Advice Needed!

[zm_dawg]

Well, this is my first posting, and the first one is usually the most basic one I believe. I've recently purchased a Black 2000 Civic EX. I'm trying to figure out what parts, brands and the order of installing some performance parts for me should be. I have the Honda Care warranty and really want to keep it through the winter, but am so anxious to get started adding onto my car. What should I start with.....I almost thought of just focusing on the interior through winter..but do i really need to put off the first few mods till spring?

[VieT916]

Do you want to go all-motor or boost? If you're going all-motor, don't even bother on a Y8. The bolt-ons won't get you anywhere. I wasted $1000 on the basic mods. Wow, I got nothing but noise and a slow car. If you want to stay all-motor, just swap the engine out. For boost, you can easily build up the Y8 or start from scratch on another motor, too. But the Y8 will get you nowhere fast w/o some kind of boost unless you have lots of cash to spend on it.

[pdiggitydogg]

agreed. I have a 97 EX and its all motor as well. I dont get anywhere fast and my buddy's dohc del sol with a b16 is blazin fast and its stock. Since you wanna keep the warranty youre pretty much S.O.L. if you want speed. But if you want a real loud civic just put on the exhaust, intake, and headers. Sure you'll waste money like many of us but hey thats what an sohc will get ya. At least its a Y8 and has vtec though

[zm_dawg]

I really am not sure if I have the money to do an engine swap....i'm not looking to start racing this car down the strip....just some added HP with a nice exhaust sounding off in the background...what engines....how much?....etc

[pdiggitydogg]

well then go with cold air intake, an exhaust system (cat-back and a high flo cat), and a header. Then later on if you choose you can get a supercharger and not waste money. This would be a very optimum route for you i suspect.

[pdiggitydogg]

check out www.modacar.com
www.groupbuycenter.com
www.optauto.com/webstore
and nopi.com's e-catalog

these are good places for you to start looking at suff to buy and have good prices, mostly modacar and Options Auto has the best.

[slowEJ6]

"at least its a Y8 and has vtec" :D

get an intake, work on your interior, and during that time decide what route youd like to go with your car. Turbo SOHC? DOHC swap? That gives you plenty of time to decide and plenty of time to piece together parts for whatever you want to do while still getting the interior work done.

thats what id do if i was in your place.
that is what ill be doing with my next car, sort of. suspension 1st, interior 2nd, motor 3rd. :bandit:

[pdiggitydogg]

hey Id much rather drive my ex vtec over a nonvtec model. why? Bragging rights of course!:D

[4jacks]

get exhaust first, it looks good, and performs.

Also look into nitrous for a cheaper Big Horsepower gain.

Welcome to Hondastyle BTW

happy honda'ing

[slowEJ6]

Originally posted by pdiggitydogg
hey Id much rather drive my ex vtec over a nonvtec model. why? Bragging rights of course!:D

ive dominated numerous EX's on the track/road. VTEC on a SOHC motor is a joke when you have basic mods.


nitrous? with a warranty? i dont think that would go over too well. exhaust doesnt perform very well though, to be honest id just get some 2" piping and an Si/ITR muffler to keep things quiet, otherwise its just going to be a lot of noise.

[zm_dawg]

So...APEXi N1 exhaust....how's that perform on a car like mine...also what about the supercharging? any more insight on that...for later on cause i'm sure that excedes the warranty....
Also to whoever spoke of the suspension...what are you doing or what should I and can I do to get results?

[4jacks]

Originally posted by slow ej6
nitrous? with a warranty? i dont think that would go over too well.

exhaust doesnt perform very well though, to be honest id just get some 2" piping and an Si/ITR muffler to keep things quiet, otherwise its just going to be a lot of noise.

I was just bringing up nitrous, to related to forced inductioned. Either way you void your warranty.

I still stand with Exhaust being the first mod for your car. All the dyno runs in SCC and Other mags, show an exhaust systems adds about the same or slightly less HP than comparing it to air intake, and headers. Yet Exhaust has the benifit of Form and function. (I"m big on apperance)

I put a free flow muffler with 2 1/2" pipe on my SOHC 1.7L and it's VERY QUIET. so there really is no need for the Si muffler.

[zm_dawg]

when someone says there exhaust is "quiet" how quiet lets someone say it's quiet. i guess if i indulge in a new performance exhaust i'm looking for the appearance along with performance....but i am looking for some noise....what noise i'm looking for....who the hell knows.

[4jacks]

Originally posted by zm_dawg
when someone says there exhaust is "quiet" how quiet lets someone say it's quiet. i guess if i indulge in a new performance exhaust i'm looking for the appearance along with performance....but i am looking for some noise....what noise i'm looking for....who the hell knows.

this is almost completely impossible to talk about on the internet,
When I say mine is quiet, what I really mean is that It is too quiet for my taste... Of course i'm not just going to say "Oh yea.. i spent all that money and it still sounds like blah..."
But mine is definatly louder than stock

It's not like we have ratings to go off of... You can use Decibles.. but most magazines don't publish decibles so it's a hard concept to grasp, plus, you can have a loud exhaust that still completely sounds like crap.

The only real thing you can do is follow honda civic's w/ exhaust around, and ask them whats on it..

but for general referance,
the wider the pipe the louder it will be.
and a free-flow muffler is louder than a restrictive one.