Hi Everyone! I currently own a Honda Civic wich is my daily driver... I have been wanting to get my hands on a CRX for a while now that I could gut and use as a drag car... ya know lotsa weight reduction and all that good stuff. Anyway... I dont know too much about CRXs, but can anyone give me input on a 89 CRX? It's not a SI... I plan on upgrading pretty much everything as time passes... but I want to have a car that Im not gonna regret getting.

What do ya think?

 

Go for it.

 

ur not gonna regret it. the fact that it's not an Si shouldnt matter to u since ur planing to go all out drag. the diff between non-Si and Si is essentially just the suspension and brakes. and i think u'll have to get racing ones even if u get an Si. 2gen crx is a very nice car, get it

 

Excellent

Thanks SO MUCH everyone

 

CRX's are cool cars. If going drag I would maybe think about an engine swap and crap like that. New tranny of course. But the difference between a Si and the other stuff isn't much. What is yours? A DX or HF? If you have an HF that thing is light as hell. Good luck with it man.

 

You can dooooooo iiiiiitttttt 88 would be a tad bit less but a 89 is nice too

 

If you don't care about the grade and want the lowest weight possible, get an '88 or '89 HF only, to get the very lightweight doors. I want to find some for my '89 Si. If the seatbelt is in the door, pass.

 

i don't know where you guys are from, but around here, there is a big difference in the different models for the crx's. i have a dx and the thing is fast, but the si is much faster, even though it is a little heavier. all the suspension and everything else is the same, except for the 90 to 91 si's have rear discs. the major difference in the si and dx models are the multiport fuel injection in the si. i only have programmed fuel injection with something that is basically like a carburetor. my car only puts out 92 horse completely stock, and the si puts out 108. that is a big difference in a small car. the tranny's are also a lot different. i have much wider gear range in my car than an si. if you really want to get a car and drag it, take the hf, which has multiport injection already so you don't have to worry about wiring and ecu like with the dx change to si, and is the lightest car to begin with, and put the si head and crank in it. leave the tranny and then go from there. you won't have to do an engine swap if you just get a racing cam and do the suspension and headers and intake. you can easily be competitive with that - and if you really want to put the money into it, you can put the turbo in, but i have heard it is a very tight squeeze and production to get it to fit. the other choice is to put nos into it - that is much easier to install. anyway, good luck with whatever you decide - give them hell at the track!

 

i donno but i really hate the '88 model cause of the diffrent suspension setup and fenders and crap like that if u are goign drag i agree go with the lightest 2nd gen but for anything other then that get a 89-91 or even a 90-91 if u dont plan on swapping brakes cause i really hate the drums in the back on 89

 

What is different about the fenders in '88 ?

 

they look the same , but if u try to fit em they dont on a 89-91 *shrug*

 

How can you dislike Integra Type R suspension on a CRX...? A tailhappy CRX is fun!

 

Oh, ok.

I actually kinda like the suspension in my 88 crx. Then again I have ground controls, ST swaybar, KYB agx front/tokico illumina rear shocks heh.

Dustin

 

Did you say leave the tranny in an HF? You're nuts. Have you driven one? I don't know of any Honda with deeper gearing. And your DX suspension isn't the same as an Si (forget about the brakes, I'm not talking about that).

It boils down to this:
If you aren't planning on a swap, don't settle for anything less than an Si. But if you are, get an HF. And there really isn't any point in NOT swapping a CR-X, b/c the single cam motors are pretty hopeless in comparison (no offense). '88 is the best year b/c of weight and suspension. On all other years, you have go get an '88 LCA to use tasty Tein pieces. And not to mention the weight. My '89 Si weight in at just over 2100lbs stock. Door/seatbelt swapping is going to be a pain....you might as well get an '88.

[and by the way...about those fenders...'88='89 and '90='91...and are CR-X exclusive]

 

Well I plan on a total engine/tranny swap, so the power its making stock isnt much of a deal.

