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July 20, 2007
From: Ben Johnson
Honda Accord Story (the fender-well chapter)
By 1979, most owners of 1976 Honda Accords had a problem; rust in the fender well, up where the fender meets the firewall. The paint on the top surface was usually bubbling with rust from underneath, BECAUSE as the car was driven, the front tires would ?sling? mud and wet, up into the corner formed by the fender where it met the firewall, and stuff would get jammed up there.. and rust the fender from the bottom-up.
 My car was no exception to this, although my car?s problem with the fenders was not as bad as some. I HAD seen fenders completely rusted through, on otherwise fair ?looking Accords. I had been a ?clean freak? about my car, and had washed and waxed it on about a weekly schedule, since I had bought it. The silver factory paint was beginning to fade on the top and hood of my Accord, so I fought back by keeping the car spotless inside and out, AND by keeping a constant coat of wax on the car. I also cleaned under the fenders (front AND back), cleaning the McPhersons, and the BACKS of the tires and wheels. Did I mention that I?m a neat-freak?
While on active-duty for the U.S.Army Reserves in Ft. Devens, Mass., I was able to take the car in to the nearest Honda Dealer, to ask WHY was the rust happening to a car that had been kept spotless for 3 years. Honda had heard this question before, from other Accord owners. It seemed that Honda was departing from its USUAL behavior concerning the car.
Honda had stood behind the Accord though what it called ?campaigns?. When the radiator was deemed to be defective on SOME cars, ALL Accords were invited to receive FREE ones, at their next visit to the dealer. When a tolerance in the water-jacket on SOME Accords had been found to be too thin, (thus admitting water to the engine) Honda stood behind the Accord, and invited all Accord owners to receive free the Honda-installed parts to fix the problem.
I was disturbed to learn that Honda was DENYING the claims of the other Accord owners NATIONWIDE concerning the fender rust, chalking the rust up to the overall condition of the cars that it was looking at. The paint was fading, the cars had shown their ages, and ?some rust? was deemed as ?going with the territory?, given the age of the cars (especially in Mass.).
The dealer in Mass. saw my car, and was about to give it the same benediction, when he paused and looked at the miles (considerable after only 3 years). He then looked at the (still showroom ) condition of the car? (one could eat off the engine ).. and he asked that I leave the car with him So that the regional manager (due to pass thru in about 4 days) could see the car. I of course, agreed.
The regional manager, looked at the Accord, and sent his conclusion up the chain of command. It seems that Honda was looking for an otherwise PERFECT car, yet WITH the fender rust. Mine WAS the car they sought. My Accord proved to Honda that even IF an owner had done ALL THEY COULD DO to keep the car correctly, the rust would still occur. Mine was the car that helped to exonerate the rest of the Accord owners, concerning fender rust being THEIR fault for low maintenance. The Honda management had been aware of this fender-rust problem to the extent that They were planning to install as part of the car, fender ?inserts?, made of plastic, and molded to fit in the contours of each fender? for the upcoming model year.
Honda was NOT planning to retrofit Accords from 1976 thru1980, with these fender inserts? until they saw my car. Within six months of receiving a letter from Honda thanking me for my efforts, my Accord received, courtesy of Honda, the installation of the FIRST SET of fender-well inserts for the 1976-thru 1979 Accord. By then, I was in Maryland, and the folks at Tischer Honda, just outside of Ft. Meade, Md., treated the car like the celebrity it was then, and is still today. There was some rust on the air scoop, just rear of the hood.. on the UNDERSIDE of the metal, where I could not reach it.
Honda was made aware of this, and (without charge ) had Tischer remove the part, and install a new (painted-to-match) part.
The ?fender-well story?, is mentioned for two reasons:
First, it helps to illustrate how THIS car was cared for.. to the point of allowing Honda to reverse it?s thinking on the possible condition of these cars.. ( GOOD, instead of all-ragged-out).
Most importantly, this chapter illustrates how Honda cared for both the car and it?s fortunate owners, with campaigns, (not recalls), and continuous service to the car. Honda did not (then) , manufacture the car, and ?set it free?: instead they made SURE that Accord owners were afforded the updates and retrofits that were deserved, for years ?on down the road?, at no cost to the owners. AND MIND YOU, this was BEFORE the days of ?warranties? to 100,00 miles and beyond. Honda constantly did what was right, and stood behind that model Accord, as if their reputation was being built on that car, alone. Maybe to some degree, it was. The car became a cultural icon. Accord has been the car of the year, the consumer?s choice, and has enjoyed a long production run, and instant, worldwide name recognition: this was no accident. The Honda corp ?started something? with the Accord, and that something, had to do with a quality world-class car, with quality world-class service follow-on.
My father owned a Rolls Royce. His service experience and ?the-standing-behind? of the car after the sale, was similar to mine. The only real difference was the initial COST of the car.. my Accord received the attention of an honorable company, which produced a great auto, for the initiation price of about $5,000. My father?s initiation fee, to get first-class service, was considerably more.
My Accord is, to a large degree, WHAT IT IS TODAY, because Honda stood behind the car, all the days previous.
My venerable Accord, is THE example of just HOW GOOD a 1976 Honda Accord CAN be, given the fine corporate support that it has received. VIN # SJE 1011014, owes a lot to Honda, and I would be glad for it to repay the folks @ Honda for their many years of support for this fine car.
Mr. Kondo, the generation of our fathers made the car I now treasure. I hope that you treasure it also, and the fine work that our fathers did, to create those cultural icons of the seventies. |
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