hey guys i picked up a 1990 hatch STD. that is all stock. I picked it up off a friend for cheap and really the only major problem besides the normal wheel arch rust is it has a bad headgasket. I already ordered the parts to fix up the motor to get it runing. But i have some things i would like to do to make it a more comfortable DD. First thing i would like to have is AC for the summer, i know i need an AC setup but do i also need a different climate control to make it work or will my stock one be fine? Also i was wondering if i would make better MPGs if i switched to a 5speed trans like an SI one or really any Dseries trans. I plan on keeping this car mostly stock but like i said i want it to be comforable to drive on a daily basis. thanks for the help guys.

here are few pics so you can see my find:

 

I have an AC system for sale off of my 89 CRX Si if you're interested. It was recharged in 07, and I didn't use it when I was running my D motor.

 

i havent really messed with the car yet, but im pretty sure the STD model doesnt have AC so if thats the case ill need that set up just not sure if ill need a different climate control or not too.

 

Unless yours has the AC button on it, then I believe you'll need a new one. STD doesnt have AC. Unless your friend added it.

 

As for your mpg question, I own both a 4 speed std and a 5 speed crx dx. My area is full of hills, i live in the appalachian mountains and i pay for that with my gas mileage. The 4 speed honestly sucks with mpgs on the hills bc 3rd is usually to high of rpms and 4th just bogs. Now my crx dx tranny is great, 4th still has plenty of ***** to move around on the hills and i get about 35 in town and high 40's on the highway.

Now if your area is more flat, then id keep the 4 speed bc in 4th, running highway speeds you run the same rpms as me in my crx in 5th at the same speed.

 

If you're going to have ac, switching to a dx tranny might be a good idea. With ac you'll be robbing a little bit of power from your already limited gear selection with the 4 speed. You'll probably like the way that the car feels when you're driving with the dx tranny also. I wouldn't suggest the si tranny if you're looking for better gas mileage, the gears are a bit shorter.

Good luck man.

 

Thanks fornall the info guys, ill keep my eyes peeled or that dx tranny, would I need a dx ecu then too? Also I did notice the climate control did have the blueish green ac button on it so ill just need the ac system then.

 

After looking through the car more thourghly, found out my valve cover gasket needs to be replaced for sure, thermostat is most likely the cause to my overheating not the headgasket, and a previous owner ripped the ac components out of the engine bay at least, prolly gonna need to replace some interior panels but overall im happy for what I paid

 

no ecu change is necessary. the ecu has nothing to do with the tranny

 

Thanks for that trans info. Should be replacing the valve cover gaskets and cap/rotor along with wires tomorrow during the day

 

those rocker panels look surprisingly good! my 90 DX rotted there first then started in the fender. how many miles?

 

177K on the odometer right now. Ordering some patch panels to fix the rust spot soon and hopefully by the end of the week ill have her on the streets daily style.

Also do I have to run wires for rear speakers since they don't come stock?

 

ok, cool, mines my dd too. i just turned over 151k on my dx. found it 5 years ago with 63k and the only rust on it was in the driver side rocker panel towards the back. after 5 PA winters, its taking its toll and i'm fighting rust every spring.

where are you getting your panels from?

and while i still consider myself a noob to hondas, i would think you probably would need to run wires. my dx does not have rear speakers and i dont recall seeing any wires going to the back. someone please correct me if i'm wrong!

 

si trans all day 250 bux.... better mpg... change it to mpfi and throw a z6 head on it perfect daily

 

I like the idea of the Z6 head and si trans, but I gotta keep cost down for now so I can buy my Kseries for the EM1. And I don't want to rewire a bunch of stuff right now.

 

I prefer the SI transmission, honestly the differences in MPG is marginal at best, at the end of the day it'll come down to other variables you can't control like the condition of the motor, elevation above sea level, ect, ect...Your driving behavior will also be a factor as well.

If I had to pick a transmission for a Single in THAT car, Hands down the SI transmission, VERY good MPG, and offers the best performance of the bunch acceleration wise.

 

Yea I may end up going with an si trans, right now my main focus is getting a stereo in it since it has nothing and getting it on the road

 

a z6 head around here cost 65 to 100 bux.. just get a pr3 ecu and a vtec sub haness and ur good as gone.. on a budget of 300 bux

 

If I go Z6 head wouldn't I have to go obd1?

 

not really sure what you are talking about...i've had both the four and five speeds and the five speed hands down gets better mileage.also at highway speeds (70ish)fourth gear is sitting around 4300 rpm.the five speed on the other hand is about 2000 less.(in my experience)

 

**** ur right ur dizzy wont work for a vtec motor its 108 bux for conversion harness

 

I think I rather save the money and just swap a dx or si or hf trans in just for the five speed. But we will see, this is supposed to be just cheap so I can get my EM1 in build mode

 

Yip, same experience here. Definitely go for the five speed

 

If I go with the dx or si or hf 5speed would I need new axles or clutch or any of that?

 

from a strictly monetary stand point i would go with the dx,with the si you will have to pay the rice tax...
and as far as i know as long as you have a d series motor anything d series should mate up to each other,not that replaceing those would be a bad idea however as you will already have them off/exposed.