limerence

I'm looking for a good commuter car and have zeroed in on the Civic VX hatchback. 1994 / 1995 especially for it's dual airbags. They seem to be harder and harder to find stock and in good condition these days.

So I've been going through posts seeing alot EG shells for sale. And so my question is, how difficult would it be if I found a CX or DX shell and put in a D15Z1 engine? And possibly even make it an automatic. Keep in mind that this will solely be used as a commuter.

The perfect setup for me would a white 1994 / 1995 SI (since those came with side airbags) with the VX engine . Put on some disc brakes and I'd keep that puppy for awhile.

black0hatch

it would be easy asuming the shell is allready auto. and the si is way heavier so that would lower gas millage from the stock vx and you should get some vx wheels too.

HAPRECYCLING

Well the main part of a vx is the tall geared tranny, Im not sure what type of MPG you will get w/ an automatic. It kinda defeats the purpose.

limerence

I agree that the auto would defeat the purpose. I'm also pretty lazy as well. I figured with the VX rated at 47/56 manual, maybe with an automatic I would be in the 40's which would still be pretty good. But I do hear ya and probably would just stick with a manual.

qat727

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by limerence &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm looking for a good commuter car and have zeroed in on the Civic VX hatchback. 1994 / 1995 especially for it's dual airbags. They seem to be harder and harder to find stock and in good condition these days.

So I've been going through posts seeing alot EG shells for sale. And so my question is, how difficult would it be if I found a CX or DX shell and put in a D15Z1 engine? And possibly even make it an automatic. Keep in mind that this will solely be used as a commuter.

The perfect setup for me would a white 1994 / 1995 SI (since those came with side airbags) with the VX engine . Put on some disc brakes and I'd keep that puppy for awhile.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, it is getting incredibly difficult to find a reasonably priced unmodified Civic hatch of any variety.

The VX was something of an odd duck. There are several things on it that are not included in other 92-95 hatches. Off the top of my head, it had VTEC-E with a wideband O2 sensor, 13" alloy wheels, rear underbody panel, and I believe the transmission was also different. Yes, you could convert a CX or a DX over, but bear in mind that a DX has more equipment than a VX and is heavier. CX has less stuff, so it would probably be easier to convert.

Automatics were only available in DX hatchbacks from 92-95, and I'm not certain that you would even be able to get the VX ECU to work properly with a DX auto.

Honestly, even thinking about putting a VX drivetrain into a Si hatch is just about foolish. The Si is heavy... Heavier than some of the sedans, in fact. The D16Z6 pulls it along nicely, and you can get about 30-40 MPG if you're nice to it. I'm not sure where you're getting your information, though. Unless you are referring to the passenger side airbag (which all 1994-1995 USDM Civics had), then none of the 1992-1995 USDM Civics came with side curtain or any other airbags. If the only reason you're looking at the Si is for the rear disc brakes, you'd be better suited finding a lighter hatchback chassis and swapping to rear disc brakes.

Honestly, if you want the fuel economy the VX offers, the best thing you could do would be to find a clean one, and pay going rate for it. Trying to piece one together can easily become a frustrating endeavor, especially if you're aiming for a reliable, stock daily driver.

Colby71

If you are lazy then why in hell would you want to do all the work to peace it together? Most people have herd the saying you can have your cake and eat it to. I think it fits well here if you want the vx economy then get a vx. If you want an auto get an auto.

limerence

Hi Matthew,

Thank you much for the information. Will stick to looking for a white stock VX then. Please let me know if anyone is selling one. Going to post in classifieds once my trial user is gone.

-John

limerence

colby71,

i wouldnt be the one peicing it together. have a friend that is willing to do the work if i can supply all the parts. but as matthew said, it would be better just to stick with the VX as is.

-John

qat727

Good luck on finding one. It's a tall order, especially in CA. Most cars that show up on H-T are already modified. You'll probably be better off looking at eBay, local classifieds, and word of mouth.

And for reference: in my area, I've only seen 2 stock VX's in the past 3 years, one of which was in the process of being modified.