Building a Honda CRX for Autocross: Meet Project Noodles
Dubbed “Project Noodles,” former daily CRX emerges from a decade of storage to undergo a slow transformation for track days.
One of the most popular Honda platforms around is the CRX. The little two-seater hatchback is perfect for everything from drag cars to Lemons racers. And no wonder! It’s lightweight, there’s plenty of aftermarket support, and accepts mods like a champ. And to think it was aimed at commuters.
We found a cool CRX in our Honda-Tech forums the other day, one originally the owner’s daily. After six years on the road, plus a decade in storage, though, he decided to build it to the autocross legend of his dreams, “Project Noodles.”
“This is my 1990 CRX DX that I purchased in 2000 as my first car,” said TacoCat. “It was my daily, and [I] had fun with for about six years before life got in the way and it went into deep storage for a decade. A few years back, I pulled it out of storage and started the slow process of turning it into an autocross/track car.”
The poster took photos of the CRX build early on, but says those were lost over the years. The above is the earliest photo in possession. Here, you can see the potential for greatness. Once the car was stage zero’d and upgraded with a built B16A, he took it out to its first event.
“Quickly the car started to show its flaws,” the poster said. “The first event the alternator died along with the car being entirely undrivable. After replacing the alternator, the first thing I did was add front and rear upper control arms to adjust the camber and try and get more grip.”
Afterwards, he took a few bits from a CRX Si to make his ride look and perform better. Upgrades to the exhaust, interior, and suspension followed. He also fabricated aero to meet the rules. Then, it was back to the track.
“Even with several failures, the car has been more reliable than I expected having sat for so long,” he said. “I can’t wait to get it back on course and see what breaks next.”
Photos: Honda-Tech Forums
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