Squeak rattle and roll. Not in the best shape, add in some hard engine ticking 😂😂😂 I understand a good sewing machine sound. And then there's BEAT ON. This car had hit the bends HARD 😂😂 put away wet with a good buff on the paint
I had one of these new off the lot in 1991, and it ticked liked that day 1. All Hondas did back then. And yeah, a nearly 40-year-old car is going to have a few rattles and squeaks.
I worked as a detailer in an area with a lot of wealthy people and we were all used to seeing AMGs and Bentleys and such nobody noticed or cared, but if someone came with a mint 90s Civic or something that got talked about and admired
I own both 5th and 6th Civic EX Coupes because I've held on to them since I got them in 06 and 08 I also daily a 7th gen sedan all manuals....I'm old enough now to see this trend where the older people have cool stuff(a cheap house/ cars ) because they were around when the prices were cheap and old enough to buy things that expensive ( lucky really). I had a mustard seed of hope in the 5th and 6th Gen Civic Coupes because in the supermarket there was Jeep Magazine, Camaro, Mustang, Diesel, general Japanese tuner magazine, and Honda Tuning Magazine. I thought why would an economy car have its own magazine... I thought to myself yeah these things are gonna be cool to own in the future especially since the aftermarket was great for such a non-sports car. Look now there are 5th and 6th gens doing 6s and 7s in the quarter mile, bucket loads of engine swaps and AWD swaps.. I had a hunch but didn't really know the aftermarket and performance world records would be this crazy...never sell a car you love you'll regret it for the rest of your life especially in this economy. My parents bought the 6th gen first $3500 I saved up from my pizza job and bought the 5th gen $1800 In 2008 best $1800 I ever spent I could never get a Civic without spliced wiring for that now....they're still under 3K though which is wild.
There was nothing special about CRX's when they were new. They may have had some following at the time, but to most people, they just were funny looking econoboxes.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s and cars weren’t that great. Lots of cheap plastic interiors that creaked a lot with ugly cloth interiors. The engines were slow, especially for an econobox like this one. It’s very cool to see a mint car from this era but that’s mostly because of nostalgia. Cars are much better nowadays.
Had this exact car, it went extremely well for a 1.6 litre engine (maxed out at 200km/hr once on a country road, very scary). Loved every time I drove it. Hi from Australia.
It get's a bit floaty at those speeds.... LOL I once hit pretty close to that on the way home one night on a very long trip (I was really sick of driving and ready to be home) and anytime I went over a hill I could feel the car longing to leave the ground.
@@slimfastfret I replaced the stock engine with a ZC when the timing belt on my original engine snapped one night. To make it fit under the head we left the cam sprocket cover off and it was a thing of beauty to watch them spinning when the engine was on.
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 Your're from the usa ? how'd you get a D16A9 DOHC engine from ? i heard that snapping the timing belt on D16 engines would never kill them (except at crazy speeds) as they are non interferencial engines. You must have had a blast in your car. i own a EDM '88 CRX myself, i love it to bits, but i blowned my engine like a dumb. Lookinf for a replacement...
I had a yellow Si, back in college, and I LOOOOOOVED that car!! I would regularly skip my afternoon classes, just to go for a fun drive.... I drove it more than 100k miles, in just over 4 years! It was the most fun I've ever had with a car, and I still miss it, nearly every day. I have never loved another car as much, though my current Mini Roadster is a *very* close second. Even if I owned a Ferrari now, I would still miss the CRX!
Even through video, there's just a brilliant sense of purity that shines through with most Hondas. Any other slow-ish econobox would be a yawn, but this somehow manages to ooze so much charm
This is a car. This is driving purity. You are one with the vehicle, there's nothing to distract you from the road, the simplicity in these machines is one of the things I love about them.
This describes the magic of the CRX (Si specifically). I tell people all the time, a CRX Si is analog everything. The double-wishbone suspension paired with rack and pinion steering makes the car feel like an extension of your body and you are connected to the road. Every turn, rev feels like you control it and can feel it. Nothing modern feels like this whatsoever and if modern car enthusiasts drove a CRX Si they would probably be shocked how disconnected just about everything modern today feels by way of electronic everything, assisted everything. I often tell people, a CRX Si is basically the perfect driving car and a Prime automobile if there ever was one. It got lost in a sea of high powered cars from that time but society figured out years later what many of us knew back then. Power:weight ratio matters more than just raw power. Nothing from this timeline or since drives like a CRX Si.
@@dangerdonk6670 I also harken back to the James May school of car ownership: it's not how much power you have, but how much power you can use. Having an 800 HP fire spitting Supra might get you cool guy points but you'll only really be able to use a few of those horses at a time and never really reach the limits of the car. Whereas with these kinds of cars they're basically at their limit the second they're pushed. Feeling fast is usually more fun than actually going fast.
Shifting, steering, and rolling up manual windows all at once… “Grandpa Chris, Grandpa Chris, tell us about the time you drove a Honda CRX!” These were the cars of my youth, along with Preludes, squared off Nissan Maxima’s, Toyota Celica’s…Thanks for the drive down memory lane.
@@jarekstorm6331 100% I had two Civics, a 1999 model and a 2000, both manuals, never had to bring it to the garage. In my 40 years on this earth, they were one of the best consumer products I have ever BOUGHT.
