1984 crx project
Greetings! Time for the next project.
Goals: Fun, economical, fast. The logical choice is obvious. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...48dd479b7b.jpg I'll be reformatting the build thread from another forum I'm on, here: https://mnhondas.com/showthread.php?t=12146 I obtained these cars over the past few years. The lost cause: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d43aa6c08e.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...6e12d00e0c.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...de5ee87300.jpg 1986 crx si. Rusted beyond belief. The struggling survivor: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...29fcf4feb1.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d877237318.jpg Bent, but not broken. |
Re: 1984 crx project
The 84 chassis was mostly complete with a partially rebuilt 1.3l motor in pieces and a completely dry rotted interior from years in the AZ sun. Carburetion isn't going to cut it for my goals, therefore out with all the electrical and mechanical.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...f461075a84.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...4787e6aaa4.jpg Just in case a color change is in order, the bay needs to be a neutral color. Poorly primed: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...bedda46e14.jpg Poorly painted. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...1efca2d7bd.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Temporarily, the full si driveline including short geared transmission is installed along with the full harness and interior of the si.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...2fcfb34e6c.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...0d9c29fe8c.jpg The stock si pump and tank go in. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...58a00376ba.jpg This is what happens to gas tanks that sit for 10 years without being used. That furry pickup is a very bad sign. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...162d408d10.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Along the way, the engine compartment gets some attention including a de-vac and a catch can.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...acdcfc78df.jpg The bent up bumpers and cracked panels need to be addressed. Copious amounts of fiberglass, abs resin, sanding get me to where the car stands today. New fenders, front bumper cover, and a new/used set of side skirts are part of the package. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...f6ae1e9f30.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c9019a4286.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...961320e3cc.jpg Together: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5f99c4d4aa.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d255f88fd9.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Now the real FE magic can begin! The transmission that came with the 84 is vastly superior to the si transmission. Final gear ratios for the 86 and 84 are respectively:
4.40 final/.71 5th gear vs 3.58 final/.65 5th gear With a 185/60/14 sized tire rpm's at 60mph go from 2850 to 2050. Tires: Michelin/44psi max inflation. I'll be running 40-42psi cold. In order to meet the,"fast" criteria more power will be required over the 90hp/90tq the stock 1.5l motor has to offer. Time for more custom fabrication from a very amateur welder. The 1.3l exhaust manifold included with the 84 is very similar to the vx manifold. From the factory it was equipped with a catalytic converter mounted just off the runners. A perfect place to fit a (very) small turbocharger. Specifically, a td04 Mitsubishi turbo from a 1987 dodge colt. With an 11cm exhaust housing and 265cfm of maximum flow it should spool right up to low boost (3-4psi) around 2k rpms. The assembly: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...ee52f27aa0.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...0975e96215.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...34b9bffcd6.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Nice project. Give yourself more credit, your work (engine bay painting) is way better than I could do.
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Re: 1984 crx project
Thanks for the encouragement Divine Bovine. I just understand how many incredibly talented people are out there doing spectacular work.
More specifications on the chassis are in order. This particular model is the 1984 CRX DX1300. It has a factory curb weight of 1720 lbs and was EPA rated in the 50's for mpg. Everything that came on the car from the factory was extremely light weight. Plastic fenders, nose panel, side skirts, and door garnishes are about as light as any produced in that era. The front brakes were puny solid discs, the rear axle a special light weight model with no sway bar, and a 9 gallon gas tank, "added lightness" to this fuel sipper. In order to fill the "Fun" requirement some weight gain consisting of brake and susupension upgrades were necessary. The solid front discs were swapped in favor of the si vented disc front brakes and supplemental front and rear swaybars were installed at a weight penalty of around 30 lbs. The front add-on bar is a unit manufactured by Addco, and the rear is a custom bar sourced from 1996-2007 dodge caravans. Notice two sandwiched front bars. If I'm able to source a larger front bar, this weight penalty may be reduced in the future. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c1f43009a0.jpg Dodge Caravan rear swaybar courtesy of www.redpepperracing.com https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...81c0581125.jpg The stock handling characteristics of the 84 model can be summed up in one word, "squishy". Taking corners at speed would induce body roll more akin to 60's sports cars. The car now handles very flat and "rotates" supremely well in corners. When I first heard the term "rotate" it was hard to envision what that meant. My best description is that when cornering, the car feels like the rear wheels are assisting, almost like 4 wheel steering. Not only does this make for a very entertaining driving experience, but it also allows for much greater speed to be conserved when driving, saving fuel. To counter some of the additional weight gain and help balance the car's weight distribution a small, sealed 320cca AGM battery was installed in the passenger footwell. The stock location of the battery is at the nose of the passenger side of the vehicle. The weight of the factory lead acid 360cca battery was 42lbs. Stock battery & location: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...3ff02693aa.jpg The replacement battery weighs a feathery 16lbs and accomplishes starting duties without drama. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...4aca73f00b.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Time to start on the first aero mod. The front of the car is just about a lost cause. I'll be adding a lower air dam and covering the headlight buckets with clear acrylic. The biggest aero advantage I can gain will be with smoothing out the rear airflow. I'm opposed to going with a full boat tail, so the logical choice is a kammback. Please, experts give me your opinion on this basic shape. The final product will be constructed of clear acrylic joined by aluminum L channel.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5a6bf46287.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...48f40a10f8.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5c50422b88.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
