Introducing our 92 Honda Civic Si Oct 4, 2004
Yesterday we picked up our latest project car, a 1992 Honda Civic Si. While this generation of the Civic didn't make such a splash when it was first released--Nissan and VW seemed to really dominated the scene back then--this EG-series Civic has become one of today's most popular compacts.
We didn't buy one of these cars to win a popularity contest, however, as the vehicle has some very nice attributes. For one, this generation of the Civic is light, as the base-model CX hatch weighs only 2094 pounds. Honda listed an official curb weight for our "loaded" Si model at 2326 pounds.
The car also has the ability to swallow lots of powerful engines, as Honda's twin-cam B- and even H-series engines can be bolted in. Combining a light body with a powerful engine is a recipe for success in our book.
While the Civic is light, it's not tiny, as the car boasts ample interior space. Two grown-ups can comfortably fit up front, while the back seats folds down to form a larger cargo hold. And being a Honda, the car seems to age well.
Since this car was a little ignored when first released, we figured now was the time to make amends. While the 1992-'95 Civic was available in several different states of tune, of course we had to go with the Si model, which only came as a hatchback. (The 1992-'95 Civic was also available as a four-door sedan, while a coupe joined the lineup for 1993.)
In addition to the 125-horsepower VTEC engine, the most powerful one offered during this particular model run, the Si also received four-wheel disc brakes, front and rear anti-roll bars, a power moonroof and a nicer interior. Not all of those items make the car faster, but it does all add up to a nice daily driver. (We also want to see how well the car does in SCCA Street Touring autocross competition, and the way the rules are written we needed to start with a real Si.)
The Si models can be a little tougher to find, but some perseverance paid off. We found our car through honda-tech.com, a popular message board for fans of the Honda. The asking price was $3000, but the sellers had already accepted an offer for $2800. However, the buyer said he needed a month to come up with the money. We told them we only needed 24 hours.
While some would consider that to be strong money for a car that's going on 13 years old, there were some strong points. For one, the car seemed to have been loved, as it was very clean inside and under the hood, sported fresh tires, and didn't seem to be suffering from any mechanical issues. The air-conditioning system had just been totally replaced to the tune of $1200. The car did show 159,000 miles on the odometer, but apparently the engine had been replaced sometime in the car's life. We were told the engine in the car has about 100,000 miles on it. In Honda-speak, that means things are just getting broken-in.
The fact the seller came to the door wearing an Evolution Driving School shirt and pointed out every little "issue" left us feeling pretty confident about the purchase.
On the other hand, not everything was perfect. The paint had faded over the years, and the car was now about four different shades of red. There are also some dings and small dents, while the front bumper is a little buggered-up. The steering wheel is also a little on the aged side, while it's missing one of the rear hatch struts. We're also missing a piece of windshield trim.
The car seems solid, however, as we can't find any rust or evidence of crash repair. It goes down the road nicely. It's actually quite comfortable.
The car also had received a few modifications from the previous owner, but nothing major. A wrecked Integra donated its seats, floor mats and snazzy hubcaps, while a K&N air filter had been installed. The car also came with some JDM-style, all-amber corner lights.
Competition Debut Nov 4, 2004
The car made its competition debut this past Saturday, as we ran it at the 4th Annual Florida CRX Meet. Organizers have opened the show to Civic hatchbacks, while any Honda can run in their nighttime autocross.
Before heading out to the Orlando autocross event, the car received a little love. The car has been so maintenance-free to date that we figured we should give things the once-over.
First, we decided to swap the stock 14-inch wheels and tires for something a little sportier, so we dug through the garage to see what would work. Longtime GRM readers may recognize these bronze 15x7-inch Konig Burner wheels, as they graced our 2000 Civic Si at one point. They're still wrapped with a set of BFGoodrich Comp T/A ZR tires, which at this point in time have more or less past their expiration date. Still, we figured it was a decent stopgap measure.
We also changed the oil since, according to the paperwork, 3000 miles had passed since the last service. Out went the dirty old oil, and in went a couple of fresh quarts of Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic oil. Valvoline says this oil is engineered for engines that have covered more than 75,000 miles, as "special seal conditioners to help keep engines cleaner and reduce oil consumption."
We were not experiencing any oil problems beforehand, but figured it was good insurance. We'll keep an eye on oil consumption and keep everyone posted.
So, how did the car do at the autocross? Well, fellow Honda enthusiasts praised the Civic's clean engine compartment, but to be honest the car was a bit of a handful out on course. As expected, the tires were no longer super-sticky, while the totally worn-out shock absorbers allowed the car to lose all composure under braking, acceleration and corner turn-in. The brakes are also a little underwhelming.
