due to overwhelming requests to post some information on my car i decided to start a thread.

This was how the body looked when i purchased it for $400 dollars.


nice steering wheel but no interior panels!




looking for the engine, i think it's missing.


I purchased this car from my neighbor, he drives a very clean white CX hatch and just so happened to have his old drag car sitting in his parents garage for the last two years. He gave me a great price and we have become great friends since i started the build. The shell came with omni power adjustable coil overs (8k front, 10k rear spring rates), momo removable steering wheel with NRG quick release, magnaflow exhaust, JDM fog lamps, pioneer stereo (circa 1995), and a box of misc parts.

i started off by purchasing a 1998 Integra GSR engine with 80k confirmed miles by the vehicle odometer. The engine came with A/c lines, axles, transmission, engine harness, OBD2 ECU and an aftermarket intake.

once the engine was purchased i began accumulating interior parts -finding these parts has been the hardest part of this build because most people strip these cars and leave the parts laying in a garage or break clips ETC ETC.

On to more pics
the interior parts i purchased/found


interior fully built



The engine

where it belongs


coils


exhaust (and my learner welds)


box of A/C components


all buttoned up


how she sits now.



What i drive when i can't actually drive

 

For this build reliability was #1 on the list so i went with all quality OEM components.
New OEM:
water pump
plugs
timing belt
drive belts
axles
trans fluid
valve stem seals
valve cover gasket
rear main seal
front main seal
headlamps
turn signals
motor mounts
wires

Not new:
OBD1 p72 ECU (very rare ecu that i got for 50 dollars!)

i am sure there is more that i cannot remember but the car has been great since i finished it.

However, it has not been perfect.
Problems:
i had a problem with the wheel leaking air over night and i found a hairline crack - cost me 50 dollars to repair plus the price of a new tire $110

the damn glove box keeps falling when i hit a bump -still unresolved because i cannot find a gray colored glove box for a reasonable price.

 

Recently, the car was taking longer to start up after sitting over night and hesitating around 5500 RPM

Spark tests out perfect but i replaced the plugs anyway. ~20
Problem unresolved
So i replaced the fuel filter ( i couldn't believe i forgot to do this )
Problem starting went away but it hesitated today and actually shut off while sitting idle.

I feel that it is safe to say that my fuel pump is on it's last leg, i am currently eyeing a walbro 255 lph pump but this will require an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator and possibly a tune to be on the extra safe side - then there is the aftermarket reliability gamble, something i still feel uncomfortable about.

Any other avenues i should exhaust before i spring for a new pump?

 

Looks awesome phee. You have my respect and admiration as I know this was something you learned a number of things while working on it. From mechanical to bodywork, you've done it yourself. Most people never undertake such a project. Keep up the good work.

 

Nice work dude!

So what made you sell the TL and get this? Wanted a new project?

 

Thanks guys. The bodywork starts in two weeks, I want to get it mechanically sound before spending a dime on cosmetics.

I sold the TL reluctantly due to fuel costs. I was spending 500 a month on fuel ( I drive a lot)

 

for starting with mechanicals. And IMO it's got an appeal sitting how it does now.

I found a great solution for your glovebox issue...

 

 

great work phee, this would be my project in case i total my cl i would drop j motor in it

 

Nice man! My plan next year is to give my car to my wife (close to paying off) and buy a `11 WRX.

Car I always wanted since 2002 + get the wife in something newer/nicer = win-win lol

 

nice work phee... for $400, i would have jumped on that shell too...

 

Sounds like a win-win neejay.

Kam, the price definitely helped me decide quicker but the body work needed is definitely cost prohibitive.. That's why im going to DIY.

So far the build has me at ~2800

 

Nice! But I think you need to ditch the B18.

Buy my K20

 

Cool project! I've seen your 6speed thread, awesome for starting mechanicals.

Looking forward to the cosmetic progress.

 

that wud be such a great project w/ a nice K Frank in it...is this your beater or just a project?

 

It is my daily driver and my only car. I sold the TL about 6 months ago.

A k swap would be cool but the gains per HP were not worth it in my opinion. This thing is plenty quick and the MPG's are a dream

 

~250whp.........170wtq.......dyno proven.......civicdrivr approved......

You know you want it

J/k

 

Morgan change your avatar please...

my dream project was hatch ek with k series but that was back in the europe i dont like all the ghetto civics that drives around with loud fart cans

 

Good looking work phee. Keep the pics coming.

