$800 to spend

What dave said.

So people like the Dropzone coilovers here? I was eyeing them for the Deathscort, as the significant other is unhappy with driving a car with "just" a 1.5" drop for some reason.

I knew i loved her for something.

They aren't great, but they aren't bad for the price.

I was considering Hankook Ventus RS-2 for tires.

DILYSI Dave wrote: They aren't great, but they aren't bad for the price.

So on a cheap WGAF deathscort with decent struts on it already, may as well. Cool!

I was considering Hankook Ventus RS-2 for tires.

At the price they seem to be hitting, there's not much reason not to. Everybody who seems to NOT like them tends to be the ones with the heavier cars. I've run them for the last couple years, and i like them better than the RT615s i was running before. I haven't had direct experience with the XS yet. I HAVE driven Star Specs, and i like the RS2s better. That'll probably vary on car, though, i haven't put Star Specs on my car, and probably won't, since i can't find the size i want.

Also Integra swaybars fit the Civic right or I am wrong about that? If they do what parts do I need to fit them?

96DXCivic wrote: Also Integra swaybars fit the Civic right or I am wrong about that? If they do what parts do I need to fit them?

They do fit. I believe it's direct bolt in. Type R rear sway is a very common upgrade for EG/EK chassis.

Also what about Skunk2 coil overs anyone had experience w/ these? I found some on sale. Should I get them or not?

96DXCivic wrote: Also what about Skunk2 coil overs anyone had experience w/ these? I found some on sale. Should I get them or not?

Price, specs, link?

I've heard mixed. If they're in your budget, they're absolute entry level stuff.

I would imagine to be honest you'd see better performance from the Yellows and Dropzones, maybe upgrade to Ground Controls at a later date.

If you're sticking to your $800 budget, i'd take a look at KSport. I know they have a bad rep depending on where you look, but i've ridden in many a Honda with their full setup (used to offer a package with coilovers and LCAs) and they performed great. You might have to stretch a little further, but i feel they're worth the money.

Shotgun... ?

what about an intake?

Is this your daily driver as well? If so, you might want to pay attention to the spring rates these coilover kits come with. Last time I checked the Skunk2 sleeve kit was 500lb/in and 400lb/in. Very subjective of course, but I wouldn't want to run those rates on my grocery getter (here in Atlanta anyway).

That said, spend it all on suspension. No point in trying to squeeze power out of that motor. I'm a huge fan of Koni yellows, but if you don't see another $800 coming down the pike anytime soon you might consider going with a more budget-oriented solution. I ran Tokico hp/blues with the Eibach Prokit springs on my 93 Si hatch for quite some time and I was really happy with it for a street suspension (and how little I spent). However, I did want something more substantial once I started autocrossing. I think mainly due to the progressive springs. In any case, for 800 bones you could get dampers, springs, rear itr anti-roll bar, decent pads (Axxis Ultimates anyone?) and still have $200-300 left over for finding some used 15x7's.

I am thinking currently some Integra swaybars, some good dampers, coil-overs (I may be able to come up w/ a little extra money and get Ground Controls) and maybe a cold air intake or Hawk pads if I have the money. Should I only do the rear swaybar?

I wouldn't bother with the intake. It'll just make noise.

I would do both swaybars. The stockers are TINY.

Teggy sways, AGXs or used Yellows, GC coilovers, and hawk pads should make you a happy guy.

I have to be honest. I would really like some extra power because a Civic DX is really slow. What are some cheap power mods that I can do that will make decent power and are easy and quick to do? I am doing the swaybars, dampers and coilovers for sure. I was also thinking about some new brake fluid.

96DXCivic wrote: I was considering Hankook Ventus RS-2 for tires.

Until some one stole them 3 nights ago, that is what I had on the 14" 11.5 lb civic HX wheels. reasonably civil stickyish tires with enough carcass to keep the contact patch in shape in 195 60 14". with the below set up, my 96 hatch was a very fun econo box.

I personally would spent the money on the suspension and be happy to carry speed. 96-00 civics have a very good set-up for a cheap ass little can.

I paid:

250 for barely used koni sport adjust 120 for used eibach sportline springs 220 for new suspension techniques front and rear sway bars 140 for the hx wheels with 8 coats of paint on them 80 bucks for the big trailing arm bushings. 300 for the tires and 70 for a mount and balance 70 for a real alignment.

before i put on a 99-00 si front and rear brake set up, I put good pads and ate super blue on the car and the brakes were plenty good enough.

I scoured craigslist for a year or so to find those prices. I thought I was buying from legit people on all of the deals exept the HX wheels which I bought out of a warehouse in San Jose that was some sort of JDM hive of fast and furious phillip k dick future present bizarreness. They have now been stolen for perhaps the 12th time.

Agreed on the parts 93celica mentioned.

