please take a minute to help a complete new guy

[Restola]

i just bought a completely stock 98 civic ex. i know what i want, but i dont have a clue where, what brand, how much money, or what order to do things in. ive tried to read up on the topic as much as possible but as i feared i find conflicting info and opinions everywhere.

i think i would like to get new rims, lowering kit, tint windows, tail lights, exhaust, decals, and possibly a body kit. but maybe not in that order and certainly not all at once. i dont want to get too out of control. im 20 years old and this is going to be a daily driver to work/college so i cant afford to put it in the garage for the winter.

here are some specific questions i have about the things i want to purchase.
rims: the only kind i have heard consistently positive things about are momo's. but the $300/each price is kind of making me want to look elsewhere. what size will fit my civic?
lowering kit: what exactly is included, how low is too low, and who makes them
tail lights: just brand names that i can try to look up would help here.
exhaust: what wouldnt be too loud, would have a nice deep sound at low rpms, and wont give me a headache on the highway? and who makes them.
tint: how much should i be looking to spend or is it possible to get decent results doing it yourself?
decals: how are they applied and can i do them myself?
body kit: is there anything out there besides wings west?

the problem is i type "honda civic" into google and i get 50,000 classified ads. took me a week just to find this place (which i like so far).

i wont need too much technical info. i have a gearhead father who can help with the manual work, but hes more into his corvette and the classic muscle cars so this stuff is foreign to him.

im going to keep reading these forums, but if you have a minute to help out a new guy please reply. i ask that you not abbreviate everything seeing as i dont even know the original words.

[xbird]

www.honda-tech.com
www.hondavision.com
www.superhonda.com
these are great sites to search info....
Sorry, I really don't have enough time right now to answer all your questions..
but it all depends how much you wan to spend, and how fast your car you want, and how the outlook you want !
it will have many members to help you out here !
GOOD LUCK !!

Oh yeah... if you want to order something, give me an email, my friend sells parts, he can give you pretty good deals...
email me ywcheung@shaw.ca
Also.. here are few sites that is pretty good, I THINK
but do check EVERYWHERE for prices, don't make your decision that fast...
http://www.importparts.com/importparts.storefront/
http://www.modacar.com
these two sites might have higher prices, but at least u get a clue how much u going to spend.. and what you should get...
www.thepartstrader.com this site is for used parts.. which is pretty good

good luck

[2ndGenTeg]

Rims: Just about anything is acceptable. Stay away from Eagles and Primes (no offense to anyone owning them), and you should be fine. A "respectable" rim/tire package will usually run at least $700-800. Any wheel with a 4x113.5 bolt pattern and an offset of no lower than +42 to +45 will work just fine. An offset any lower than that, and you'll probably have to roll the fenders if you lower the car. As for diameter, going any larger than 17" will cause problems. Keep in mind the larger the rim, the more it will slow you down, but the tighter it will handle. Most autocrossers go with a 15" rim, and anything larger than 17" will hurt streetability and cause clearance problems. Most people I know go with a 16" rim- right in the middle.

Lowering kit: Most of the time, it isn't a kit. The best is a true coilover setup (NOT adjustable springs, there is a BIG difference), but expect to pay $1000+. You're probably looking to go the spring/strut route. When lowering the car, look to purchase three things: the springs, struts, and camber correction kit. It's possible to lower just using springs, but you'll go through struts and tires in a heartbeat. The lower you go, the harder it will be on your struts, and the quicker you'll go through tires without a camber kit. Generally, you shouldn't go lower than 2.5" before you get into clearance problems. Personally, my favorites are the Eibach, Sprint, and Tanabe springs; Koni and KYB struts (NOT Tokico- had them and hated them); and the Ingalls and Sprint camber kits.

Tail lights: tail lights is tail lights. Just remember clears are illegal, and you WILL be pulled over for them.

