1987 CRX Motor Swap from eBay?

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bts_22

New Member
I am a complete newbie on motor swaps and I have been searching and doing research but I am overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that goes into a swap. I wish there were a complete kit that has everything I need.

Basically I just want a fast car that is fun to drive. I don't want to race and I am not looking for bragging rights I just want my crx to have more than enough power. The car that I am buying is a 87 crx 5sp totally stock with 190,000 miles. I am paying 700 maybe less if I can get him down.

Anyway my question is, what route should I go to have it turbo and what kind of money am I looking at here for just parts?

Will any of these listings on eBay be a good consideration? If so what additional parts will be required if any?
eBay Motors: Jdm Honda Civic Crx ZC Dohc OBDO 88-91 1.6L 5sp Swap (item 250365702430 end time Feb-09-09 11:17:13 PST)

eBay Motors: CIVIC CRX B16A DOHC VTEC 88-91 5SPEED ENGINE SWAP (item 310119718266 end time Feb-07-09 15:27:34 PST)

I have searched and read the forum topics on 87 motor swaps and I don't mean to waste anyones time with such newbie questions. I just need something to get me going in the right direction with pictures and price tags.
 
Is the crx an si or hf,dx? It's all in how much money do you want or can spend and how much of the work can you do yourself. Do you have space at home to completely tear the car apart? If it's an si then do a d16a1 swap from an 86 87 integra.
 
Is the crx an si or hf,dx?
I am not sure yet if it is at si, hf, or dx but I am assuming it is an si since it is equipped with a sunroof. Of course I am not sure how common it is to see a sunroof in the other models.

how much money do you want or can spend and how much of the work can you do yourself
For now I would be more comfortable hiring someone else to do the labor.
 
86-87 Si's are all 1 color, DX's and HF's are 2 tone(silver bottom)


I've seen alot of aftermarket sunroofs on 1st gens (non-Si's)




if its carb'd, swapping it gets alot more involved
 
Ok I went to look at the car today. It is indeed a SI. I am buying it tomorrow for 600 bucks. It has no carpet and no paint. The primer job looks pretty awful and is cracked. Did these things come with fiberglass panels? The fender and bumper seem like cheap aftermarket fiberglass. However the body is solid and it runs and drives for now. No major rust or salvage title. What do you guys think? Good deal or not?
 
they have plastic fenders (OEM) and a plastic header panel


90% of them are cracked
 
Since it's an si and your going to hire someone I would say the browntop d16 from the 86 87 integra would be the easiest and cheapest way to go. There's still alot of work to do it. If you want to do a turbo you will have to rebuild the engine. So depending on all that the engine may need you could be looking at between1-2k.Then you have to buy all the turbo stuff 1-2k.If you want to go with the 88 89 Integra blacktop you will have to do all the above and do some wiring changes to the harness for the electronic advance and do vss in the speedo cluster.
If you want to do a b series you will have to do all the above and buy differet motor mounts for anther 5-6 hundred.
Doing what you want to do in you original post is not cheap. I didn't go turbo and I already have close to 3k in my swap,but some has to do wih the fact that I swapped into a dx.
To do a basic swap from an 86 87 Integra your best bet would be to find a donor car for a couple hundred and have it there to get parts off of or strip it down to the bare bones and junk the shell.
As far as the fenders and header panels go you can still get them off ebay new or try to find good used ones.
I hope this doesn't stop you from doing the swap but let you know the it's not cheap and it will take some time.If your married don't let the wife know how much you spent or she'll kick you ass HAHAHA.Dan
 
Depending on the thickness of your wallet, you can go a few different routes if you are going to pay a reputable shop to do the work. My vote goes to an LS swap. If that is out of your price range, D16Z6. Add boost to either of them at a later point and call it a day.

Just make sure that when you get it swapped out you upgrade all the supporting components, too. Suspension, tires, brakes, etc. Having a car that can go fast is one thing. Having a car that can handle the power and is safe is way better than fast.
 
Thanks for the input. I bought the car today. The new license plate is the best looking thing on the car however it is a solid car and I like it. The sunroof is shot so it has to go. I did not know what I was getting myself into but anyway, let the fun begin. I don't know if I should do a basic tune up to get the hiccups out of the current motor and daily drive it, or just park the car and let the fun begin. I have motor work, body work, and interior work all on my mind but I don't know where I should start.

But anyway, if I plan on rebuilding the motor anyway wouldn't a browntop be just as good as the blacktop?
 
you could also just rebuild the stock motor and boost it. its been done tons. if i had another Si that would be the route i would go.
 
you could also just rebuild the stock motor and boost it. its been done tons. if i had another Si that would be the route i would go.
I like this idea. Could I reliably run a big turbo without overdoing the motor with this route? Would that provide results like outrunning v8 mustangs for example?
 
5-6 grand? Really that much. Is that including all my options or are you just speaking of rebuilding the stock si motor?
 
The only way you going to do that is a turboed b-series w/vtec. 5-6 k. Or tie a paino to the stang.

You're joking, right? If you think it takes $5K to make a Civic run that quick, then you are sadly mistaken. Either you don't know a thing anything regarding the advice you are giving him, or you are sadly misinformed.

5-6 grand? Really that much. Is that including all my options or are you just speaking of rebuilding the stock si motor?

There are a bunch of different options for you to go if you wanted that particular goal. Mid-14's is not a hard number to hit with a Honda. Set your power goal to a number that you want, and then figure out how much money you want to spend, and from there you can make a more educated choice on which motor would best get you to your desired goal.

As for your car, safety first. Fix the things that are going to keep you and everyone else safe--tires, brakes, suspensions, etc. Then worry about what to do with the car cosmetically or performance.
 
Thanks for clearing that up George. I thought $5k was a little outrageous.
 
Just remember, bigger isn't always better. You can make impressive numbers out of the D-series motors for a fraction of the cost of going to a B-series. But, IMO, B-series motors provides a better platform for future mods/upgrades.

Another thing you will hear all over the place--N/A is the expensive way to go slow. If you really want some power and for a modest budget, I recommend boost. Not everybody will feel that way, as opinions vary, but a boosted motor will get you to a power goal faster and cheaper than a naturally aspirated setup.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you want to spend and how you are going to use the car.
 
Well I found a swap for a good price considering I am going to rebuild it anyway. This is what I picked up today. Tell me what you guys think. I started a new thread on the topic here.
 
Yes Goerge you right It really won't take that much to beat in v8 Mustang. My bad!!!! But when I think of a v8 stang I don't think of the showroom floor stock car. I'm thinking more of the SVO or the cobra or the Rauch models. The stock models are usualy driven by some one that doen't give a crap if somebody in a crx can outrun them to the next redlight. Now if your going to take on a stang that is in the hands of some one that has done some work to it you might be looking at tailight alot.
 
I've seen a K-swapped EF embarrass a Z06. The motors are out there. It comes down to how much you want to spend.
 
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