Okay, so I own an 88 CRX Si and I just bought an 88 CRX DX. Surprisingly, both of them are clean titles (although there's much to fixed on both). I'm torn between which one I should fix up first. So I decided that I'll let the deciding factor be money. Whatever car would be cheaper to fix up first, will be the one I go at. The other one will have to sit in the garage and wait. The problem is, I'm fairly certain that there will be quite a bit of body work needed for both cars (which I know nothing about, in terms of costs), so I figured I'll get your guys' opinions:

So here's the specs on both cars:

1988 CRX Si (not running)

- B18B Engine; the engine cranks but doesn't start; don't know why
- B16 JDM cable Tranny (the cable feels busted, it doesn't feel like I can shift into R)
- DC Headers
- Front GSR Brake conversion with slotted rotors
- 91 CRX black taillight conversion
- 91 CRX door panels installed
- Hood is damaged; doesn't align with the body
- Roof is dented
- Sunroof is heavily dented and doesn't work (rain can leak through)
- Front bumper is missing
- Drivers side fender is missing
- Front frame (the one that holds the radiator support and bumper support) has some dings and dents. The drivers side of the frame is not symmetrical with the passenger side; there appear to be some extra cuts on one side of the frame that you don't see on the other
- Back bumper doesn't align with the taillights; at first glance, this looks perfectly normal, but upon closer inspection, it seems that the bumper should be pulled back a little

So in a nutshell, the engine isn't working; the Tranny sucks, and there's a lot of body damage.

Here are some pics of the 88 CRX Si:

Rear bumper, passenger side:





Rear bumper, drivers side:



Front core support, passenger side:



Front core support, drivers side:



Radiator support (middle):



Closed hood, passenger side





Closed hood, drivers side




88 CRX DX (running)

- Stock D15 engine
- AEM cold air intake
- Ugly *** steering wheel
- Engine and tranny are running smoothly
- 91 white Integra cluster
- Interior is intact
- Hood needs to be replaced
- Passenger side fender needs to be replaced
- Front body appears to be straight, but headlights are loose and there is a gap between the hood and the headlights when the hood is fully closed; my neighbor says it's just my hood, but I'm skeptical as to whether or not there may be some frame damage behind the front bumper
- Hood and Trunk doors need to be banged on and pulled in order to open properly
- 6 inch dent and a couple of 1 inch dings on the rear drivers side part of the body
- Back bumper (just like the other Rex) doesn't align with the taillights. I'm starting to wonder if this is just how they are

So for simplicity's sake, let's say I want to add a B16 engine and tranny in whichever car I want to upgrade. From the two listed above, which of these appear to be the least expensive to fix?

Oh, and if you guys identify any of the problems I listed above (such as the rear bumper not aligning with the taillights), that would be great too! =D

I really appreciate any feedback. If you guys need pics to better identify the damage, then I'll work on getting some today.

 

wow!! you've got a lot of work ahead of you my friend. well, as far as your engine itself, the Si is going to be easier to swap b/c it already has a b in it (duh!), the dx you will have to buy mounts, linkage, axles, etc...as far as the "front frame" (I'm guessing the core support?) and body work goes, pics would be helpful. also b4 you get started you might take a close look under both cars and and their sheet metal to make sure you're starting with something solid enough to build....strut tower rust, steering rack, cross-members, bushings, the list goes on and on. good luck with the project man

 

can you just put the 2 cars together to make one?
-i guess i would go with fixing the DX but use the motor mounts for the b series and other items you would need for a swap from the si.
- use the best and the most easy to repair doors, hood, bumper, hatch/trunk, mirrors and anything else from both of the cars to make 1 to save money/time in body work
- if i were using the DX i would also use the SI suspension components if they are better (not really sure what is on a crx)

im sure you get what im trying to say by now

make 2=1

 

i agree scrap the one that has the most rust/ costs the most to fix. take the good parts and swap it on to the frame your keeping. Deff need some pics to compare the damage. as for swaping if you part one car out you have all the parts for a b16 already to work.

I think the "sag" in the rear bumper is factory haha, every 88-91 civic/crx ive seen has it.

 

Oh, cool. Load off my mind.

I'm working on getting pics. You guys are right; combining both cars into one uber car is probably the best way to go.

 

So I decided that I'm going to sacrifice my CRX DX to save the CRX Si. I'll part it out, use whatever parts I need, and then sell the shell (which is a clean title) and engine.

I'm still concerned about my Si's body damage though. I've posted pics up above in first post. Let me know what you guys think about the damage.

I haven't fully removed the rear bumper, but it looks to me like there may be damage on the rear because the bumper isn't aligned.