first the obvious, Sam from riverside/MoVal here in sunny SoCal. don't have a civic yet but i'm hunting around.... driving by the city, craigslist... semi project car but more of a daily driver. 90s honda coupes are growing on me. i've considered the integras and preludes but most likely end up getting a civic. Coupe or hatchback either one works.



thats what i'm shooting for, dropped, clean stock exterior with lips and sides. provably white or black. when it comes to the engine, nothing fancy since i live in smog communist cali. most likely stock.

I need your guy's input/advise/warnings etc...

i figured i could pick up a cheap starter civic, maybe around $1k to $1.5k. and replace/fix things as they break down.
what's the average cost of a new engine(new to car but may be used) and getting it installed?
are used engines the usual replacement?
is it better to get a rebuilt engine from shop?
any shops you guys recommend in socal, specifically the IE?
what are the cons and pros of an 90s civic?
anything else i should consider?

 

well civics are , 8x-91 (ef), 92-95 (eg), and 96-00 (ek). SO the main ones are ek and eg's. Its hard to which ones better and theres tons of threads on this. Its kind of just personal preference, go see what you think looks better. The main replacement are used motors, and those are just fine as long you make sure its in good shape (compression test, ect.). For a d-series its anywhere from 400-800 mainly (just engine, add about 300 if you want a trans too), b-series swaps are normally 2500 i would say (standard b16, gsr are like 3200). I know honda dealerships charge upwards around 1k just to pull one and im not sure about what more of a local rate would be.

 

well i'm already set with the eg's, just a matter of either finding coupe or hatchback.

 

word, well that just preference, i had both and still cant decide which one i like more. Theres not as many hatches around here, but my coupe had a sunroof. Hard decision, girls dig coupes a little more too haha

 

if you want that style a 90's civic is not what you want, but if i were you id get a 93-95 coupe, (theres no 92 coupe) coupes are classier :]

 

you should go for the 92-95 EG6 hatches. They look much cleaner when u hook them up, plus who doesn't like a "bitch with fatass" lol.

 

96-00 hatch's have bigger rounder asses!

 

hey if you need any help with you eg let me know. i live in the IE, riverside. I have replaces everything on my car at least once, the have done 9 engine swaps to my car, so yeah just send me a PM on here ill help you out

 

for that price you can get a 6.5 out of 10 eg hatch

not what you pictured up top but if it's a project your looking; for you got the right budget

welcome to hondaland

 

well yeah, i meant 90's not as is 1990 only...

 

thanks bro, you guys still have the weekly meets like in that one socal thread?

 

ya, i know for that much i aint gonna get a perfect car. but atleast good enough to drive it around and to the shop.

 

great choice

 

Welcome aboard, the EG is a good choice I've owned 3...and currently in love with the one I currently own. They very sexy once you start to build them! Once again welcome...

 

cheap= problems ....

possible rust on fenders
electricals problems

 

no, with age comes problems, generally

 

ha ha, so am i better off buying the eg from here thats already been rebuilt from a desperate owner? jk but i see there are cars being sold here...

 

no, buy something stock, because when som1 else has rebuilt it you dont know if it was done right. A ticket from a shop doesnt mean anything, lots of shops break stuff and dont say anything.

 

I 2nd that. Plus it's more fun lol, if ur doing the job and you will def get more knowledge about hondas and other cars ect.

 

yep, i enjoyed working on my car with my friends and my dad.

 

well see you, i'm not mechanically enclined. i can't take apart the pasteurizing machines here at work with my eyes closed but thats because i had somebody teach me. hell, i don't even do my own oil changes. My current car is bone stock except for the intake. my main focus was bass. trunk has custom ported box with a threesome of 12" W7s each being powered by it's own 500/1....anyways

always wanted to learn stuff so i'm gonna take this as my chance to go for it. any tips when buying cars off the street or craigslist?

 

test drive it. Compression test if possible.