Talk me out of this 91 hatch Civic!

So there's a gutted hatch that dropped in price to the lowly sum of $600 not too far from me. Clean title with a manual trans despite the ad saying it's an automatic. I really wasn't looking for a project, but who really is right? Anyway, I have been thinking about a wheel to wheel sort of rig or a something for time trials or if I could get some local guys to do some form of crap can racing. The FRS has been great for HPDE but I'd rather wad up something with some safety built in and not destroy my daily. Supposedly it needs a starter and a distributor, but I'm sure there's some other stuff to figure in as well.

My reason for not getting the car is that the cage is probably ERW. Hard to tell in the pics, but I haven't found out if it's DOM from the current owner yet. If it is DOM I've got a little more work needed to get it approved for a sanctioning body as long as the thickness checks out. A race car that's already done would make the most sense, but a $600 start doesn't seem like a completely terrible idea either. I'm not quite in the market for a finished car, so maybe I should wait?

I know there are quite a few swap options for these cars. People seem to love them. I've got a small turbo that would be great for this, but that all depends on classing. 200-220 from quick reading is all the internals are good for. That's about all I've looked up so far.

Faceballs Marketface link

Oh man!  Buy it!  I'd do that in a heartbeat!

That is solid for $600!

Yep. Buy it. 

I mean, it's not the generation with the tailgate (EG?)
yeah, that's all I've got, buy that SOB  

Also, bet he'll bite on $450 once he sees the bucks.

Sorry I can't talk you out of that. Just buy it.

I can't find your build thread link? 

Do it!  If you need some inspiration...in the right hands, this is one of the fastest cars on the track.

Love the EF. I used to play with an ‘89 in high school and it was a whole lot of fun. I never did anything serious beyond basic maintenance, but they are seriously simple to work on. Most parts from ‘88 to ‘00 interchange including engines. Lofty goals usually include a b16 or b18 swap or turbo d16. 

Dammit! You guys are supposed to tell me it will ruin my life and potentially lead to harder drugs. I guess there's only one thing left to do. Buy it.

I'll try and pick it up this week if the guy doesn't sell it first or flake on me. Getting info off him takes longer than expected.

Even if you buy it and don't end up doing anything with that, I'm pretty sure you can flip that to a Honda guy for more than the $600 you are paying.

I'd jump on that, the 4th gen is SO easy to work on and is a blast on track. Probably harder to find parts in junkyards these days, but there are still plenty of options out there to source what you need.  A good shop will have the cage up to spec quick, for serious track work I'd want to make sure it was overbuilt. I don't see anything going forward, the A pillars on a Civic are not exactly the height of strength. 

Well?  Did you buy it yet?

Where's my build thread?

I had a CRX HF. Thing was stock and awesome. One of my fav cars I've ever owned. 

captainawesome said:

Dammit! You guys are supposed to tell me it will ruin my life and potentially lead to harder drugs. I guess there's only one thing left to do. Buy it.

I'll try and pick it up this week if the guy doesn't sell it first or flake on me. Getting info off him takes longer than expected.

So, I'm confused. You were expecting to post about this, on this forum, and not be enabled?

Floating Doc said:

captainawesome said:

Dammit! You guys are supposed to tell me it will ruin my life and potentially lead to harder drugs. I guess there's only one thing left to do. Buy it.

I'll try and pick it up this week if the guy doesn't sell it first or flake on me. Getting info off him takes longer than expected.

So, I'm confused. You were expecting to post about this, on this forum, and not be enabled?

Well the title of the thread does ask you to talk me out of it.

Too much to ask of you enablers I guess!

I await the build thread. 

You can pick up 2.0 CRV engines for about $500. Slap a vtec head on it, a transmission, and they make serious race cars.

EF Civic is the best civic. If the cage isn't up to spec for crapcan racing, you could make it a Challenge car first.

So I think the guy is also selling a b20b high comp motor as well. I assume that's worth grabbing since you mention the CRV 2.0?

AND it's sold.....

To someone else. Guess I should have just hopped in the car immediately, but that's how it works. These are definitely on my radar now though.

If it makes you feel any better... based on my n=1 of prepping a car for Lemons, the cage is at least 80% of the work.  If that cage was not done properly, it could be a major PITA to try to bring it into compliance.  Way more work than just installing a new one.  The memory of cutting, grinding and welding for 10+ hours in the paddock at Road Atlanta, in the snow, the day before the race to get a car past tech is still freshly imprinted in my memory.

That said, the pictures indicate decent workmanship at least.

Forget B series swaps,go straight to a K20 6 speed.

 Our crx has a stock junkyard K20 and we pull the breathed on B18 crx I drove last yr like its chained to a stump.

 More power everywhere and closer gear spacings is win win.