IMHO this generation of Civic (1988-1991) and the Accord 3rd (1886-1989) & 4th (1990-1993) generation were peak Honda. The ones after may have had cool elements and paper improvements, but they started to lose the “perfection” these cars attained. FWIW, I owned a 1984 Accord LX, 1987 Accord EXi, 1990 Civic Si, 1992 Civic Si, 1997 Civic Si Coupe and a 1997 Accord - the 1987 and 1990 were the best of the bunch. Never went back to Honda after the 1997 Accord.
I love Honda's attention to detail in this era. They were the absolute best at the time! One of my favourite details are the wheels being left and right directional (the car actually has its left and right wheels mixed up. What I mean is that because they are turbine style, if mounted correctly. The wheels always point the correct orientation!
My first brand new car was a 1985 Civic S hatchback with the manual. The Si came out in 86. 85 was old throttle body intake before port injection. 1.5 liters of raw power (not really). Put like 200k on that car. Still miss it. I wish Honda would get back to basics more than they do nowadays.
This was my first car when I was a teen. I bought it without knowing how to drive manual and the gearbox/clutch was so forgiving that I learned in one day. This was one my favorite cars I have ever owned. Seeing this example in excellent condition just brings me joy.
I bought the first black CRX SI in Amarillo Texas in early 88. I drove it 195,000 miles in 19 years, then sold it to my brother. I think it has over 250,000 now. He has done some engine work on it, the only thing I had go wrong was an igniter module that takes the place of points. Fifty bucks for the part, and 50 to put it in at an independent shop. Try to find that kind of reliability now, even in a Honda. Best car I ever had and ever will have. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. Thanks for the ride down memory lane.
My dad had a 1990 Civic Wagon with RT 4WD, which I mostly learned to drive on. Same color, gauges, and quite certain the same engine. This was a blast from the past. Same engine sound. I would love this so much. As great as the wagon was, I love CRXs and this has what the wagon missed for more fun...smaller, lighter, manual. This is beautiful.
That instant start. One crank 0:38 I've only peronsally seen two cars start that quickly (82 Crown Super Saloon and a 79 KE-30 Corolla... both extremely well taken care of).
I had this same car in high school. Same color too. Still have dreams of it. So much fun. Thank you. Brings back really good memories of back in the day.
One of my good friends had a yellow 91 CRX Si that he bought brand new. It had two JL 10W6’s and a 1000watt Sound Stream amp in the hatch. That car made me fall in love with Honda and I’ve been team Honda ever since.
Thank you for this! I once owned a 1989 CRX Si that looked exactly like this one. I still remember reading and re-reading an artcile (in Car & Driver if I remember rightly) that called it the "Thin Wallet Ferrari". To this day, it was still my favorite car I've owned. Not the fastest, obviously, but the purest and the most fun. I was very young back then (not so much anymore) and I fondly remember having no back seats, manual windows, and a true sunroof! No glass, so it can't truly be called a moonroof. Still miss that car to this day. Were I wealthy I would make the current owner of that CRX an offer he could not refuse.
That is a very nice car. This definitely makes me wish I lived the lifestyle (I'm 17) of the 70s-90s era. Granted newer vehicles are nice, but I miss the simplicity and reliability of the older vehicles, more than the new ones. Great video and I look forward to watching more.
I had a 1988 CRX Si just like this one except it was bright yellow which was much prettier. The car was bought from my high school friend who was the first owner. That car is the car that I miss the most because it was so much fun to drive. Unfortunately, some idiot hit my parked car and ran. After the repair was done, the paint job didn't look quite well so I sold it, but I regret later.
Thanks Topher for providing me the opportunity to relive a lot of fun times. My first car was a 1988 Si, in black, and it was a hoot to drive. I have a 2022 Si today, and with all its tech and comfort features it suits my current stage in life just as well as the '88 did back then. Hats off to the owner for taking such good care of her. One small correction - the B16 introduced in the '88 Si DID have V-tec. Always loved listening to it switch over.
Bought my white 1991 CRX Si brand new. Went tent camping out of it all over the USA. My favorite car. Many fond memories with this car. The seatbelts were attached to the door, so they put themselves on when closing the door.
A great car. I had an 1984 CRX, red, silver accent. I loved that car. It was zippy, great handling, great gas mileage, super reliable. I would buy one new if they made them today. It was great in snow too... very exceptional. I did a 19 hour drive (normally 12) from NC to NY, and the snow was quite deep for much of the trip on I95... there were almost no other cars on the highway, and most were off the side of the road, stranded. But I managed to get all the way home in a terrible snow storm. Most epic drive I ever did. So many good memories in that car.
I worked at a Honda dealership 89-90 and autocrossed my CRX-Si demos. It was in D-Stock, I was winning a lot (won my SCCA Regional Championship), and extra fun with a different color car complete with window sticker & dealer plate. Tech Inspection looking for cheats, "What's the point?" The only flaw, if is what it was, was that on race rubber (shaved DOT legal Yokohama gumballs) there was a lot of body roll. My only problem (other than getting found out) was keeping them from installing the A/C, which was always dealer-installed from a kit. As soon as the installed it, I sold it. 70lbs on the wrong end of the car made a hell of a difference. Great car, great steering feel, great braking feel. It is all about the friction circle, and you were in direct contact. Brilliant.
