Project Mad Max: 87 Crx Si 108k Restoration To Daily Driver
#1
Posted 10 November 2021 - 04:48 AM
For my son who just turned 16. Enjoy your new car Max!! May you get many decades of enjoyment out of yours as I have from mine... Drive defensively..... Respect this Japanese classic. If i hear you peeling out around the corner, your in deep $%&!,.... Dad!
Its the middle car. Top is CRX#2 25K 1987 Concourse. Bottom is CRX#7 1986 150K. Picture taken around 2005??
This is the earliest picture I have of MAD MAX. Its the one tucked in the very back parked perpendicular. Front Center is CRX#2 the Concourse, Right Black is the Beater. Picture taken around 2001??
I noticed these cars sitting in storage get plastics broken, mold/mildew and rodent issues. I brought Mad Max home from the barn and stripped her down for long term storage. Pulled out all the interior and external plastic components. Stored components in one of my climate controlled rooms. Note, the other car under the cover is CRX #6 1984 Straman build #10 of 131 stramans built. Pictures taken around 2008.
Brought MM home ten years ago or so and built a storage dedicated to CRX's
The Beater and Mad Max in hibernation several years ago..... Pictures taken around 2012
Editing in process....
#2
Posted 10 November 2021 - 10:34 AM
So cool! Hopefully he comes on here and shares his adventures with the car! Very cool car to have at 16. Make sure to remind him not to take the first offer to buy it! Haha seems I get an offer every time I take one of mine out.
Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (HPDE-4 NASA & TA-AB Time Attack)
85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail
2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily
#3
Posted 12 November 2021 - 10:13 AM
Some early pixs taken when I was building the workshop. These were posted years ago. Lost when server change over recently
Work area when first built and car moved to this location from the farm.
I just don't have many pictures of Project Max from the early days. Have to strip off that old tint.....
#4
Posted 12 November 2021 - 09:12 PM
Very cool, I pulled the old tint off of my 86. What a pain!
Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (HPDE-4 NASA & TA-AB Time Attack)
85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail
2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily
#5
Posted 11 January 2022 - 04:44 PM
Here's MM,... Been sitting dormant for a while and has become a storage rack.... At least the condensation and rain have been off of MM
Max and I need to clean up the shop, put the car on rollers and slide it out from the wall.
First order of work will be dropping the fuel tank, cleaning the tank, clearing lines, fuel filter, intake sock investigation, pulling injector and replacing those seals. Then on to the waterpump/timing belt and cooling system.
Known issues to date:
1) I recall the alternator bearing would seize when siting for years at at time at start up. I know the alternator needs bearings. I"ll install brushes as well (I'm rebuilding the 108K OEM Honda alt, Its just getting broken in)
2) O2 sensor code would flash, to replace O2.
3) Oil leak some where - all the seals will be replaced anyway
4) I recall some coolant was leaking from water pump the last time I had moved it. I bought it in 2000 and maybe put 1000 miles on it up to 2001.
5) definatley rebuilding the brake booster w OEM kit, Japanese aftermarket master cylinder and caliper/wheel cylinder rebuild.
Since this is a DD and not a show car restoration, I'm using up my japanese aftermarket NOS parts on this.
Tires, dizzy cap, clutch and some other misc stuff came in past few weeks. Going w General Altimax tires, nothing special, just not chinese and something from a name brand.
#6
Posted 11 January 2022 - 04:59 PM
Cant source OEM Style muffler systems anymore. So I used a Walker 18284 (now discontinued) and fit existing left over pipes from old muffler systems.
Donor parts below
I'll put on the fart can to the right in the beginning. It'll be a lot of short engine runs and a lot of acid/water collecting. I had pulled one of my OEM muffler assemblies (far back left) to compare form/fit/function.
A good excuse to get through my crap and sort out what's worth keeping....
I have some Walker resonator assemblies in storage i picked up years ago. I'll probably put one of those on, instead of the OEM resonator pipe. Not sure what way i'm going yet. But the exhaust system assembly is ready.
Did a detailed post on recreating OE style exhausts. http://www.redpepper...topic=59488&hl=
#7
Posted 11 January 2022 - 05:44 PM
History on the car...
We had moved to Texas (had lived in Michigan and NYC - rust belt) in 1998 w my first 2 CRX's. Was amazed by the condition of salt free cars down here as compared to rusted out floor boards and missing wheel wells of my era. I was on the look for unmolested cars to acquire since I can the room.
After looking at 3-4 CRX's, I bought CRX#3 from a Plano Police officer October of 2000. He got it from his brother who lived in Minnesota. Then began having kids of his own and the 2 seater wasn't going to work for his family anymore. Reading the car fax after the purchase, the car originated from Utah (less than 2 years), resided in Pennsylvania for a year, then Virginia for several years. With so much time up north, the car was in better shape than mine and unmodified.
Paint is original, but faded. There was a slight rust spot on a wheel well. I have to reinspect the car now that I have 22years more experience under my belt.
Accident free w original paint matching all panels.
I had it registered for a year in 2001 and put it in the barn after our first kid was born.
