Description
Listed here is a 1997 Honda Accord Aerodeck 2. 2 iES. The car has a little over 131, 000 miles, I am the second owner having owned and enjoyed it for 15 years. Full details below but in summary: 2. 2i 16v with 5 speed manual transmission. ES spec so full option pack including AC, sunroof, electric everything. Diligently serviced by myself with a huge history file. Probably the best condition and best UK spec Aerodeck in the country. Barely any rust, only a couple of tiny dents and scratches. Original paintwork throughout. Walkaround video here: flic. kr/ p/ 2sjKA56
Now for the full version. This is actually my second one of these cars. I had a near identical car: N455HTM from 2006 until 2013 when sadly it was hit by an uninsured driver. I was at a loss as to what to replace it with as I genuinely really loved that car, I put over 140, 000 miles on that (on an LPG conversion) so can attest to their reliability. Then a chance conversation brought this current ’97 one to me. Family friends of my wife had just suffered a bereavement, and were looking to sell this Aerodeck as the widow had a different car which she preferred to keep. My wife vaguely remembers them getting it when she still lived with her parents! It was garaged from new and only had 70, 000 miles when I got it at 14 years old. It was absolutely immaculate, generally only being used to drive to the golf club a couple of times a week. As I had been using and maintaining the ’94 version for so long before I had the perfect head start into owning and maintaining it.
By the time I owned this I was doing less miles, commuting by train, and my to be wife had a company car. The Aerodeck was therefore always my second car and never really saw a hard life. Whilst in my ownership it has spent some extended periods either garaged or covered and SORNed, but it has also been on a couple of lovely European road trips. It has had a couple of short periods where it has been the main family car, short gaps when we didn’t have use of another car, but by and large it has always been the 2nd car.
I had always maintained it well, but initially i did not overly cherish it, but around 2017 I made the mental shift into trying to preserve it as a modern classic, due to how rare they were already becoming. It was my goal back then to get it to at least 40 years old and therefore hopefully tax exempt. Fast forward to now, it has been my slightly unusual modern classic for quite some time now, but it is still going strong and will comfortably get to 40 and beyond with the right new owner at the wheel.
More about the car. These Aerodecks are an unusual design. They blend the front half of the same generation Accord Coupe with a long fast-back estate rear, including the unusual wrap around rear window. It makes for a sporty looking long and low car that has a lower roofline than many modern sporty hatches, but is long enough to comfortably lie down in with the rear seats folded. It has a low slung but very open driving position which I love. It is smooth, comfortable and reasonably fast (for its day). In the US it was marketed as a luxury model, and in Japan it was only sold in very specific high end Honda ‘Clio’ dealerships alongside the Legend.
Being a ‘built to an Engineering Specification’ and not a ‘built to a budget with a 10 year life expectancy’ type car, the Aerodeck boasts a chassis and engine specification that you just don’t see anymore, in normal cars at least. It has double wishbone suspension on all four corners, with antiroll bars on the front and rear. The F22 engine has twin harmonic balancer shafts, making it one of the smoothest 4 pot you’ll ever likely drive. (Yes it doesn’t have H22A power but it is built for comfortable and effortless cruising. The F22 actually suits the car far better as even with only 150 bhp it has a far flatter and stronger low down torque curve). The leather on the seats is also used for the entire seat back, seat back pocket and on the door cards. These cars have been favorably compared to the W124 Mercedes in terms of build quality. If you know those, then you’ll know that was peak Mercedes. The build quality is easily on a par with these. It doesn’t feel quite as tank like, but cast an eye over the details and you can tell it was built to last. There is almost no plastic where it matters, and where there is it is really good quality).
This particular car is a UK spec car, the top of the range Aerodeck 2. 2i ES model with the much rarer manual gearbox (only about 25% of total sold). It has all available options (for a UK car) and is in the most desirable colour – Sherwood Green. Being a full option car, with a manual gearbox, in this condition makes it somewhat a unicorn car. Couple that with that there are only 5 of these left on the road (according to howmanyleft. co. uk) and this really is a unicorn. I’d confidently say that this is highly likely the best one left actually on the road. The spec includes: electric windows, electric slide sunroof, electric adjustable and heated mirrors, aerial, leather seats (electric height adjustable drivers side), headlamp washers, air conditioning, drivers and passengers airbags, 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS, centre armrest, 60/ 40 split folding rear seats, proper hydraulic power steering, factory rear tinted windows, electric adjustable headlights and headlight washers, electric retracting aerial, factory roof rails.
