Ken Ostrow is one of those Honda guys who prefers the H badge to all others. The central Florida resident has owned a brace of them in his life, but perhaps none more dear to his heart than his '91 CRX Si. This car serves not only as his daily driver, but also his SCCA track sled.
Ostrow says he's always been a fan of the second-gen. CRX and he flipped back in 1990 when he saw the J-market SiR. Since it was nearly impossible to import one, Ostrow took matters into his own hands and set about getting as close as possible to SiR spec. Although he intended it to be a performance-oriented Rex, he also wanted the creature comforts of a daily driver.
"I had no plans on building the fastest, hottest, loudest or most expensive CRX," he says. "I just wanted a clean, all-around, well-performing vehicle. Since this was going to be a daily driver, there had to be some practicalities, like a decent stereo, air conditioning and full interior."Six months into Ostrow's search for the right car, he found this single-owner Si with just 45,000 miles on the odometer. Without hesitation, he bought it, then refreshed the car with new bushings, gaskets, a seal, axles and all other minor parts subject to the ravages of time. Next he turned his attention to the powerplant.
Mini-Me
While at night visions of B16s danced in his head, Ostrow saw in the harsh light of morning that he was on a budget that B-series power was sure to break. Then a friend told him about the popular D-series combo known as the Mini-Me. Ostrow sourced a D16Y8 single-cam head from a 1996-2000 Civic EX to mate with his Si's D16A6 block. The Y8 head interfaces directly with the CRX block, bumps compression ratio to 10.8:1 and improves flow. Ostrow says it also gets him better fuel economy on the highway.
Another plug-and-play upgrade includes the Integra PG-7 ECU, which interfaces directly with the Si's wiring harness (the PG-7 is a D series-based module) and allows for more aggressive fuel mapping through low and midrange rpm. Aiding those new fuel maps are NGK plugs and wires and B&M fuel pressure regulator. An A'PEXi V-AFC and VTEC controller comprise the final stage of fuel fine-tuning.
Other power upgrades include AEM cold-air intake scooping air from behind the passenger-side headlight and an overhauled exhaust system: Chikara torque step header, CATCO high-flow catalytic converter, custom 2.25-inch exhaust equipped with a Dynomax Turbo muffler.
A Minor Disaster Strikes
"Though things looked bad, it all worked in my favor," Ostrow says about the incident wherein an inattentive driver coasted through a four-way stop in time to meet the CRX. "The only major damage was my front bumper and headlights. I figured this was the best time to do my JDM body conversion."
Ostrow's insurance adjuster, an unsung hero in this epic, was duly impressed with the condition of the car--front end excepted--and cut Ostrow a check large enough to fund not only the front end work, but also a complete red paint job. Score one for the insurance industry.
The front end includes a new J-spec bumper, hood, radiator support, headlamps and corner markers. In the following weeks, more JDM goods like quarter panels, rear bumper, wing and taillight assemblies fell into place, all installed by Ostrow and good friend (and former autocross instructor) Dave Junkins. Wild Pom Graphics supplied the modest decals posted in the rear quarter windows.
Ostrow recently upgraded the Rex's running gear to include Ground Control coil-overs consisting of Koni Yellow adjustable shocks sheathed in Eibach ERS springs (chosen for their mild street manners, he says). Powerslot brake rotors stand in for the factory issue discs front and rear, while new O.E. calipers, painted red, ride the rotors in front and back with Hawk HPS pads. Goodridge lines, meanwhile, replace the fallible factory passages all around. In lieu of 17s or 18s, Ostrow kept his wheel choice conservative, opting for a set of 15x6.5-inch Rota Grids shod with Kumho 712 street tires.
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