My sister bought a 1989 CRX Si new, and I was allowed to put the first miles on it. Still perhaps the most fun behind the wheel of any car we’ve owned in the family. Nimble, tossable, clear sight lines, spectacular clutch and gear action. Proof that you don’t need 500hp to have serious fun.
I had an 87 Si in red. Previously an 85 in blue. Love those cars. Today I own several Porsches (911, Boxster S, 944). Honestly these CRX are great driver's cars!
Thanks for posting this clip. I’ve been lowkey obsessed with this car for such a long time! Love early 80’s cars, always have, it’s just a different feel to driving them. I do get all the saftey reasons for the way modern cars look and drive, but i just don’t like them ( except a few, mazda mx5, etc). Now everything is a crossover, suv, such a sad scenery for the car industry. Also i am big fan fan of manuals, and after 23 years of driving and always having manuals, still not bored of them. Looking forward for new clips like these! Keep em coming!
I miss my crx! Bought a old rusty one and restored it as much I could. Engine was swapped with a d16z4 vtec was all I wanted. Great fuel economy with bit more power. Good review! 😎👍
A couple of my friends had CRX’s in the mid 90’s. My one buddy’s was yellow and we called it the “buttery ride”. So much fun! I should have got one too. I still want one.
UDSM SI's for 88-89 only had the SOHC 1.6 for 105bwhp. USDM 90-91 same thing but tuned for 108bwhp. Lots of people swap for B16 variants however, but the stock D16A6 1.6 was a perfect pair for the power:weight ratio. The 150bwhp DOHC options were the cherry on top though.
These were fun cars! We had the civic Si of this era. Thanks for sharing ! We used 3 Honda Civics from 86-01 all with 450-500,000 miles on them. The 86 was the most efficient, but all pulled over 40mpg.
Of all the cars that were modded and destroyed throughout the 90s and 2000s it’s refreshing to see one that slipped through the cracks. These are incredibly rare to see bone stock and untouched.
My first real car was a 1989 Honda Crx Si in Barbados Yellow. Same year I was born! Loved that car so much. Could get me to the autocross packed with lots of personal items, let me run it hard and caused no issues and the got me home all while getting 50 mpg. PS The CRX in the video doesn't have it's wheels installed in the same direction.
My friend had this same car bought new in 1988 when we were in HS. One of my favorite memories of this car was stuffing my 6’3” frame in the back while my friend and his cousin and I drove down to see Rush in concert. Fun car.
God I remember these being tuned and raced all the time when I was kid back in the 00's. These things were EVERYWHERE and I miss seeing them. Got to drive one back in 2014 and man was it fun.
The most reliable car I have ever had. I bought as a student for 3.000 $ in 1998. I was the third owner and the car had about 95.000 miles. I sold it to a friend a few years later with 190.000 miles for about 900 $.
What a great example!!! I had a 91 Si with 33k on the odometer. I drove the wheels off that car! Loved it. I’d buy one again if they made them new. Probably one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Thanks for sharing. Just realized it had top speed of 112, but I’m pretty sure mine with a modded intake and exhaust was capable of closer to 130. It was easy to bury the needle on that car.
I had one of these, same color, a 91. It was one of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned. I had an amazing stereo in it, Alpine CD head unit, separates up front, subs in the hatch, it was really special. I had to get a Porsche Cayman to come close to the fun you could have for $14k in 1991, a sporty, 2 seat hatch with a manual transmission.
I couldn't afford the CRX Si, i bought a Civic Si instead back in 1990 in the same Tahitian Blue as the one next to the CRX. Starting that CRX brought back memories.
I've had 2 CRXs and an EF hatch. I sold the first CRX to buy the 2nd one in better shape. The 2nd one got wiped out by a Range Rover after just 3 weeks. Years later, I bought the EF, which eventually got stolen and completely destroyed in Portland. I absolutely love these little cars and I desperately wish it wasn't so impossible to find a clean one.
My parents had an 88 Accord LX. Not the first new car they bought but it was the first one with AC, radio, power windows etc…..pop up headlights were awesome too
Uggh that car is so clean. The late 80s and early 90s really were the epidemy of quality, style, simplicity, and reliability. Its genuinely been downhill since then. If they started producing this exact model again, they would make an absolute killing. Like an identical model. Down the the dashboard plastic molding and 80s digital clock. With the modern mandatory tech needed to make it legal of course. Sure the extra tech would make it a little more expensive than what it sold for originally, but not by much. And if you think about it, it probably wouldn't cost them much to produce again either. All people want right now is a car that people can actually afford, and something like this could be that. It hurts to see how disconnected the auto industry is at the moment.
The US federal government would never allow Honda or any car manufacturer to make a car like this again. Too small, no safety features and analog everything. Big government basically regulated away the car industry.
We had a red 1986 CRX base model with a 5-speed. What a great car for zipping around town. Also had an '87 Civic sedan which had many similarities and common parts. Nice shifting and responsive steering.
I had a '84 Honda Prelude that I bought new and kept for 14 years. Slow by today's standards, but enjoyed driving it every time I got in, and hated to part with it. Would love to find one like this CRX to take for a short spin. In my present fleet, another "slow" car, a '17 BRZ with performance pack. Fun to drive every time I get in, and doesn't cost a king's ransom to own as a third car. Small, light and "slow" can be quite engaging.