Exhaust: With what you're looking to do, though, an exhaust won't help a whole lot, powerwise. Honestly, I'd just weld on a muffler. If you're set on a cat-back exhaust, though, you get what you pay for, in terms of build quality. From what it sounds like you want, I'd look at the GReddy Street Performer (SP), and the A'pexi N1 with a silencer. Stay away from Tanabe- they have a bottleneck about 3" long less than 2.25" in diameter.

Tint: Take it to a pro, unless you've done it before or want bubbles.

Decals: Cake. Most vinyl decals go on very easily. Just make sure you have a squeegee handy to get the bubbles out. I'd also make sure you do it on a warm day- the vinyl sticks better and the bubbles come out easier.

Body kits: There are a million companies out there making body kits these days, which is good because WW sucks ass. Personally, my favorites are made by Vis (www.visracing.com). For more pictures of body kits than you can shake a stick at, go to www.importezine.com.

One other thing you should consider is an intake- best bang for the buck you can get. Best of the best (IMO) is the AEM cold air. Cold air intakes make more power than short rams, but for the most part, an intake is an intake.

Welcome to the incredibly addictive, bottomless abyss that is Honda tuning.

[4jacks]

I'll put in two cents on a couple things...

Tint: Do it yourself... it's easy as hell I did mine and my wifes.... turned out great... no bubbles..and pics to prove it... beside $24

Taillights: cheapest is Ebay !!! I paid $130 plus $16 shipping... every site wants almost $200

Decals: do them your self Very Easy: All you need is a credit card and masking tape.. email me i'll walk you through it.

Body Kits: Go to the Exterior Mod forum and check out all the links .. thier must be at least 30.

Hope that helps a little .

[slowEJ6]

Originally posted by hybrid3do0rcx

rims: there are numerous wheel companies on the market. if you want cheap wheels but pretty good quality, i suggest Rota. i got in an accident and the passenger side fender took most of the damage, the wheel did not even bend, just got a few scuff marks. for links to check out wheels, visit the Wheels/Tires/Suspension forum and check out the sticky on places to buy wheels, TONS of links.
id also suggest going with a wheel no bigger than a 17". and be sure to get at least a +42 offset.
www.groupbuycenter.com always has Rota stuff for good prices.

lowering kit: Neuspeed/H&R Sport springs w/ koni yellows are a good setup imo. you can get up to a 2.5" drop if you want it.

tail lights: go with 99-00 civic tails. the red/clear looks the best imo.
but of course if you want altezza style taillights, check out www.ebay.com

exhaust: the Tanabe hyper medallion is a good exhaust, nice and quiet but has a rather deep tone, as well as the tanabe G-Power medallion. the N1 is alright but i dont like how it looks with the silencer in.

tint: id go with a professional, most of the time they'll give you a warranty so if anything goes wrong you can bring it back.

decals: easy to put on, be sure to clean the surface first and dry it thoroughly. soap and warm water helps here.

body kit: www.asylumms.com and www.importfan.com and www.wholesalehyperformance.com will give you plenty of eye candy for bodykits.

[AzCivic]

rims:I'd go with 16's and if your looking to go fast lighter is better
lowering kit: progress lowering springs $135,kyb agx struts like $70ea.
tail lights: i have no idea
exhaust: i just got an apexi world sport and i love it it was everything i wanted in an exhaust. deep tone and not obnoxious at highways speeds
tint: i paid 180$ to have mine done but you can find cheaper I'm sure.
decals: again i have no idea
body kit: dont know either

[VDubRacer757]

As far as rims, I like th integra LS rims personally. you can get them cheap and they look good, not all bling bling'd out. Lower kit, Try the eibach sport line kit. We put one on a 2002 civic and it looks good, or HP Racing coilovers. WE have a 97 civic with them on it and they look good one that. Exhaust, I like the Tenzo R II on the body style civic, but it is a little pricey. Also Check out so of Hp Racing Exhaust. HP is a real good company, and they really stand behind all their products. Intake, I would say AEM or Injen would be the best. HP Racing for the header. I'm not too big on decals so can't help you there...