Well, lets start this by telling you what I have. I bought a 1990 CRX-SI way back in 1997. I only bought it to drive back & forth to work (bout a 100 mile per day). It gets great gas mileage. Here is the situation. The car has about 228,000 mile on it, and I drive it like I just stole it. I mean I give it mortal hell! but..... I can't break it. I feel now that maybe the thing is just going to go on forever. I love the little car. We have lots of fun together, and she has been so good to me. Now, I've never been into the "rice racer" thing before, but lately I've been thinking about how good she has been to me, so maybe I should be a little nicer to her. You know... Kinda like a good wife HAHAHA!
Anyway, I just need to know some things here that most of you guys will find just plain old stoopit. Like everybody should know that (duh). So here goes...

#01. Where do you get those really cool looking interiors. You know, like the white dash boards, and A/C vents. Those are cool, but I can't find 'em.

#02. Hummm... This one is embarassing.... What the heck does ECU mean? Am I dumb or what?

#03. Can you make a really fast car outta what I have, without having to get into all the laptop programming, and NASA type tuning tricks? Can you just like get some head work done, bolt it together, and stomp the living sheet out of it? Or is my NO techno a$$ Skrude?

Please help.
signed; Your everloving CRXSIriousDummy

 

Umm well for the first one thats hella ricer and thats not really what im all bout but i have no clue where to find what your talkin bout but what it seems like to me is just a painted dash and to do that you can take it out and paint it yourself its all bout what you know and how much you wanna learn/do. And to make your car fast like what do you mean? Beat ppl on the street or just feel like your fast or actually run 11's? But just stick around read other threads and start learning.

 

Well I'm not talking stroker kits. I mean like maybe 50 to 75 more horses. It's pretty quick now.

 

1. I dunno...

2. ECU = Electronic Control Unit/Computer. Atleast thats what I've always called it.

3. Hybridize that puppy!!! If the rest of the car is in good shape, and doesn't give you problems, slap a b16a in her and call it done. If 50 more hp, and a higher redline doesn't do the trick, you can always add the bolt-on's, or turbo it.

HTH

 

white dash and ac vents, is all painted, so you gotta do it yoruself, cant buy it.

yeah ecu is electronic control unit, which is the computer for runnin the whole injection setup and everything.

do you want to keep the stock motor or swaping is ok ? cause if you want to swap a b16a is a good choice. but if you want to keep it stock, i would suggest a bottom end rebuild and a bullfrog head. taht should up yoru power to about 140whp or so

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRXSIriousDummy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well I'm not talking stroker kits. I mean like maybe 50 to 75 more horses. It's pretty quick now.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok you can do this on your stock engine. Things I would look into is good brand name performance bolt ons, like headers, intake, and exhaust system. Good names for intakes are Injen, AEM, and K&N. Headers, DC Sports, Chakara, Injen. Exhaust, HKS, GReddy, AEM. Those all together will get you about 30HP or so. Depending. Also look into performance spark plugs, spark plug wires. All that stuff is looking at about $1500 or so.

CRX Forum

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crxforum &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ok you can do this on your stock engine. Things I would look into is good brand name performance bolt ons, like headers, intake, and exhaust system. Good names for intakes are Injen, AEM, and K&N. Headers, DC Sports, Chakara, Injen. Exhaust, HKS, GReddy, AEM. Those all together will get you about 30HP or so. Depending. Also look into performance spark plugs, spark plug wires. All that stuff is looking at about $1500 or so.

CRX Forum</TD></TR></TABLE>

I hope you're not being serious about 30 HP w/intake, header, and exhaust.

I'm guessing you will free up about 10-15 HP with these if you're lucky, and I doubt that 220K+ motor is performing to its full potential.

 

#1 yeah, probably just saw painted one. They also make some film to cover stuff.

Me, I like to look slow, go fast. Its more fun that way. When I was 16, I was the regional high school champion in Physics & Calculus(yeah, I'm a nerd..but nerds like me design these cars you all like so much..)..hehe, in an auditorium with parents for 20 high schools, all those mommy and daddys go to see my skinny *** with iron maiden t-shirt and ripped jeans and a budweiser do-rag that beat out their smart little book nerds..... was a great feeling... beating someone in a stock looking 12 year old civic is the same great feeling!!

#2 Yes, ECU = electronic control unit, in the generic sense, or engine control unit, in the specific sense. THats what I do now, I design ECUs (I'm a nerd, remember). Its the computer that controls the engine, running the injectors, ignition, various solenoids, etc, to keep it all running.

#3 YOur CRX has great potential, and you have many options. The first thing to consider, is that your motor is probably pretty tired, so its potential shoudl be considered limited. YOu can do some stuff, but its still a 220k motor. There is going to be wear.

If you want to keep the stock motor in there, you should do this:

Complete tune up-plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Stick with OEM stuff, and copper NGK plugs.
Change out all the fluids, including trans fluid, and brake fluid.
Adjust the valve lash back to spec
Change the timing belt if its due
Do a compression check and leakdown test on it. If its tired, don't put money into the engine, UNLESS you can use those parts on a replacement engine in the future!

If its all good, then you can add a new intake/filter, probably good for 3hp on your motor. Adn a new full exhuast, including new catalytic convertor, and a header, probably good for 7-8 hp, maybe more if your cat is really bad. MAybe 10hp between the two, not 30 hp.