I love these threads. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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Re: 1984 crx project
The wing idea is now on the back burner. I didn't have time to snap pictures this time, but got much accomplished. Prior to bringing the car for paint and body I took the time to remove all the items attached to the door including door panels/trim, seals and such. I brought her over for body/paint yesterday. She is getting a complete outer respray including door and hatch jambs. The car will now be the factory blue, no two tone. (Sorry Arky, two tones just are not my thing). The outer color that the car had been repainted is not the factory blue. Here's the color it should be.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...a4d656a488.jpg The trim will be black, not red, pillar will be black as well with different side skirts and wheels. It should be ready by the end of next week. |
Re: 1984 crx project
Baltic blue with a silver base, two-tone all original look!!! You can't go wrong with it!!! If you'd have had A/C in this one, I'd have bought it for sure!!!
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Re: 1984 crx project
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Get that darn gas log started, dude! Thanks for the props in your garage post. |
Re: 1984 crx project
i have the header off a 86 crx si if u need one.
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Re: 1984 crx project
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Re: 1984 crx project
The paint turned out pretty good. The header panel still needs to be re-worked and the hatch jamb wasn't done, so at some point I'll have to take it back. The door seals and driver's side pillar garnish are back in place. Much more work is left to be done. Here is the current state:
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c7e7930115.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d37cef9826.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...21b04fdab2.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...98b2108335.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
niiiiiiiiiiice. I really like the color on that car.
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Re: 1984 crx project
Ahhhhh, she does look purty Chris!!! Keep us updated on her progress. If there were a drooling smiley, I'd use it. :D
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Re: 1984 crx project
Nice work all the way around!!! Keep us informed.:thumbup:
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Re: 1984 crx project
I've been a little bit lazy about posting updates. Here's more progress shots.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...eb53df81d1.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...0184e55918.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...aadb79b6f9.jpg The trim stripe was badly oxidized. Originally red, I didn't want to add any more flash to the car than necessary, so a black respray was in order. The product to use on raw plastics is Krylon Fusion, this time in satin black. I'm very happy with how well it adheres. The trim wraps around the front and rear bumpers. Even with a 4" radius 90 degree bend, the paint does not crack or flake off. Pretty cool stuff. Soon I'll post up some transmission shots. I've been cleaning the case on the tall gear transmission and it's looking pretty good. The first tank after paint was horrible FE. 239 miles and 10.8 gallons! I was very suprised that I could even get 10 gallons into the tank. When I went to pick up the car, they had it running due to a dead battery. They couldn't find where the battery was in the car! LOL! I was so worried about FE and that something was wrong that I drove the car for an afternoon and did a top-off. 115 miles on 3.89 gallons. Whew! Back to the 28-29 I knew the car was capable of getting. This was with very spirited driving btw. It's very hard to not drive the car hard. The body shop must have let the car idle for three or four hours. |
Re: 1984 crx project
Update?? Update??? :D
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Re: 1984 crx project
Thanks for asking, Arky.
I've finally taken the time to get the headlight buckets in, the fill panel fully mounted and the rear cover straightened out. I've been driving the car to my part time work for the last few weeks. 28-29mpg is what she achieves in current trim, although the temp gauge has been too high for my taste. Next order of business before turbo is to get the cooling in order. The teeny single core radiator should do the job, but upon removal it seems that there is a large amount of sediment in the filler neck. Since there really are no good products for cleaning out a core, I'll be replacing it. I took the time to inspect the timing belt and sure enough there was a small cut in it. Being an interference motor like most Hondas, it needed to be replaced. Sediment in the filler neck of the radiator: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...0f0798d38a.jpg Trashed timing belt tensioner (stock, looks to be original to the motor) https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...eacf7c68aa.jpg Cut timing belt ready to let loose: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c6a2919405.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...1853d30132.jpg Supposedly improved impeller design water pump and OEM pump: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...929a89e1b9.jpg My new Spectra radiator, Gates belt, and pump came last Friday. The tensioner showed up on Saturday (my birthday) and then it's been 90 degrees with very high humidity since, so only the pump was re installed. By next week the weather should break, so I can take some more proper pictures of all the progress made to date and the repairs can be finished. |
Re: 1984 crx project
Such a cool build! What are your fe goals once you boost on the longer geared trans? Also any more interior pictures?
