Comptech (Mugen) CRX in Super Street Mag.

[jadkar]

This may not interest all of you but I thought it was really incredible!!

When I was at NSXPO this past year we all traveled out to Comptech's facilities. When I walked in and started looking around I almost fell over when I saw up on a shelf the legendary Mugen GT-4 CRX. I have always loved the CRX, that car was actually the beginning of my admiration for Hondas. I have owned 4 CRX SIs and my 1990 is still in my garage and hasn't been driven in 8 years. Everyone was ogling over the IMSA race car, and the other NSXs, but sadly I don't think anyone realized what was right in front of them, not too many people have ever seen that CRX run, and it hasn't been officially raced since the 80's. While I was drooling at this ghostly car and taking photos, the only one who looked with me was a fellow North East member Bob Ondrovic (RSO34). He was looking at the underside of the car with me, and I'm sure he really didn't know the complete history behind that little CRX. Anyway this month in Super Street they wrote a great article on that very CRX and I wanted to post it, You won't be able to read it so stayed tuned, I will retype it.

For those who were at Comptech, I hope you took a good look at that CRX, it is a unbelievable piece of Honda's racing history, and it was by far one of the biggest highlights of my trip.....and it wasn't even an NSX!!

 

[jadkar]

pg2.

 

[jadkar]

pg.3

 

[NSX/MR2]

The CRX is a very well respected performance platform when built properly. I just don't like the ricers out there drawing shit up, put a fart can on, then try to test my NSX or MR2.

 

[jadkar]

I agree......unfortunately I have seen this all before. Once a car gets to a certain age everyone gets a hold of it and it becomes a victim of unfortunate destruction. These people destroy the clean lines and concept that was the CRX. There are a few beautifully modified CRXs burning up the tracks out there, but most, IMO are too riced out

Anyway........here is the text, it is a great article and the CRX is still, and always will be a great car.

"Gone but not forgotten…..

Nestled deep in a back corner of Comptech’s garage bay sits a treasure that is seldom seen by the public eye Dormant it lays quiet unscathed and on some days a soft layer of dust can be swiped with one swoop of your index finger. Though it seems awfully unassuming this CRX has seen plenty of action if only but two decades ago. You see this is no ordinary CRX and those graphics weren’t cut by your local speed shop. This is Mugen’s GT4 racer (though now owned by Comptech) built solely to compete in the SCCAs GT4 series as pat t of Hondas second generation of sports cars, American Honda and Mugen took the 84 CRX chassis and began to make simple race plans for it. Fair enough. AHM would handle the suspension and bodywork, while Mugen oversaw all engine and drivetrain duties. The GT-4 CRX would kick off Mugen’s longstanding presence in American motorsports history and identify the company as a premiere parts supplier, even to this day.
Not much is known about the GT-4 CRX since a majority of its specs still remain a secret to this day, not to mention the technology has been far surpassed by today’s standards. What we can tell you is that the engine, dubbed Mugen XA- 1 USR, is an inline four-cylinder, 12-valve overhead cam design. Two prototypes were initially produced by Mugen in Japan and sent to the US, where they were then tested in a stock CRX body. From these prototypes, three race engines that took nearly two months to complete were built by Mugen’s Formula-1 racing team. Even though the Formula-1 team worked primarily on V-6 engines, it was mentioned in Mugen’s company profile that working on these four-cylinders was an enjoyable experience. We’re not sure if enjoyable would be the correct adjective to use, we’re having trouble getting our chubbies to go away.
If you’re craving hard-core tech specs, we can only give you the following tidbits of info because trying to figure out what the GT-4 CRX is made up of is like trying to figure out what exactly the Matrix is. You’ll probably never get a clear definition. The 12-valve, single cam engine has a displacement of 1529cc with a bore/stroke of 75x86.5 and a compression ratio of 12.3:1. The most outstanding features of the engine are the Weber side-draft 45-DCOE carburetors and the signature Mugen exhaust header. Powered with a CDI. ignition system, the GT-4 CRX generates over 162.74 hp at 7,800 rpm while delivering 122.96 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. Considering this car was built and raced prior to your parents making whoopee in the backseat of their Volkswagen Beetle, this little sucker proved to be pretty damn powerful for its time.
As previously mentioned, AHM was left in charge of the suspension and chassis work, who then employed Dix Erickson and the Special Project Team to strip down the CR.X and install the rollcage. The CRX already had a great deal of potential, so the decision was made to leave the standard suspension layout as it came from the factory. This was also the reason why they did not use a tube frame constructed design either, as it is evidently shown in the pictures featured here. The outer chassis was then painted in Mugen’s traditional colors, even though the original Mugen signage is no longer being employed, The Mugen GT-4 CRX saw its first race in May of 1985, where it won its very first race at Road Atlanta in the hands of Doug Peterson. After that, the team took every step to ensure that the gears, exhaust systems, brakes, wheels, and suspensions were continuously refined. Peterson would later take the 1985 National Championship in the GT-4 series, while Parker Johnstone took the 1986 National Championship with the same car. Its biggest win, however, occurred on August 8, 1985 (My birthday! I turned six.- DR), where the Mugen GT-4 CRX competed at an SCCA event down at the Carlsbad Raceway against several GT- I, 2, and 3 cars. With Peterson behind the helm, the Mugen team beat everyone during qualifying and took the pole position. During the race, it repeated its qualifying performance, finishing first and becoming the overall winner. But now it sits, most likely never to be driven again. It is but a mere ghost of Mugen’s past. If there were ever a remote possibility of it being fired up, just to hear it idle, we’d love to be there."