The only brand-new car I ever owned... a red 1988 exactly like this one. Motor Trend named it the Car of the Year and said if Bo Derek was a car, she'd be a CRX si. I was sold! It was the most fun car I've ever owned, but I see this example has the same flaw mine had, and one that drove me absolutely crazy, and that was the squeak from the back hatch. I must have taken mine back to the dealer at least five times to have that squeak fixed, until I finally decided it was obviously unfixable. Still an awesome car in spite of that damn squeak!
Amazing car. I graduated HS when these cars were popular, they were everywhere. Just don’t get in an accident in one. I think it’s a 2 of 5 in crash safety. Both feet broken, both legs broken and pelvis.
omg, wow, this vid surely brought me back great memories of my own crx! i had an 88 yellow crx until i was tboned by some fktard in a costco parking lot some years back. but this vid- the shine of the paint, the subtle growl of the si engine, the whoosh of the air as the sunroof is opened, and yes, even the squeaking of the hatch in back - it was as if i was in my crx, driving around town again! with a tear in my eye, thanks for posting this. thanks for helping me relive my crx memories.
I had one of these with a B16A2 swap with bolt on mods and a tune. It felt fast! This is a good drag racing car. With power to weight ratio it doesn’t take a lot of power to make them fast.
I have always loved all the generation of the CRXs, especially this late 80s one... However I have a Volvo 480 Turbo which is a different world (as sporty as the Honda, but providing more comfort and premium/superior ride and outstanding attention to the details) and I don't regret it at all. Will keep it. Anyway, Honda CRX (and the Prelude as well) are classics now, let live forever!!!
ON MAN! I’m sad. This was my exact spec car I bought new in 1988. I was one of the first in So. Cal to have one, people would slow down to catch a glimpse. I loved it for the one month I had it, until a drunk driver hit me and totaled it. 😭
This makes me wish I never sold my '91 CRX Si when I was young and didn't have the funds to fix the no-start issue it had. 😢 Great little fun car to zip around in. Just needed cruise control for longer highway drives.
That thing is in MINT condition, I am awestruck
Squeak rattle and roll. Not in the best shape, add in some hard engine ticking 😂😂😂 I understand a good sewing machine sound. And then there's BEAT ON. This car had hit the bends HARD 😂😂 put away wet with a good buff on the paint
@@FastGojira wow.
@@FastGojira the car is fine. the squeak youre hearing is coming from the latch mechanism on the trunk lid.
@@FastGojira The Honda engines from those years in Civic's all sounded that way. The "tick" is normal.
I had one of these new off the lot in 1991, and it ticked liked that day 1. All Hondas did back then. And yeah, a nearly 40-year-old car is going to have a few rattles and squeaks.
I love the way these 80s and the early 90s honda 4 cylinders sound. They are the definition of fun driving a slow car fast.
The nostalgia of this car brings back so many emotions of the past
These cars just really make me wish I grew up in this era. The new cars are cool and all, but they are nothing compared to these classics.
I worked as a detailer in an area with a lot of wealthy people and we were all used to seeing AMGs and Bentleys and such nobody noticed or cared, but if someone came with a mint 90s Civic or something that got talked about and admired
My dad had a CRX Si and a C4 corvette. Didn’t realize the CRX Si would be a classic when I was 16 but I definitely had my fun driving it though.
I own both 5th and 6th Civic EX Coupes because I've held on to them since I got them in 06 and 08 I also daily a 7th gen sedan all manuals....I'm old enough now to see this trend where the older people have cool stuff(a cheap house/ cars ) because they were around when the prices were cheap and old enough to buy things that expensive ( lucky really). I had a mustard seed of hope in the 5th and 6th Gen Civic Coupes because in the supermarket there was Jeep Magazine, Camaro, Mustang, Diesel, general Japanese tuner magazine, and Honda Tuning Magazine. I thought why would an economy car have its own magazine... I thought to myself yeah these things are gonna be cool to own in the future especially since the aftermarket was great for such a non-sports car. Look now there are 5th and 6th gens doing 6s and 7s in the quarter mile, bucket loads of engine swaps and AWD swaps.. I had a hunch but didn't really know the aftermarket and performance world records would be this crazy...never sell a car you love you'll regret it for the rest of your life especially in this economy. My parents bought the 6th gen first $3500 I saved up from my pizza job and bought the 5th gen $1800 In 2008 best $1800 I ever spent I could never get a Civic without spliced wiring for that now....they're still under 3K though which is wild.
There was nothing special about CRX's when they were new. They may have had some following at the time, but to most people, they just were funny looking econoboxes.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s and cars weren’t that great. Lots of cheap plastic interiors that creaked a lot with ugly cloth interiors. The engines were slow, especially for an econobox like this one. It’s very cool to see a mint car from this era but that’s mostly because of nostalgia. Cars are much better nowadays.
My first car was a black 91 Si with a full B16A2 conversion with LSD. 17 year old me had no idea how good I had it.
Hell of a nice first car!
Had this exact car, it went extremely well for a 1.6 litre engine (maxed out at 200km/hr once on a country road, very scary). Loved every time I drove it. Hi from Australia.
I had the same one too in high school and all through college. Best years if my life. Great car. No regrets.
Except we are kucky to have ZC engines in them in Australia, japan, europe unlike US market.
