Here is something we don’t see roll through the cyber doors at One Barn Finds Tower too often – or ever. This 1985 Honda Civic CRX Si is a rare convertible made by a company called Straman Coachworks. The seller has it listed here on eBay in Clovis, California. There is a reserve on this auction and the current bid price is $5,400 but, as always, we don’t know the seller’s reserve price.
This would be a real head-turner, and it isn’t a chainsaw-type of convertible, having been made by a respected company, similar to ASC or others who have partnered with automakers for decades to churn out usable, hopefully-leakproof ragtops. I think that the rear view of the Honda CRX, especially the first-generation cars, is their strongest design element so I would maybe not jump on this one. I can see the attraction, though. Here’s a photo of it with the top up. Yeah, make mine a regular hatchback.
The first-generation Honda Civic CRX was a design masterwork, in my opinion. And, that’s coming from a guy who has designed several successful cars… wait, no I haven’t, but it’s just my personal opinion that the tiny hatchback first-gen Civic CRX is a gem of a design. This is an Si model, which had a bit more power and that’s always a good thing, isn’t it? There’s a door ding to massage out, and the seller mentions some cracking on the fiberglass panels.
In the pre-airbag era, this nice, simple three-spoke steering wheel is perfect for driving pleasure and it doesn’t get much better for driving pleasure than a manual transmission in my world. I don’t care if a paddle-shifter is 0.05 seconds faster, that’s just an excuse to not drive a manual for most people. “Yeah, but it’s faster!” I get it, though, if knee issues keep folks in automatics, I own more of those than manuals as most people do.
The engine should be Honda’s 1.5-liter inline-four, which would have had 91 horsepower and 93 lb-ft of torque when new. That’s not a lot, but this car weighs less than a ton, or it would have before the convertible conversion. The seller says that there is no rust on this car and it runs and drives well and has a new timing belt and many other new parts. Have any of you seen a CRX convertible?
Scotty, I have in fact seen two or three of these. Richard Straman did a beautiful job on these conversions; they were so solid and free of rough edges one might think Honda built them.
The late Jonathan Thompson, an editor at Road & Track magazine, conceived of the idea and sketched out the new panels for the convertible, as I recall. Even with the necessary reinforcements added, I believe the drop-top was lighter (if only by a few pounds) than the factory tin-top.
I don’t know how many were built, but they turn up every once in a while. I saw one with the non-SI engine and a Hondamatic. No thank you; the SI with five-speed was the best by more than a country mile!
To me, from a distance, it looks like a shortened, stubby Mercedes.
Pretty unique.
By the way:
You know how you catch a unique rabbit? Unique up on it.
You know how you catch a tame rabbit? The tame way.
I’m here all week, folks.
Ah yes. The Honda CRueX. The favorite car of young secretaries, everywhere. Back in the day.
I like it, would be great in a state with warmer weather year round.
😂 IMHO anyone who thinks of the CRX as a secretary’s car hasn’t driven one.
My ‘87 CRX Si is at the top of my list of fun, engaging cars alongside my ‘70 914/6, and ahead of my two ‘60’s Vettes, ‘67 911S and a list of previous cars including an ERA Cobra, Cobra Mustang, Z/28’s, 911 & 944Turbos, S2000, etc., etc..
I drove one. The owner was a 5 ft tall secretary. At 6’2, I looked like a Shriner, in one of their clown cars. Maybe a short person would find it fun and engaging.
I’m 6’2” too. I guess we see it differently based on our personal experience with high performance cars
Ended at $7,400, Reserve Not Met.
Wow, way under market value IMHO.
Thank you, sir! I wonder what they wanted for it, it had to be fairly close.
MotorWeek did a “how they’re made” piece on convertibles in 1985, they featured the K-car as a factory job and the Straman CRX as a specimen of an aftermarket conversion.
https://youtu.be/DebmDk-weKs
Nice little car. Hope whoever gets it takes care of it.
My first CRX was an 85, but not an SI. I bought it at a repo auction, without seeing it run (the battery was dead), for $925, back in 97. I only drove it three weeks before selling it to a kid who worked at the Hobda plans in Marysville, OH. He gave me $1,900. It needed nee cv joints but he said Honda had a mechanic shop at the plant where employee cars could get repaired at cost. Me and my girlfriend at the time loved that little car, it was sporty, nimble, and relatively quick, plus it was cute as a kitten. She managed to get a ticket going 55 in a parking lot at a state park, and I get two warnings for speeding while I drove it. In 2000 we bought another CRX, a 91 model, but as fun as it was it didn’t really compete with that 85. We both really loved those little cars, and I’d love to have an SI version now.
I’m about to list one of these on Facebook (85 Straman CRX, Si with <75k miles for sale)!
Owner originally wanted $12,500 but has lowered the price to $11,250. They claim that only 12 were built, yet sites say 310 were built from 1984-87.
There was 12 Si models converted I believe and 300 or so in total (one of which are my own)
Did you post it? If so, is it still available? Thanks
Did you post it on FB? If so, is it still available? Thanks