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hey all iwas thinking about starting a project car. im in college so i need something that wont be too expensive. so i was thinking about grabbing a crx body outa a junkyard or off ebay. thatd cost about 500, but that would most likely be without an engine. then maybe a b17a or b18c1 engine w/ls tranny(ive heard theyre the sturdiest and can handle the most hp, is this true?). i would like to go n/a but not sure since sticking a turbo on is so much easier . i know id need new axles and id get a new suspension setup and crap. but pretty much what do u guys think? is it a good idea if im trying to stay cheap? i was hoping to run maybe low-mid 13's and im quite sure i could pull it off with that light a chassis and one of those engines. oh and id do all the work myself so thats not a factor.

 
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if i was u .. i would grab a 92 hatch.. their not to expensive if u look around.. if u want it without the engine im sure u would be able to get it for around 500$ buy swap a b18c1 GSR motor in it.. i think its about 180 stock the compresion is pretty low.. the reason why i would get the 92 hatch it looks ok pretty light... mainly for the looks... but thats just me

 
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yeah ive been comparing the crx and the hatches, and for some reason i really like the crx more. i want it to be more of a sleeper, and i like what you can do with the crx in that sense. plus isnt the crx actually lighter? not sure but it does seem smaller. oh btw here are the specs on both engines:
B17A1 1.7 16V DOHC VTEC PGM-FI 1678 160hp@7600rpm 117tq@7000rpm
92-93 Integra GS-R
B18C1 1.8 16V DOHC VTEC PGM-FI 1797 170hp@7600rpm 128tq@6200rpm
94-01 Integra GS-R
but the problem is that i can easily get the b17 for under 1000$ while the b18 will run prolly over 2000$.

 
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or actually i could get one of these engines:
B18B 1.8 16V DOHC PGM-FI 1834 130hp@6000rpm 121tq@5000rpm
90-91 Integra GS
B18B1 1.8 16V DOHC PGM-FI 1834 140hp@6300rpm 121tq@5200rpm
92-93 Integra GS
B18B1 1.8 16V DOHC PGM-FI 1834 142hp@6300rpm 127tq@5200rpm
94-00 Integra RS/LS/GS
im planning on rebuilding everything so in the end what ild really be looking for would be displacement to work with. id get a new valvetrain and pistons/rods/crank.
edit:
oh yeah for these engines ild prolly do a vtec head swap, but not sure still looking at how much power ppl have gotten out of these engines without the vtec heads.

 
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save up and get the b18c1 or ITR engine

 
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if anything ill get the b18c1, ITR is too expnsive and its practically the same engine just a few different parts like pistons and cams and crap. alrighty thnx for the help ill let u know when anything happens lol. might not be anything till like next spring/summer but might as well start looking now =).

 
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so ur goin to go with the EK for sure.. i would go with the EG i like them more.. EK's are lighter but EG's are sexier :P they probably go for the same price.. if ur lookin to get one without an engine....
get what u think ull look better in!

 
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don't go with the CRX if you are planning to get one from the junkie... and EF is not a good idea...

I suppose you live in Chicago (ur profile says so), so there's snow right? whcih means there's salt... most likely the frame is going to be rotted and if you put that kinda power into it, you are pretty much creating a suicidal machine...

speed don't come cheap...

you are in college right? insurance are high on two doors... see if you could find a 97-00 Civic Sedans, those wouldn't be expensive... and it should fit your sleeper idea...EK is also a good idea, at least the frame is newer and lighter compared to the EG...but if you want style, thats personal preference...

I don't know whether you are a mechanic or not, or maybe you could do the swap yourself, but there are a few things to worry about...

if you are getting an EK/EG, you are better off to do a rear disk brake conversion... put labour costs in effect too, and you would need to do suspension work..

swap takes time, takes money, and takes research... it's not simply of personal preference, it's all about the combination that you put together that makes your car go fast and handles like a charm..

just my two cents,
Ah Long

 
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yeah ive been researching this for about a year and a half now. and i can do the engine swap with some of my friends since we have actually done work on my friends '69 chevelle. we did a front disk brake conversion so that should be close enough for your idea lol. i understand there will be a whole lot more wiring involved with the newer car but i think we can figure it out. and actually i dont think id get it from a boneyard, id prolly just get something off ebay from down south so i got that covered too. and i would actually take a drive down to make sure everything is in order. plus if i do decide to get it from a boneyard around here i know a few people who know a helluva lot more about cars then me and have been working on them for the past 40 years to come along and make sure theres nothing wrong with the frame, etc. and the insurance thing, i really dont have to worry about this anytime soon since im not even going to get in the car until everythings done which wont be for a while. that includes all the suspension work, and engine work. engine probably wouldnt even go in until end of summer so earliest id be driving it would be the summer after this upcoming one. it might be my first project, but i still want to do it right.

 
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thats nice to hear....

i really wish you good luck on ur swap... there are a lot of people planning to do it, but some weren't successful due to various problems...

may the best be with you, keep us updated...

 
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thnx man. lol hopefully i wont be one of those people, plus if i do mess up i could get help since i know a few mechanics. ill prolly be bugging them all day and night after i get the parts though lol. but hey ive still got quite a bit of time to do some more research so hopefully ill have most of it figured out by then.

 
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yeh man make sure u keep us updated.. i want to see how this is commin

 
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yup, sure thing. but like i said prolly wont be anything new till around spring. gotta save up $$, find the best places to buy everything, figure out where im keeping everything while i work on it, all that fun stuff. ill make sure i post pics as soon as i buy anything. ull most likely see me posting some more asking about stuff by then.