That’s not a typo within the title of right now’s Good Value or No Cube Stepwgn; that’s truly how Honda named it. Let’s see if the worth of this privately-imported mini-camper additionally seems like a mistake.
Many feedback on yesterday’s 2000 Ford F-150 Stake Mattress famous its utility and money-making means. The draw back of getting such a useful truck is rarely having a free weekend at month’s finish, as buddies are all begging for assist transferring heavy stuff. Nonetheless, that’s not too huge a worth to pay. Neither too was the $4,700 requested to purchase the truck, as evidenced by the huge 88 % Good Value win it obtained.
At the moment’s 1998 Honda Stepwgn Subject Deck could be much less useful for renter relocation, however on the plus facet, it affords sleeping quarters, making a trip residence pointless.
Honda launched the Stepwgn in Japan for the 1996 mannequin yr. Based mostly on the up to date Civic platform, it crammed the area of interest of the standard minivan with a single sliding rear door on the curb (on this case, proper) facet and as much as eight seats. This was at a time when Honda’s better-known minivan, the Odyssey, featured 4 swinging doorways and solely as much as seven seats.
In 1998, Honda took a web page from the VW playbook and launched the Weekender-like Subject Deck as a Stepwgn choice. Modifications to the usual van included a fold-out desk within the rear of the cabin and a pop-up high with a roof-mounted mattress. The Subject Deck version ended with the Stepwgn’s redesign in 2001, however Honda nonetheless sells a model of the usual mannequin to this very day.
All of these first-generation Stepwgns have been FWD, that includes a 2.0-liter, 123 horsepower B20B 4, and a four-speed automated. Honda by no means deemed the mannequin worthy of federalizing for the U.S. market, however due to the 25-year rule, a quantity can now be discovered on supply from personal importers.
That’s simply how this one discovered its method right here, provided by an organization referred to as Motorbike Warehouse, Inc., which makes a speciality of bringing older JDM automobiles and vehicles to the U.S. Because of its RHD format, the Portland, Oregon-based reseller humorously claims that the Stepwgn could be appropriate for postal supply. It makes you surprise if the USPS ever even thought-about outdated Japanese vehicles and vans as a alternative for its ageing fleet of mail carriers. The vendor doesn’t counsel what a postal provider may do with the Subject Deck’s sleeping preparations, and actually, so long as I get my mail on time, I don’t wish to know.
For the remainder of us, the van is claimed to be in good situation and to have 131,000 miles on the books. Based mostly on the plethora of stickers and decals festooning the home windows and passenger door, it should have led an thrilling life whereas accumulating these miles.
Aesthetically, the appliance-white paint and black-painted metal wheels make the van look a bit boring and institutional, so the stickers do add some aptitude. The Volvo-esque crazy-tall back lights assist as nicely.
Within the cabin, issues are tidy and clear if backward for our driving setting. The automated helps as neophyte right-handers received’t have to create a novel muscle reminiscence for left-hand handbook shifting. A brand new Kenwood iPad-like stereo head unit befouls the sprint, however there are drawable curtains throughout in order that disgrace might be hidden from view when the van is parked.
The title is clear, and other than locations like California, the place the State’s smog guidelines prohibit registration with out costly mods, it may possibly probably be pushed and loved wherever one needs. The asking worth for that enjoyment is $9,950.
What do you consider this oddball weekender van and that worth? Does that appear honest, given its uniqueness and flexibility? Or, for asking that a lot, can this JDM van GTFO?
You determine!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
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