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Hi folks,


I just recently sold my 01 Tundra b/c I could not afford to take the dam thing anywhere any more.


I am trying to buy a nice clean Civic hatchback, I am interested in a turbo b/c I have to tow a dirt bike (yeah, its a Honda!) on a small *** trailer and think that the extra torque would aid in this.


SO.... there is a very nice 95 Si on ebay right now and I am seriosly considering making the plunge this weekend and flying down to Houston, Tx. Would you guys mind taking a look at it and sharing your proffesional opinions: thoughts, advice, input, comments, flames for not searching!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-Civic_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dLVIQ26itu Q3dUCIQ26otnQ3d3Q26poQ3dLVIQ26psQ3d63Q26clkidQ3d81 52336103866290361QQ_trksidZp5197Q2em7QQcategoryZ62 56QQitemZ170617064384

On a side note, I see it has a B16 engine. I am not too familiar with these motors, but looking at the cam gearing and some photos of block rebuilds they look VERY similar to a modern 450cc dirt bike 4 stroke, pretty cool! Although I cant seem to figure out why the cam gear is exposed, seems weird to me.


It seems to me that the B18 is the prefer engine as it has 200cc's on the B16 (correct?). My main concern is reliability: are these boosted motors worth their mileage if driven properly? What kind of gas mileage can I expect from a car like this, i believe its tuned to 6 or 7 psi. Can I tune it to E-85!!??

Id like to add that im super stoked to have 2 Hondas, I never thought I would be buying a turboed go-cart! Thanks for the advice on this vehicl!



PS: in the video on the ebay add, it seems to me that the valve noise is rather noticeable. Im not sure if this is normal, my CRF makes a TON of valve noise as its a race motor, so is this just normal for this type of motor?

 
Rep Power: 187

As a dirt biker myself, forget the Honda and small trailer, get a small pick up instead. I tried a small car and trailer many years ago, it's off road capabilities are severely limited. You will get stuck just getting to the base camp.

If $6,000 is your limit, get the most reliable thing you can. Nowadays, repairs are not cheap.

 
Rep Power: 285

That's a well built Honda, there are a few parts that are mid-range quality, but they're mixed in with a lot of good quality parts and I don't see anything cheap. I'd need some more info on it before I bought it though, I don't see the tuning software that was used or any dyno sheets.

Depending on the amount of boost you choose to run it should be very reliable and you could tune it to run just about any type of gas you choose, there's a hp loss if you switch to a lower octane fuel of course.
The cam gear is exposed because it probably won't fit under the factory cover, that's common with after market cam gears. The valve noise is also normal on a built head, but I would like to know what type of cams he is running?

For towing a small trailer this should do relatively well getting up sketchy roads with your dirt bike because it has coilovers, so you can raise up the ride height and it has the power to pull the weight. The biggest problem would likely be getting grip with the tires. I would buy this car and a $500 POS truck, the fuel savings would make that worthwhile.

 
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Thanks for the advice guys.


I am not worried about getting stuck as my bike is plated. I plan on parking off the highway and or going with friends most of the time, i rarely ride alone.



I will ask this seller for some dyno tuning sheets, as well as proof of the rebuild.


My only concern might be 2nd gear in the tranny, some people just dont know how to shift.


Also on a side note: Does e-85 burn at a lower temperature in turboed engines?

 
Rep Power: 285

The d167y8 trans is actually pretty strong, the package is one of the best D-series engine and transmission combos Honda ever built.

E85 burns at a lower temperature than gasoline, that's not a bad thing because heat is an unwanted by-product of the combustion process and is the number one cause of engine failure. The issue you may run into if you tune with e85 is running lean at WOT, because the injectors may run out of capacity, you could pick up 750cc or 1000cc injectors and eliminate that problem though.

 
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Any guesses as to possible mpg?

I was hoping around low 30's on the highway @ 65 mph.

 
Rep Power: 285

I'd say it's somewhere in that range, it's hard to say on a turbo car since the tune is a huge factor. The minimum I suspect would be around 25mpg.