Mugen-RR

i found a wrecked 1996 Del Sol today being parted out. im on the hunt for some parts because i bought a virgin 92 VX hatch last week missing some things and needs some minor repairs. i am looking specifically for an ignition to replace the busted one in my car from an attempted theft.

so, if s/o out there who knows or have tried it, what parts can i use that are interchangeable with my hatch??? will the SOL suspension bolt-on?? REAR DISC BRAKES?? the Sol also does have a cherry ignition complete but no key. will it work for me and how do i get a key cut for it?

fryman

Rear trailing arms will bolt right on but you'll need e-brake cables from a rear disc brake civic.
Seats will bolt right in I believe.
Wheels will fit of course.
Rear lower control arms will bolt right in.
Engine and tranny will bolt right in.

I'm not sure what else.

Mugen-RR

just realized the car might have been a base model S w/o the rear discs...i'll have to go back and check. what i REALLY need though is the ignition but i didnt want to put down the cash today until i did the research...plus theres no key for it so i have to figure out how to get one. the car is a stick though thats for sure. thanks to all who offer any help - it is MUCH appreciated.

BrayzieEF9

Take your ignition to a locksmith and get your key made and after that get a oem key copies seem to break easier

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

Wait - you have no key at all for the VX? Or, you have no key for the del Sol? If it's the latter, then you can swap the relevant bits from the VX to the new del Sol ignition (the parts that make the key work/turn.) There is a DIY for this ... I've seen it on HT. I believe the steering column covers/arms/column, will all fit from the Sol. If you have no VX key, then bring your registration to the dealer and have some OEM keys cut using the key lock "code" specific to your vehicle... way better than a key copied.... which you couldn't do anyway, since you have no key???

Other than that, I know that the outer door handles can be swapped. This might be useful if they are body-coloured paint the same as yours.

xunsungheroesx

Not sure if this applies to older cars, but if you have the title, the dealer may cut a new key for you.

Mugen-RR

well as of right now, the entire steering column from the Sol is still available. the covers and the ignition havent been disturbed or messed with which is why i kinda wanted to buy what i needed asap before other peeps started stripping it down. the seats, door panels and wheels are already gone.

the Sol is at an insurance yard and i guess is a total loss. they are not giving the key which is what my problem is...i dont know what he dealer will say if i walk in there with only a vin.

my 92 VX as most of you know doesnt have the tilt steering column which i would love to have...and the entire key tumbler on my civic is GONE due to the attempted theft. the only way to start my car is to shove a screwdriver into the white plastic internal part of the tumbler. if the Sol steering column can fit and bolt-on to my 92 VX as mentioned above, id have the tilt feature.

would i be able to buy the Sol ignition, take it to a locksmith and have the locksmith match it to the original key of my Civic??? just in case the dealership refuses to cut me the original key? i still use the original key to open my doors and trunk. a new ignition is like over $200 from the dealer even with a discount. the tow yard is asking $50. what would you do?

b15

What would I do? I'd call the dealer, as much as I hate talking on the phone, and just explain the situation to them fully, and see if they can duplicate the key... tell them you'll provide the vin # so they can see the car was not theft, it was wrecked. If they cannot/will not duplicate the key I would not buy the ignition. A locksmith I don't believe will be any more willing than the dealer to help

If I didn't feel like calling the dealer, then I wouldn't buy the ignition.

Mugen-RR

okay, i'll try and visit the dealer. but first thing first though, will the ignition from the Del Sol even WORK with my civic VX? the sol is a 1.6 and mine is the stock 1.5 liter if that makes a difference. i dont think that it would as we dont go swapping ignitions when doing motor swaps(except sometimes the distributor), but still i dont wanna go thru all this trouble, spend the money and not have the ignition work with my car...i do know that i need one off a car that is also a stick like mine so it does make a little difference what i throw on there. if anyone out there has tried this pls let me know and help a homie out. thanks for all the help my friends.

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

The "key" to the whole operation is the key cylinder in the steering column. Here is a break-out diagram of the key cylinder:

Source

I guess the thieves have gone and destroyed the middle part with the key in it, in the above diagram. This stinks b/c this is the part that "reads" the key and allows you to turn on your ignition.

The following should work IN THEORY. But, it will still require you to borrow the key for the del Sol ... you will need it in the wrecker's lot, though -- you don't have to take it with you. If you can't do this, then you will have to find another Civic with an intact ignition switch assembly that also has the key. I'm not sure, but I'm willing to bet that a 88-91 or 96-00 Civic has the same ignition key cylinder format since I think they all use the same key (though check this on parts diagrams - I use hondapartsnow.com)... you won't be able to swap the whole ignition assembly, (not compatible probably) but the key/switch assembly might be a direct fit from these other vehicles.

OK, now on to the good stuff. I want to help you and at the same time save you money... let me know how this works out!!!!

Two streams of thought on the topic:

1. EVERYTHING from the del Sol steering column will transfer over to your VX. Nevermind about being 1.6 or 1.5L .. that doesn't matter. It looks like automatic vs. manual DOES matter, though I'm not sure where. del Sol ignition P/N IS different from 5G Civic, though I doubt it has anything to do with the mechanics. Probably something like wire lengths to the fuse box (still might be a problem - check this!)

You will need to borrow the key for the del Sol from the yard operators and follow the procedure to remove the ignition key cylinder:

Another site I found says this (for an Accord):

I will leave you to finding out more about how to do this. I would STRONGLY suggest trying it out on a vehicle BEFORE going to the yard to minimize frustration while you're there.

Once it's out, then you can return the key. Now you have an ignition key cylinder assembly replacement into which you can insert the correct "lock plates" (aka., "lock disk tumblers"). What are lock plates, I hear you ask? See this DIY ... basically someone who refurbished the locks on his vehicle by ordering new lock cylinders and swapped over the lock plate numbers. If your lock plates on your VX ignition key cylinder are BROKEN (probably), then you can order exact replacements from Honda. (Actually, you could reuse some lock plates from the del Sol ignition switch, if some of the numbers match!) You can get your key "code" from Honda if you go to the dealer with your registration. Otherwise, just copy the numbers from the VX cylinder's lock plates if they are not too mangled. DON'T MIX UP THE ORDER! It's fiddly work due to the tiny springs - BE CAREFUL.

2. The above suggestions make the assumption that the ignition key cylinder assembly (the part with the key in the break-out diagram above) is DIFFERENT from a generic key cylinder assembly you would order for, say, your door locks or trunk. However, you MAY just be able to replace the ignition key cylinder assembly on your VX. In this case you won't even need the whole ignition assembly from the del Sol. You can just follow the lock replacement DIY I mentioned to fix your broken ignition key cylinder.

... that's it for now.... gotta go for dinner. If more Q's, then ask away......