158hp and 925kg, ultra reliable and sounds superb...

158hp and 925kg, ultra reliable and sounds superb...

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daveco

Original Poster:

4,122 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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As yet another uber powerful German vehicle is launched, I couldn't help but think 'meh'. I understand it will sound great, go like the clappers, and double as a fun family soon...it just doesn't interest me as it seems so out of reach financially.

So lately I've been reading up on 80's/90's Hondas and Toyotas and perusing best motoring vids. The Honda CR-X stood out and seems to be quite the car judging from the praise the hot models received at launch.

Originally they were 825kg eek with the weight climbing into the 900's for the later models. Even the 60hp cars had that waspy Honda noise. Best Motoring videos show that they absolutely fly around the track.

Has anyone driven or owned one or any of the other lightweight, high revving Hondas/Nissans/Toyotas etc from the 80's/90's?

battered

4,088 posts

146 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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A mate used to have a shed of a Daihatsu Charade, the triple with a whole 1300cc. Sadly not the GTti, with the turbo, but it went like stink for a small car and weighed about as much as a bag of crisps.

Sadly it died one night when it was parked up and a drunk driver went ricocheting down the street and stuffed it along with 3 or 4 other cars.

adamwri

1,094 posts

165 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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A chap on here (DannyDC2) has an Civic (EK9?) with a K20 lump in there. From the YouTube videos he puts up, it looks pretty incredible. Got to say something about the high revving, NA engines in those kinds of cars do look great fun.

HappyMidget

6,788 posts

114 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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AW11 T-Bar Mk1 MR2 for my first car, was great fun smile

StottyEvo

6,860 posts

162 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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I've been fawning over the cars in these vids too, the 900kg 260hp Spoon EK9 stands out for me cloud9

It's difficult to justify purchasing an Ek9 though as I've got a 106GTi at 160hp & 850kg, with a few mods it will be below 800kg

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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Yes, I sold my Celica Carlos Sainz when I was 22/23 and bought a 1990 Mk1 MR2, which I much preferred. I absolutely adored it - it's probably the one former car I'd have back, after my Elise. They were just under a tonne I think (I've no idea how they were that much, they were tiny!), but it had one the best gearboxes I've ever tried, mounted right by the steering wheel, and a gorgeous revvy engine, coupled with balanced handling. Brilliant car driving

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

133 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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It's a bit different to what's been mentioned so far but someone gave me a mk4 Fiesta for nothing a few years ago. I've since had a 1.7l Puma engine put in which loves to rev - I've got Bilstein shocks at home waiting to go on along with uprated cams, a remap, and intake and exhaust to do next year. The car looks decidedly average but weighs only about 950kg so it's an absolute hoot

Light cars all the way. And because the paint's developed a bit of 'patina', supermarket car parks are no worry whatsoever lol

daveco

Original Poster:

4,122 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
StottyEvo said:
I've been fawning over the cars in these vids too, the 900kg 260hp Spoon EK9 stands out for me cloud9

It's difficult to justify purchasing an Ek9 though as I've got a 106GTi at 160hp & 850kg, with a few mods it will be below 800kg
I didn't know the 106 had 160hp and was that light! Thought the most powerful was 130hp and weighed about 1100kg? What mods have you had done?

TonyRPH

12,963 posts

167 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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The US magazine Road & Track tested a CRX against a Lotus Espirit and Porsche 911 back in 1988.

IIRC the CRX ran rings around both of those cars in terms of handling.

I just found a copy of that very magazine on Ebay.


daveco

Original Poster:

4,122 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
TonyRPH said:
The US magazine Road & Track tested a CRX against a Lotus Espirit and Porsche 911 back in 1988.

IIRC the CRX ran rings around both of those cars in terms of handling.

I just found a copy of that very magazine on Ebay.

Excellent. There's a vid on best motoring where it beats the Skyline R34 around track as well. I'm surprised there isn't more of a cult following for these or ultra light euro/Japanese cars of the same vintage.

macky17

2,210 posts

188 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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Another vote for the mk1 MR2 - terrific little thing I should have kept.

