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The Dark Side Is Calling...

Cory Wolfe

By Cory Wolfe
in The Lounge

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vonVeezelsnider Newbie

vonVeezelsnider

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Pretty good shape if you ask me, except make sure you replace that ridiculous muffler.

The dark side has been calling me too.

I've been browsing the classic car pages on Kijiji lately- lots of great stuff for sale esp. Cadillacs and Lincolns. My insurance is scheduled to go down bigtime this spring and I had a small windfall of unexpected cash this fall, so it's entirely possible I'll get myself a project in the spring.

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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

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The original CR-X? Even I'm ultimately okay with that car, if that tells you anything. :P

Just give it a good paint job eventually. Every CR-X I've seen lately had such terrible paint. Oh, and a decent set of rims are a must too. Something that doesn't scream, "I'm something-something-fast and something-something-furious."

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ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

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The bumper is dark above the exhaust... is it burning oil? Why does the RH quarter panel appear lighter than the rest of that side? Has it been painted? Has it had rust or collision repair? Or is the door just dirty?

I always liked the looks of the CRX, and the second-gen, with its smoother lines, was a high point for Honda, I think.

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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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Go for it dude...these are as much of a hoot as a Miata, and Honda will never build the likes of this again.

Your going to wind up with a car collection the size of the US Navy Pacific fleet...which isn't a bad thing. You have good taste in cars...

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z28luvr01 Newbie

z28luvr01

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It's had rust bubbles removed from the rear quarter panels and is solid underneath, which is the general story with this car and its shoddy paint. Overall, everything is straight, but obviously there's about 3 different shades of white to be seen from his amateur handy work.

If you can already tell the body work is poor, that right there should tell you to walk away, especially if you're expecting this to be your daily driver. Who knows how well the work he did is going to hold up - you could end up doing it all over again. Even to just do the paint over again would cost you more than what this car is worth. And that's not even taking into account the engine - as o'blu hinted at the brown on the rear bumper near the tailpipe is an indicator of a poorly running engine. Best case scenario is it needs a good tune up, but more likely its worse than that. Save your pennies and buy a better example.

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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Thank you, Sirs.

I'm thoroughly enjoying it, thus far. Drives great and I love that it has manual steering. Not to mention, lacking a back seat is a new experience, but one I think I'll grow accustomed to. All the neat little storage bins out back are refreshing. This car is very intelligently packaged and surprisingly, offers a fairly high quality interior. This is when Honda truly shined. They really ought to try giving themselves a history refresher.

Live and learn, I guess.

I don't agree with your sentiment towards this.

Personally speaking, having the CRX, Golf, and 88 in the driveway now... The CRX is the least rusty, on par with the 88 as far as everything being straight, and all of them lose in the paint department. The CRX just needs those rust repairs smoothed out a bit and then some paint... and really, this is a beater. I wasn't going for a perfect body. Otherwise, I would have had to pack $3k instead of $1500. Per how it runs... This thing runs awesome whether it burns any oil or not, and without a CEL that I've become accustomed to. Besides, the Sunfire devours about 2 quarts a week and the Golf uses about a quart every 3k; anything on par or better and I'm golden. I'm living and learning, buying something that will suit my job better, as the Golf seems to be falling apart with the added wear and tear.

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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Let me just say, once again, I am really enjoying this car, thus far. It's such a blast to drive. While its not as peppy as my Golf, it never feels like its down on power, despite having only 90-some peak horsepower at a lofty 6k. Even so, this car wasn't built to be powerful, it's all handling and fuel efficiency (I'm eager to see what I manage after my first tank). I haven't begun to really push it yet, but this car gives me more confidence than I need. It gives you the sensation that you can throw it into any corner at any speed. It's just so much fun. Also, the lack of power steering is a godsend; it sends actual feedback to you and it's glorious. This car also lacks ABS, air bags, cup holders, power accessories, and as everyone should know, a back seat. It provides you with only what you truly need. Oddly enough, it does have one comfort accessory... A/C, and it works (save for a leaking valve).

Just trying to point out some things as best I can. Maybe I'll be proven wrong on this one. If I am, I will gladly say so. I honestly wish you good luck with it. You don't need any more car trouble.

I understand and am not trying to fault you for that. The seller was an honest guy and told me everything he could, as well as provided a booklet (more a mess of papers than anything) with information dating back to the car's second owner. I can't really fault him for his body work not being of the professional sort, either. He never intended it to be a show car, and neither do I. His real show car was in his garage (and also a CRX).

As well, my dad can do body work and paint. What he can't do, is amend bent frames on Volkswagens. ;)

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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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I know a couple people with frame racks and a couple of people with trailers.

Don't get rid of the Jetta hulk just yet.....it might make a neat basis for a future project car.

You could also see the bodywork and paint money going into a vee dub.....

I've seen several small Hondas like that done up with kind of a beater vibe, they look good done that way.

Oh, and Vipes, check out this Miata. That Honda would be KILLER with a paint job similar to this....

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1994-mazda-miata/dressing-solo-nationals/

Even if it is just a vinyl graphic.

Maybe instead of a diva pinup girl on the hood...ocnblu could pose for the hood art?

Just kidding 'blu, I know how you feel about this particular Honda.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/editorial/sema-2007-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/7240928+w700+cr1+re0+ar1/flying-tiger-trans-am.jpg

Same Idea on a Trans Am....

http://www.panicmotorsports.com/

Spec Miata with the same type of a paint job, only simpler and different....

