I wish my mechanic was serious into Hondas. In fact, I'm seriously considering not going back because I don't think they're as good as they think they are - they really believe they're hot stuff when it comes to Hondas. But they give me attitude every time I call, and charge too much for "genuine quality Honda parts."

In fact, the owner of that garage has a 97 Del Sol Si... but it's one of those cars which will go from 0-200,000 miles in completely stock form. The guy has absolutely zero passion for sports cars... I have a feeling he chose Honda because of the reliability. Who knows how he ended up with a Del Sol.

So on a side note: anyone know any really good garages in the DC metro area? As it stands, I'll probably do all my own work unless something electrical goes out - don't have the tools or experience to fix that - or something really major.

 

A CRX is also a much lighter body then the del Sol, especially the 1st generations and the second generation HF.Huh? del Sol, a sports car?:no:

 

By only 400 lbs.

2 door targa top, yes. I classify it as a sports car.

 

No matter how you cut it, 400 pounds is a lot of weight.

Figure a 2100lb CRX with a 180hp engine, that's a 11.6 hp/weight ratio. A 2500lb del Sol needs a 216 horsepower engine to have the same hp/weight ratio. I think that weight difference is pretty significant in most applications where absolute speed is desired.I guess our opinion of a sports car is different then. The del Sol is a sport compact, being that it has virtually no performance engineering at all (except for the B16A in the elusive VTEC models) and is a repackaged commuter car. It's a chopped up front wheel drive Civic, for god's sake. Nothing against the del Sol, it's a neat car, however two seats and a targa top does not make a sports car. The S2000 is a sports car, the S600 is a sports car. A del Sol is not a sports car.

 

Already got it. ITR DC4 with header/exhaust should be pushing that, then when I add engine internals (cam gears, springs, etc), it should go up. I think I can do it. It'll be a nice quest.

I guess you may have a point. Makes it more of a sleepAr!!

 

DelSolinMD,

I do my work myself too, but my bro is a certified mechanic and he puts me in check when necessary. I know a couple people in MD though, but you probably know the places that he knows.

That Andre the Giant avatar, i've seen that sticker tagged on a mailbox in Springfield VA, is it your signature or is it something that's universal?

Late

 

Kai, if the Del Sol isn't a sports car, then why do people call the Miata one? No performance engineering whatsoever, just a full convertible and RWD. That's not enough in my book to reclassify a car... I would use your phrase: two seats, convertible top and RWD do not make a sports car. Yet Mazda guys are always so vehement about the Miata being one. I say: if one is, so is the other. That, of course, raises another can of worms - can you "make" a sports car? For example, if one were to build a turbo B18C pushing 250+ hp, upgrade brakes, suspension, etc... would that push it into "sports car" range? Or is the inherent platform a curse that can never be shaken?
Plus there's always good old insurance classifcations... maybe I like to bend my Del Sol toward the sports car end of the spectrum because I'm paying for one Who knows. Your point is well taken, though.

95CivicEX_H22: Let me know your people in Maryland. I may know them - but I may not. It won't help to toss them into a post for future Maryland people who search.

And the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" avatar I got from a .zip file that contained the original to make stickers with. It's not mine - it's stems from, the best I can tell, late 80s/early 90s, and it's from some college students sociological research where he made it up and then interviewed people about how they felt when they saw the sticker, what did they think, etc. Something like that. I saw my first one in an elevator at UMBC, where my dad works. Since then I've seen about a hundred or so spread out all over the place.
Me, personally, I just like Andre the Giant a lot.

 

itr dc4? :thinking: no such thing. header and exhaust on a b18c5 will get you nowhere near 216 whp.

 

Whoa, that's just not true. For one, it is actually balanced a perfect 50/50, and that took a lot of engineering. It is rear wheel drive for the single purpose of giving it traditional sportscar driving and handling characteristics, and by that time the only RWD cars (not trucks) that Mazda made where sports cars, the RX-7 and the Miata. The ragtop is there to ad the driving pleasure associated with old world roadsters. The small size of the car contibutes to it's tossible handling. The Miata is a widely praised car for the reason that it is engineered as a sports car... the del Sol, well, it's not. I personally think the classification sticks to the chassis used, but that's where you fall into a real "grey" area. I don't argue that point, because I think both sides are fair. Unless someone says that an intake and cat-back makes their non-sports car a sports car, that's just wrong. Insurance is really shadey, too. Don't they consider some older Civics to be sports cars now? I thought someone over in the pre-92 board said something to that effect. Anyway, I just pay liability, so my beat-to-crap Civic costs exactly the same as my pretty decent RX-7. I'm cheap, I know.h:

 

All I'm hearing is handling, handling, handling - which is the Del Sol's big flaw, with the body roll - but plenty of cars handle great without being sports cars... the engines are still unpeppy, despite being in a very light car. I've driven in three or four Miatas, and while they did turn like a dog chasing it's own tail, they were dogs off the line, too. To me, a real sports car would be something like the old Lotus Elises - light, perfect handling AND a great engine. I've been in Nissan NX's that handled as well as Miata's - although I concede I doubt they had 50/50 distribution, and they weren't droptops. Despite how the Miata is engineered, I still don't classify it as sports car - I still edge it in there with the Del Sol as "close, but no cigar."

Again, though, your points are well taken.