Feature: New CRX Frontier!

CRX stands for Civic Renaissance Model X, and was Honda's first attempt to revamp its Civic line into a sporty two-seater, which also functioned as a passenger car. The DX and Si were the preferred models in the late 80s and early 90s, offering 92 and 108 horsepower, respectively. With only 62 horsepower on tap, the HF CRX was the low guy on the totem pole, but also the lightest of the bunch. Weighing in at just 1819 with its stock 1.5-liter, 8-valve, 4-banger, the second generation HF was a great base point from which to build one hell of a track car.

John Moore has been resurrecting his 1988 Honda Civic CRX HF for the past five years (since 2006). Its creation has been a whirlwind of success, defeat, remorse, and defiance. Moore found this CRX in a junk yard in Georgia, and paid $200 for it with plans to make it into a V20 turbo race car. The car had some moderate damage, and had been sitting in the lot for the past seven years.

Moore was just coming out of another project with an '88 hatch, of which he'd completed a full color change, black interior, and dual overhead cam ZC swap. By the time he was on his third ZC motor in two years, he was looking forward to getting into an EG hatch. He bought the EG, sold it, and used the money to throw a stock motor into the CRX and use it as a daily driver.

“It was a nice little daily back and forth to work at about 45 miles to the gallon,”says Moore. Not one to sit on any motor for too long, Moore soon purchased two DA Integra's for $1,000, and swapped the motor and tranny using a Rywire engine harness.

“I had fun with that for awhile, then started to get bored,” says Moore. “A buddy of mine had a GSR motor laying around, so I put that into it, along with a semi-harness, comp cams, and headers.” Moore's best time with that set up was 14-seconds flat on the quarter mile with a full interior.

Moore eventually got his hands on a 1989 CRX Si shell, stripped out its interior, and transplanted everything into his HF. The donor car also came with the addition of a number of aftermarket parts, including a traction bar and upgraded radiator.

It was around this time Moore noticed the exterior of the 20 year old car was looking a bit ragged, so he decided to do a full restoration, which would include new OEM side moldings, window seals, a GSR gauge cluster, and a fresh coat of b47m Superior Blue Metallic paint. This is the point where our story takes a turn for the worst.

Spray-on Insulation and a Crap Paint Job
While stripping the car down and getting it ready to paint, Moore noticed a foamy yellow substance holding the rear tail lights in place. “We pulled the bumper off, pulled the tail lights out, and found out they were being held in with that spray-on insulation stuff you use in houses,” remembers Moore. “The whole rear bolt cage was completely rusted out.”

Moore was within inches of scrapping the entire project, and piling all his K-series performance parts into his Civic wagon, but instead he picked up another CRX parts car for $100 buck. He cut the whole rear bolt cage off of and welded it onto the car with the help of a friend. This blessing would turn into another series of let downs, beginning with a professional paint job that looked more like a Picasso painting.

“I had the car painted down in South Florida, with the guarantee it was going to be show quality,” says Moore. “When I got it back, the car looked terrible.” It had orange peel, sags, drips, Bondo scratches, and a heap of clear coat to mask all its imperfections.

“I lost my motivation,” says Moore.

Moore's friends told him not to give up. Moore took a break from the exterior and decided to focus his attention on a K-swap. In order to swap a K-series, he was going to have to cut out the passenger transmission mount. Moore got an estimate from a local painter to do the engine bay, and he ended up offering a killer deal to repaint the entire car.

“I've spent more money on paint and body than anything else,” Moore groans.

Totaled Civic and a Blown K-Series
With a K20a2 nestled between the fenders, Moore's CRX was eventually brought to life with 198 horsepower to the wheels, which was good for 15.4-seconds in the quarter mile. He enjoyed the car for six months, until one Wednesday evening at the track, instead of going from third to fourth, he slid into second, revved the engine to 11,000 rpm, and dropped a valve.

Around this same time, Moore had also just totaled his Civic wagon, and was in the process of collecting a nice fat insurance check. He came across an '08 Acura TSX K24a2 motor, figuring it would be the quickest way to get the car back on the road. He made plans for the swap, which would include an RBC manifold, Hondata K-pro, Innovative engine mount, Karcepts IAC block off plate, and the elimination of the factory air conditioning, power steering, and cruise control.

“When I put K24 and RBC manifold on, there was no gap above the hood, so I had to cut a hole,” says Moore. “It worked out for the best, as it gathers a lot more attention driving down the highway.” The potent combination of the K24 has so far proven itself fruitful at 230 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. Moore finished the engine swap on July 4th, 2010, just a few weeks before he was leaving to the Import Alliance in Nashville (July 15th).

“I drove it for the first time a week before I was going to take it on a 1200 mile trip—it had to earn my trust quick,” says Moore.

To Infinity and Beyond
“It's never a finished car,” says Moore. “During the summer I want to do an S2000 cluster swap—I might change the wheels and seats.” Moore also plans on upgrading the power output with cams, valves, springs, and retainers sometime in 2012.

“I put a lot of money into it last year, so I'm trying to take it easy this year,” says Moore.

The Car has garnished reasonable attention, with a handful of trophies to prove it. It has two trophies from the 2010 season, and before that, it earned three trophies with the GSR motor, one being a first place at the NOPI Nationals.

Moore has learned several lessons over the last two years. Lesson one, make sure the person you're buying from over the Internet is legit and not selling you garbage. Lesson two, take your time, don't rush into anything without planning, and three, don't give up just because things aren't going your way.

To the credit of the car, Moore owes everybody in his crew, Kindred Impulse (KindredImpulse.com), a big thank you for keeping him motivated during the most frustrating parts of the project. He also owes David at Hybrid Racing, Ryan at Rywire, and Chase at Chase Bays a hat tip for being there whenever he had a question or problem.

“I never used to be a CRX guy,” says Moore. “Then I got this car and fell in love.”