1993 Honda CRX B16 A1 DOHC vtec review from UK and Ireland

Spark Plug Oil seals perforated (30 quid parts and 30 quid labour)

Sunroof Sticking open in the summer - (some wd40, a thin screw driver, a hammer and a whack - sorted)

I looked for one of these for over a year. The majority of the vtec gen II crx's for sale are knackered and thrashed. I eventually found a mint white one with a genuine mugen kit (fitted from new) with 85000 on the clock with full history.

When I say "knackered and thrashed" I don't mean it literally, due to them being pretty much indestructable.

This is the most fun car I have ever owned. I have had cosworths, courtney turbo's astra mkII's, imports etc. Nothing can prepare you for these little psychos. If you can drive well, Get one. they are for people who don't want power steering and creature comforts, they are for people who like the drive...hard.

For the first month of owning it, I didn’t utilise its full potential for fear of damaging the engine, but once you realise it actually wants to go to 8000 + revs all the time, you realise the idea behind this savage.

Find a good one for as much as you can afford, don’t be put off at finding them for as much as 5k, they are very sort after. Mine is one of the last gen II's ever made, it’s a 93 (k reg) and it's a uk car.

Don't play with them too much with modifications and you will have a mental, highly reliable fun car. Buy a cold air induction kit, some decent plugs, suspension and change the oil a lot, with decent oil. Apart from that, there 160 bhp, and weigh about the same as a big mac.

You will thrash cars in much higher categories without much hassle, I beat an e42 m3 convertible last weekend. Sounds absurd?! That’s what I would think, but it’s true. maybe the guy couldn’t drive very well, but the crx, from point to point is very, very fast, and will take a serious thrashing. Round town its easy to drive (apart from lack of power steering) but when you get it on a motorway or dual carriageway, you realise what it was made for. Weaving in and out of traffic and going like a amphetamine fuelled missile.

Downsides of the crx are few, interior is a bit minimalist, and typically Japanese, but its simple and doesn’t go wrong. If you put 17" wheels on, once the tyres bed in, the steering for parking etc can be a bit of a workout, but it isn’t designed to be a motorway cruiser or a town car, so live with it. You won’t notice when you hear the vtec cut in through the induction kit. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, every time. Parts; standard or performance are reasonably priced for the quality. EBay is your friend. I got a new stainless induction kit, with samco hose connectors and he filter from America for £34, so I think it was about 58 quid with next day postage! The brakes aren’t that great and the ABS is pointless, you can cadence break quicker if you know what you’re doing. The arches rust as does the sunroof, but not ford style, just surface, mainly. The leather interior has usually worn on gen II's, either on the drivers bolster, or where the seat meets the bolsters. There aren’t really any rear seats, so don't get on one if you often carry passengers. This is a balls out sports car.

To give you an idea of the b16 A1 DOHC VTEC engine - I had mine rolling roaded recently, to test the condition of the engine. I have DENSO iridium plugs, a cold air intake and a catless stainless exhaust (downpipe back) and it ran 169 bhp in 98 degree heat (in a metal warehouse in the summer). The A1 engine leaves the factory with 150 bhp (A2's are 160bhp). so in 13 years and 85000 miles of probably being thrashed, it’s producing text book figures. Not many manufacturers would be able to do that. Honda's are built with pride.

I have just been offered an e36 dakar yellow m3 evo convertible for a stupidly low price off a friend, these have 321 bhp, but even though I can't really afford to run 2 cars, I will not sell my crx. No way, the m3 has untold more power, style etc, but the crx has something special about it. It makes you smile every single time you drive it. As soon as the temp gauge hits half, all hell is let loose, and you realise that all other engines are inferior. 100 bhp per 100cc?!!!

If you find a good one, but it. Don't wait, because some else, who knows what it is and what it can do, will.