Was my car possibly custom ordered?

[cwilliamsws6]

My car has always had it's quirks and weirdness but today taking a more in-depth look at things there were some which really stood out.

My CR-V is the LX model which is the most basic one. Basic radio, steel wheels, no foglights or sunroof, no heated mirrors, nothing special.

My car however came with the 6 CD changer in-dash unit and the wiring is in place for steering wheel controls and dash speakers despite not having either.

I also have buttons to open a non-existent sunroof.

It does have foglights, but I installed those myself so they don't count.

 

[LotI]

Honda doesn't have the ability to order. Most likely it is cheapest for them to have one wire harness for all builds. Honda has a lot of dealer installed options available.

 

[fdcg27]

The selling dealer or an aftermarket source could have easily installed the CD changer.
Could have been factory as well.
Probably all Civics were wired the same with the excess wiring only used in the higher trim cars.
Doubt that this base Civic was a special order since the Japanese got rid of any such thing years before you were even born.

 

[simple_gifts]

My 89 Caprice had crank windows and electric locks. Custom order = yes.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by LotI
Honda doesn't have the ability to order. Most likely it is cheapest for them to have one wire harness for all builds. Honda has a lot of dealer installed options available.


Yeah, I remember on my Ford Taurus, they had the factory alarm built into the system. If it wasn't an option on the car, all you had to do was enable a jumper to turn it on. Guess it was cheaper to build one board that had that feature than to do two different ones.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted by simple_gifts
My 89 Caprice had crank windows and electric locks. Custom order = yes.


mom bought a used 93, or 94 Chevy Corsica with that same setup...

all second Gen(2000-2005) neons had Crank windows in the back doors...even if the fronts had power windows. there was no option for power rear windows at all.

 

[AZjeff]

Dad had an early 2000s Gran Prix and wanted remote trunk release. All I had to do was buy a button and plug it in inside the glovebox. The solenoid was already on the trunk latch wired up. Common practice.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by LotI
Honda doesn't have the ability to order .... Honda has a lot of dealer installed options available.

I can sorta vouch for that. We bought an '05 Odyssey from the original owner who was an employee at the Honda engine plant in Anna OH. They "ordered" the vehicle through a system that Honda obviously has for employees and they did order various options. All of them were dealer-installed. The vehicle still gets delivered to a dealer of their choosing who has to a) install those options and b) do the standard dealer prep work as if it's one they sold themselves. Reason I say/know they ordered it is because all of the paperwork related to this stuff was in the glovebox.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
I also have buttons to open a non-existent sunroof.

That is odd but doesn't suggest it was custom ordered. All models include the 'cutouts' for buttons like those but when it doesn't come with that option, it should have gotten a blank filler plate instead of an actual button. You'll see the same thing where a fog light button would go and other things like that.

 

[WhyMe]

easier to just have one harness for everything and some of those can be installed at the dealer. in 1991 i bought a Civic SI brand new. i wanted A/C , but the dealer was asking too much. i bought a genuine Honda kit that included everything . All i did was install the stuff and have it charged, All the wiring was there already to go . just plug and play

 

[CharBaby]

Since the 1980's, many Honda dealers have tons of dealer installed options from HONDA. Radio upgrades, fog lights, wheels, etc. Years ago on the most basic of Honda models, the DX was the most basic trim level and didn't even come with a passenger outside mirror or AC. These too could be a dealer installed option. Yup, even the AC!

 

[Nick1994]

The sunroof buttons is a weird one.

My Jeep is such a base model, it didn't come with rear speakers originally. It had the wiring all the way to the back, but not through the hatch. I've since finished the wiring and installed speakers.

It was originally owned by the State of Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Transportation.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by earlyre
Originally Posted by simple_gifts
My 89 Caprice had crank windows and electric locks. Custom order = yes.


mom bought a used 93, or 94 Chevy Corsica with that same setup...

all second Gen(2000-2005) neons had Crank windows in the back doors...even if the fronts had power windows. there was no option for power rear windows at all.

All Neons were like that-none had power windows in back.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by earlyre
Originally Posted by simple_gifts
My 89 Caprice had crank windows and electric locks. Custom order = yes.


mom bought a used 93, or 94 Chevy Corsica with that same setup...

all second Gen(2000-2005) neons had Crank windows in the back doors...even if the fronts had power windows. there was no option for power rear windows at all.


All Neons were like that-none had power windows in back.


Good to know...you learn something every day...
I never had the opportunity to be in a first gen model(95-99), but was the 2nd owner of an '05 SXT(my older brother being the original owner), which after 4 yrs i sold to my buddy's mom, and it became his little brother's car.
that Little brother is currently serving in the Army, deployed to Korea, so the neon is currently the older brother's Summer Daily. (the A/C is broken in his 250k mi + '03Vibe)

 

[LotI]

My first new car was a ‘95 Neon Highline Coupe. Didn't come with cruise control but the dealer had a kit that I installed myself. Cable to the throttle body, steering wheel buttons, everything. It was an easy 1 hour install iirc.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted by LotI
My first new car was a ‘95 Neon Highline Coupe. Didn't come with cruise control but the dealer had a kit that I installed myself. Cable to the throttle body, steering wheel buttons, everything. It was an easy 1 hour install iirc.


mine didn't either, I had inquired about the kit, at that time it was $380 installed.( coincidentally, when i told my brother this, he said he saved about $300 getting the one w/o cruise)
a couple days later, before i had the chance to order the kit, had an unexpected dental expense pop up.. wanna guess how much THAT cost? $380.

forgot about the kit for a year or so, by that time, it was fully out of stock in the whole dealer network. had them price out the individual components, hair over $1500...
car is still sans cruise...