I'm looking into buying a 1995 Honda Civic and I needed some help as to what I should look for and what I should stay away from. I have $4000-5000 to spend on the car itself (hopefully in the lower $4000 range) and I wanted to know which trim to look for (i.e. EX, LX, DX, etc.). I have 3 major needs... manual-transmission, 2-door coupe and a moonroof (NO hatchback). Is their any difference between the different trims as far as the engine goes?

I don't want to turn this car into an all-out racing machine or anything like that... I just want to moderatly modify the car to give it a little bit of boost and some more style. I think that this will be a good car to start on as far as modifying goes since I am relatively new to this.

Is it possible to replace the stock steering wheel with a newer one (2000-2004)? I don't like the one it comes with but I want the steering wheel I replace it with to have an airbag if it's possible.

Thanks for your time...

 

The only one with a moon roof is the EX, which will be a great car to build, especially with a swap. You should easilly be able to find a 94-95 EX 2DR Coupe for 4000, maybe 3000 if its not in great condition.

 

All Civics 92 and up have driver side airbags, 94 and up had passenger

Comparison of ALL 92-95 Civics:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=690806

 

well the EX has VTEC in the stock motor...the others do not. Unless you got the SI hatchback but you dont want a hatch....are you tryin to pick up ladies....cuz ladies dont like hatches from what I've noticed....but other than that, why not get a hatch?!?!

 

The only 2 coupes are the EX and the DX. EX has moonroof, DX doesn't. EX cluster has tachometer, DX doesn't, but the cluster from ANY other 92-95 civic will go in plug and play. EX has power windows, DX doesn't. Basically the only thing the DX has going for it is that it weighs less, and it'll be cheaper.

I have a 95 EX Coupe, and I love it... The engine that's in it is pretty decent as long as you're not expecting to do serious racing without putting some work into it...

 

Thanks for the help guys... I really appreciate it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why not get a hatch?!?!</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's more of a personal taste than anything else... I really don't like the way they look.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to what modifications I should/could make on the engine? I'm not quite sure how much HP the stock engine puts out but I was hoping to be in the 250 HP range with mods... maybe 300 if I could afford it later on. I'm not looking to modify the engine in a short period of time, it's more of a work in progress (lack of funds). I am willing to pay a premium for a well-known and established brand with quality parts than to go the cheap route... I don't really want to buy something that can potentially break or harm the engine later on because it's cheaply made so name brand parts are a must. I'm not sure that I would be able to afford an engine swap but in any case, how much would one cost (the actual engine + labor). What would be the pros and cons (besides power)... sorry for all the questions it's just that I'm really curious as to what my options are/could be.

Thanks again...

 

As far as how much to swap and to hit your hp goals, do a search. This is covered a lot. But needless to say, you are not going to hit 250 whp without spending some good cash. You will have to go FI to do it relatively cheaply. Good turbo kits are usually around $2500-3000. And you probably won't get 250 out of that without building the motor to handle the boost.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Verbal55 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is it possible to replace the stock steering wheel with a newer one (2000-2004)? I don't like the one it comes with but I want the steering wheel I replace it with to have an airbag if it's possible.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Not without some significant custom work. The steering hubs are different between '92-95 and later Civics. '94-01 Integras have the same steering hub, however they also have the same steering wheel (with the exception of some being wrapped in leather).

The only other steering wheel with an airbag that will directly bolt on to a '92-95 Civic hub is the SRS Momo wheel from the JDM DC2 Integra Type-R.

 

well your stock engine, depending on what condition it is in, and how many miles are on the clock will determine whether or not youll be able to boost your stock motor. And if you do decide to go the boost route, youll need to build up your bottom end, reinforce that ish...

but 250 whp is attainable but spendy. Youd be lucky to get close to 180-200 hp with a stock civic engine that is cheap and reliable to build...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BauleyCivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">All Civics 92 and up have driver side airbags, 94 and up had passenger

Comparison of ALL 92-95 Civics:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=690806</TD></TR></TABLE>

no, my 1993 EX has a passenger side airbag.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93 EJ1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

no, my 1993 EX has a passenger side airbag.</TD></TR></TABLE>
EXes with the special EX option package were the only '93 Civics to have a passenger side airbag.