I almost bought one in decent shape a few months back, but got my vx instead. |
Re: 1984 crx project
Thanks for the kind words.
Realistically without an obd1 conversion and some good tuning, it will be difficult to achieve better than low 40's safely. I'll be running an AFC hack for the time being, which can be done pretty effectively, but it will still end up running fairly rich. The future game plan is going to entail swapping a newer generation motor into the car and using more modern electronics to get the best of both worlds in terms of performance and economy. Heck, if the project stretches out long enough, I just may have to go with an a/c induction setup and ditch gas altogether. Currently the drive and battery costs are quite cost prohibitive to go this route, but I keep going over to the diyelectriccar site quite often to see where technology is going. Your choice of going with the vx is a wise one. The performance and tuning capabilities of an obd1 car far exceeds what this pre-obd car can do. The interior of the car is coming along, although far from mint. It does have new carpet and the 86 crx si interior, which is a huge improvement from the original 84 dx interior. The dx interior consisted of pressed cardboard panels with thin vinyl adhered to it. The si panels at least have some style and substance. When I do my next photo shoot I'll post up interior shots as well. |
Re: 1984 crx project
It came down to availability of parts really and not wanting to deal with another carbureted car although I have a ton of experience with Dellertos/webers.
It sure seems like everyone strives to go OBD I in the Honda community. If you don't mind me asking what more modern drivetrain do you plan on running?(still in the Honda family) I have a ton more questions to ask you and I will do that over pm because I don't want to clutter up your thread, but I can't wait to see how things turn out! |
Re: 1984 crx project
Newest interior and exterior shots:
Headlight buckets in: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...90f6744a75.jpg Side shot with door trim installed: https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d4a7383053.jpg I removed the bow from the rear cover using some round tubing and screws. Not perfect, but much better. Should reduce some rear turbulence. https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...60fee2a784.jpg Interior (still a work in progress): https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...8ec5a1a965.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...a8eb7215cc.jpg Where'd the sunroof go? https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...49be8f69e6.jpg https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...020a044385.jpg |
Re: 1984 crx project
Mark this as the first time I've ever noticed or cared about wheel gap. Planning to lower it at all?
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Re: 1984 crx project
The interior isn't bad for the year. Are those 3rd gen prelude seats?
Louvers would be cool, but what about fe... |
Re: 1984 crx project
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It may seem large, but the car is on the ground as it is. I look under most cars out my side windows. The other reason I probably will not lower the car is that there is very limited suspension travel in the front end due to the torsion bar setup. Even a one inch drop causes increased suspension bottoming, so probably not. The "large" 14" wheels and larger tires is a contributing factor to the appearance of over sized gaps. Edit: I looked at the photo again and noticed the passenger rear wheel was in a bit of a dip. Here's the other side and closer to how it sits level:https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...daa3fdcb21.jpg The seats are from a prelude. I plan on getting new covers for them in the fall when I put her to sleep for the winter. FE note: Even with lots of idle time after the timing belt installation I've achieved the best mileage to date, 31.29 mpg. Not earth shattering, but very promising as the car has never gotten better than 28.5 previously. With tuning I'm more confident with the car's ability to achieve mid 40's. The two changes made were the rear bumper mod and airing up the tires from 32 to 42. I'm going to slip a stock computer and injectors in fairly soon to see what the car can achieve with the shorter geared transmission. |
Re: 1984 crx project
It's been over a month ... time for an update!!!
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Re: 1984 crx project
I could detail the stereo I've put it, but it doesn't really relate to fe. I've just been driving the car as it is for now. The cooling system is in order, so I could be putting the turbo in and getting it tuned, but I'm not feeling to flush with cash right now to buy a wideband.
I'll do my best to get the safc installed next week, just to make sure it's operational. That should cure my CEL that I'm getting from the integra ecu and injectors, although without a way of reading O2 levels I can't properly tune it safely. Everything I have left to do is incredibly time consuming. With the kids going back to school and second half property taxes due I'm pretty pinched for cash. Look for more extensive progress in the fall just before the car goes into hibernation. |
Re: 1984 crx project
What happened? How about a final update??? You moved on the Cheese Wedges but never told us how this one finished!!!!
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Stopping in for an update finally. Ive been dragging my feet on this one. The door dents have finally been fixed by my pdr guy. The car now sits in my garage out of the elements. It has not seen many miles since restoration as I dont want any harm to come to it. Pretty sad, actually. After the interior is finished and the front glass is replaced she will be going up for sale. The next project is already in my corral.
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