In our swarm of Honda celebration this month, we couldn’t help but focus on one of the chassis that started it all - the CRX. Start off with a lightweight chassis and throw on some JDM goods with a fresh coat of paint and you’ve got an eye popper that’s driven on the streets with over a decade of years on its chassis.
Rick Bemberg kept it so clean and simple on this CRX that it looked perfect through the viewfinder in the camera. On the exterior of the car, extremely rare JDM power folding mirrors along with Honda Access door visors slightly accentuate the natural lines of the car. Out in the rear you can’t help but notice the Mugen Type-1 spoiler on the trunk of the hatch that should’ve been there from the factory.
Slamming the car to the ground is a set of Ohlins 28-way adjustable sport suspension with each fender resting comfortably on a set of genuine 16" Spoon SW-388 wheels. Peeking behind each front wheel is the noticeable light blue shade of Spoon Sports’ twin block calipers. In the rear, Spoon Sports brake pads found their home in the caliper and the entire braking system is aided with Spoon Sports braided brake lines. Tying all the loose ends in the suspension is a pair of Benen suspension components in the rear of the car: Benen rear lower tie bar and Benen rear upper strut bar.
Popping the hood, a Cusco front upper strut bar spans across the engine bay to finish off the suspension pieces. After all the years of abuse, the stock motor was scraped for a ’98 Civic single cam VTEC power plant. Feeding air into the motor is a JDM EF8 air box with a D Force intake tube. A DC Sports stainless steel header is bolted onto a Mugen exhaust freeing all the fumes out the system.
As mentioned before, the entire chassis was re-sprayed with a bright shade ’96 Civic Roma Red with a ’99 Civic Flamenco Black Pearl roof. The paint job helps restore the CR-X to its immaculate shade, shining like it’s brand new. In the interior, more JDM goods found their new home on the states. A Spoon Sports steering wheel along with a pair of Bride Zeta 2 seats is most noticeable. Gauges from GReddy along with APEXi electronics give driver and passenger some things to tinker with and monitor any vitals. Takata harnesses along with a Safety 21 6-point roll cage makes sure driver and passenger is secure on the track. Lastly, you can’t help but notice the genuine Gathers AM/FM/CD/Cassette deck in the center console and the Honda Access floor mats your feet rest on.
Restoring a gem can be a daunting task sometimes, but this CRX is a rolling profile of how it should be done.
