hello, new to the boards, i drive a ford focus that is far from stock and is my current project, but i am getting in the next few weeks a '90 crx as my winter car and will become my next project when my focus is done... just wondering what engines swap in or bolt up to the crx, and how much they are, i not looking to dump to much money into the crx... its either a 90 or 91, i forgot, i know its the 1.5L, and its a 5-speed... any suggestions appreciated... thanks

 

welcome!
It'll be better if you get the SI or HF model. DX is a little harder for swap.
It all depend on the power you want.
You could use any engine off the Honda Civic line except 99+up SI
Swap is pretty easy bolt on and cost less. $200-700
Or you could upgrade to a better engine off the Acura Integra models
Need a little more works and new kit's ( shift linkage/mounts/etc. )
Better power cost from 1k-5k

 

well, first welcome to HT. second what kind of power goals do you have in mind or what is the car going to be used for? let us know then we will go from there

 

i am getting the car for 500 bucks, i not really buying it for whats easier to swap.. its just a winter beater for now, and was thinking about a b16 or b18 later on cuz i hear they are pretty cheap to get, i not looking for huge power, like high 14's would be fine for me, or even low 15s.. nothing to specal....i dont want to spend a lot of money, i have 2 projects going on right now, so just something to throw in when the engine thats in there now gets tired since it has some miles on it.. i am new to honda's and dont know to much about which engines make what power...

 

Well... first thing first. Welcome. Second, the 2nd gen CRX can take almost every 4 cylinder engine Honda ever made, as long as you are handy with a torch and hammer. The SEARCH button will be your friend, as many will tell you.

If you just want a beater to cruise around town, IMO, you should trade places between the cars and have the FORD as the rust bucket and the CRX as your summer performer (BTW, I am a Chevy guy, there are no allegiances in my house to FORD).

Stick with what you have already in it. The CRX came with some cool stuff, and for a 1.5 liter engine, they have some ***** stock. Check to see what model you have (I would assume DX, if not HF), it may already come with some fun toys on it that you might not know about. I think a basic MPFI swap with the D16A6 is a good time, it will keep you in the less expensive realm of SOHC, and give you EF-Si power.

 

lol ahh, i used to be gm... and i have to much money in the focus, thats y i am retireing it from snow duty... but yea, i drove it and it was pretty quick for what it was, maybe it was just cuz it weighs nothing... when i get the car, i will tell you exactly what it is and has... what kinda "fun toys" we talkin here? hmmm the only thing about the car tho, is you can wind out first gear, when slame 2nd, the r's drop really low instanly then it climbs up, maybe timing issue or something? idk, but other than that it runs good... i just not sure how long this motor is good for, i think its in the hood of 110-115k on it, so was just trying to explore my "cheap" options as a replacement motor..

 

Honda motors last as long as you maintain them. My old D15B1 lasted over 240k before she burned more oil than gas. She was retired about a year and a half ago. The motor I have in her now is used as well, D15B2, but only has about 70k on it. She makes great power for my transmission and vehicle weight, and gas mileage is amazing.

I guess the lesson here is, take care of your Honda and she will take care of you. Just like any car I guess.

As far as "cheap" is concerned, either stay with what you have, just rebuilt, or go Si with the D16A6, and if you have the DX, just change the final drive. That will give you more torque and HP without having to change the mounts or transmission. Check http://www.civic4g.com for the appropriate specs and ratios on the transmission and final drive, they also have an extensive area for hard to find parts.

Of course, once you go there, you won't be able to stop, he he he. The evil plan of the Honda tuners world is coming to fruition. There is always something a little better just over the horizon that you can not live without .


Modified by VegasEFHB at 7:46 PM 10/3/2005