Honda Intro

In the beginning Honda started small by developing auxiliary gasoline engines for bicycles and motorcycles. The founder Soichiro Honda made his technical research institute in Hamantsu Japan in 1946. The first Honda passenger cars were introduced in North America in the early 1970’s. The Civic was Honda’s first water-cooled vehicle. In 1976, the Accord was introduced which was the best selling car in the U.S. in 1990.

Crx

The Crx originated in 1984. The engines available were the 1.3 and 1.5 liter. In 1988 a new redesigned Crx was introduced and it had an option of a 1.6-liter engine that was capable of handling 108 horsepower. The new body style made the Crx rounder and sleeker. Honda also added a see-thru back little space that was not in the previous model. This feature made it easier to see out the back-hatch. Many improvements were done to the car including all si models had sunroofs. The older crx’s from 1984-1987 were a little bit lighter than the ones from 1988-1991. This is a plus.

How to buy a Crx

So are you ready now to buy a crx? If you are you might want to go to Autotrader.com. Cars.com or Used cars.com.. These sites can help you find crx.

I Found a crx

If you found a crx you should check to see how many miles it has and what kind of crx it is. There are several types of crx's. Dx Hf and Si. The Dx model has 92 horsepower, the HF has 62 horsepower and the Si model has 108. Depending on what you want to do with your car choose the correct model for you. If you want excellent gas milage because your using your car to go to work etc, choose the dx or hf model, but if you want to just be faster than everyone else choose the si. For more information on the specifications for these cars go to specs.

Inspecting the car

When you are checking the car out check the sunroof to make sure it is operating properly.(if the crx is an Si model). Check the tires for baldness in one spot. If there is a line of wear on the tires the car probably needs a wheel alignment. Check the interior. Pick up the mats in the car to check for holes in the carpeting. If the car has A/C check it to make sure it works. Check the oil. While the engine is cold remove the radiator cap and check the fluid to make sure it's full and the fluid is clean. Check the Cv joints for cracks and tears. Make sure there is no blue or gray smoke coming from the tail pipe while the engine is running. This could indicate blown head gasket or worn pistons and rings, or worn valve seats. Check headlights for moisture penetration. Check the horn. Check the clutch, (make sure it isn't slipping. To check this put the e-brake on put the car in 2nd gear give it gas. Take your foot off the clutch. The car should shut of. Check exhaust system for leaks and dents.

Negotiating

When you find a crx you should try to get it for the lowest price possible. You can use the extra cash you save to modify the car or repair it. Use the above steps in Inspecting The Car to negotiate a lower price. For example tell the owner that the car needs a wheel alignment because the tires a worn on one side or the car has rust etc.(if it needs one) When the owner realizes that you know what is wrong with the car he is ready for the price reduction. Now it is time to strike. Come up with a low price to work with. If the car is originally priced at $3000 ask $2200. He will probably say i had origanally for $3000. I'll give it to you for $2600. You say $2400. He will probabably say $2450. That is $550 price reduction. This is equal to about 18% off. You can use this money to buy car parts or to modify the car. Good luck.

Crx? What does it mean?

Crx means Civic Renaissance Model X. Renaissance means a rebirth of something; therefore Crx means it is a rebirth of the civic car. If you own a Crx or know a little about them you will realize that most of the parts are compatible with the 88-91 civic car. The Crx was based off of a civic. This is why it is called a civic Crx.

What about the Vtec Crx?

There is a Vtec Crx. To checkout one go to this website Vtec., It was made in Japan in 1992 but it was never sent to the U.S. for us to enjoy, although you can make an engine swap in your Crx for this engine.

Benefits of the B16 engine swap.

1. Increased horsepower. There are other ways to increase horsepower that will be discussed later in the book
2. Increased acceleration
3. More responsive enjoyable ride
4. Increased top end
5. Overall better performance

Problems you might have with the engine swap.

You might need a new transmission especially if your Crx isn’t a si. You will probably need new performance brakes. The original crx engine was not used to so much power. You will need a new computer to support the new engine. The suspension should be enhanced to handle corners better even though the stock Crx suspension is very good.

Tuning your Honda Engine. Intake/exhaust

Your exhaust system depletes carbon dioxide and your intake sucks in cold air. The more efficiently this is done, the faster your vehicle will run. In turn increasing the amount of horsepower. Installing an intake is one of the simplest ways to get more horsepower. You will not only get additional horsepower, but your car will sound better and look better under the hood. It will give your car the deep throat sound. Performance intakes provide better airflow and cooler air to the engine. There are many brands of intakes including Iceman, Akimoto, Neuspeed, and Ractive, DC Sports etc. Upgrading your exhaust system will improve the sound of your car and give you more horsepower. A nice four-inch tip will improve the look of your car. I recommend getting a stainless steal muffler because it looks nice and it will not rust. Matrix GR Motorsports, Airmass, Pacesetter, Flowmaster, and Dynomax sell quality exhaust systems.

Suspension

Suspension is the system of springs and other devices that insulates the chassis of a vehicle from shocks transmitted through the wheels. Stock suspension makes the car high enough to clear most obstacles in the road for example a speed bump. Adding a suspension system is one of the first things you should do to make your car handle phenomenally but also give it a more aggressive stance. There are also adjustable springs and shocks that give you the option of selecting your ride height. The advantage to this system is that you can adjust the ride height to what kind of condidtions you are driving under. For instance if you are driving in the city you might want to increase the height in case of loose gravel or construction being done. If you are ready to enter a competition or race you might want to lower the car to make it look nice or handle better. A list of manufacturers who make springs and shocks are Eibach, Intrax, Weapon R, Matrix, and KYB.

