On Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Michael Snow wrote:

> I wish I had the complete answer.  I think there should be, but it will
> only be effective if the transmission is re-geared appropriately.

I haven't driven one either.  You wouldn't get any more top speed without
replacing the transmission, since the top speed will still be limited by
the engine's redline.  It seems like you ought to get better accelleration
and hill climbing ability, though, since the 1.9 has more torque.

The hard part in getting a straight answer is that by the time someone
puts in a 1.9, their 1.6 is usually pretty tired, so the "seat of the
pants" comparison isn't a fair one.  Even a new 1.6 would probably feel
pretty peppy compared to an old one with bad compression.

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Diesel Westfalia
'94 Honda Civic Si