97 ex coupe, D16Y8 mods or upgrade?

[peloncito]

hey I'm new to the forum and i live in mexico and was wanting to know the best and cheapest way to IMPROVE the performance of my 97 honda civic ex coupe. it has 143,000 miles and runs really well for everything stock. actually i put a spectre air filter because it was cheap and i like the looks. i work in a garage here and all mods would be free of labor but my experience in auto mechanics is brakes, timing belts, tranny swaps, clutches and the occasional valve replacement job. i've read that the d16y8 is pretty much low end and that there aren't many mods that show significant gain without taking your engine to threshold limits.
any advice as to bolt ons that are really worth the money or the best swap that won't kill me at the bank.
thanks a lot in advance.

el Pelón

 

[DarkCreep]

Either boost it or swap it. There isnt much potential with a Y8 unless it has a turbo.

 

[peloncito]

ok, how much would i be talking about with a boost as compared to hp increase? and if i want to swap I've checked out some B18 series and some k20c's also online. would i be better off buying a motor online for 2 - 4 gs or looking in junk yards for one? i i sound stupid, its not that, just a little ignorance. thanks in advance

 

[DMaldonado93]

what kind of air filter did u put on your car?

 

[emerican]

it all depends on the turbo setup how much boost your running supporting mods and the tune among other things.