FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION - PART IEvery once in a while we find a feature that isn't the flashiest, doesn't have the most OEM paint, doesn't run 10s in the quarter, and doesn't have a JDM front end, or even a B16 swap. Rex2nr's car epitomizes "the project," something that most CRX'rs can relate to. The Start
Scott began this addiction in 2000 with the purchase of his first Flint Black 1989 Si. After some body repairs (a skill he would use later on) he drove the car pretty much stock for two years before finding what would become "the project". Scott sold the old car for a mere $400 and began daily driving the new 89 Si.
The Rebuild Scott sums up his goals for the rebuild very well:
After making some discoveries, like the 3/8" layer of bondo extending from the taillights to the middle of the driver door, Scott decided to make some functional and visual changes to the car. First up was a set of JDM style front fenders with sidemarkers. More than a simple bolt-on, the bottom of these will be modified to match the Civic hatchback rocker panels in order to eliminate the rocker covers that trap moisture in Northeastern CRXs. Having a hard time deciding between the subtle styling differences between the 88-89 cars and those from 90-91, Scott decided to take the best of both and graft a 90-91 rear lip onto his 89 bumper. In front he made a custom lip which closely resembles that of an EK. The hood has been slightly modified to allow a small air scoop which will feed the Yamaha R6 throttle bodies the motor breathes through. 
Up top, the car will have a functional lexan sunroof based on one from a 1990 Acura Legend. The top of the hatch sports a GTS Solar2 wing, with a flush-mount EDM 1.6-i16 wing. Soon the car will be receiving a coat of Laguna Blue Pearl from an '06 S2000. 
To keep it flat in corners, Scott installed some Ground Controls fitted over KYB AGX shocks. He replaced the rusty rear lower control arms with some Blox units along with their end links which hold an OEM DA rear sway bar. Up front he installed the coveted CRX HF anti-sway bar. 
A while back, while walking through the junkyard, Scott spotted a 1990 Integra with all of its brake system intact. Luckily he had his wife there to help, and he got the entire brake system, from booster to the rear discs. To cover the brakes, he got a smoking deal on a set of 14" Mugen CF-48s. Again putting Robyn to work, he got the wheels stripped down and refinished. With some minor clearancing of the calipers, the Mugens just slipped over the big brakes. To move the CRX, Scott built a high-compression mini-me. The D16A6 block with 0.020" over P29 pistons and Z6 ported head will be fed by a set of 38mm Yamaha R6 throttle bodies on a custom manifold. Before getting too deep in that motor, Scott picked up a spare D15B VTEC head to have aggressively ported and built for high-RPM use to reach his ultimate power goals. 
Between the Mugens and the motor sits the holy grail of D-series transmissions. A DOHC ZC case holds ZC first, second, third, and fourth gears, along with a VX 5th for cruising. Of course this is mated to an Si final drive, but the real icing on the cake is the OEM ZC limited slip differential. Along with the Fidanza 7lb flywheel, this gearbox should help that little D rip through the gears. Finally, the interior. After putting so much into the rest of the car it would be a shame to ignore the interiour, or to give it any less. The driver steers the car through a rare Momo mahogany wheel with a matching custom shift knob on an Integra dual-bend shifter. Wood grain and aluminium accents will not only match the wheel, but give the interiour the kind of finish you can be proud to take your wife in... even if you're going to the junkyard to get brakes! The old black just isn't good enough either, and all of the seats and interiour upholstry are replaced by blue microsuede with new black vinyl. 
The Future Stay tuned for the second half of Scott's rebuild in Form Follows Function - Part II, where he gets this high functioning automobile back on the blacktop!
411 (1989 CRX Si - Flint Black):
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