Civic HB CX and VX

[wmdeal]

Hello there, what I am trying to determine is what my best approach should be in regards to purchasing a new to me 92 to 95 civic hatchback to serve as my daily driver to work (60 miles round trip).

Given the current rise in gas prices, there is alot more interest in people searching for great mileaged honda civics. I would absolutely love to get my hands on a VX HB, however, it seems to be a long shot with the demand for these.

My question is what should be a realistic approach to getting into a vehicle which gets over 40 mpg and at the same time limiting the funds needed to around 3.5k to 4k dollars?

I am really leaning towards, as stated above, a 92 to 95 civic hatchback. My understanding is that the VX is preferred but that the CX has the same tranny. Because of this, I am thinking about including the CX in my searches and once/if I find one, replace the CX engine with a D15Z1. Does this make sense?

Or what else would be a good plan of attack with what is generally available out on the market right now?

Any help would be greatly appreciated ...

wmdeal