mobile chernobyl

alright this sounds like it should be a no brainer, but I am actually pretty confused on whether I have an S or Si model 1993 honda civic del sol.

Indications that it should be an Si include:
14" alloy rims
Rear disc brakes
1.6L engine

Indications that it should be an S include:
no Vtech symbol/logo on engine (thats it, maybe i'm not looking hard enough though)

It was manu'd in 6/93 according to the sticker on the drivers side door jamb.

I was thinking of selling this little car to fund my rally set-up, but if this is actually an Si, i just might... err... get the chopsticks out and do a little tuning.

Thanks and as you can tell, I'm not too familiar with the honda scene, more into euro sports cars.

instructor74

Spark plugs on the front of engine Si might not say vtec on valve cover. block will be marked d16.... if its an S spark plugs will be on the back side of the engine and block stamp will say d15... also no vtec lable on valve cover(block stamp is on a little tab by the trans

Del Sol SiR

iTrader: (2)

also see if you can identify the vtec solenoid near the dizzy

mobile chernobyl

Thanks guys, so i take it the spark plugs on the front are a dead giveaway...

ill just stroll away from my office a few minutes to check lol kinda has me VERY curious as i got this car for umm... nothing. (not a parents gift either haha just a last resort guys got no room for the car and money to blow)

thanx, ill let u guys know... if u care lol

mobile chernobyl

Well it appears to be an Si, judging by the spark plugs on the front and what appears to be a small solenoid behind the distributer (thats what you mean by dizzy, i assume) so pretty much...


SWEEEEEEET lol

I like this cars power and all, but what are you guys doing to improve the (horrible) handling characteristics of this car? I'm throwing a new pair of tires on it this week, any suggestions?

beyond that i would only guess that the suspension can be improved (although i think its pretty damn good stock, very minimal body roll even when pushing it to spin out/understeer point haha) i do not want to lower it, as i drive rough *** roads and im not always on the ground, so all the clearance i can get helps, stiffer stock length springs like eibach? i guess that means i hafta get/change the dampening rate in the susp then.

do strut bars help, and are you running both, or just front/rear? engine cradles?

im planning on replacing all rotors and pads, any suggestions for maxium modulation and heat dissipation 'cause the rotors on it heat up way too fast for my liking.

sorry for all the questions but the search feature on this forum is kinda weak, or maybe im not using it right, but im not getting what i want at all with it.

lastly if this is not the right forum for this let me know and in turn let me know of any auto-x honda related sites, as im not at all conserned with the hole fricken straight line circuit racers out there, this car is fast enough to kill anyone, but the speed isn't whats gonna kill me first its the lousy handling, which is only inevitable with a FF setup, esp with the del sol which is prolly like 70/30 haha.

Del Sol SiR

iTrader: (2)

check out this link, https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=757567 tons of del sol chatter that might help answer your questions...

imm0rt41

Look at your VIN number. If it is JHMEG1 then it is an S, if it is JHMEH6 it is an Si

instructor74

Boy I never thought of hondas as being horrible in the handling department. Maybe with the added flex from the removable roof. Don't get me wrong there is lots of room for improvement. Biggest thing get good tires under the car. then address the shocks springs and all the ball joints and tie rod ends. Front and rear strut tower braces are a must. don't just run a front it screws up the handling to much. If you don't have one get a rear sway bar from a 94 and up integra. it will bolt right up you will also need the lower control arms off the car to mount the bar to. Just a few ideas for you to think about.

BauleyCivic

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by imm0rt41 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Look at your VIN number. If it is JHMEG1 then it is an S, if it is JHMEH6 it is an Si </TD></TR></TABLE>

ZacCarter

iTrader: (1)

Also if it has drum brakes in the rear its a S.

JdelMsolG

this makes it alot easier.

if it has cruise control and or factory power door locks, then its an SI.

EG2Driver

The OP already knows hes got an SI. OP, i would definatly get some stiffer springs/shocks and maybe better sway bars. As for new tires, i suggest yokohama's ES100. They're cheap as hell (60$ for 195/55/15) and drive great.

The downside of the Del Sol is the lack of chassis rigidity. Adding strut bars will not help all that much because the area around the struts is the strongest part of the car. Its acutally the space between (the interior) that needs stifening, such as a welded in roll cage (no bolt ons, it wont help and they do not make any for the Del Sol)

For the brakes, i recommend blank rotors (no xdrilled/slotted ****) with Hawk HPS pads. Thats what i got on my car and its beautiful. Rear brakes dont do much, so i wouldnt go fancy on them, just regular pads and rotors will do.

All in all, i wouldnt recommend using a Sol for racing or anything else than daily driver, simply because too much money would have to be spent making it stiffer. Good luck in the project, definatly check out the HTBest del sol thread.

imm0rt41

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DeadEnd9009 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The OP already knows hes got an SI. OP, i would definatly get some stiffer springs/shocks and maybe better sway bars. As for new tires, i suggest yokohama's ES100. They're cheap as hell (60$ for 195/55/15) and drive great.

The downside of the Del Sol is the lack of chassis rigidity. Adding strut bars will not help all that much because the area around the struts is the strongest part of the car. Its acutally the space between (the interior) that needs stifening, such as a welded in roll cage (no bolt ons, it wont help and they do not make any for the Del Sol)

For the brakes, i recommend blank rotors (no xdrilled/slotted ****) with Hawk HPS pads. Thats what i got on my car and its beautiful. Rear brakes dont do much, so i wouldnt go fancy on them, just regular pads and rotors will do.

All in all, i wouldnt recommend using a Sol for racing or anything else than daily driver, simply because too much money would have to be spent making it stiffer. Good luck in the project, definatly check out the HTBest del sol thread. </TD></TR></TABLE>I second most of this, though Cusco did make a bolt-in roll bar for the sol. It doesn't stiffen nearly as much as a weld-in cage, isn't nearly as safe, and is impossible to find but it does help a little.

Tires and shocks will do a lot though. I run Falken Azenis RT-615s (195/60/14) on my daily driver and it improved quite a bit over the Bridgestone Potenzas I was running before. I'd also recommend the Brembo blank rotors with Axxis pads...probably one of the best brake setups I have ever run, though it has made me have to change my driving style since they are somewhat easy to lock up