It turned out to be the ignition coil.

Thanks for the guidance. These intermittent problems are tough for a
shade tree mechanic to diagnose.

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 21:29:14 -0400, > wrote:

>My 96 Civic stalled while going about 30 MPH as I was shifting gears; it
>will not restart. When I check for a spark at each cylinder, the spark
>is intermittent and varies in intensity. As the engine cranks, the
>spark goes from nothing to good to very weak. I've changed the usual
>items: distributor cap, rotor and ignition wires.
>
>Would the igniter cause the engine to suddenly shut down and not
>restart? Would it cause an intermittent spark and one that varies in
>intensity?
>
>I would greatly appreciate any advice.