It get's a bit floaty at those speeds.... LOL I once hit pretty close to that on the way home one night on a very long trip (I was really sick of driving and ready to be home) and anytime I went over a hill I could feel the car longing to leave the ground.
@@slimfastfret I replaced the stock engine with a ZC when the timing belt on my original engine snapped one night. To make it fit under the head we left the cam sprocket cover off and it was a thing of beauty to watch them spinning when the engine was on.
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 Your're from the usa ? how'd you get a D16A9 DOHC engine from ? i heard that snapping the timing belt on D16 engines would never kill them (except at crazy speeds) as they are non interferencial engines. You must have had a blast in your car. i own a EDM '88 CRX myself, i love it to bits, but i blowned my engine like a dumb. Lookinf for a replacement...
I had a yellow Si, back in college, and I LOOOOOOVED that car!! I would regularly skip my afternoon classes, just to go for a fun drive.... I drove it more than 100k miles, in just over 4 years! It was the most fun I've ever had with a car, and I still miss it, nearly every day. I have never loved another car as much, though my current Mini Roadster is a *very* close second. Even if I owned a Ferrari now, I would still miss the CRX!
Even through video, there's just a brilliant sense of purity that shines through with most Hondas. Any other slow-ish econobox would be a yawn, but this somehow manages to ooze so much charm
This was a hot hatch, not econo. The HF was the economy version. This was the sport.
Miss my 91 Prelude sr with 4 wheel steering. Love the old hondas
Truth! After the early 2000s, Honda really abandoned their fanbase, and what made their cars truly great.
I had the base 1992 with 4WS. Drove it like I stole it every day. That's the problem with these cars--they're too fun!
This is a car. This is driving purity. You are one with the vehicle, there's nothing to distract you from the road, the simplicity in these machines is one of the things I love about them.
This describes the magic of the CRX (Si specifically). I tell people all the time, a CRX Si is analog everything. The double-wishbone suspension paired with rack and pinion steering makes the car feel like an extension of your body and you are connected to the road. Every turn, rev feels like you control it and can feel it. Nothing modern feels like this whatsoever and if modern car enthusiasts drove a CRX Si they would probably be shocked how disconnected just about everything modern today feels by way of electronic everything, assisted everything.
I often tell people, a CRX Si is basically the perfect driving car and a Prime automobile if there ever was one. It got lost in a sea of high powered cars from that time but society figured out years later what many of us knew back then. Power:weight ratio matters more than just raw power. Nothing from this timeline or since drives like a CRX Si.
@@dangerdonk6670 I also harken back to the James May school of car ownership: it's not how much power you have, but how much power you can use. Having an 800 HP fire spitting Supra might get you cool guy points but you'll only really be able to use a few of those horses at a time and never really reach the limits of the car. Whereas with these kinds of cars they're basically at their limit the second they're pushed. Feeling fast is usually more fun than actually going fast.
Yeah they have a cable clutch and manual steering rack. Feels like driving a go kart.
Shifting, steering, and rolling up manual windows all at once… “Grandpa Chris, Grandpa Chris, tell us about the time you drove a Honda CRX!”
These were the cars of my youth, along with Preludes, squared off Nissan Maxima’s, Toyota Celica’s…Thanks for the drive down memory lane.
"Shifting, steering, and rolling up manual windows all at once…" It required creative use of the knees :)
Did y'all see how delicately TheTopher opened up that rear hatch at 1:45? That's exactly how you touch a car that clean!
Yeah...but then that SLAM shut...
@@severinjohn That's how you close the rear hatch, otherwise it won't latch...
Honda's best years, mid to late 80's and all of the 90's.
From 1984 to 1999 Honda was very very hard to beat for the money. Cars were bullet proof, well designed, and fun to drive.
Indeed, the golden age of Honda.
@@jarekstorm6331 100% I had two Civics, a 1999 model and a 2000, both manuals, never had to bring it to the garage. In my 40 years on this earth, they were one of the best consumer products I have ever BOUGHT.
IMHO this generation of Civic (1988-1991) and the Accord 3rd (1886-1989) & 4th (1990-1993) generation were peak Honda. The ones after may have had cool elements and paper improvements, but they started to lose the “perfection” these cars attained. FWIW, I owned a 1984 Accord LX, 1987 Accord EXi, 1990 Civic Si, 1992 Civic Si, 1997 Civic Si Coupe and a 1997 Accord - the 1987 and 1990 were the best of the bunch. Never went back to Honda after the 1997 Accord.
The driveway full of classic Honda's is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you got to drive that BEAUTIFUL NSX in the background. That first gen NSX is among my top favorite cars.
I love Honda's attention to detail in this era. They were the absolute best at the time! One of my favourite details are the wheels being left and right directional (the car actually has its left and right wheels mixed up. What I mean is that because they are turbine style, if mounted correctly. The wheels always point the correct orientation!
My first brand new car was a 1985 Civic S hatchback with the manual. The Si came out in 86. 85 was old throttle body intake before port injection. 1.5 liters of raw power (not really). Put like 200k on that car. Still miss it. I wish Honda would get back to basics more than they do nowadays.
First Si was the 1985 Civic CRX Si. Yes the first CRX's were called the Civic CRX
0:37 the start up sound. Amazing trip back in time
80s cars were such a lot of fun because they were so light and tactile. Watching this makes me really miss them.