I would drive it around the farm from time to time for exercise it. Sat for several years out there. Then brought it home on my car dolly 2012-14 ish. been sitting there ever since, dry and comfortable. I had removed most of the body parts mentioned above to protect the interior/exterior plastics from degradation. Having worked at Dow Plastics in the 1990s, my gut told me to mothball the car for deep hibernation to protect it best I could. Unfortunatly, rats had chewed some of the wiring and left accorns all over engine bay. I left the hood up to keep 'em out. And kept a box of "bounce" drier sheets inside the car. The perfume keeps them away.
Did the best I could considering work and family always took priority
I couldn't find the selling price, but have it the title/registration folder. I'll post if I can located it. Its was between $1-2K. (Edit: bought it for $1600). Most 100K CRX's back there were like a grand. A dime a dozen
#8
Posted 11 January 2022 - 06:11 PM
So cool keep up the great work!
Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (HPDE-4 NASA & TA-AB Time Attack)
85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail
2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily
#9
Posted 30 January 2022 - 04:36 PM
Went out to the car and confirmed I did cut the alt belt off a while ago due to seized bearing. I've had a pending alternator assembly line rebuilt project planned. So I finally did it.
Rebuilt the 5 original 35 year old alternators I had varying from 67k to 160K miles usage. 4 of the five worked (bad one was open rectifier as I over loaded the current on that one in 2019), but the bearings hummed more than I'd like. I opened all the bearings as they were still in good shape. Grease dried out - explains the slight hum. regreased them w Mobil ployflex EM. Used dental picks to carefully remove the old 35 yr Koyo seals. Must be silicone rubber. All were very pliable and doable.
tear downs.
I just uploaded a detailed post on rebuilding alternators if you care to read that science project. http://www.redpepperracing.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59494&hl= Not that I'm recommending this path to you all. I cant tolerate Chinese POS aftermarket components in my cars! I'm more than will to go the extra 100 miles out of my way.
MM replacement alternator ready to go. The 108K original alternators still on his car w seized bearings. I need to open it up and regrease or replace the bearings and use as a spare as it was working when I put the car in storage.
And yes, those blue boxes are Chinese Transpo parts I have as a last resort if I'm in a bind 30yrs from now...
#10
Posted 07 February 2022 - 06:01 PM
#11
Posted 12 February 2022 - 01:03 AM
2 days to clear through 10 years of crap tossed on this side of the shop. Finally got to the car. The floor is 4" block w an underlayment of pond rubber to keep the moisture out. Car was kept lifted by jacks. 3 of the 4 tires are shot. Not surprisingly ager 22 years.
Rat infested acorn stash. My only year of registration back in 2001.
Ok, this is why I bought it even though it spent time in MN, PA, UT
Surface rust, but the seams look pretty decent. All 4 jack points perfect. No rust or distortion.
#12
Posted 12 February 2022 - 01:06 AM
Washed, on blocks and ready to work. Still staging my tools, need to locate all the frickin' parts I pulled 20years ago, and put away the remaining crap (cleared from the shop area) I put in the house before my wife divorces me
#13
Posted 12 February 2022 - 06:13 AM
Real cool cars Grease! Glad to seem them well taken care off.
Max is a really lucky kid, having his own clean Japanese classic, a garage to work on it with his father. Projects must be way to go for bonding and having good time with the family. Dreaming to have something similar one day.
Hope to see Max here as well and keep the 1G/3G tradition alive!
Drive safe!
Aras
#14
Posted 12 February 2022 - 01:19 PM
Heck yah that’s a great foundation to build and learn on! Excited to see updates.
Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (HPDE-4 NASA & TA-AB Time Attack)
85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail
2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily
#15
Posted 21 February 2022 - 12:35 AM
Max and I sorted out most of the headlights in storage. 3 of the lot are slightly damaged w stone chips or bend beyond repair. Since this car is not for show, decided to keep the 108K original glass off the car as theres no sandblasting or damage. He'll keep them later if he wants to show. The others will sustain 2 CRX DD's for the next 40 years (hopefully).
We did the same thing I did to the Beater last month. disassembled the adjusters and greased the gear. This set was in good shape. Had to bend some of the metal back into position. The adjusters were vary clean. Now greased, I don't expect to break out the adjuster plastic where the screw driver enters the gear as I did on my Beater trying to get it to move.
Luckily, we have some sets of bulb retainer rings. We're using the 2 w a couple tabs broken out. Lets use them up as i know they will break. I had him snap off a few tabs off the really bad one to teach him to respect this old plastic. I'm keeping this broken rings. I think I can make a metal insert to replace the tabs for long term reliablity. This problem was reported by RPR guys about 10 years ago. I was able to get a set of NOS back then to support a future show car - I just haven't seen them since. This plastics thing is a real problem, but rewarding to make creative solutions work
Picked up a Honda battery. Charged it up and looks like a good one. Called three dealerships 2 had stock. Supply chain issues. Prices varied alot. I've boycotted my local dealership. They've been charging 10-20% OVER MSRP for years. I just call to price check. Majestics still my #1 source, but they don't ship batteries