Buying used engine for carb setup

So I have an 88 LX and a weber 32/36. But my tired ass engine is dying. (experinecing blow-by).I planned on rebuilding my engine but this is a very time consuming and money consuming process so now i think i'll just buy a used low milage engine and do the rebuild at my leasure. My question is which engine should I get? They offered me a A18 but this is a 1.8 liter and there is no replacement for displacement. I know it would work but I also know that my car had 9.1-1 compression and that an 88-89 efi has 9.3-1 compression. Would it be worth my time to get this engine for the added compression. I plan on shaving the head and throwing in a huge cam 284-286 or something around there. I already have a header and exhaust and will re-jet the carb. But I would like some guidence. I don't want to switch to a B series just an A series. Advice Please Thanks

I was reading a japanese fact book on the a18a carb and it has the same specs as a 86-87 efi with 110 hp and 114 ft-lb of torque, so I don't think you will be actually losing anything buy going to this motor. It is carbed so that would make the swap that much easier.

The other option is, when I was in your situation last year, Phydeaux suggested I could go with this setup, the block from an 88-89 lx-i/se-i with the higher compression pistons and swap your intake on the block. I didn't go with this setup only because time wasn't on my side, but I would have especially since I was converting to a weber carburetor at the time and would have liked any additional advantage I could give my car.

You can't use your weber on the a18, manifolds are diferent. You can pick up a usdm a18 from an 87 dual carbed prelude if you really want one. Or you could grab an ET from an 85-86 prelude since its the same motor. Might as well grab an 88-89 efi motor if you can get a good price, a couple ticks more compression wont hurt. Externaly the motors are the same and all your stuff will bolt right to it.

andy