This was my first car when I was a teen. I bought it without knowing how to drive manual and the gearbox/clutch was so forgiving that I learned in one day. This was one my favorite cars I have ever owned. Seeing this example in excellent condition just brings me joy.
Chris, These occasional 'time travel' videos are great fun.
I had '91 Honda Accord EX.Great time owning it....'The purity and fun of just driving it was unmatched at the time.
I bought the first black CRX SI in Amarillo Texas in early 88. I drove it 195,000 miles in 19 years, then sold it to my brother. I think it has over 250,000 now. He has done some engine work on it, the only thing I had go wrong was an igniter module that takes the place of points. Fifty bucks for the part, and 50 to put it in at an independent shop. Try to find that kind of reliability now, even in a Honda. Best car I ever had and ever will have. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. Thanks for the ride down memory lane.
My dad had a 1990 Civic Wagon with RT 4WD, which I mostly learned to drive on. Same color, gauges, and quite certain the same engine. This was a blast from the past. Same engine sound. I would love this so much. As great as the wagon was, I love CRXs and this has what the wagon missed for more fun...smaller, lighter, manual. This is beautiful.
That instant start. One crank 0:38 I've only peronsally seen two cars start that quickly (82 Crown Super Saloon and a 79 KE-30 Corolla... both extremely well taken care of).
I had this same car in high school. Same color too. Still have dreams of it. So much fun. Thank you. Brings back really good memories of back in the day.
One of my good friends had a yellow 91 CRX Si that he bought brand new. It had two JL 10W6’s and a 1000watt Sound Stream amp in the hatch. That car made me fall in love with Honda and I’ve been team Honda ever since.
I hope he & the car survived the Y49 curse LMAO. I remember learning about that almost a decade ago
@@Par_x3D Lol!! As far as I know nothing bad ever happened to him or the car.
Thank you for this! I once owned a 1989 CRX Si that looked exactly like this one. I still remember reading and re-reading an artcile (in Car & Driver if I remember rightly) that called it the "Thin Wallet Ferrari".
To this day, it was still my favorite car I've owned. Not the fastest, obviously, but the purest and the most fun. I was very young back then (not so much anymore) and I fondly remember having no back seats, manual windows, and a true sunroof! No glass, so it can't truly be called a moonroof. Still miss that car to this day. Were I wealthy I would make the current owner of that CRX an offer he could not refuse.
Tru dat
That is a very nice car. This definitely makes me wish I lived the lifestyle (I'm 17) of the 70s-90s era. Granted newer vehicles are nice, but I miss the simplicity and reliability of the older vehicles, more than the new ones. Great video and I look forward to watching more.
Maybe the best pov stock Si video ive seen. Felt like driving my 88 all over again... From happy revs down to the sunroof noises.
I had a 1988 CRX Si just like this one except it was bright yellow which was much prettier. The car was bought from my high school friend who was the first owner. That car is the car that I miss the most because it was so much fun to drive. Unfortunately, some idiot hit my parked car and ran. After the repair was done, the paint job didn't look quite well so I sold it, but I regret later.
Thanks Topher for providing me the opportunity to relive a lot of fun times. My first car was a 1988 Si, in black, and it was a hoot to drive. I have a 2022 Si today, and with all its tech and comfort features it suits my current stage in life just as well as the '88 did back then. Hats off to the owner for taking such good care of her. One small correction - the B16 introduced in the '88 Si DID have V-tec. Always loved listening to it switch over.
Bought my white 1991 CRX Si brand new. Went tent camping out of it all over the USA. My favorite car. Many fond memories with this car. The seatbelts were attached to the door, so they put themselves on when closing the door.
A great car. I had an 1984 CRX, red, silver accent. I loved that car. It was zippy, great handling, great gas mileage, super reliable. I would buy one new if they made them today.
It was great in snow too... very exceptional. I did a 19 hour drive (normally 12) from NC to NY, and the snow was quite deep for much of the trip on I95... there were almost no other cars on the highway, and most were off the side of the road, stranded. But I managed to get all the way home in a terrible snow storm. Most epic drive I ever did. So many good memories in that car.
I worked at a Honda dealership 89-90 and autocrossed my CRX-Si demos. It was in D-Stock, I was winning a lot (won my SCCA Regional Championship), and extra fun with a different color car complete with window sticker & dealer plate. Tech Inspection looking for cheats, "What's the point?" The only flaw, if is what it was, was that on race rubber (shaved DOT legal Yokohama gumballs) there was a lot of body roll. My only problem (other than getting found out) was keeping them from installing the A/C, which was always dealer-installed from a kit. As soon as the installed it, I sold it. 70lbs on the wrong end of the car made a hell of a difference. Great car, great steering feel, great braking feel. It is all about the friction circle, and you were in direct contact. Brilliant.
Amazing. Honda's of the late 80s - early 2000s were golden
I was at the Honda dealer in 1988 almost bought one. Next door was the Toyota dealership. I ended up with a used 1986 Toyota MR2.
Not a terrible car, just not as practical as the CRX was.
Glad RUclips existed for these kind of videos. 1988 Honda CRX Si looks very great on both outside and the inside :(
My first car was an 84 CRX.
Forty years later, it's still my favorite car.
I had a 92 CRX Si back the day. I still miss it. I miss the sound of those engines too. One of the best cars ever made IMO. Great video!
