im in the market for an 88-91 hatch, and i hear there are subtle differences between the 88-89 chassis and 90-91. does anyone know of these differences. my friend says the doors are slightly different and suggests i get a 90-91. anyone else have any useful info? thanks in advance.

 

anyone? am i wrong? are they all the same?

 

Front bumper
blinkers
corner light
headlight brackets
doors
seats
I dont know if that is all on the hatch but the crx has like 20 different things from 88/89 to 90/91

 

thanks. would anyone that is bored enough be so kind as to post pictures of each year, 88/89 and 90/91 that shows the differences. maybe in the sections that are different.


Modified by turb0accrd at 10:28 PM 2/22/2004

 

the 88-89 civic rear suspension is different, you can run type-r shocks. And the 88-89 are lighter but it all depends on what model you get.

 

I can't provide pictures, but i can tell you a few things i noticed..

The tailights are different.. The amber portion is in a different place I belive.. Also, the 88-89 have a 3 bulb harness for the tails, and the 90-91 have a 4 bulb harness.

The seatbelts on an 88-89 are connected to the frame of the vehicle just behind the doors, on 90-91 they are connected to the door itself.

The front bumper on 88-89s has smaller turn signals(bumperlights) and the 90-91s has longer turn signals(bumperlights) and a slightly different shaped bumper.

There is also a weight difference from 88-91 which is a gradual increase in weight for each model from 88 up.

88-89s Also have squared side moldings on the outside, on 90-91 they are rounded.

88-89s have side screw in turn signals (Corners), and the 90-91 turn signals (Corners) slide in with one screw on each side located under the hood.

I'm sure that there is more, but I don't have time to list it all.. that should give you some help

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by goforbroke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the 88-89 civic rear suspension is different, you can run type-r shocks. And the 88-89 are lighter but it all depends on what model you get.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Only 88 had the eyelet style LCA.
89-91 had the fork style.

 

and if you are grabbin' an Si model the 90-91 have rear discs brakes. Looks wise the 90-91 look better. But the 88-89 are slightly lighter. Just get a 90-91.

 

why i found my 88 for like 200, and my 89 for 400 ?
whatever his goal for the car should determine which model he gets. i prefer the non si car because of the lack of weight so i can mod them and start at a really low price. but thats just me and my 0.02

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bucbaby &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why i found my 88 for like 200, and my 89 for 400 ?
whatever his goal for the car should determine which model he gets. i prefer the non si car because of the lack of weight so i can mod them and start at a really low price. but thats just me and my 0.02</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's true, but it seems like he just wants an EF hatch, and well I'm pretty sure we could all agree that the 90-91 looks a whole lot better than the 88-89 (only thing I really don't like on the 90-91 are the seat belts on the doors, but thats minor). But of course if you find an 88-9 for dirt cheap buy it, but if they are reasonably within the same price range, get an 90-1.

I gotta agree with you again buc Si's ain't all that great, I love them DX's wOO wOO! STD ain't too bad either, insurance will think your car is a 4spd, but you swapped that mug out!

I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, but yeah if you find no deals and/or money is no object get an 90-1, but if you find a good deal.... bah get whatever

 

also the 88-89 cluster is slightly different than that from a 90-91.

 

thanks for all the replies guys. im getting a 90 si hatch because i just need a new daily driver. i'd prefer the si just in case i get bitten by the speed bug again. i dont really like base models because i like to have creature comforts in my daily drivers. the gsr is a great daily, but the insurance is high for a car that i just drive back and forth from home to work and have no real plans on modding. also, i dont really need the power in a "beater". believe it or not, i cherish my accord wagon more than i do the gsr. the integ is just the bleh car to me. anyway. thanks for your help again.

so the biggest noticable exterior change that i understand from the replies is the front bumper. can the 90/91 bumper bolt onto the 88/89? is the sunroof assembly different between the two? thanks again and again. for all of you.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turb0accrd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'd prefer the si just in case i get bitten by the speed bug again. i dont really like base models because i like to have creature comforts in my daily drivers.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just keep in mind that it is not 1991 anymore. Back in those days, one would opt for the SI to go fast because the stock SI motor was pretty much the only game in town for any kind of performance. But nowadays, even the stock SI motor is considered sluggish by most. B-swaps are more the exception than the rule when it comes to going fast. And if and when you DO swap, you will appreciate not having the extra weight of an SI. This makes a lower trim Civic look MUCH better than it might seem. After all, it is not like you can swap a better motor into an SI.

As for creature comforts, keep in mind that you can swap pretty much anything from a higher trim Civic into a lower trim Civic. This includes seats, interior parts, and A/C. The only thing you can't swap is the power sunroof. But then again, this adds weight in the worst possible place (high up). Unless you consider a sunroof to be very important to your overall driving experience, I would suggest passing on it.

As for the year, a 1988-1989 model is better for performance. The 1990-1991 is quite a bit heavier due to the door mounted passive restraint seatbelts (actually, the required bracing to accommodate them).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AgentMurdoc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and if you are grabbin' an Si model the 90-91 have rear discs brakes. Looks wise the 90-91 look better. But the 88-89 are slightly lighter. Just get a 90-91.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i have 90 si with rear drums.

 

im getting old. i have a son now and i rarely have time to work on my cars, let alone do the swapping biz again. i'd rather buy a car that has the things that i want/need already on it. but come to think about it, i rarely use the sunroof in my gsr, so maybe a dx is the way to go. i checked edmunds.com and the dx has 92hp vs. the si's 108. if im going from a gsr to ~100hp, im sure i wont notice a 15hp difference. also, im not a fan of door mounted seatbelts. anyone else? do delsol seats bolt right onto the floor? or do i need to fab a bracket? i guess more research is needed. keep the ideas/suggestions coming if you have some. 88/89 or 90/91? thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AgentMurdoc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and if you are grabbin' an Si model the 90-91 have rear discs brakes. Looks wise the 90-91 look better. But the 88-89 are slightly lighter. Just get a 90-91.</TD></TR></TABLE>

when you say a 90-91 looks better, where is the major exterior difference? all i can tell is the front bumper. if so, can the exterior pieces be swapped between years, besides the corners of course. is there something else that im not catching. is the bumper what you base your opinion on? just curiuos.

 

Only 90-91 CRX si's have rear Discs, the civics do not.

 

I could of sworn that the 91 crx si only had disk brakes and the 91 ex sedan also but I thought that was all not the 90's but I could be wrong. Si are nice but **** I'm getting rid of my 90 si for a 88std, but this is because I'm a weight ***** and for racing purposes