i am looking for a car that gets good gas mileage and something that i will be able to turbo with out very much done to it. i will have about 8 or 9 grand to spend this summer and i am debating between a 99-00 civic si, a integra or a prelude. i like the way the civic's look but i am not sure if the integra or the prelude would be a better option. i would like to have 200 whp. i also need it to be cheap on insurance because i got a big ticket so now my insurance is going up. so which car is for me?
thanks

 

Out of the box, the Integra is going to have the best engine for boost. Next, I would say the SI, as long as you do something about the CR. Personally, I would stay away from a Prelude unless you're just going to stay all-motor. It's almost certainly going to have the highest insurance too.

 

The Lude is ok to boost but only to around 280 or so whp because the ringlands sit to high on the pistons. I say get a Integra LS, the SI's compression is to high for any kinda of boost worth a crap.

 

what is a cr? i found a 99 civic si in my area with 95000 miles. they are asking $9000. is this to much? is that to many miles to boost the motor?

 

I think it is to much for a nearly 100,000 mile 7 year old car but that is just me.

C/R = compression ratio

 

i thought that price was a little high. how much boost could i run off of a civic si motor? how much whp would it have with like 7lbs of boost? also, how much boost can an integra take and how much power would it be making?

 

Yor looking at around 5 to 7psi on a stock SI(B16A2 is the engine) look to be at about 220 to 250whp. The integra LS(B18B) has a much lower c/r and the stroke is longer so you make more tq also. I have seen 14psi and around 300whp on a stock LS with headstuds. I knew a guy in Maryland that had forged rods and pistons and was making around 425whp on a LS engine in a eg hatch.

 

yeah that si price is a little high. i got mine for 6500 but its a salvage

 

does a stock ls have a vtec?

 

its just 'does a stock ls have vtec'. vtec is an electronic control (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) that ajusts your camshafts according to the RPMs you are in for optimum gas mileage/performance. and no. the LS doesnt have vtec.