When the topic of ‘cult classics’ or ‘cars you just have to own’ pops up in conversation amongst a bunch of car enthusiasts, the obvious are mentioned. Nissan Silvias, GTRs and RX7s seem to be of discussion, but one car that certainly gets credit for being a hoot to drive is the little second generation Honda CRX (EF/ED In AU).
The second gen CRX was released in 1987 and received much praise from motoring press at the time. Motor Trend gave the car the title of ‘Import car of the millennium’ whereas Car and Driver magazine put the car in their ‘ten best list’ for 1988. The cars lightweight, nimble chassis linked with F1 inspired double wishbone suspension gave for an entertaining, unique drive. Even Jeremy Clarkson owned a CRX during the early 90s, and still swears by its ‘awesomeness’ until this day!
In Japan, the CRX was released in many variants, but the sought after models such as the EF8 S-iR II (glass-roof examples especially) are getting hard to find, and very expensive. The EF8 was one of the first Honda vehicles to feature the infamous B16A double overhead camshaft VTEC engine, which later found itself in the EG and EK variants of Civic. The high revving, valve lift equipped engine was able to turn at high RPM with ease. It was perfectly suited to the nature of the vehicle and they worked hand in hand; complementing each other on a spirited drive.
In Australia, we were sadly not blessed with the Si-R variant. We only received the ‘Si’ model, which came equipped with a double overhead cam D-series engine (D16), often referred to as the ‘ZC’ by particular folk. Minor body changes and a sunroof option in lieu of the glass-roof were also found. The D series is still an entertaining, rev-happy engine to drive however. They respond well to turbocharging, which is a further bonus.
Here at Zen Garage, a neat CRX has come into our hands. It will be the base for our project coined the ‘all rounder’, a car that can be enjoyed on the drive to work through to the track. The team at Zen Garage consists of five car minded dudes, coming from different backgrounds:
Rob G – The instigator of the project, and part owner of Zen Garage with plenty of car experience. He’s owned a heap of cars; show, race and a good mix of Japanese and Euro over the years. Rob has envisioned his ideal CRX, so he will be the driving force behind the project.
Sean R – Rotary driver and MD @ Matespace. Sean has awesome experience in the field, having worked on Super tourers in the 90s. He’ll be a great brains trust and a handy tuner to have onboard.
Justin F – Part time designer, full time car culture Guru. JF runs JDMST and a bunch of other forums, and is an avid supporter of all things JDM. His stylistic taste will help shape the looks of the car no doubt.
Justin N – The writer of the team. Owned too many cars, in all guises. He’s got a thing for weird, rare vehicles and parts so no doubt there will be some cool little trinkets bought and thrown onto the car to make it unique.
Scotty ‘Dreamboat’ – The media dude. Scotty is into filming and photography, so naturally he is sharp and clued up on aesthetics and functionality. Has good taste and can swing a spanner, so he’ll be getting his hands dirty too.
We all share a passion for Japanese vehicles but all have little niches in our tastes to separate us, which will hopefully reflect in the build. We’re all about proper, street driven cars here at Zen. Laggy, un-streetable cars and flashy over the top paintjobs need not apply here. Our philosophy is that one can purchase a simple, decent starting base and construct something which can be truly enjoyed everywhere and anywhere. Cars are meant to be driven; appreciated with others or alone.
You can be hanging out at a local meet and greet talking about the good old days of 80’s sports cars, or punting a car through a decent road. But, the one common thread between both of these activities is the culture. This is something we wish to build on and hopefully as a consequence, inspire others to get out and start their own little project. You don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy cars!
Sadly, cool cars (especially older JDM specials such as the CRX), are sadly being forgotten about. This is something which makes us quite sad here at Zen Garage. ‘Looking after’ particular cars and helping to keep the modified car scene alive is why we do what we do – We don’t want our kids to be flicking through the history books to get a look at a classic jap car, now do we?
So, more on our CRX.
Our example is an Australian delivered ED6 CRX, sporting factory black duco and even the standard 14 inch rims! It wears a mixture of JDM body panels, including a genuine JDM EF front end, consisting of a flat EF Si-R bonnet and headlights (Aussie cars have a offset raised bump on the bonnet, nicknamed the ZC bump) and a JDM EF ‘big blinker’ bumper. The bodywork is a little worse for wear however, but that’s all going to be revamped.
Here’s the list of planned mods.
Any input on this project from the Honda Gurus out there is appreciated! Have you had a CRX before, or know a bit about them? How would you guys choose to modify your CRX?