New commuter car possibility (salvage CRX content inside)

[nm+]

A park and ride is not the same as a DC Metro lot. The DC Metro lots are pay to enter and patrolled, and only have one entrance/exit usually. The older CRX is nto really a theft magnet from lots like that. It'd be more likely stolen from his driveway. But even then, around here a CRX on steelies will probably not go anywhere. I know a number of people around here that commute daily in Integras, and if anything was a theft magnet, it's an Integra GSR.

Having represent a few (alleged) car thieves, I can tell you they'd steal that car from there.
No one will report it stolen until 5pm.

[Air and water do mix]

I'm more worried about riding the Metro, using the escalators, and crossing streets in DC without getting hit (been there, done that) than I am about the safety of driving the CRX.

And if I was worried, I'd make Claff drive it; I have more life insurance on him than I have on me

As for worries about getting stuck in the winter, that's what the 4 Runner is for (well besides towing the Miata)

Awesome.

My wife likes a lot of different cars, but you're at a whole different level.

[warren_s]

I'm more worried about riding the Metro, using the escalators, and crossing streets in DC without getting hit (been there, done that) than I am about the safety of driving the CRX.

Oh, snap, that's right! I -totally- forgot about the tens of thousands of people who die every year in accidents while commuting to work on a train.

.......

[Kate in MD]

Oh, snap, that's right! I -totally- forgot about the tens of thousands of people who die every year in accidents while commuting to work on a train.

.......

Obviously you have never ridden the Metro in DC; in the past 12 years, I spent 10 years riding it (and unfortunately I'm back again because of an office move).

I would rather take my chance in a CRX that I AM driving and have control of than with a train operator who may or may not have had enough sleep, may or may not remember to keep the doors closed while the train is moving, and may or may not remember to stop for the red signal. Oh, and don't forget about the system computers going down so that the HQ can't tell where the trains are. All common occurrences here in DC.

[Claff]

Not sure if we took or ignored the majority opinion here but regardless we went ahead and got the car over the weekend. Initial impressions are pretty good. Despite the aggressive suspension the ride isn't punishing, and the Ebay header/exhaust combo actually sounds pretty good. We have some work to do to re-attach some random trim pieces, and I'd love to find a non-ratty drivers seat, and there's some other things here and there that should be attended to, but overall it should be a serviceable car for the purpose we'll be using it.

[simon_C]

looks like you got a pretty solid ride there

kinda jealous actually.

[Air and water do mix]

Hmmmm. That looks pretty good! If you dont mind my asking, what was the final price?

I'd probably yank the sticker, clean up the engine bay, fix the trim you mentioned, go through the brakes, change fluids and just drive the hell out of it!

[nm+]

RACK

[Claff]

Sticker's already gone. Working on removing the purple tint which is a PITA.

I offered the seller $1600 expecting him to balk but he too that offer. Makes me think I could have got away with less but what a hundred bucks at that point?

Tomorrow I pick up the big book of service records/receipts from the two previous owners, which date back to 1990. Once I go through that I'll have a better idea of what really needs to be done sooner rather than later.

[myeyesareopen]

looks fresh, i'd steal

[Smigelski]

Trade drives with a BRZ?

[Air and water do mix]

Sticker's already gone. Working on removing the purple tint which is a PITA.

I offered the seller $1600 expecting him to balk but he too that offer. Makes me think I could have got away with less but what a hundred bucks at that point?

Tomorrow I pick up the big book of service records/receipts from the two previous owners, which date back to 1990. Once I go through that I'll have a better idea of what really needs to be done sooner rather than later.

Sweet. Having records is quite a bonus on a $1600.00 car!

[Claff]

Trade drives with a BRZ?

I dunno, you might like it.

My plate's kinda sorta full with gearing up for our trip to Nationals in a week or so, not sure if I'll be able to devote much time to the CRX till after we come back. Once I get it legal and everything I'm sure we can find a time and place to take each other's cars around the block.

[eiriksmil]

Favorite forum thread so far this year.. More couples should be like this!

[Robski92]

Looks pretty clean.

[Accidental L8 apex]

As Alan said, I'm not "most" women...





and my boss got a kick out of the car when I crossed paths with her in our previous parking garage.

Get this lady the CRX! /thread, 'cause it ain't gonna get any cooler than her joining and setting everyone straight

EDIT: good on ya' both. I'd lose the "RACK" if I were a female driving that though.

[eiriksmil]

Get this lady the CRX! /thread, 'cause it ain't gonna get any cooler than her joining and setting everyone straight

EDIT: good on ya' both. I'd lose the "RACK" if I were a female driving that though.

You are not a very good reader, are you?

Sent from my HTC ChaCha A810e using Tapatalk 2

[Accidental L8 apex]

You are not a very good reader, are you?

Sent from my HTC ChaCha A810e using Tapatalk 2

Are you? I did a ninja-edit hours before your post.

