Small perfocmance mods?

[gearheadmike]

well i got a 96 civic lx 4dr d16 sohc 5speed 98k miles, its going to be my daily driver tho id like it to have a lttle bite if i want it. I Know if you want hp u need to pay for it,but whats some small bolt on mods that can be done with out breaking the bank? ive herd some cars u could swap over parts? also ik u can through on a cone filter but ive herd some ppl say it dont do anything or it just sucks in the engine heat?
Also what about the ebay exhaust systems and could i runthe cat deleat pipe and just thread my o2sensor in? i dont have to pass emissions here. Thanks

 

[JohnS.]

They're not worth it. Even with intake, header, exhaust, you'll barely gain a few horsepower and you won't notice a difference. An intake is an intake on a Honda. I personally never recommend eBay brand products. The cheaper the price, usually the cheaper the quality.

I recommend you save the money towards boost or swap. You'll be much happier in the long run.

 

[gearheadmike]

yea i figured that ive herd some abt the D16Y8 Head swap?? also i really dont want to get into an engine swap but what about a nice low boost turbo set up? would i be better to buy pieces or a whole kit?

 

[Dominick]

yea i figured that ive herd some abt the D16Y8 Head swap?? also i really dont want to get into an engine swap but what about a nice low boost turbo set up? would i be better to buy pieces or a whole kit?

I would think buying the entire setup would be more worth the while. When you buy separate parts, you run the risk of having some of them not fit.

 

[2slo4u]

save the money and save up for a b18b1 swap..the power from that will be good for a daily driver

 

[gearheadmike]

i know the engine swap is the way to go but i just dont feel like going through it all.plus cash is a bit tight. I deff wont buy a turbo kit off ebay as ive heard nothing great with them ones. i think for know im interested in the mini-me swap.

 

[bsporty]

The money you will blow for a motor swap or turbo kit to gain 40 - 50 hp on a daily driver is going to be a waste unless you feel the need to brag about your DOHC motor or turbo kit. Stick with minor bolt ons you will gain a few horses, some extra fuel mileage, and of coarse some fun factor of better sound and performance.

I also have experience with a full stainless steel exhaust from eBay it cost $125 (sounds cheap I know) it fit perfectly came with all the hardware and bolted up in 30 minutes, also it sounds great (not annoying loud) and certainly outflows the stock exhaust with clogged muffler.

An intake is an intake sure..... So is an exhaust.... Spend 3 - 4 times time price and you won't gain 3 - 4 times the power, so why bother with boost or swap on a DD? Stick with bolt ons keep your factory drive ability and you will still have fun.

 

[young_]

The money you will blow for a motor swap or turbo kit to gain 40 - 50 hp on a daily driver is going to be a waste unless you feel the need to brag about your DOHC motor or turbo kit. Stick with minor bolt ons you will gain a few horses, some extra fuel mileage, and of coarse some fun factor of better sound and performance.

I also have experience with a full stainless steel exhaust from eBay it cost $125 (sounds cheap I know) it fit perfectly came with all the hardware and bolted up in 30 minutes, also it sounds great (not annoying loud) and certainly outflows the stock exhaust with clogged muffler.

An intake is an intake sure..... So is an exhaust.... Spend 3 - 4 times time price and you won't gain 3 - 4 times the power, so why bother with boost or swap on a DD? Stick with bolt ons keep your factory drive ability and you will still have fun.

went this way with my civic. Right down to the ebay exhaust.

It definitely made it more fun to drive. But I've moved onto an integra. If you're just looking for a little extra something for your dd then bolt ons are fine.

 

[gearheadmike]

thats the idea i was gunna do $178 for full exhaust with the 421 headder and should i keep my cat or use the delete pipe? i dont go through emissions so that wont affect me. but will it affecdt anything? also if i do go intake and filter i might build a heat box around it. this summer i might see the cost of the d16y8 head and intake but idk how hard that swap is.

 

[apor1a]

If money is tight, and a swap is not an option, you really only have one option for a daily-driven d-series sedan: bolt-on.
Sure, you won't make a lot of power, but trust me, I/H/E will be felt. Fast? Not at all. But maybe with the right combination, you can claim fastest SOHC sedan in your town. Not all Honda's are meant to run in the same pack, i.e., FA5's and EF Si's, while both respected in their own circles, aren't meant to run each other.

 

[gearheadmike]

whats a good sorce of bolt on parts for the d16y7? i dont want to brake the bank or get the crummy garbage stuff

 

[JohnS.]

