October 10th, 2022 - Project PRO.2 Honda CR-X SiR Photos from the 2022 Driving Season

 October 10th, 2022 - Project PRO.2 Honda CR-X SiR Photos from the 2022 Driving Season 

I'm not sure why, but I've had a very difficult time updating the blog this summer. I have several draft posts started but never really made it past the outline stage. I'm hoping now that the driving season is winding down, I'll have more motivation to get working on those posts. In the meantime, I thought I'd get started by posting some of my favorite photos from this past season.

Back in the Spring, I finished up my Mugen rear bumper install. Aside from repairs and paint, she's about 90% complete. I also installed some additional garage lighting over the CR-X side of the garage to make working out there with the door closed a much better experience...

Made several trips to downtown Calgary over the summer. When I was working downtown I was able to do some location scouting so finally I was able to make it to several different parking garages that I've had my eye on. 

One of the items on my to-do list for photoshoots was to find a Calgary Stampede storefront display of hay bales and snap some pictures. For those who don't know what the Calgary Stampede is, it's a 10-day festival celebrating our 'wild west' and cowboy heritage. Everyone dresses in cowboy hats, jeans and checkered shirts for a week and many stores/restaurants decorate with a wild west theme. There's a parade, and if you're properly motivated you can find a free pancake breakfast every day of the week during Stampede. There is a fairground with rides for the kids, midway games, lots of concerts (country and otherwise), and a rodeo competition including chuckwagon races, calf roping and bull riding. And of course, there's lots of drinking and debauchery. A lot of drinking and debauchery... but it's also a lot of fun!

 

A kidney stone sidelined me for most of Stampede, but on the very last day I was feeling well enough for a trip downtown and found a display outside of The Keg to take some photos...

It was apparent after the 'Stampede' pics (to me at least) that the CR-X was in desperate need of a bath so I got up early the next Saturday morning, and I went to the car wash then off to one of my favorite spots to try and get some sunrise pics. The sunrise was spectacular, and I'm so glad I went. Probably should have dried the car off with a chamois but live and learn I guess... 

The next day, Sunday afternoon, I headed out west to see what new and interesting places I could find to take some pictures. Before I knew it, I was in the Rocky Mountains. I hadn't taken the CR-X there since 2005 -- almost 17 years ago! I made it out to Canmore, Alberta where I bought a couple bottles of water and headed back home. Got some great pictures along the way too!

I finished the prep-work for the ViS front bumper (more on that in an upcoming post), and installed it for a test fit. The fit was good enough in my eyes to leave it installed. After all, I ran an unpainted front bumper for 17 years, so what's the big deal running this one? Yes, the fitment needs some tweaking but when I weighed having a more 'complete look' over the small details, it was acceptable to me to leave it installed. So I now have a Mugen replica front bumper...

Was having some difficulty drilling through my stainless steel tilt license plate bracket to make a pass-through for the license plate wiring, so I quickly installed the plate without the tilt bracket, using some spacers to make room for the wiring to slip behind the bumper via the large hole. And then it was off to 7-Eleven to take the obligatory car pics!

Went for a little cruise and stopped at a couple spots, including a nearby Honda dealer along the way.

I'd been wanting to take some pictures in front of a Japanese restaurant near my house, but I didn't want any other cars in the photos so I got up early on a Sunday morning and got ready to go. My dog gave me the 'look' and then stood beside the garage door, her way of telling me she was going too. I tried to shoo her up the stairs but she wasn't having it. She stopped about halfway up and looked back at me in disgust. How could I say no to that face? She's only ever ridden in the CR-X once since we adopted her in 2009. So I figured what the hell? When I opened the car door, she knew right where to go, hopping across the driver's seat and into the passenger's side without hesitation. I loved having her in the shots I took, and she had so much fun riding in the CR-X (I mean, who doesn't?!). 

And that gave me an idea...

According to Honda Japan, my car was built on September 6th, 1989. I don't assume that it was built in one day, but I imagine that they use either the day it passed QA checks at the factory or the day assembly was completed or something like that. I know it's silly but life is about being fun and silly and so every year on that day, I try to do something nice for my car. Buy some small part or accessory, or take her out for a picture or two, maybe a wash. Something. 

This year was no different...

Before the pandemic, I used to work in an office that overlooked a parking garage. I thought the surrounding buildings would make an excellent backdrop for photos of my CR-X so I made a mental note of it for the next time I got the car back on the road. Mission accomplished. Went on a Sunday, around noon and got some really nice shots. Like those so much I went back after installing the front bumper, only to get even better shots (in my opinion). It was quiet and no one else was around for the entire hour I spent up there. The idea I'd had when Bonzai and I went for our drive suddenly fell into place. I had the location... And I went back the following weekend with the dogs for a CR-X/Puppy Photoshoot!

With Dogs:

W.C. Fields said “Never work with children or animals.”

And while I agree, it was a much more challenging photoshoot than a normal one, me alone, just snapping pics of my stationary car. But what I learned from taking pictures with my car and my dogs, is that sometimes the outtakes are just as adorable as the pictures you try and stage.

Hi! What doing, Dad?

You got anymore of those treats in your pockets, Dad?

And finally, here are some misc pictures from throughout the summer that I really liked.

Her 'hide and seek' game needs a little work

"What are we driving?" Instagram Reel shoot

Laying on the floor working on the bumper and really liked this angle.

Scotibank Saddledome arena. Go Flames Go!

Getting some dinosaur juice. Glad I fell in love with a 4cyl car with these prices!

Remember, this blog was written in chronological order so, you will need to click OLDER POSTS to move forward in time, and click NEWER POSTS to go backwards.