My sister bought a 1989 CRX Si new, and I was allowed to put the first miles on it. Still perhaps the most fun behind the wheel of any car we’ve owned in the family. Nimble, tossable, clear sight lines, spectacular clutch and gear action. Proof that you don’t need 500hp to have serious fun.
My first car was a red 91 Si and still puts a grin on my face every time I think about it. Honda rocked back in those days!
I had an 87 Si in red. Previously an 85 in blue. Love those cars. Today I own several Porsches (911, Boxster S, 944). Honestly these CRX are great driver's cars!
Thanks for posting this clip. I’ve been lowkey obsessed with this car for such a long time! Love early 80’s cars, always have, it’s just a different feel to driving them.
I do get all the saftey reasons for the way modern cars look and drive, but i just don’t like them ( except a few, mazda mx5, etc).
Now everything is a crossover, suv, such a sad scenery for the car industry.
Also i am big fan fan of manuals, and after 23 years of driving and always having manuals, still not bored of them.
Looking forward for new clips like these!
Keep em coming!
I had a 1991 CRX Si in the 90s and this really brought me back to my halcyon days. Thanks!!
It was also a fantastic car to put a nice stereo in.
I miss my crx! Bought a old rusty one and restored it as much I could. Engine was swapped with a d16z4 vtec was all I wanted. Great fuel economy with bit more power. Good review! 😎👍
A couple of my friends had CRX’s in the mid 90’s. My one buddy’s was yellow and we called it the “buttery ride”. So much fun! I should have got one too. I still want one.
Fantastic small car. In Europe we had the D16 DOHC with 130 hp and the B16 with 150 hp too. This car was called the "Secretary's Porsche" :)
UDSM SI's for 88-89 only had the SOHC 1.6 for 105bwhp. USDM 90-91 same thing but tuned for 108bwhp. Lots of people swap for B16 variants however, but the stock D16A6 1.6 was a perfect pair for the power:weight ratio. The 150bwhp DOHC options were the cherry on top though.
These were fun cars! We had the civic Si of this era. Thanks for sharing ! We used 3 Honda Civics from 86-01 all with 450-500,000 miles on them. The 86 was the most efficient, but all pulled over 40mpg.
Of all the cars that were modded and destroyed throughout the 90s and 2000s it’s refreshing to see one that slipped through the cracks. These are incredibly rare to see bone stock and untouched.
THAT WAS MY FIRST CAR, DUDE. WOW!
man this thing is a legend. Wish i was alive during this time i love old honda's so much
My first real car was a 1989 Honda Crx Si in Barbados Yellow. Same year I was born! Loved that car so much. Could get me to the autocross packed with lots of personal items, let me run it hard and caused no issues and the got me home all while getting 50 mpg. PS The CRX in the video doesn't have it's wheels installed in the same direction.
My friend had this same car bought new in 1988 when we were in HS. One of my favorite memories of this car was stuffing my 6’3” frame in the back while my friend and his cousin and I drove down to see Rush in concert. Fun car.
I had a 1986 RedCRXSi, absolutely loved that car
This was my first car after graduating high school! Loved it!
God I remember these being tuned and raced all the time when I was kid back in the 00's. These things were EVERYWHERE and I miss seeing them. Got to drive one back in 2014 and man was it fun.
I had a black 1990 CRX Si. My favorite car I've ever owned next to my Integra GS-R. Tough to pick between the two, very fun in their own ways.
that collection of cars is an absolute Dream! I look forward to future video with thos cars!
The most reliable car I have ever had. I bought as a student for 3.000 $ in 1998. I was the third owner and the car had about 95.000 miles. I sold it to a friend a few years later with 190.000 miles for about 900 $.
I drove one of them back in 1990 through 1992. Driving an e350 Mercedes coupe now, but how I loved those CRX SI's!!!!
Easily one of Honda's best cars ever! Still looks great.
What a great example!!! I had a 91 Si with 33k on the odometer. I drove the wheels off that car! Loved it. I’d buy one again if they made them new. Probably one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Thanks for sharing. Just realized it had top speed of 112, but I’m pretty sure mine with a modded intake and exhaust was capable of closer to 130. It was easy to bury the needle on that car.
My second car was a silver 1988 Honda CRX Si. It made me fall in love with Honda. It was such a pure, fun little car.
I was so lucky to be a car enthusiast in this era. My first new car was an 85 CRX. I upgraded to an 87 CRX SI - what great cars.
I had one of these, same color, a 91. It was one of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned. I had an amazing stereo in it, Alpine CD head unit, separates up front, subs in the hatch, it was really special. I had to get a Porsche Cayman to come close to the fun you could have for $14k in 1991, a sporty, 2 seat hatch with a manual transmission.
I lusted after these as a college student in the ‘80s. I got to drive an ‘86 Si, which I prefer. This is really cool. Thanks for sharing!
that driveway is CRAZY
The fun and lightweight 88 CRX, ‘87 MR2, and ’95 Miata got me into cars.
I couldn't afford the CRX Si, i bought a Civic Si instead back in 1990 in the same Tahitian Blue as the one next to the CRX. Starting that CRX brought back memories.
I've had 2 CRXs and an EF hatch. I sold the first CRX to buy the 2nd one in better shape. The 2nd one got wiped out by a Range Rover after just 3 weeks. Years later, I bought the EF, which eventually got stolen and completely destroyed in Portland. I absolutely love these little cars and I desperately wish it wasn't so impossible to find a clean one.