The car also has a couple of interesting options. It was fitted with a genuine Honda Access wood effect dash trim kit. These are a bit tacky and gaudy but also lovely at the same time. It really makes the interior as it breaks up the sea of grey and reminds you that you are in something special from the last century. The mats are unusual in that they are genuine JDM Honda Access mats, and are tailored for a RHD JDM Accord Wagon (same car) so they fit perfectly. Being JDM they feature beautifully thick deep pile weave and the fronts have lovely aluminium badges saying ‘US Wagon’. They were not cheap but I had to have them as they add something really special to the interior. Also fitted is a genuine Honda Access boot load liner. This is great for keeping the boot carpet clean. The final option is a pair of genuine Honda Access headlight protectors. Sadly one is broken however all parts are present. They might be able to be fixed and refitted with care. I’ve never seen another set so lots of cool retro points if you do.
Originality: This car has a lot of its original features but sadly not all. There are a couple of very subtly modifications that also deserve mention.
The grille is actually from the previous ’94 Aerodeck I owned. The ’94-95 models had the H badge on the bonnet where as the ’96-’97 cars had a revised chrome grille incorporating the badge and a plain bonnet. As my ’94 was also Sherwood Green I swapped the grille to this ’97 car to essentially ‘debadge’ the front in a clean OE style. I also swapped the bumper mounted indicators as I preferred the ’94 orange ones to the ’97 clear ones. A Marmite choice maybe but I liked it and it looks factory if you didn’t know otherwise.
The alloy wheels are from a similar age Rover 620 ti. These were actually fitted to the previous car also so I swapped them over when I got this one. I have 5 of these so there is a matching spare in the boot. Sadly the original alloy wheels got lost in a house move so are not available. Also missing is the original stereo. What is present and correct however is the original spare wheel (not much use on its own I know), the original boot privacy cover the original tool kit and the original genuine Honda first aid kit! Included is the original owners manual pack including service book, and all 4 (yes 4) original keys. These cars were provided with 2 black main keys, 1 grey valet key (this doesn’t open a locked glovebox) and 1 red programming key. All 4 original keys are provided, even the red key is still in its sealed packet.
MOT history: This car has only ever had the humiliation of failing an MOT once, for a misaligned headlight! It has never failed during my ownership, and the few advisories it did have were promptly rectified. I’d urge you to look at the MOT history for yourself at - details above . You’re unlikely to ever see another 30 year old car with such an unblemished MOT history. The current MOT expires in December 2026 however I will put a years fresh MOT on it for the new owner.
Maintenance:
The car has a fully stamped main dealer service history up to 76k. I have done all servicing myself since buying the car almost 15 years ago. The oil has been changed every 3k-ish miles. I have no record of receipts for this as I get oil and filters in bulk, so just use them when I need to. I have a wadge of invoices for everything else.
May 2026 New AC compressor (Genuine Honda / Denso).
May 2026 Cambelt & balance shaft belts and tensioners, plus AC / alternator belt auxiliary belt (all Gates).
May 2026 Power Steering pump refurbished – new seals and bearing.
Feb 2026 New rear boot struts (hens teeth)
New clutch – Exedy + full bleed.
Air filter - Bosch.
July 2022. New front upper wishbones, bushes and upper ball joints.
July 2022. Rocker cover gasket - Honda.
Inner and outer CV boots – genuine Honda.
Spark Plugs – NGK iridium.
2022 Full custom stainless steel exhaust installed. Build by a Longlife Bath full OE replica in 2. 5” Stainless Steel. Fully TIG welded, almost OEM quiet.
New front antiroll bar drop link bushes.
Starter motor solenoid serviced, copper contactors all replaced.
All brake calipers and carriers reconditioned by BCS in Derby. New pistons, seals and slide pins etc.
New rear training arm main bushes (NS & OS) – Febest.
New rear NS & OS ABS sensors.
2014 New radiator – (aaronradiator. co. uk)
Fumoto oil pan drain plug tap – to assist with easy oil changes!
More info in final photo . . . .
