Hello to everyone! I'm JHMED, and I just thought I'd intoduce myself to the fellow ED/EF/EE lovers here! My name's Andy, I live in Calgary, Canada. I was building an EF8 SiR replica from my ol' 88 CRX Si, and I got myself in over my head. I had all these cool JDM toys, but then I realized... wait, I actually have to INSTALL them all too! I found it was cheaper to import an SiR and restore it using all the shit I had accumulated over the years than it was to restore my 88 (bad rust problems) and THEN install all my JDM goodies. In the end, I am comfortable with my decision to import, however as you will find out eventually, I am somewhat tormented over the whole import it/built it debate... Sorry to babble on.... Anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself cuz this looks like a neat little corner of the internet for me to hang out in!
OMFG!! a glasstop CRX from the motherland, man I hate you, Welcome new mod, more spec's and info on this car PLEASE :cry:
Thanks for all the kind words, guys! I am in the midst of trying to restore this car, as it was in pretty rough shape when she came to me. I'm planning to do the Mugen PRO 2 kit on her (all I need is front/rear bumpers), a new suspension, brake upgrades (she has no ABS), installation of some other goodies I have and some cosmetic work, and she's all but done. SPECS: 1990 Honda CR-X EF8 SiR (JDM, Right Hand Drive) B16A Engine w/Y1 Transmission (LSD, maybe - need to pull an axle to find out for sure...) Glass Roof Auto Air Conditioning Leather Steering Wheel Power Steering / Windows / Mirrors Factory Bronze-Tint Windows (All Except Windshield) Spoiler Engine Dress-up/Performance: JDM Civic Type R EK9 Valve Cover JDM Civic Type R EK9 Oil Cap Spoon Sports Tuned PW0 ECU Spoon Sports VTEC Controller Spoon Sports Thermostat K&N Filter SPAC Radiator Cap Interior: JDM Honda Access Gathers Rear Speaker Bass Tubes JDM Honda Access "Honda Super Sound" Rear Speaker Covers JDM Honda Access CR-X Floor Mats JDM Honda Access Parking Pole Switch JDM Honda Access Fog Light Switch JDM Honda Access Double Switch Plate (Dash) JDM Honda Access "Personal Box" Ashtray JDM Integra Type R DC2 Shift Boot Honda Accessory Armrest Spoon Sports Shift Knob B&M Short Throw Shifter Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings Broadway 240mm Wide Angle Mirror Attachment JDM Honda Access Dash Mat (w/cup holder) JDM Honda Access Trunk Mat JDM Honda Gathers Double DIN Stereo w/Band Expander "Powered By Honda" Tachometer Assembly (coupled w/below) JDM "Spoon Sports" Speedometer (Not functioning, using OEM until I can repair) Suspension: Spoon Sports Front Upper Strut Brace OBX Rear Upper Brace (Modified To Eliminate Cutting Rear Interior Panels) New SR Special (JDM KYB) Lowering Springs & Struts 26mm Front Sway Bar & 21mm Rear Sway Bar (Brand Unknown) 15" Mugen MR-5 w/Yokohama DNA Grand Prix (F) & ADVAN Neova (R) 195/55R15 Exterior: Mugen Side Skirts w/Genuine Mugen Emblems Honda Accessory Rear Mud Flaps JDM Honda Access Door Visors JDM Honda Access Aero Mirror Covers (waiting repair & paint) JDM Honda Access License Plate Locks JDM Parking Decal JDM Inspection Decal Japanese "Premium" Front License Plate (Illuminating) Japanese License Plate 'Seal' (Not installed for daily driving) Mugen License Plate Bolts "I Love My Honda" Clingy - EVERYONE needs one of those! LOL Some Before and After pics of the car when it was in Japan, and at various stages last summer can be found here: http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/jhmed/Before And After/ More pics can be found here: http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/jhmed/ PS: A lot of my stuff came from shopresponse, too!
Thanks! Words of Wisdom: After your conversion, remember to pay special close attention to the center-line of the road, left turns and going thru drive-thru's by yourself!
very nice!!! how much it costs to get one imported in?...did you do it yourself or go thru a company?..and whats the breakdown of it...ie actual car cost? shipping cost? DMV Fees? etc ive been curious about doing this with a car or 2 in the future and was just wondering..i know you live in Canada but just to get a general idea....thanks a bunch :rocks:
Welcome to JDM CHAT This is a Good Question what are some of your Experances with Importing what was Did you have the Hardest time with... :rocks: (or is that SiR a Complete Conversion)
No no, she's genuine alright. Well, funny you mention it, I'm having some problems right now over the importation of the car and shit. Funny how stuff can still surface even more than a year after it arrived... Looks like the shop who did the inspection didn't do it properly, and now there are issues. When I have more information I will share everything with y'all, but for now I have to get some shit straight.
i'm a bit late, but i just discovered your thread. gotta say that your Japanese CRX is very nice, especially after you restored it. did you actually go to japan when you were in the process of buying it and doing all the car paperwork. and did you also keep the white wheels that were on it in Japan (SSR's?)? anyways, sorry for all the questions, and once again, very nice/clean rex. aloha!
Thank you for the kind words... I wasn't in Japan when the car came available for purchase. The story goes something like this: I had a USDM 88 that I had literally torn apart, and was rebuilding from the ground up making a JDM replica to the last detail (minus RHD). I was putting on a glass roof, I was tearing the front bulkhead off to replace with a JDM unit. I wanted so complete, so GENUINE a replica I was even in the process of getting the front frame rails from an EF8 so that I wouldn't have to use aftermarket motor mounts for my B16 swap. In February 2005, money, my girlfriend, my residence, my whole situation in life was about to change. I had this stripped car in my garage and nothing could be done about it in time. Basically I was just too damned picky for my own good and that car would still be in pieces if I had it today. A JDM Si came into the Honda dealer where I work and it needed some repairs. Nothing major, just some maintenence and some little things. It was also for sale... I was so tempted. For about $5k US I could have a virtually comeplete car, and one in much better condition than the one I had in my garage. After much turmoil and sitting on the fence on the idea, I called the owner and told him I wanted to buy it. He told me that someone else was going to buy it and that weekend they were driving three hours to the city where the buyer lived to deliver the car. I asked him to reconsider. He said he'd think about it and he'd call me back. No sooner did I hang up that phone when another friend of mine, Dieter, called and said one of his contacts in Japan could get an SiR with all the options I wanted. How much? I asked. His answer was pretty close to the asking price of the Si. I said get pictures and you got a deal. The funny thing was, Dieter didn't know I was even looking. No one knew but my girlfriend and the guys at work. Dieter worked for a company called Custom Auto at the time, and they handled all the importation paperwork. All I had to do was get it inspected when it arrived. They used a company that specializes in exporting cars from Japan to Canada called World Car Link to get the car and put it on the boat. Three months later, I had my very own SiR. I used almost all the parts from my JDM Replica Project to restore the SiR, and I sold the rest to help fund the importation. Do I regret buying this one instead of finishing my old 88? Yeah, I do, sometimes. It was not an easy decision to make, but something had to be done about her. Am I happy with the SiR? Yes, very. Would I do it the same way again? Absolutely. People often spout the 'bought not built' rhetoric when they are hatin' on me or the car, but I come back with: "Bought then RE-built. That's more accurate." EDIT: No, I swapped the wheels for Mugen MR5s. I sold the SSRs.