How hard is a B16A engine swap in a 89CRX?

 

Easy. Get axles, mount kit, shift linkage, eng/trans/ecu, misc. hoses and whatnot, then run four wires if you have an Si (or HF, too, I think..mine's an Si). If you want to stop, grab some 90-91 ex front brakes/sus., DA LCAs and master cyl./prop valve. Now you can stop AND go. Worry about looks a little, if you care, and you've got an inexpensive car that's quick and stops well.

 

Lol... I know whats involved in a swap.. I just wanted to know if it would be a straight bolt-in with motor mounts or if the engine bay would need to be modded any


[Modified by DevSys, 4:31 PM 9/16/2001]

 

With the hasport kit you have to put a decent-sized dent in the framerail to accommodate the alternator pulley. Other than that, nope.

 

lol thats better than cuttin fender wells

 

i work at a parts store and i can tell you that the suspension for the 89-91 crx's are all the same. you can take the exact same parts and put them in the dx and the si. there is no difference. you can even use the same header, catback exhaust, body kit, everything is the same. the only difference is the rear disc brakes in the 90-91 si's. in fact, you can actually take the suspension from some del sol's and swap them over, like the rear disc brake mounts (the whole trailing arm) if you want to put disc brakes on a dx or hf. i know this for a fact cause i have the adjustable kyb's that are for an si on my car, and the lowering springs for an si on my dx.

and for the tranny, if you are dragging, you want to keep the crx in the top of each gear for as long as you can, getting the cam to work as much as possible. the si tranny is too short for dragging if you put in a racing cam. if you go with a stock cam, then their is no point in dragging.


[Modified by crxplus, 2:09 AM 9/17/2001]

 

I didn't read through all of the responses, but if it's not an Si, what is it? Dx? Hf? If it's a Dx, enjoy the extra headache that comes with dpfi-mpfi. It's not impossible, but it's pretty much another hassle. If you're gonna drag, don't waste any time and look for an 88 Hf. If it won't be your daily driver, you won't need the extra things like sunroof, passenger rearview, etc. The Hf is much lighter (especially the 88) and comes with mpfi.

 

yeah the same parts will fit..but that doesnt mean oem parts are the same..
the suspension differences are the sway bars and the shocks and springs.
the exhaust is not the same the si has twin tip with larger piping...but some muffler shops put the dx exhaust on the si's because theyre either lazy or stupid..plus alot of generic parts are shared to save money even when oem is different.


other differences..
rear cargo cover..painted bumpers with front lip..twin tip exhaust..recaro seats..two tone interior..gauge cluster with tach...standard a/c and am/fm cassete..sunroof..rear spoiler..14inch wheels w/better tires..sway bars..firmer springs and shocks...thats all i can think of now.

 

What is the difference between a 1988 HF CRX and a 1991 HF CRX? Which is preferrable? I have a chance to buy both and wonder which would be better to fix up.

 

are you from the us? that is not a bad question. i was just curious. over here there are no rear spoilers on the si's. you have to buy aftermarket ones to put on. they are also on sohc, like the rest of the crx's.

and yes, the interiors are different colors, but that doesn't change the performance. the mufflers have a dual outlet, but you can't get that with an aftermarket exhaust, because they know that doesn't do anything. the only thing that is really different with the si's is the sunroof and ac. that is what makes the car a little heavier. as for the gauge cluster, my dx has a tac on it - the only difference is the shape of the gauge console. as for the springs, they are the same compression and setup as the dx - i know someone who rebuilds hondas all the time, especially crx's, and he uses the parts interchangable without any noticable differences. but, like i said, that is over here in the us. maybe they are different where you are from. i know the japanese models are much different and much faster.

 

well actualy i was talking about civic si hb..it does have a spoiler..
i waswnt naming only performance differences but all differences and theres even more than i named.
like i said before alot of generic brand parts are interchangable but that doesnt mean the oem parts are identical.