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e311/morphout/DSCN0822.jpg

Here is a similar idea on a bike, but done in Silver rather than in Camo....

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/international-automotive-scene/31738-3000bhp-street-legal-aircraft-engine-bel-air.html

If Balthazar and Dodgefan got together to do this....check out the link above.

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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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I can't pull up a photograph of it, but there is/was a national championship winning SCCA Civic that was white and done up with a Japanese rising sun Samurai kind of a paint job, very effective and very cool.

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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

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Imagine if GM had a car like the CRX with the ecotec turbo from the cobalt SS in it.....

You rang, good sir?

4a31c_2009_pontiac_solstice_coupe_0_430.jpg

Excellent handling? Check.

Excellent balance? Check.

Two seats? Check.

Small stature? Check.

Good fuel economy? Check.

Sporty? Of course.

Hatchback? Yup. (I think. Or did the concept coupe only have the glass liftback?)

Yep. And it has the Ecotec Turbo, too, as well as a targa top.

Where do you want to sign?

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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You rang, good sir?

4a31c_2009_pontiac_solstice_coupe_0_430.jpg

Excellent handling? Check.

Excellent balance? Check.

Two seats? Check.

Small stature? Check.

Good fuel economy? Check.

Sporty? Of course.

Hatchback? Yup. (I think. Or did the concept coupe only have the glass liftback?)

Yep. And it has the Ecotec Turbo, too, as well as a targa top.

Where do you want to sign?

Eh...

CRX DX vs. Solstice Coupe (non-GXP)

Length: 148.5" vs 157.2"

Weight: 2103 lbs vs 2930 lbs

MPG: 32/36 vs 19/25

Cargo: 23.2 cu.ft vs 5.6 cu.ft.

Power: 92 hp vs 173 hp

0-60: 10.1 sec. vs 7.7 sec.

These are two entirely different beasts, with or without the Ecotec turbo.

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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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I think BV has the same problem I have with buying guitars. :P

Good to see you're enjoying the car.

If you can play guitar anything like my son, I need to take a road trip to hear you play!

So wut you're saying is... modern cars are porky, and to achieve the same mileage as an older, lighter car, we must apply expensive, complicated hybrid technology... seems a bit lamebrained.

Yes, especially when the newer cars are not as fun to drive...

A modern Civic weighs almost as much as a 1970 GM midsize car....

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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Having this CRX, I happened to stop at a Honda dealer and park next to a CRZ. Utter disappointment and nothing of similar essence to the original that it's very loosely based on. It looks a good size class bigger, interior seems to have lost the simplistic ergonomics and endless utility. As well, for all that expensive hybrid technology... the CRX HF's rating from the EPA? 50 city, 56 highway. The CRZ's rating from the EPA? 35 city, 39 highway. Granted, the EPA has revised its testing procedures during that time, but even so, there's no comparison. The biggest thing to note is that the CRZ has all the creature comforts we ask for these days and livable power while the CRX HF is as bare bones as possible to achieve its fuel economy. Honda really ought to just offer something similar in vein to the original.

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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They can't with modern crash test safety requirements.

The CRX would be wildly illegal to sell in the USA today!

Of course, there won't be anything nearly the same, but I bet its still possible to achieve the same fuel economy as the CRZ, with all its hybrid technology, without sacrificing its basic safety structure and safety features.Hell, the CRZ's fuel economy isn't that much better than the bigger, more usable Cobalt.

Edited by blackviper8891
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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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Actually when you think about a Cobalt, something like a 2lt cobalt is a much nicer car than the CRZ...

And a Cobalt SS will pretty much pound into the ground anything Honda built, other than an NSX or an S2k.

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Intrepidation

Intrepidation

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They can't with modern crash test safety requirements.

The CRX would be wildly illegal to sell in the USA today!

That's not what he means.

The CRZ could have been a truely fun to drive, rev happy hatch with a well tuned suspension, good brakes, and good fuel economy.

Instead what Honda tried to do was take an Insight, make it less fuel efficient, and make it look more sporty and only make it decent to drive. It doesn't help being weighed down by the batteries either.

They should have focused on the former, and on using weight saving materials to make it lighter and more efficient.

Oh and less ugly.

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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

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Eh...

CRX DX vs. Solstice Coupe (non-GXP)

Length: 148.5" vs 157.2"

Weight: 2103 lbs vs 2930 lbs

MPG: 32/36 vs 19/25

Cargo: 23.2 cu.ft vs 5.6 cu.ft.

Power: 92 hp vs 173 hp

0-60: 10.1 sec. vs 7.7 sec.

These are two entirely different beasts, with or without the Ecotec turbo.

Hey, the keyword in reg's post said "like" ... a Solstice Coupe is sort of like a CR-X ... keywords there are "sort of like." :P

If you can play guitar anything like my son, I need to take a road trip to hear you play!

Give me a backing band and I can put on a hell of a show. :D

I'm still somewhat absorbed in solo work, though, where I'm playing pretty much everything ...

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Cory Wolfe

Cory Wolfe

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Hey, the keyword in reg's post said "like" ... a Solstice Coupe is sort of like a CR-X ... keywords there are "sort of like." :P

I will note... one interesting piece of information I discovered regards fuel economy. The GXP nets higher MPG than the standard Solstice while having nearly 100 more horsepower.

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