastic cable ties holding it in. I don't know why the radiator cap was there. It looks terrible!

Anyway, we discussed it with the seller for a long time and he agreed to reduce the price by over 50%!! My friend gave him the money and he gave me the keys (I agreed to drive it back).



It was quite different from my BF. Mine is the early type 1.3 with 5MT, this is a later type 1.5 with 3AT. These later type models use the B-Series engine, my early type uses the E-Series. Though the engine specification is similar, the sound is completely different. The B-Series sounds more sporty.

I enjoyed driving it a lot, though I prefer my Manual gearbox.



The interior is nice, since it's the Executive it has a lot more buttons than my basic LX model.



All the windows are electric. There's also an electric sunroof.



The seats are comfortable too, though they need to be cleaned.



Here it is when we got it back. I had to be careful to watch the temperature gauge since the radiator is too small. It went a little bit too hot, but not into the red zone. We'll replace the radiator soon with the correct Mazda one.



The back end of the later models is different from mine, too. Here is mine a few years ago with another one I saw.



I'll be helping him to fix it. When he's finished, we'll take photos of both our BF Familia-323s together.

Anyway, I'm glad my friend got this car!

I've seen a BF Familia Wagon for sale, or as we call it in the UK, "323 Estate". I don't have enough room for it, so I'm trying to get my friend to buy it!

It's the 1.5 GLX, so it has a better specification than my 1.3 LX hatchback. As well as a bigger size engine, it's a later model. You can tell by the design of the front marker lights. This means it will have the new B-series engine, mine is the early E-series type. They sound different, the E-series makes a "woo-woooo" noise when you rev it. It sounds like a ghost! The B-series sounds more sporty.

From my brochure, the differences between LX and GLX are:
- Tachometer
- Full Console (area under the radio)
- Twin Radio Speakers (I only have one)
- Adjustable Steering Rake
- Power Locks
- Headlight Warning Chime (if you forget to turn the lights on)
- Luxury Type Steering Wheel
- Half-Type Wheel Cover (I only have a small cap)
- Body Pinstripe

Since it's a later model, it will probably have Power Steering too. Maybe some other differences.

I hope he buys it!

I don't think I ever spent much time explaining about my usual life... I live in a city called Wakefield in the county of Yorkshire. It's in the north of England and about 330km from London.



The district population is about 320,000. However, the West Yorkshire area is a close group of cities with an overall population of about 2,200,000, so it's like living in one part of a bigger city.



The overall county region of Yorkshire is very big and goes up to the east coast, but most of the north of the county is empty countryside and farmland.


(Wakefield picture from Wikipedia)

My city isn't very famous, so outside of my region most people don't know about it. In the past it was more of an industrial city with factories and coal mining, but it is still popular for transporting goods. The main North/South and West/East highways connect through our city and we have the main links for trains too. But most people work in service jobs, offices and shops. I work in an office, you can see it in the distance here. I like to see my car from the building!



The biggest city is the region is Leeds, population about 800,000. I go there about once a month, but everything is more expensive there so I try to avoid it... car parking costs a lot!


(Leeds picture from Wikipedia)

The most famous town in our region is York, the county is named after it, but it's in North Yorkshire so I don't visit it often. If you live outside the UK, it's probably the only town you could have heard about. There's a lot of tourists there.





Most tourists visit since it's a traditional old town with old buildings, castles, churches. You can hear the different languages of tourists, even a few Japanese. Last time I visited, I heard a man shout "あぶない!!" because his wife caught the heel of her shoe on the rough street surface. She didn't fall over, though.

There's a lot of rural countryside areas in the region. This is a village I visit quite often, Holmfirth. It's only about 30 minutes to drive here and the roads are great!





It's temperate climate here, with four seasons. The weather can be unexpected, though.

Spring:


Summer:


Autumn:


Winter:


OK! I'm going out to work on some cars...