Somebody talk me out of this 1984 CRX!!!
 

I found a 1984 Honda CRX 1300 for $700. This is the 1.3L that was only sold for one year before the 1.5L HF made its debut. It's been in a barn since the early 90s, so it's really only about 10 years old. Some rust, but nothing serious. It runs, but the engine might have bent valves. I'm going back to do a compression test. I don't need another project, but I love these cars! :D

I remember either Motor Trend or Car and Driver drove one of those at 55MPH and got 73MPG when it was new.

I bought an 84 new, made in July 1983. It was serial number 1018.

The problem is the spaghetti factory of vacuum lines, switches, servos, and all the issues with them and the carburetor.

They were slow, with 0-60 times of 13.5 seconds, the 1.5 I got was good for 44 MPG and I was not trying to drive it as efficiently as I would today, but it would do 0-60 in about 10 seconds.

If you are patient you might get it back to OE operational condition, but it will certainly be a challenge.

regards
Mech

I used to have an '84 Civic Wagon with the 1.5L, so I know the spaghetti pretty well. I still have the 1.5L engine, but unfortunately it got filled up with water due to a leaking tarp.

The vacuum lines are not all that bad if you have the diagram on the underside of the hood.
I say to get it! I think their EPA mileage was 52-58mpg for the 1.3L engine as they also have really good gearing if I remember correctly, so it's even better then the HF in some ways.
I've never looked under the hood of the 1.3L but the HF has an aluminum air intake instead of black steel, the steel wheels are narrower and light weight, it's an all around great car.

Gasoline Fumes -

I agree that you should get it. If you can get it into good running condition, you could always try to put it up for sale here. If you don't want to buy it, maybe you could take PMs and give someone the address for a small finder's fee(?).

CarloSW2

might have bent valves is a good your 700 is a bit to high bargaining point.

I haven't gone back yet. The 1984-1987 CRX is one of my favorite cars, but I have no place to put it and have too many projects already. I'd hate to just park it in the woods to rot and attract homeless mice. I might be tempted to make a low offer next time I go by, but anybody here is welcome to pick it up. Better than some kid buying it, half "pimping" it out and then junking it when a "cooler" car comes along. It is (or was on 10/8 anyway) on route 414 in Clyde, NY 14433. "Victoria Red" paint.

that's awesome that you are sharing this "find" with ecomodder to make help it go to a "loving home"! that's cool.... too far for me though....

It's only about an hour from RIT, but unfortunately, I have nowhere to put a second car, and don't need a second project to work on. As is, the Jeep takes up enough of my time...

Ditch the f-in jeep. The CRX probably has more cargo space and runs more reliably (and efficiently) anyway.

Gasoline Fumes - BUY IT!! If need be you could easily find someone to bite on redpepperracing dot com. That site is a fantastic resource for 1st gen CRX owners. Tons of parts for sale/trade and very specific knowledge. If the valves are bent, you've got a nice light shell for an electric car. (More projects!!! haha)

Seriously though, do it.

Ah, yeah... I remember the '84-7 model Civics; they bought me a house.

Intake problems: hoses rot (and there are dozens of 'em), base gaskets like to start leaking (and they're not cheap), and the carbs get crud in 'em from rusty fuel filler necks (and by now, probably tanks).

The hoses and gaskets are straightforward: replace 'em. Just tedious work; nothing trick.

Carbs... I used a vacuum gizmo to suck out the carb passages. Check with carb cleaner. Replace filler neck and tank as needed. Now, if you don't want to get good at cleaning the carb (with practice, you'll just flip the lid up and do 'em in situ), go to a boat place and get a RACOR fuel filter with a screw-on can; install it right before the carb. They'll catch the crud.

BTW, you probably already know, but... when you pull the head on one of those, you replace piston rings (unless you don't care about oil consumption).

With all the engine management gizmos now pushing 25 years old, it might be a good candidate for a megasquirt installation. Or as was suggested above, an EV project.

In fact, I've got a buddy looking for a CRX HF here in the PNW... if anybody knows of one in the Seattle area, I'll forward it to him.

-Bill

Wonderboy - I would love something like this as a second car, but unless it's running and reliable, it can't be my only vehicle. The Jeep, while it has its issues, and keeps me busy, is pretty reliable, and I can count on it to run and drive when I need it to. Plus, there is no way the CRX has more cargo space. I could fit most of the CRX in the back of the Jeep with the seats down.

After college, I plan to retire the Jeep from DD duty ASAP. If I had a way to store a second car up here, I'd consider having something efficient for running errands, etc, and simply trailer it up and back behind the Jeep at the beginning and end of the schoolyear. Plus, for a cheap project car up here, the $400 BMW 750iL for sale is way to too tempting. It needs a door and a quarter panel from a minor accident, but runs and drives, and is otherwise in decent shape. Of course, it would probably get worse city mileage than the Jeep, although it would be better on the highway.