At least the event gave us a baseline, confirming that while the car is in good overall shape, it's also a little worn-out. Fortunately these are parts that can easily be replaced--and we have already ordered some stuff....
Longtime GRM friend Lyonel Kent turned us on to RPM Engineering (phone 865-769-4130), a source for Delrin suspension bushings. Our set arrived today, and as a bonus they come pressed in to refurbished control arms.
Roll on Nov 22, 2004
The car hasn't really changed much, but we ran it at a Central Florida SCCA "fun day" autocross this past weekend. The course was basically an up-and-back affair, as it was located on an abandoned air strip in DeLand, Fla.
The higher-speed sweepers meant our damper speeds were on the low side, so the car wasn't such a mess this time. Power from our stock engine also felt good.
We ran our tire pressures at 37 psi front/40 psi rear. The car was a little tail-happy, but nothing that couldn't be controlled. In fact, the car was easier to catch than we expected. The overall impression was similar to an XL-sized Civic.
Out of the 92 drivers who posted times, our Civic finished 27th. Now we're feeling good about the car. Time to order some go-fast goodies.
Auto-X Dec 24, 2004
Some parts showed up today: Rota Auto-X wheels. Since Rota chose to use our original name for these new wheels, how could we resist? They're a little on the narrow side at 15x6.5 inches, but like we said, we caved into style. Perhaps we should do some testing to see if that extra half an inch really matters? By the way, the color is Gun Metallic.
According to the scale at our local post office, each wheel weighs in at 12 pounds, 12.40 ounces. Soon we'll be wrapping these wheels with tires from BFGoodrich.
Looks like this is going to be an international effort, as we have some more parts on the way:
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A Vibrant Power header and exhaust system from Canada. (www.vibrantpower.com)
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Whiteline Automotive suspension parts from Australia. (www.whiteline.com.au)
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Koni shock absorbers from Holland. (www.koni-na.com)
Add those to our Rota wheels from the Philippines, and it's a pretty global effort. (By the way, the car is also from Canada.)
Civic Seating Jan 5, 2005
Our Civic came fitted with a set of Acura Integra seats, which was both a blessing and a slight problem. Apparently a friend of the previous owner totaled his Integra, so our Civic received the Acura's seats, floor mats and hubcaps.
The front Integra seats are good looking and quite comfortable. We like them.
The problem lies with the back seat. The upper part of the seat fits fine, but the lower part left a gap, as it just didn't fit right. All of the interior upholstery matched, but the rear seat didn't look right. Plus, under strict SCCA Street Touring rules, we needed to install a Civic seat to make the car legal. (Street Touring rules do allow different front seats, so we're okay there.)
In talking to the SCCA's Solo Department, we were told that any 1992-'95 Civic hatch rear seat should be fine, as the rules allowing cosmetic changes could "explain away" the different seat fabric.
Armed with that info, we looked for a rear seat. While out searching our local U-pull-it salvage yard, Per called to say there were several Civic hatches present. We found two decent rear seats, one from an Si model and the other from a DX. The DX seat was less stinky, while its lighter color better matched our Integra front seats.
Still, the seat was greasy and a little gross, but for $17.99 our problems would be solved. We also picked up a can of Blue Coral Dri-Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner and went to work: Soak the fabric with the cleaner, knead the cleaner into the upholstery with our hands, and then vacuum up the remaining foam with our shop-vac.
That $3.50 blue and white can did the trick, as our seat quickly looked nearly new--and smelled a lot better. A small squirt of a Simple Green Automotive Cleaner/Degreaser and some quick scrubbing with our finger eliminated the few tiny remaining grease spots.
While at the salvage yard, we also grabbed a new rear window. Our window isn't bad, but the tint is a mess. While we could have argued with the tint for a while while removing it, buying a complete rear window for $12.99 was certainly quicker. We needed a rear wiper arm anyway--a $2.99 part--so really the window only costs us $10. Since the move saved us some time, we don't feel bad. Plus we can probably sell our current window on eBay.
We first need to reattach one of the captive nuts that hold the passenger-side hatch strut in place, so once that's done we'll install our new rear glass. Our new Stabilus hatch struts ordered from Autohaus AZ (http://www.autohausaz.com) have already arrived, so they'll be installed along with the new rear gas. (Including Priority Mail shipping, both hatch struts costs us only $32.29.)
While at the Pull-N-Save (phone 386-255-8485), we also picked up a piece of windshield trim to replace one that is missing. We don't see the windshield trim on our receipt, so apparently it wasn't worth ringing up. (They also didn't charge us for the gearshift knob and rear badge we grabbed from a 1971 Honda Z600)