Wheels

Now that your car is lowered you will want to put new wheels on it preferably 1 or 2 sizes up. A 16-inch wheel is perfect for Crx’s. If you use a 17-inch wheel, be careful that the tire doesn’t rub on the wheel well. Wheels can get expensive so pick the one right for you. If you are really low on cash and you want wheels, look for used wheels in newspapers and around your town. There are three types of wheels you can get from least to most expensive are silver, polished, and chrome. If you have a Honda Crx with Si alloy wheels you can paint the hubcaps on the wheels. This may take some time but it is sure worth it

Wheels

How do you paint crx si wheels? Take off all 4 hubcaps and lay them down on cardboard Mask out the inside of each hubcap by covering Honda sign. Take your time and do a good job because mistakes will show up later. Get your spray paint and paint the outside of each hubcap the color you want it. For example if you have a blue crx, you might want to paint the outside blue and the inside white. Choose your color scheme. Wait a couple of minutes then recoat the caps with more paint. Wait for the paint to dry then take the tape off. Mask the outside by taping the outside of the Honda logo. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6. Finally mount the hubcaps on the wheels and enjoy

Stereo System

A common advancement done to any car is to improve the stereo system. The stock stereo system in the crx is pretty good, but if you want the sound that will make everyone notice you, you can get an amplifier and two subwoofers. The amplifier will power your speakers and the subwoofer will give you bass, therefore adding these components to your stereo will give you the surround sound setting. There are many different brands of subwoofers. Take a visit to Crutchfield to get them.

Exterior Accessories

When you are all done with the previous steps you can now do detail to the body. Body kits can make your car look totally different from everyone else’s and when the car is lowered with new performance wheels; it will give it an awesome look. Body kits are sold at Wings West Wings are also sold there. There is also another place located in CA that sells a variety of body kits for Honda Crx’s. The website is asylums This site sells body kits for 1984-1991 Crx’s. To get ram air induction install a nice looking hood scoop on the hood right above the intake so the air goes directly into the engine. When you are all done with the bodywork you should get the car painted. Doing all the bodywork at once will save you money.$

Lighting

You can replace your stock Crx light and install white or European lights. New fog lights can also be installed. Black out kits can be put on the headlights. Tinting the window will also make the car look nice. Side marker lenses can give your car a European look.

Supercharging

So you want even more horsepower? Supercharging your car can give you 40% more horsepower. A supercharger is a blower or compressor driven by the engine for supplying air under high pressure to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. To obtain a super charger visit Jackson Racing at Jackson Racing Good luck on hopping up your Honda but before I go here is a list of performance Honda sites.

Honda Crx Sites for 1984-1987

1. Modern Performance (This Crx site has intake systems and exhaust systems for 1985-1991 Crx’s.)
2. Crx Resource (This site has useful information for anyone who owns a Crx. Highly recommended.)
3. crx(Includes specs on all generation crx’s and more.)
4. Asyllums (Has body kits for your crx. Excellent site.)
5. (Honda and Acura performance book.)

Honda Crx Sites for 1988-1991

1. http://home.iae.nl/users/pdj/crx.htm (Many pictures and info on 2nd generation crx’s.)
2. King Crx (King CRX has picture galleries specs of crx’s.)
3. kaminari (Good body kit page.)
4. Kumo (Crx resource site.)
5. Crx tips (Good information crx site. There are also tips here to help make your car look better.)
6. Asylimms (Crx body kit site.)
7. Crx Speedway (Good racing crx site.)
8. Hendrik97 (Many pictures and well detailed.)
9. Jspec (Crx site that sells a crx backseat and more.)

Vtec Crx Sites

1. http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ayoung/ (This Crx site has a vtec Crx on it. The car was made in Japan.)
2. Hybrid Crx (In this site there is a crx that has gone through a b-16 Acura Integra engine swap. Interesting site.)
3. Crx Vtech (Interesting vtec crx site navigated by a stereo picture
4. http://gonow.to/hcpengineering (Vtec Crx site)

Delsol Sites

1. http://www.gnt.net/~dvj/delsol/ (This site has pictures of an owners Delsol and info on it. Also includes information on how to make grills for your delsol for a cheap price.)
2. http://www.oocities.org/MotorCity/Pit/8113/ (This site includes a persons Delsol setup and after market product reviews
3. http://www.ponchaut.yucom.be/default.html (Delsol site that includes videos and the best delsol pics on the net) A must see.
4. super honda (This site has a lot of information and tips to help you improve your delsol’s performance.)
5. Team elsolThis site information on how to make an intake for your delsol, picture’s galleries, and more.)
6. http://www.hondagallery.com(This site has a collection of picture galleries.)
7. http://crxvti.netfirms.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?index This site has information on someone Delsol. It is a very informational site.)

Body Kit sites

1. Impact parts
2. Wings West
3. http://www.andysautosport.com/honda_civic_crx_delsol.html
4. Vis racing
5. Asylumms
6. http://scvmot orworks.com/bodykit_1.htm
7. http://www.creverything.com

Although this manual is totally free if you benefited from this material, I would like you to send a donation to my site. You can send it via paypal a check made out to Andrew Matthews at kingcrx@yahoo.com. Thank You. This information took a long time to obtain and I would be appreciative. Thank you and Good luck on your Car. If you have any questions or comments Email me at Kingcrx@yahoo.com

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