[Claff]

So we've had the thing here for four days and I'm already thinking of where I want to go with it. I think it'll need paint eventually if I want to replace the dinged-up front fender and address the little bit of rust that's poking out of the rear fenders. I don't care much for the Maaco "Apple Red" color and I'm thinking of going black (NOT FLAT BLACK).

Many years ago my dad was an ice racer in upstate New York and ran old Hondas. Most of the Hondas were basic black but for the last few years he painted stripes on as well, like this Photoshop:



I'd like to pay homage to those cars by incorporating those colors on the CRX. Here's the first draft I whipped up and so far I really like it.



I'm sure I'll have some other ideas in the not-too-distant future as I get input on this (the wife is not necessarily on board with this particular design). Lucky doing it in Photoshop is a lot easier than actually doing it on the car.

[Roadkilled78]

Very 80's colors, IMO. But that fits the car well. Do it!

[Smigelski]

As long as the repaint is a good job, then I'd do it (black seems really hard to paint well). I'm not a fan of black cars parked outside, but I know you don't mind.

[Claff]

I can almost guarantee that the black repaint will not be a great job as I'll be tackling that myself. I might wimp out and have my dad spray the paint after I do all the prep, since I've never laid paint on myself. But the prep will all be done in my driveway.

It seems to be that my specialty is to ruin the resale value of cars that showed up here with no resale value already, so why stop now?

[VR6 GLX Man]

Not sure If I missed it, but what did you do with the Mazda 3 you had?
Get hot on any small maintenance items if you haven't already, plugs air filter oil change, timing belt, just to make sure the car wont crap out for something small.

[VR6 GLX Man]

Have autozone test your battery and alternator, so if one fails get it changed so you wont find out yourslef.

The Car looks pretty solid though

[Numbersix]

It seems to be that my specialty is to ruin the resale value of cars that showed up here with no resale value already, so why stop now?

Looks like a fun little commuter/project. They really are the high water mark for affordable, lightweight FWD cars in my book. That one looks a bit beat up but salvageable.

[Claff]

Not sure If I missed it, but what did you do with the Mazda 3 you had?

We still have and still use the Mazda3. The CRX is not yet registered. It being a salvage title car means it will be subject to a salvage vehicle inspection by the DMV, then I can get the regular used car inspection, then it can be registered. I know there is at least one thing to fix before inspection (cross-threaded lugnut, might tackle that tomorrow). I have the MD vehicle inspection checklist here so I'll be going through the whole thing to nip any unpleasant surprises that might crop up in inspection before they happen.

Once the car is legal, we'll give the wife a couple weeks of using it to make sure she can live with it and its lack of creature comforts. If she says it's OK with her, then the FOR SALE sign goes on the 3.

[Kate in MD]

Definitely not sold on this color scheme. I think you need to try again...

[Air and water do mix]

Definitely not sold on this color scheme. I think you need to try again...

At first I was like , then I realized it was your car!

[odj]

Ooooh, that looks nice. I say keep the red

[Kate in MD]

At first I was like , then I realized it was your car!

Exactly!

I would almost rather put money into a tuned ECU than paint

[odj]

I would almost rather put money into a tuned ECU than paint

Win!

[Claff]

I would almost rather put money into a tuned ECU than paint

Tuned ECU for a daily driver commutermobile? You planning on retiring your Miata?

Also, reconsidering paint color. Now we're thinking of doing it over in its original bright red. If we do, maybe this will wind up being the stripe scheme:

[Smigelski]

I like the red, no so much the stripes.

[tomjava]

The car exterior is still in good condition for a 24 years old car.

[Claff]

500 mile update

Car sailed through inspection, no worries there. I've been driving it almost exclusively looking for possible issues but finding few. It rides hard but not much worse than the MSM or my '90 Miata on Tein Flex coilovers. The wife's biggest hangup was that the radio got pretty much zero reception; ten minutes later the dash was apart and I found that the antenna simply wasn't plugged into the head unit.

38 MPG for its last tankful. I can live with that.

There are things that will need attention. The tires on the stock alloys are antique (2006 date codes) so we'll fire on some all-seasons before it gets too cold. Oil doesn't want to stay in the engine with a suspected oil pan gasket leak. Not sure if I'm willing to tackle that now or wait and see just how much is leaking. The heater control panel in the dash is disintegrating (24 year old plastic FTW) and there is still those funny behaving gauges.

I autocrossed the car a week or so ago and I got smoked by the wife in her Miata, with most of the difference being straight-line speed. So we don't need to spend any money trying to develop this car further, we'll remain in the Miata fold.

The car already paid for itself as far as Metro parking. I went to a Nationals game last Monday and the Metro lot was very full. I followed three cars that all passed up one tight spot; I said I didn't care and jammed it in there. I had to suck in my gut to squeeze out the door. The best part was that the car was still there when I got back from the game.

The wife made her maiden commute later in the week and made it there and back in one piece with no complaints. This crazy experiment just might work out.