New Project: '91 CRX

[HyOctane]

Alright guys.. I have picked up a 1991 CRX hatch 5 spd. for $500 ! Great condition and everything works properly.. except I am making this my actual drag car.. There is a lack of aftermarket support for my 2001 Celica GT-S.. plus, it's too expensive !! Anyhow, this is my ordeal..

Sorry for my lack of knowledge in this Honda engine department, all I know is the 2ZZ-GE Celica and the 2nd Gen. DSM. I have a 1991 CRX and am looking to drop in a JDM engine.. I am torn between these, I need some opinions. Which engine is more boost friendly ? Which engine has the most potential ? I can get great prices.. and they are complete with engine, transmission, ECU, wire loom, mounts, shift linkage, axle, starter and disributor. So what should I do ? Here are my choices that I have found...

1. D16A8 or a D16A9.. direct drop in.
2. B16A1 (JDM) or B18A..
3. B17A
4. B18C5.. out of a Type-R.

So what engine has the most potential ? I am a big fan of N/A power.. so I would like to keep the car all engine, but later on I do want to add a turbo.. so what engine is the most boost friendly ? Sorry for all the n00b questions.. Im trying to learn here !! I appriciate it guys...

-= HyOctane =-

[SCStreetRacer]

www.importbuilders.com
www.crvtec.com

they have a B20 engine that is fully built already....it makes like 240HP i think. it will cost a lot tho....but it gives you an idea of what you could build yourself......and the potential of the honda b-series.


i am a B20 freak.....so whatever you ask me i will always say go B20. but really for NA performance it's seems to make sense to go with the biggest motor possible.....2.0L vs 1.8 vs 1.6........easy choice for me. a B20 motor with a B20 head and some high compresion pistons would rocket you through the quarter mile. I think a CRX with a stock B16 would put you in the mid-high 14's......i figure a decently built B20 would easily put you into the low 14's or even high 13's.....and a fully built one should put you into the low 13's or maybe even high 12's. just to let you know i have no actual hands on knowledge....i only know what i've read. so you may choose to ignore everything i just said.

[h82lose]

OkaY i LOVE crx's but since I couldn't find one without rust I bought a 96 civic cx but I still know about the crx's First a great site is crx.org
So you want to have a na car but a turbo is in the future so that kinda takes out the type R motor( too much anyway $4800)Most people take the first gen b16a and can pull a 14.3 with just i/h/e. High 13's can be had with cams and good tuning. Oh yeah what kind or crx did you get? It kinda matters because of wiring. The b17a is a great engine but harder to find because it was only in the 92-93 integra gsr. I also believe it was the first vtec engine in the states besides the nsx. SCstreetracer is right though the higher the displacement the better. You can always make horsepower but torque is difficult to come by. A turbo b16a rips into the 12's easily and with better tuning maybe high 11's ( maybe). I myself love the b20 as well and a crvtec would destroy a lot of cars. Crvtec is the mating of a b20b or b20z block to a vtec head such as a b16a or b18c but b16a is better. They produce like 175 hp and 140 torque crazy numbers for a honda. But the reliability is always a problem because honda never intended the b20 to rev that high. You could do b20 turbo but then you run into the same problem that the b20 is not really a race engine. If I were you a 1st gen b16 would be good and cheap and get you started off in the right direction

[SCStreetRacer]

reliability is only a problem because people think they have to rev the CRVTEC high. you do'nt have to....it makes power at a lower rpm.....just shift earlier than you would in a B16a. i wish an aftermarket company would make a set of cams for the B20 that make power at a sane rpm......it seems like all honda cams(aftermarket) make there power way up there. Anyways I'm gonna build a B20Z.......non-VTEC just to be different and see what it can do. Eventually i'll VTEC it, but i think i should be able to go pretty fast without it.

later

[CRXkid]

What about a B18C, from the GSR's? they arent nearly as expensive as type r's. I'm also a big fan of the CRVTEC. But the GSR engine may be a good choice for you. If i were you I would probably go with the B16A or the B18C. Just my opinion though.

[CRXkid]

By the way, I was just curious as to what prices you can get them at?

[Wes Moran]

Hey guys if a engine has a higher Redline ( for example the B18b ITR engine Redlines at 9000 RPM and the Prelude H22a around 8000 RPM) is that good or bad ?

[integramus]

I would say higher is better.......I have driven a Type S ( prelude ) and it goes up to 9000 RPM, and i must say the acceleration is much better than the lower RPM integra LS we had before.

As we know the Honda's power is in the top RPMs (VTEC, i-VTEC...damn haven't u seen the kick in the power curve when the i-VTEC kicks in???) so with a high reving car the, while racing you would spend more time in the VTEC range, thus more power at that time.

Yet the only bad thing about it as i've gathered off AF, is that the compression is higher ( our type S is like 11:0 stock) and so by turbocharging the car yor're more likly to run into engine problems.

Thats the reason i could think of........if anything is not right, someone do correct me.

later guys

[tenzoracerevovii]

it is a high c/r but w/ an intercooler and a proper install, and of course low boost, it should be fine. and you can always throw in some low-comp pistons and forged rods and boost the hell out of it. also i think the b18c would be a great choice.