Gettng yourself to abotu 115-120hp, maybe, at this point.

If you want to go more power, then you want to look at swapping the engine. Your engine is a D-series. You can swap to another more powerful D-series, orr move up to a B-series engine. I will assume you don't want to do anything complicated wiring wise, so you should stick to a engine that is pretty compatible with your wiring, which is non-ODB.

D series: The advantage is that it wil bolt right up to your transmission, which is a good Si 5 speed, worth keeping. A japanese 1.6 liter ZC motor is 130 hp, its a variant of your engine. It will bolt right in to your car, engine mounts, radiator, trans, wiring, etc, bolts right up. CAn be had for like $600 + maybe $200 shipping. I beleive you'd want to get the ECU with it, too. YOu could also go with a different D series, like a SOHC VTEC, but I believe then you are getting into motors with OBD(on board diagnostics) which woudl require more complicated wiring changes to your car. The ZC was the factory motor in your CRX over in Japan, so its 'made' to go into there, and compatible with your current wiring.

With the ZC, I believe most/all of the bolt-ons line exhaust, intake, etc for your current Si motor will also bolt on? Not 100% sure. With a good intake and exhaust, the ZC coudl pump out 140 hp or more, would be pretty quick.

If you want to go bigger than that, then you'd want to consider the B-series engines.

Any of the B series engines needs an aftermarket engine mount kit(a few Hundred $$$), a B series transmission, some wring modifications(not too much, since you already have an Si model, which helps), and a few other mods.

The B16A is very popular, its a 160 hp 1.6 liter VTEC. It would probably have comparable power to your present 1.6 liter, until 5400 rpm or so, when the VTEC kicks in, then it will make a lot of power up to 8200 rpm or so. So, if you want high rpm power, this is hte motor for you. Below that 5400 switchover, its going to be almost identical to what you have now. You'd want to order a 1st generation B16A, with is a non-obd motor, with a cable actuated clutch.

The B18A is also a possiblity. You want to go with an early 1990-1991 integra motor/trans, they are non-OBD, and have a cable clutch, too. This is only 130 hp, but makes much more torque than any of the 1.6 liters. So if you want an engine that will feel more powerfull from 0-6000 rpm, this is your motor. This isn't a VTEC motor, just a plain old 1.8 liter DOHC motor. Its is the motor/trans that is found in US market Acura Integras(the version you'd want is the 90-91 model), so you can maybe find it local for cheap(best best it to buy a whole car and take everything you need)

YOu can also go with a B18C, which is a VTEC 1.8 liter, but its going to run you a lot more money and need wiring changes.

All of those motors will benefit from new exhaust, intakes, etc. If you want to go more, you can do all the normal stuff like any engine. Camshafts, cylinder head work(milling for compression, porting), high compression pistons, etc.


I am building a 1989 CRX-Si right now. I'm using a 1990 B18A. It will have a ported cylinder head, upgraded camshafts(with adjustable cam gears), higher compression, new intake, header, no cat, good exhaust, etc. I like the B18A(also called the LS motor, because it comes from the Integra LS) because it fits my needs. Everyone is focused on quarter mile times, and peak horsepower. Me, its my daily driver. Stock for stock, the B18A makes more power from 0-6000 rpm than any 1.6 liter, and even more than the B18C. I will go to the drag strip maybe 1 or 2 times a year, but I'll drive it 365 a year.

Well, hope thats helpful. You have a nice car, the sky's the limit.

 

Jeezus, that is a long-*** post.
on info. I am d-series biased, stick with the a6 (stock) motor for now, everything including entire motors are dirt cheap if you stick with a d. Maybe boost it later when you know your car and how it works a little better, or do a motor swap, or both.
The sky's the limit with your car. GET INFORMED!

 

ha ha, this guy's thinkin, "i just wanted a neat-lookin dash and some NAWSSS". but seriously, i know exactly what he's talkin about with the 'can't break it' thing, as i am feeling the same way with mine. i've never beat on a car harder, it just turned over 204,000 miles, and i can't get it to leak or burn a damn drop of oil. it seriously makes me sick how well-engineered hondas are.

another thing no-one mentioned to him is a mini-me setup. many say that it makes no difference in power, but i beg to differ.

 

And just so you know - VTEC stands for Variable valve Timing and Electronic lift Control (although the variation I've seen is Variable valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control). They both mean the same thing and I'm sure there's plenty of reads on here about how it works so I won't get into it in the post. I would seriously consider a motor swap in your case due to mileage (I'm in a similar boat with 200k miles and a worn head) and it really depends on what you're looking to spend. If you go ZC you're going to be able to use everything you currently have and save quite a bit of money. Also from what I hear it's good to bring your car into the 15's and, depending on driver and bolt on mods, I've heard low 15's. As with all cars, higher performance obviously means more $$ involved and in addition to higher performance, depending how you drive your car, you will also notice a drop in fuel economy (though in your case if it's 100 miles highway probably won't be too bad).

 

not sure where the vtec thing came from (the second variation is correct), but okay. also, CRX Sis run 15s, mine is bone stock with over 200,000 miles and runs 15.7s all day long (10.02 1/8 mi). i guess it's just in how you take care of it though......