1991 Honda CRX Si Rebuild Is Well Worth the Frustration
A crappy paint job left this Honda CRX Si project in shambles. But it also spurned action from its owner.
If you’ve ever rebuilt a car from the ground up, you already know the peaks and the valleys of such a difficult task. The highs and lows, the frustration and the glory, the pain and the exhilaration, they all go hand in hand. But in the end, it’s (almost) always worth it. And that rocky road to glory is exactly what we’ve been watching Honda-Tech member mynameisjustin go through with his 1991 Honda CRX Si right here in the forums.
“In 2007 I bought this 1991 Honda CRX Si with a stock Z6 in it. I ripped the front end off, it had a Civic hatchback front end on it for whatever reason. I received the car back from paint, but got deployed so it went into a storage unit. Upon returning, I went into the unit and as I closed the trunk lid I noticed paint came off it about the size of a dime. The overall prep job had to have been literal ****.”
Talk about aggravating. But this huge problem led the OP down a path that’s been rather rewarding ever since.
“Fast forward to now and I have bought as many OEM replacement exterior pieces as possible. I’m in the final stages of fitting the body panels before I send it off to a place for paint. I just received a sunroof assembly. Two of the side pieces rusted out, so I’m still hunting for those. But I can at least send the panel off to get painted too. I pulled my DOHC ZC w/ JRSC, which has been trusty for some years. Picked up a GSR block and head for $600. Owner claimed it had ARP head studs and he had just done an OEM rebuild on it.”
Not a bad way to kick off a project. And we’re certainly digging the OP’s goals for this Honda CRX Si.
“The power goal is 300-350 whp. I am aware I can achieve that with much less. But I’m sort of trying to build this bulletproof and have the option to expand on it later.”
The OP first stripped down the “new” engine to make sure it was in working order. Then it was time to start removing body panels and everybody’s favorite – sanding and fixing gaps. Next, the head and block were dropped off at a machine shop for a little work. And in the process, the OP picked out a color for his ride – Toyota Quicksand. A unique but interesting choice, no doubt.
The paint turned out pretty amazing, however, and we’re certainly digging it. Now the OP is working on putting the whole thing back together while simultaneously getting it mechanically ready. Which means you’ll want to follow along here as this formerly frustrating Honda CRX Si project pays off!
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