The CRX would be an awesome project, and I'd love to have one, but unfortunately, now just isn't the time. Plus, I don't have the money to put into it now anyway. Also, now that I'm all settled in up here, I'm not driving a lot. I've put a whopping 50 miles on the Jeep in the last week and a half.

Unfortunately the rings are no longer available for the 1300. They use the same "gapless" rings as the Metro XFi. I know they're NLA since I tried to get some to replace my XFi rings.

I said talk me out of it! I've been a member of RPR for years, but haven't been there in a while. I might be tempted to turn a 60+ MPG CRX into a 40 MPG CRX if I go to RPR. :eek:

I could put a G10 in it! :D

Now where would you get a crazy idea like that? IT CAN'T BE DONE!!!

1984 Honda CRX 1.3L
 

Hello,
New member here.... very cool site!
Does anybody know if this car is still available?? (the 1984 Honda CRX 1.3L barn find)
Gasoline Fumes, did you buy this car? I am looking for a 1984 Honda CRX 1.3L car... I'm located on the west coast, so this car in NY may be waaay out of the question for me, but I'm still interested if the car is available? My brother lives in NY... so there's a possibility I could keep it with him.
Thanks!

I got a ride in this car hitch-hiking once back in the early 90s. And I remember a 51hwy mpg claim from the TV and magazine ads. This car is legendary in my mind. I wish I had one and the cash/time to make it go reliably. But I wouldn't take that line about a car that has been sitting in a barn for nearly twenty years therefore being effectively only 10 years old. It's a 28 year old car with fewer miles on it than some... Make it go! GOOD LUCK! ;)

The CRX ended up on craigslist and sold pretty quick. Hopefully to someone who is taking good care of it. :)

I looked at a 1 owner,5 speed, original black paint '87 CRX Si last year, so it was F.I. even, with 134,000 kms on it for $1200. Either I was too drunk at the time, or not drunk enough, but for some reason I didn't buy it. I still kick myself for that! Sadly we can't buy everything, but that was one I sure messed up on.

Somebody talk me out of this 1984 CRX!!!

Okay, true story. Friend of mine owned one. Used to travel half of Texas on business, worked well for him. Had a typical '80's vice involving a runny nose. Woke up one morning to his dead fiance next to him, OD'd. Bought a Buick. Later a happy Hare Krishna (also true).

Never know what might start one on unanticipated life changes.

.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm looking to buy a manual CRX same year from 1984 on Craigslist right now. There are 6 different kinds of CRX's on fueleconomy.gov for that year. How do I tell which one it is? Can you tell from just the VIN number alone?

A separate note, the car passed smog beginning of this year but recently failed smog. Should I be worried about that? What's the worst expense that might happen? A new catalytic converter? Could I manage an old used or junkyard one?

The 1335 is a cvcc engine, you can advance the ignition timing to get better mpg. I put one in my 77 accord and got 50 mpg. Nobody need more projects, but this project needs you! The valves just might be sticky from sitting 10 years. Maybe you could twist them around a little with some pliers to work them loose and get them to seat.

In my 1984 Civic/CRX brochure, there is a:
CRX manual (1.3L)
CRX 1.5 manual
CRX 1.5 auto
And a California version of each. I guess that makes 6. The 1.5 liter engine will say "12-VALVE" on the valve cover.

The 12 valve engines get better mpg when one of the intake valves is disabled, by turning the rocker arm upside down.

I had an '84 Accord, so I know all about the spaghetti! Most of the time it ran beautifully, but, when the spaghetti acted up, it would sputter and cough. One day I nursed it home, got out and noticed a glow on the ground underneath. Yikes! Cat got a little bit warm.

Would love to have one of those first gen CRXs, but only if I could make all that spaghetti BS go away. Fortunately they are over 25 years old, which exempts them from emissions. Is there a way to get rid of all that garbage? Maybe an aftermarket weber? Would that harm FE?

Getting rid of the 52 vacuum lines is a great way to destroy the engine, the CVCC engine doesn't have the spark plug in the normal combustion chamber, it's in a little "pre-chamber" that is fed by the 3rd barrel on the carb, it also tends to have an o2 sensor that controls the carb via vacuum lines, it has deceleration fuel cut off that is controlled via vacuum lines, it has a factory warm air intake that is controlled via vacuum lines, there is not a single vacuum line that I can think of that does not help it get better mileage, help it run better or help keep it from running lean and damaging the engine and in the 3 cars with CVCC engines that I've owned, I only found one vacuum line issue and that was caused by me messing around with them

I would start with a tune up and a new o2 sensor and unless you find a shady junk yard, they are not allowed to sell used exhaust parts.