Beautiful! Had one for a while and 5 DA Integras… absolutely loved the old cable clutch Hondas. Have a tsx now and do like it but that was golden era!
My parents had an 88 Accord LX. Not the first new car they bought but it was the first one with AC, radio, power windows etc…..pop up headlights were awesome too
This is as Honda as it gets
I had a 87 crx si, 90 Integra and a 98 Integra, they were all great cars..😊
Uggh that car is so clean. The late 80s and early 90s really were the epidemy of quality, style, simplicity, and reliability. Its genuinely been downhill since then. If they started producing this exact model again, they would make an absolute killing. Like an identical model. Down the the dashboard plastic molding and 80s digital clock. With the modern mandatory tech needed to make it legal of course. Sure the extra tech would make it a little more expensive than what it sold for originally, but not by much. And if you think about it, it probably wouldn't cost them much to produce again either. All people want right now is a car that people can actually afford, and something like this could be that. It hurts to see how disconnected the auto industry is at the moment.
The US federal government would never allow Honda or any car manufacturer to make a car like this again. Too small, no safety features and analog everything. Big government basically regulated away the car industry.
Another great video! Please consider EQing out the low frequencies on your audio track for us with subwoofers. The road and wind noise are brutal. 😂
We had a red 1986 CRX base model with a 5-speed. What a great car for zipping around town. Also had an '87 Civic sedan which had many similarities and common parts. Nice shifting and responsive steering.
I had a '84 Honda Prelude that I bought new and kept for 14 years. Slow by today's standards, but enjoyed driving it every time I got in, and hated to part with it. Would love to find one like this CRX to take for a short spin. In my present fleet, another "slow" car, a '17 BRZ with performance pack. Fun to drive every time I get in, and doesn't cost a king's ransom to own as a third car. Small, light and "slow" can be quite engaging.
Peak Honda right here. No cup-holders either. I would wedge my coffee tumbler between the console and the passenger seat. Held it perfectly.
My bro and his friends had a crx club where they all had a crx with various additions (4 cars). Such fun cars to customize. 1999-2001 crx club.
The only brand-new car I ever owned... a red 1988 exactly like this one. Motor Trend named it the Car of the Year and said if Bo Derek was a car, she'd be a CRX si. I was sold! It was the most fun car I've ever owned, but I see this example has the same flaw mine had, and one that drove me absolutely crazy, and that was the squeak from the back hatch. I must have taken mine back to the dealer at least five times to have that squeak fixed, until I finally decided it was obviously unfixable. Still an awesome car in spite of that damn squeak!
Awe man. You drove this in my town. I wish I was around the MSU farms when you were there so I could hear that gorgeous engine.
Amazing car. I graduated HS when these cars were popular, they were everywhere. Just don’t get in an accident in one. I think it’s a 2 of 5 in crash safety. Both feet broken, both legs broken and pelvis.
I had a 1985 crx si 1.6 5spd what a fun little car it was…
remember back in the mid 90s ,a Honda Prelude with all wheel steering came into my friends shop. Still want that car.
I wanted one of these so bad when I was a kid! This car is mint. Please take care of her ❤
omg, wow, this vid surely brought me back great memories of my own crx! i had an 88 yellow crx until i was tboned by some fktard in a costco parking lot some years back. but this vid- the shine of the paint, the subtle growl of the si engine, the whoosh of the air as the sunroof is opened, and yes, even the squeaking of the hatch in back - it was as if i was in my crx, driving around town again! with a tear in my eye, thanks for posting this. thanks for helping me relive my crx memories.
I had one of these with a B16A2 swap with bolt on mods and a tune. It felt fast! This is a good drag racing car. With power to weight ratio it doesn’t take a lot of power to make them fast.
This was my first car, an ‘88 SI, 30+ years ago. Loved that thing. Would be cool to take one for a spin again!
If honda would still make cars like this, i'd buy one tomorrow..
Audibly gasped when I saw the title. This is fantastic! And that rev-limiter is legit lol
I have always loved all the generation of the CRXs, especially this late 80s one... However I have a Volvo 480 Turbo which is a different world (as sporty as the Honda, but providing more comfort and premium/superior ride and outstanding attention to the details) and I don't regret it at all. Will keep it. Anyway, Honda CRX (and the Prelude as well) are classics now, let live forever!!!
ON MAN! I’m sad. This was my exact spec car I bought new in 1988. I was one of the first in So. Cal to have one, people would slow down to catch a glimpse. I loved it for the one month I had it, until a drunk driver hit me and totaled it. 😭
I had one of these back in the day, swapped in a B18c GSR engine and the car just flew. Sold it for an EG hatchback because I needed a back seat.
It sounds really good for a tiny 4 banger. It also can do 0-60 in 8.15 seconds with only 105 hp which is impressive.
It was even more impressive at the time. That was fast in the late 80s!
Still one of the sexiest cars ever made. 80s was a great decade for car design.
I had a 1987 CRX Si, my first new car. I loved that thing. ❤
This makes me wish I never sold my '91 CRX Si when I was young and didn't have the funds to fix the no-start issue it had. 😢
Great little fun car to zip around in. Just needed cruise control for longer highway drives.
Few of my friends had this back in highschool. Excellent DIY car.