 

Hey, I dont like it either. But the more you complain the longer it stays

/offtopic

 

thats my biggest gripe with this car. it is LOUD. i'm talking headache loud.

 

Still running the Magnaflow setup? I really like the RS*R exhausts for the EF chassis, not sure if they are even still available for the EGs.

 

Still running the magnaflow. i had Magnaflows on the TL and i liked the sound, this car just needs an actual muffler- the 10 inch straight through probably does nothing

 

I love the Mags on my car as well. But yea, a resonator isnt much

 

that's a nice little eg u got there.

$50 for an OBD1 P72, damn that's fuckin lucky...

as far as the exhaust, Apexi WorldSport2's are pretty nice and quiet unless you're actually into the throttle. I'm not 100%, but I think you can just buy the muffler as well.

regarding the odd idle, did you ever have it tuned after the motor was put in? it could just be some small fuel adjustments are needed in certain areas of the map.

lastly, if you do end up getting a Walbro just make sure it's legit and not a knockoff. knockoff Walbro's have been floating around lately and giving the actual ones a bad name.

happy modding, and gotta love 30MPGsss!

 

A tune would be nice but shouldn't this Ecu be able to keep the car on? It is basically stock minus bolt ons.

 

Nice build. I had a 92 DX that I sold because I never had the time to work on it.

 

in hindsight, yes your ecu should be able to keep the car running. but, there are also some variables that need to be put into the equation.

1. is the motor itself an OBD1 or OBD2 unit?
2. is the motor JDM or USDM (some JDM motors lack certain sensors that the USDM ones come with)
3. even though the P72 is a GSR ecu, it might not necessarily be running a GSR map and have all the necessary parameters hooked up/running optimally.

lastly, even though it only has basic bolt-ons a fine tune will most likely help your motor run to its full potential. this is all based on my previous B-series experience and things I've dealt with on friends cars.

 

its an obd2 engine with a stock p72 (no chip)

thanks for the help. are you sure it isnt just a failing pump?

 

I definitely wouldn't rule out the failing pump. it could also be some old sensors that have gone bad over the past 13 years. an old IAC valve could cause it to slightly fluctuate the idle, even to the the point of shutting down.

I remember you also saying that it would hesitate a little bit around 5500. that's where the butterflies in the intake manifold open and they could "possibly" not be wired in right. that's most likely doubtful since you do have an actual ECU from a GSR.

I'd say go with a new pump for now, it definitely won't hurt, and then if the problem still persists I'll keep checking this thread, asking some of my B-series specialists, and my tuner and see if we can all get your EG running in tip-top shape.

my heart lives for the 92-00 Civics, and I'll do whatever I can to have a clean rust-free EG on the road.

 

Looking good Phee, keep up the work and pics!

 

thanks a ton for your help. the Manifold butterflies are wired correctly, i tested the continuity for the wiring when i noticed the hesitation a while back. Now the hesitation happens sporadically throughout the power band but only when i am in WOT, i can go to 8k rpm at partial throttle and there will not be hesitation.

 

I was hoping there were some civic owners here, +1 for the GSR. I had a GSR head and B20 Block. I gave up a little top end for some torque. But it was a mission to Daily Drive the car, I would get followed home thieves tried, SO i parted ways Here she is



Good luck wl the build bro, my only question is since you did the swap yourself why didnt you shave and spray the bay?

 

Shaving and spraying the bay wasn't budgeted at the time. I still don't see the point of it to be honest.

car looks good, no thieves following me either but i don't associate with the civic crowd.

 

Ok guys. I started Samson yesterday and I hope to be done by the end of the month. Now onto paint colors. I want something similar to the original dark gray that the car came with but I am willing to do a pearlescent / metallic paint. Budget is max of 30 dollars per can of paint. Any suggestions?

 

sanding* not samson damn autocorrect...

maybe i'll name my car that.

 

Wow, I thought you did name the car "Samson"; G/L on the rest of it.

The color on a '94 Civic Si we owned was "Horizon Gray," but it looked blue-purple from certain angles in bright sunlight, and there was no color comparable to the anthracites that I prefer.

 

I think grey looks nice on older Civics. Personally, I would go with as close to the factory as you can. It's much easier to work with a colour that matches the the door jambs and underneath the bonnet/decklid. Unless these areas are prepped as well, a colour change looks a little weird if it doesn't match parts of the car.

 

What Terry said.

 

Keep it factory IMO.