DC2 Integra Dashboard Swap into an EG Civic

Source a complete DC2 dash with its harness attached, plus the DC2 fusebox, dash mounts, heater box, console and trim parts, all from the same OBD generation as your EG (OBD1 here: 94-97 DC2 with an OBD1 EG main harness). The dash harness connects via three plugs: green to the fusebox, grey to the main harness and blue to the rear harness. The green plug connects directly; the blue and grey plugs differ in size between DC2 and EG and are the reason for the re-pinning work that follows.

Remove both the EG and DC2 dash harnesses from their dashboards so everything is accessible on a bench. Photograph and label what each plug is for: hazards, demister, radio, cigarette lighter, dimmer, two cluster plugs, glove box light (DC2), earth and clock.

Set the multimeter to ohms on the lowest range (or autorange). Draw each plug, noting pin locations and wire colors. Place one probe in pin 1 of the grey, blue or green plug, note its wire color, find pins of the same color elsewhere in the harness and probe them; a reading means you have found where that pin goes. Record every pin of all three plugs on both harnesses. A published cluster pin-out diagram for these chassis is a useful cross-check.

Using your continuity map, de-pin the DC2 dash harness terminals and insert them into the correct positions in the EG connector shells. A sewing needle works well for releasing the terminal locking tabs. An earlier guide suggests only the blue plug needs swapping, but on this car everything differed - trace and verify your own harnesses rather than trusting a generic map.

Solder a splice joining the grey plug's YEL/BLK wire to the green plug's YEL wire. This is the only soldering in the conversion, and the turn signals and hazards will not work until it is done.

Grind the fusebox mount off the DC2 driver-side dash mount area, then drill out the EG dash mount's spot welds. Attach the EG fusebox mount to the DC2 dash mount: drill two holes and bolt it on. Also grind a notch in the mount to clear the steering support beam.

Cut thin sheet metal to size for each side, drill two holes to bolt each plate to its dash mount, and drill one more hole so the plate bolts to the original mounting point on the body. Use small-head nuts and bolts so the hardware clears the dash.

Trial-lift the dash into place: excess plastic behind the cluster opening will interfere. Mark it, pull the dash out and cut the plastic away with a dremel, keeping all cuts out of visible areas. Drill a hole behind the clock for the dash bolt if you want that factory mounting point (the dash is secure without it). If the cluster still fouls, mark and trim the steering column support beam - remove the beam, trim it and the non-removable part of the support, and refit.

Use the DC2 heater core/box, not the EG one - it bolts up to the EG firewall with no modification. Removing the old heater hoses is the hard part on an old car: expect to cut them off and fit new hoses, and be very careful not to deform the soft copper pipes on the heater box where the hoses clamp. Some coolant will be lost; top up afterwards.

The DC2 console appears misaligned at first, but with the carpet in and the DC2 console and armrest brackets fitted it lines up correctly. The foam insert under the carpet is optional and just makes the fit more snug. The armrest side screws need new holes drilled in the armrest if you want them fitted; the assembly is solid without them.

Peel back the vinyl on each door skin carefully without tearing or cutting it. Refit the trim and mark roughly where it needs cutting, then trim with a dremel in small passes, test-fitting repeatedly (this took about ten on-off cycles per door). Glue the vinyl back down with contact adhesive; because the vinyl was molded before cutting, a couple of areas will not be 100 percent perfect but glue down almost unnoticeably.

The DC2 kick panels work with the dash, though the fit is not perfect: trim the EG door sill mouldings to length (DC2 sills may also fit). The kick panels clip to the side of the door opening and can also use the firewall mounting point. DC2 black carpet fits the EG almost perfectly - cut one hole for a seat belt mounting point, and accept slightly imperfect fitment at the sides of the rear hatch area. Use the kick panels to cover the gaps at the carpet's front corners.

To match grey EG trims, door handles and the handbrake handle to the DC2 dash, scuff each piece with a scotch-brite pad, clean with an alcohol-based cleaner, let dry fully and apply vinyl paint per the can's instructions. Let parts dry completely before reassembly - handling them early scratches the fresh paint.