We review a lot of performance themed/oriented cars on Barn Finds and one marque that doesn’t make the list too often is Honda. Other than the NSX from upscale Honda brand, Acura, Honda and the term “muscle” don’t really intersect. But that doesn’t mean the concept of performance has never darkened Honda’s doorway. Case in point, here is a 1991 Honda CRX Si that is worth examining. It is located in Batavia, Illinois and available here on eBay for a current bid of $5,300, fifteen bids tendered as of this writing.
The CRX was in production from 1984 until 1991 with the Si (Sport injected) model being the strongest performer of the bunch. The important thing to remember is that these are small, lightweight cars with the ’91 Si tipping the scales in the 2,100 lb. range. They sit low to the ground and corner fantastically. An old friend of mine had a first-generation CRX Si and I used to joke that he should consider installing a periscope so he could see around all of the taller traffic blocking his path. And the way that he drove that Honda mattered; you wanted to see, and maybe more importantly, be seen due to the CRX’s low slung nature.
This CRX, like most I recall seeing over the years, is black and research indicates that the Si trim only came in black, red, white and “Tahitian” green. For a 29-year-old car, the black finish looks very good indeed. There is no fade or oxidation to the finish and it still possesses a nice shine. The seller indicates that there is some rust on the right (passenger) side fender and quarter but the images don’t reveal it. He also mentions that he thinks the rear bumper is non-original and has been replaced along with the left quarter; nevertheless, this Honda presents well – I would imagine that it has been garaged as my experience with black on a similar era, non-garaged Toyota Celica didn’t present so well after only four years.
The interior of this CRX looks great with minimal wear. Interesting to see are the manual cranks for the windows, a feature that was on the way out by ’91. The driver’s seat shows a little wear and it is in surprisingly good shape considering this Honda’s 121K miles – the seller does add that the seat bolster has been repaired. Beyond that, the interior features, dash and instrument panel look like a typical early ’90s standard Japanese affair. As is typical for a Si, this example has a sunroof, and good to know, the seller claims that it works fine. It would seem that the only two interior issues are a speaker that cuts in and out and an A/C unit that is not up to the task. Beyond these two items, the interior needs nothing. As I recall from my friend’s Si, the front seating area is quite commodious for such a small car; those over six feet plus will feel perfectly comfortable ensconced upfront (not quite the same in the back, however).
The motivation behind this CRX Si is its 108 net HP, 1.6 liters, in-line four,-cylinder engine. The seller states that this Honda, “Drives like a dream.” There are four videos here that you can download which show this CRX starting and driving. It would appear to operate exactly as designed so many years ago. As I mentioned previously, this Honda really shines with its road manners; the taut, flat handling coupled with its minimal weight makes for a spirited, fun driving experience. Other mechanical features include a five-speed manual transaxle and four-wheel disc brakes.
I haven’t thought about a CRX Si in a long time, probably because they’re not encountered often anymore. While there were 42,000 CRX’s produced in ’91, only about 14,000 were the Si variant; not rare, but not too common either. A Honda like this will have a somewhat limited appeal but there are plenty of Honda fans that appreciate the CRX Si’s engineering, longevity and big fun factor. Might you be one of those fans?
Freshly hosed down for the pictures..
& no water beading up either.
Amazin how far back those front seats can go.
Wish 1st gen f body seats did that. lol
Looks like glass headlite covers. Check.
Limited appeal my foot. Anyone who’s driven one of these knows they are still very formidable.
Yep–somehow that 108 HP felt like 150 in these go-carts. Fun.
Weird that you can see the dimples from the absent floor mat on the passenger side. Driver’s side wheel well molding profile makes me think it’s starting to go the same direction as the other side. Hard to tell with the low-res photos, but the sunroof (rust prone area) looks good. It’s not perfect, but still has a lot of fun miles left.
If you’re into the whole JDM thing, and you don’t have a lot of coin, this would make a very interesting car at your local cars and coffee.
Seller writes the ac “should just need a recharge.” If that’s the case, then why didn’t he just recharge it before he listed it? I see this too often in descriptions and it makes me suspicious. It’s a nice car otherwise.
Probably still R12 and doesn’t want to go to the trouble of converting it (or finding R12)
These were cars that attracted a lot of teens and young twenty somethings. Too many of these cars ended up wrapped around trees, compressed into bridge abutments, under the rear of trucks, etc. killing their inexperienced drivers. Their lightness came with a price. The crumple zone is minimal for a car with this performance. My memories are so bad of these, I personally can’t appreciate their good points.
Absolutely correct. A few cars from that time could get you in a bunch of trouble. I put my Dodge Colt GTS Turbo under a truck. Lucky I didn’t die. Bought my Si to replace the Dodge. Thankfully I didn’t wreck the Honda.
Wow, my neighbor did the same thing in his Horizon GLH. I think he fell asleep at the wheel. He and his wife were badly hurt but survived.
Sort this puppy out and you could use it as a daily driver even today and not be ashamed to be seen in it.
No, the Si came in yellow too.
My first brand new car was a 90 Si Red. No power steering, no a/c. Great little car handled like it was on rails. Gave the so called muscle cars of that era a run for their money. Wish I had one today no frills and all fun. Wish I still had the full head of hair I had back then too!
My ’89 CRX Si was silver, btw. Just like ChrisC, manual steering, crank windows (but I did have AC & a sunroof). Loved that car!
I always liked that tinted see-through glass rear hatch panel…cool design
I had an 87si. It went 277K miles. I loved every one of them. I traded it for one like this one. I missed my 87 almost immediately. The 91 got traded for a Miata. I never once missed the 91si. I still miss the 87. If Honda would run up a batch of 87si clones, I’d fight to be first in line.
I would prefer a 2 liter VW GTI 16v, Nissan NX2000, or Sentra SE-R from this era. With Rust, not a West Coast car, and the words “recharge for AC (almost NEVER the case), I think it is about Maxed at $5500.
These were the true “fun to drive” Civics! I had one, a ’91 SI except mine had the auto trans. Mine had that Tahitian green which to me it was a beautiful color like on those MB! I chose the auto trans due to my insurance agent’s advice! He told me these Civic CRX SI insurance are pretty high due to high rates of accidents! I believe the same reason why Toyota cancelled the MR2. My CRX SI has been handed down to my son. He still keeps it running without any mods to it! They don’t make these “POCKET ROCKET” ANYMORE :( :(…
My Dad’s last car and a joy for him to drive. The car insurance company classified it as a sports car and the premium reflected it. As I recall, his had a 5 speed. Nice car!
I also own black ’91 CRX Si with A/C – and it has even more “how-do-I-wipe-this-silly-stupid-grin-off-my-face-when-I-drive-it” miles on the clock. My office is 5 miles from Mulholland Drive in the hills above Malibu, but it often takes longer to get to work because I “accidentally ” take the wrong turn and end up on “The Snake” and passing the Rock Store on my way in.
If my CRX ever gets totaled by someone, there are a number of healthy comps on other online auctions that I’ll be printing out for the claims adjuster!
My other ride is a classic ’66 Mini Cooper S – but as far as reliability, if I absolutely, positively have to make it to a destination at a particular time – or at all, I hop in the CRX. No oil spots in the driveway either. Starts up anytime, anywhere, hot or cold – and it laughs at downpours. A heater and defroster that actually work – and the A/C is great to have too…
Just watch the CV joints on the mini. If they are as troublsome as the ones on the 1100 and 1800, “if you hear a knocking at full locking”, it’s time to check them.