The enthusiastic car community knows full well how good of a platform the Honda CRX is. Even up to this day, you’re considered lucky enough if you’ve managed to get your hands on one of these rare gems, or even if you have one stuck in your garage.
The Honda CRX, even if it’s almost four decades old, is still kicking it as a daily commuter car or even as a race track scourge. One slight drawback from owning one of these cars is that it’s not inherently built to be fast, and it can’t compete with the sports cars that are roaming around today.
The idea of having the Honda CRX compete with the modern sports cars today is far-fetched (unless you turbocharge or supercharge it). However, if you just want to introduce some extra horsepower to your oldies-but-goodies 80s vehicle, then we have something for you.
Intake systems are a great way of not only incorporating some extra horsepower into your car, but it also can be a solution for your gas consumption problems, or even if you just want some aggressive sound under the hood.
If you’re looking for some intake systems for your Honda CRX, then you probably know how difficult it is to find one. The car is old, and many auto parts manufacturers have stopped making power mods like intake systems for these cars.
Luckily for you, we’ve come up with a list of the three Honda CRX air intakes that are still available today. Scroll down below to see what are the best ones to get for your vehicle.
#1 Injen IS Short Ram Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: Injen Technology
- Unique Feature: SuperNano-Web dry air filter
- Horsepower Gain: N/A
- Compatibility: Honda CRX Si (1988-1991)
Injen Technology is one of the prominent names when it comes to aftermarket intake systems for vehicles. Three decades of experience may not be enough for some people.
Still, Injen Technologies had used this time to specialize and manufacture high-quality air induction products like the Injen IS Short Ram Air Intake System. This short ram air intake is ideal for budget-oriented car enthusiasts who are just starting to work on their project cars like the Honda CRX.
The Injen IS Short Ram Air Intake System can provide some extra horsepower gains for your Honda CRX without even messing up your car’s air-fuel ratios. This intake system features a free-flowing aluminum intake tubing mated with an efficient air filter called the SuperNano-Web.
It’s efficient enough to deal with the air impurities that pose a threat to your engine. It even comes with an optional hydro shield, just if you want to protect your car from hydrolocking.
There’s no denying that the Injen IS Short Ram Air Intake System is an attractive option for most Honda CRX owners. It certainly looks terrific, it performs well, and it also produces an aggressive under the hood sound that can bring eargasm to the driver.
Previous owners of the intake system love how well it performs and how aggressive the sound it produces under the hood. The only problem with this one is fitment, so it’d be best if you’ve got some long spare silicone hoses ready.
Injen IS Short Ram Air Intake System Features:
- SuperNano-Web dry air filter
- Comes with an optional hydro shield
- Aggressive engine sound under high revs
- Doesn’t require tuning after installation
- Backed with Injen Technology Limited Lifetime Warranty
#2 K&N 57 Series FIPK Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: K&N Engineering
- Unique Feature: High-density XLPE tubing
- Horsepower Gain: 4.39hp
- Compatibility: Honda CRX Base (1989-1991) – Honda CRX DX (1988) – Honda CRX Si (1988-1991)
The first name that springs in most car enthusiasts’ minds when the term air intakes are uttered is K&N. Through time, K&N Engineering has proven itself one of the leading providers of air intake systems air filters.
Just like Honda, their products are reliable and are guaranteed to stand the test of time. For the Honda CRX, they have the 57 Series FIPK Air Intake System.
Unlike most aftermarket Honda CRX intake in the market today, K&N made their intake tubes out of XLPE or cross-linked polyethylene. This type of material is highly favored by many manufacturers for its durability and high thermal resistance.
This means that the cold air passing through the intake will not be affected by your engine’s heat emission, making the volumetric airflow in your engine as efficient as possible.
The 57 Series FIPK Air Intake System can give some extra horsepower for your Honda CRX, 4.39hp at 5416RPM, to be exact.
This air intake system is a real bang for the buck purchase you can have for your Honda CRX. K&N air intakes are famous for providing reliable aftermarket intake systems for people like you who want to help their cars breathe better.
However, as a smart online buyer, you have to be sure that the item or the store you’re buying from is authentic.
K&N 57 Series FIPK Air Intake System Features:
- High-Density Cross-Linked Polyethylene tubing material
- Horsepower increase of up to 4.39hp @ 5416RPM
- Round and red cotton gauze air filters
- Backed with K&N Million-Mile Warranty
#3 AEM Performance Cold Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: AEM
- Unique Feature: Dryflow synthetic washable air filter
- Horsepower Gain: N/A
- Compatibility: Honda CRX Si (1988-1991)
And lastly, we have the AEM Cold Air Intake System. You can get a cold air intake system developed by a company that has dedicated itself to manufacturing and innovating air induction products like this one, which is specifically created for the Honda CRX.
The AEM Performance Cold Air Intake System is an effective solution for your car’s breathing problem. By getting rid of your restrictive stock intakes, you’re allowing this aftermarket intake system to open the floodgates of free-flowing oxygen-rich air that is necessary for efficient fuel combustion.
The AEM Dryflow air filter, partnered with a mandrel-bent aluminum tubing, can give your car the extra boost in horsepower, torque, and mileage that it deserves. And also, the intake tubing is powder-coated with a gunmetal gray power finish to make it more of a sight for sore eyes.
This Honda CRX cold air intake has served its purpose very well. Previous owners claim that they’ve felt that oomph in power, especially in the low and mid-range RPMs.
However, cold air intakes like these ones can be at risk of hydro locking, especially if you have to drive through muddy areas and/or puddles to go home. It’d be in your best interest to get your hands on some bypass valve to eliminate the risks of hydrolocking.
AEM Performance Cold Air Intake System Features:
- Noticeable increase in horsepower, especially in the low and mid-range revs
- Dryflow synthetic washable air filter
- Free-flowing aluminum intake tubing
- Gunmetal gray powder-coating finish
- Backed with AEM Limited Lifetime Warranty
Honda CRX Aftermarket Intake Systems: Are They Worth It?
Here’s a short answer for the impatient ones: Yes, they are worth it. Aftermarket intake systems can do much good in most project cars, especially for vehicles like the Honda CRX.
We all know full and well that this car is indeed fun to drive, whether it’s the daily commute or the occasional track duty. However, some elements on this car don’t seem to fit into the standards of the typical modern-day car enthusiast: power, sound, and performance.
As we’ve said earlier, the Honda CRX was not inherently built to be fast. That means its powerplant is not as capable compared to the engines of this era. As for the sound, the car can give you a flashback due to nostalgia, but it can’t give you the eargasm you want to hear from a project car.
As for the performance, the handling of this car is impressive. However, the power and acceleration can head into the lab for some improvements.
This is where the intake system comes in. If you’re a seasoned car enthusiast, then you’ve probably seen the war between those who think intake systems are excellent and those who believe that they are trash.
However, if you visit the Honda CRX forums, you’ll see no feud between those two parties. May because Honda CRX owners believe that intake systems are indeed a worthy upgrade.
Aftermarket intake systems can boost horsepower and torque the car needs and other benefits like better mileage, and of course, that fantastic and aggressive sound under the hood.
Having a decent aftermarket intake system for your Honda CRX may not be the difference between night and day, but it sure bolsters your car’s performance.
There’s only a handful of available aftermarket intake systems that are available for the Honda CRX today, so be sure to take note of the ones above so you won’t have to scour the dark depths of the internet to look for Honda CRX intake systems.