The money you will blow for a motor swap or turbo kit to gain 40 - 50 hp on a daily driver is going to be a waste unless you feel the need to brag about your DOHC motor or turbo kit. Stick with minor bolt ons you will gain a few horses, some extra fuel mileage, and of coarse some fun factor of better sound and performance.

I also have experience with a full stainless steel exhaust from eBay it cost $125 (sounds cheap I know) it fit perfectly came with all the hardware and bolted up in 30 minutes, also it sounds great (not annoying loud) and certainly outflows the stock exhaust with clogged muffler.

An intake is an intake sure..... So is an exhaust.... Spend 3 - 4 times time price and you won't gain 3 - 4 times the power, so why bother with boost or swap on a DD? Stick with bolt ons keep your factory drive ability and you will still have fun.

Because bolt-on's on a D-Series get you close to no power. I've raced the same exact car as mine (99 ex coupe) with an AEM intake, DC 4-2-1 header, Magnaflow Hi-Flow cat, and Apexi WS2 full catback. All I had was an eBay intake with AEM filter and 100,000 more miles. You would think you'd get some power from nearly $1000 worth of mods from reputable companies. Nope. We were pretty much dead even. I was actually slowly creeping on him between shifts because I shift way faster. I drove his car. It did not feel any different from my car at all. The noise you gain is very deceiving and it's more your mind wanting to believe you gained power more than anything. What most people call "butt dyno".

Like I said, do not waste money on bolt-ons. It literally is a waste of money on a D-Series. If you want to modify your car with something you'd notice, throw the money into a good suspension setup. Civic's are light and it's very easy to make them handle pretty good.

You'll have to pardon the appearance of my somewhat lack of tolerance in this thread. Trust me when I say we see these threads EVERY week on here. I've been seeing them for years. I couldn't tell you how many threads I have read asking what intake, what header, should I get this exhaust, please tell me the cheapest way I can be fast, how can I be quicker I only have $200.... I'm not trying to be a d**k by ANY means. I'm simply trying to educate you and save you from wasting your money.

 

[apor1a]

http://www.d-series.org/

 

[MistahJuice]

LISTEN TO JOHN!

If your gonna try and just slap bolt ons on a D series and not actually build or boost the engine then ebay all the way. Go as cheap as possible cuz it won't be fast regardless. Just slap on your ebay exhaust, get an ebay intake and replace the filter with a k&n/aem one and you can gain 5 or 6 extra horsies, and the placebo effect from it will probably make it feel faster. I wouldn't waste my time with a mini me, you won't get the extra full 30hp an ex has cuz you don't have the pistons etc, plus you don't want to go through finding and swapping a b18b, and a mini me would be almost as annoying.

 

[gearheadmike]

ok and no i just was see know i know thanks. i know kids around that slap a fart can and intake on and think they can take the world lol. im deff not one. ill prob do the exhaust just to to little better flow and for the price y not,far as intake ill leave stock and just through in a k&n filter. My cuz owns a salvage yard and ill prob just keep an eye out for any hondas he gets in. What engines/cars should i be looking for and that? if i do decide a swap? And seeing now stock performance on this
y7 sux i might as well have good rde/handleing. is there any good threads on here that cover 96 lx handling here? Thanks

 

[MistahJuice]

Look into any 96-98 integras, the b18b's from that gen will drop right into your car with all the right parts sourced from the integra at the junk yard just need shift linkage probably a combo of mounts, ecu, harness(actually your harness will probably just plug right into it) and engine I believe. That will give you a good ~40hp and ~30tq over this engine, AND they actually respond better to bolt ons. Or if you get supper lucky u can find a wrecked Integra GSR but thats unlikely, usually people know better then to let insurance take them because of how much demand there is. Just research man, if you're thinking about a swap I say forget the boltons for now and start researching engines as well. A b20 would also be good but idk if your state allows those swaps. Here its technically illegal because it's considered a light truck engine. I'd stay away from b16's there overpriced for the power, but they are fun to rev.

 

[gearheadmike]

yea were im at as long as theres no check engine light on/brakes/lights/tires good then ur set to go lol, no emissions or anything like that.

 

[techavluis]

i have a d series! don't do bolt ons... save your money

 

[gearheadmike]

yea well i ran into a little bigger prob with the car today so no mods and now i got to fix the front engine subframe.

 

[Ej8Kid]

Sorry to hear. I think I spent more money on repairs than I did upgrading my car lol