If you really want to see if you can get a little more power just get an intake, preferably of the cold air variety. If only to learn from it. They're cheap enough not to worry so much. It will be the most bang-for-the-buck power besides engine-destroying nitrous. I don't agree that it will "only make noise", but don't expect anything crazy. A header or exhaust will be a waste of money imho, unless you really want a loud car. It is a very small and very basic motor - it just doesn't flow that much air. Quick, easy, cheap, power-producing mods on that motor are pretty much like unicorns, pure fantasy.

As far as only using the rear-sway, I haven't found a reason to use anything stiffer than stock for the front of a fwd car. This is for a couple of reasons: reduction of understeer and overall grip. The end with the highest roll stiffness will break traction first. So ideally you want your overall roll stiffness (including springs of course) to be higher in the rear for a front wheel burner.

Also, anti-roll bars obviously reduce body roll, keeping the suspension geometry closer to the sweet spot, but at the cost of mechanical grip. If you think about the how the forces are being applied by the bar - it is actually transferring load from the inside wheel to the outside, where you don't want it. I'm not saying arb's are bad. They definitely have their uses. Especially on street cars with too little roll stiffness. I just don't suggest putting big fat ones on your drive wheels.

That said, I didn't have a DX. You might want to upgrade the front as well, but I wouldn't go any stiffer than a GSR bar (which is what the ITRs used as well FYI)

96DXCivic wrote: I have to be honest. I would really like some extra power because a Civic DX is really slow. What are some cheap power mods that I can do that will make decent power and are easy and quick to do? I am doing the swaybars, dampers and coilovers for sure. I was also thinking about some new brake fluid.

You aren't going to get much out of the Y7, sorry to say. Header and exhaust would be about all i would do to it. Strip the power steering, a/c, etc.... but i think that'll bump you a class? You won't see much more than 1hp out of an intake on that car.

You could do an OBD1 conversion and tune it to get a little more, maybe swap a Y8/Z6 head on it and do the conversion to Vtec, but then i think you lose some compression.

Doing anything more to a Y7 in terms of bolt ons past breathing mods and a flywheel is like running in a hamster wheel.

Well then I guess I will start saving for a D16Y8 w/ '89 Integra pistons and Hondata ECU. Also I heard the Y8 intake manifold flows freer will this help make any power?

93celicaGT2 wrote: Header and exhaust would be about all i would do to it. Strip the power steering, a/c, etc.... but i think that'll bump you a class? You won't see much more than 1hp out of an intake on that car.

Really? You think so? I always saw more power on all the dynos I've seen from the intake than the header and exhaust combined. I have a hard time believing that the engine can flow enough to necessitate either, let alone the cost. Intakes are cheap, headers and exhausts aren't. At least new. Maybe if you could find a larger stock exhaust from a vtec model. Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree because I'd love to hear that they actually do something.

For instance: There was a magazine dyno test of different headers a long while back on the GSR (I believe it may have been SCC). They individually tested the gains on an AEM cold air intake, a DC exhaust, and them combined them with different headers. Intake gave 15 peak hp iirc. Headers at most 3-5hp. Exhaust was a paltry 2hp. I know we're talking about 2 different motors here and it is likely that the GSR was blessed with a much better engineered exhaust than the DX (more efficient, more appropriate sizing for peak hp). However, I don't see the hp gains being completely opposite. I know I'm quoting some shady magazine test from years back, but it's rare I've ever seen significant gains from any exhaust unless it was a turbo motor. I am no expert though.

I've personally installed cold-air intakes on 2 D series and 2 B series motors with no other mods. I drove them all before/after and noticed a butt dyno difference on all 4. (I know, I know - super reliabe eh! lol)

40 lap-dances?

the girlfriend experience?

put it all on red?

AngryCorvair wrote: 40 lap-dances? the girlfriend experience? put it all on red?

It's been a while since you've seen mamma, hasn't it?

...and back on topic: $200 for a nitrous kit and bottle warmer. $1.38 for the radio shack headphone plug, in line with the switch, connected via a piece of wire to the shifter for 1st gear lock-out.

Spend the other $598.62 on 2 spare motors.

poopshovel wrote: Spend the other $598.62 on 2 spare motors.

hehe - my sentiments exactly on nitrous

Which brings me to my next golden nugget of wisdom (maybe a little tarnished). As others have joked before - don't bother trying to get any real power out of that motor. If-it-were-me, I'd look into a B18B swap from a base integra. They're cheap and much better than the vtec sohc. MOAR torque! (at least a little)

poopshovel wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote: 40 lap-dances? the girlfriend experience? put it all on red?

It's been a while since you've seen mamma, hasn't it?

actually, i've been working at a test lab in Detroit for the last three weeks, so i'm back into the regular husband-and-father routine. will be going back to SC in a week or so. doesn't change my love of lap dances, the girlfriend experience, or red.

I had a 92 dx and you aren't going to get any big power gains doing small stuff. Mine was quick enough for me and I just worked on the suspension. That is your best area to play with and improve.