Had a 92 Civic VTi saloon and that was special also - very responsive and sounded great in vtec. Try finding one now though...

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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I have a well kept 1987 MR2. I'm very fond of it. It manages to be direct and raw without being bad over speed bumps or having no boot space, or generally being difficult to live with at all. The main compromises are safety and security.

cib24

1,115 posts

152 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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Had one. It's a fun car and very light but the newer 90s stuff, i.e. the EK9 Type R or DC2 Type R are better platforms. The CRX has the same flaws as all Hondas from the 80s and 90s though, they are piss easy to steal and get stolen often. I also would not want to be in any sort of accident in a CRX against a heavy modern car or even a tree.

Tickle

4,880 posts

203 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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daveco

Original Poster:

4,122 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Bennet said:
I have a well kept 1987 MR2. I'm very fond of it. It manages to be direct and raw without being bad over speed bumps or having no boot space, or generally being difficult to live with at all. The main compromises are safety and security.
Very interesting cars!

Wiki article on MR2: "In 1986 (1988 for the US market), Toyota introduced a supercharged engine for the MR2. Based on the same block and head, the 4A-GZE was equipped with a small Roots-type supercharger and a Denso intercooler. T-VIS was eliminated and the compression ratio was lowered to 8:1. It produced 145 horsepower (108 kW) and 140 pound-feet (190 N·m) and accelerated the small car from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.5 to 7.0s.[13][14] The supercharger was belt-driven but actuated by an electromagnetic clutch, so that it would not be driven except when needed, increasing fuel economy. Curb weight increased to as much as 2,494 pounds (1,131 kg) for supercharged models"

daveco

Original Poster:

4,122 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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Tickle said:
Kudos to him, it looks like he's invested a lot of money in making it a track fiend!

And Cib, thanks for the feedback; I am tempted to get something similar if I can.

StottyEvo

6,860 posts

162 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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daveco said:
StottyEvo said:
I've been fawning over the cars in these vids too, the 900kg 260hp Spoon EK9 stands out for me cloud9

It's difficult to justify purchasing an Ek9 though as I've got a 106GTi at 160hp & 850kg, with a few mods it will be below 800kg
I didn't know the 106 had 160hp and was that light! Thought the most powerful was 130hp and weighed about 1100kg? What mods have you had done?
They come from the factory with 120hp & 915kg. The engine was built by the previous owner but It has ITB's, Clio 182 injectors, port polished head, biggest cams possible without solid lifters, janspeed 4-2-1 manifold, 2" pugsport centre section & backbox. Built by Sandy Brown with custom made wiring loom and DTA Ecu. So to get it to 160hp does take a hell of a lot of engine work!

Butter Face

30,192 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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adamwri said:
A chap on here (DannyDC2) has an Civic (EK9?) with a K20 lump in there. From the YouTube videos he puts up, it looks pretty incredible. Got to say something about the high revving, NA engines in those kinds of cars do look great fun.
His is an EG (6 I think) with a K20. Brutal combination.

The original B16 is a great engine. I had an EJ9 (1998 base model 1.4 with no electric anything) and fitted a B16 in that. Circa 1000kg and it was a great car.

One of my mates had a CRX With the D16 non VTEC (I think it was a D16A9) with 130bhp and even that was quick.

I have also had a CRX (2nd generation with folding hardtop) with the B18C4 from the UK MB6 VTI-S model. Circa 180bhp with an LSD gearbox. That was a hoot.

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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I drove a Mk1 MR2 and sure it was nimble but it was pretty slow, rose tinted specs are all very well but it would drive most of us mental now.

HappyMidget

6,788 posts

114 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
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J4CKO said:
I drove a Mk1 MR2 and sure it was nimble but it was pretty slow, rose tinted specs are all very well but it would drive most of us mental now.
What would drive me mental would be constantly facing backwards on roundabouts hehe Even my VXR8 does not have such a tendency to face the wrong way!