Still Learning - give me your wisdom

[BulletLuigi]

Hey everyone,

This thread is basically to help me get started with my civic. Basically im looking for any and all help that can be provided.

First, a little bit about me. Im pretty new to this scene as ive only recently discovered my interest in cars after going to a few CSCS events. So im not too familiar with any terminology or what things do what. But i am very eager to learn.

Now the fun stuff - todays my first day with the car and i love it.I want to do some mods to it but im not sure if it is even worth it. Il post pictures when i get home tonight but its a 1996 civic cx 2dr hatchback, 222000kms and AUTOMATIC. Unfortunatly i dont know how to drive standard, ive never had a manual car in my possession to learn on. Its got winter/summer and has been on synthetic oil since about 16000kms. Now i like hearing the engine (in a good way) so im assuming that would be an exhaust kit. Please correct me if im wrong. I would also like to get new tires/rims so suggestions on those would be appreciated and ive also been advised about possibly getting a cold air intake? The car drives really well but i still have a few concerns. It doesnt have power steering like my old car so its a lot umm.... Easier to move the steering wheel. Not sure if that is good or bad i guess im just used to it being more resistant. Also it shakes when i am highjgway driving so if that is a major issue please let me know.
So now the final question. All things considered. Is it even worth getting anything done to this car?

Also, please keep in mind that this is my only vehicle and it is a daily driver.

Thanks guys

 

[RonJ]

So what are your specific questions?

 

[BulletLuigi]

So what are your specific questions?

Is it worth putting money into an automatic transmission with 222000 kms?

And if so what are some easy mods?

Is a shakey steering wheel a big problem?

 

[ReedMann]

Welcome man! I also daily drive a hatch and let me say it is definitely worth modifying (check the link in my sig). As far as sounding better, an intake and exhaust will improve that. Rims are more of a personal preference, get what YOU think looks the best. The shaking on the highway means you either need to get an alignment or have the wheels rebalanced.

Good luck and definitely think about a 5-spd swap.

 

[R3dline]

the main problem with your car is, it has high miles, and its a auto, there isnt much you can do performance wise unless you do a 5 speed swap, and have that motor rebuilt or replaced,

 

[BulletLuigi]

Thanks a lot for the input guys. Any idea on costs for an allignment? Not really ready for a 5spd swap yet though. Also how do i go about finding the right tires? The tread on mine arent in the best shape

 

[R3dline]

go to tire rack .com enter you cars info and they will show you what will fit if you are staying stock

also a muffler on a auto is bad. its gonna sound bad cause of the way autos shift. but a intake is fine you can def hear a growl from the motor

 

[will85w4]

Alignments (at least in my area, Southern California) can range anywhere from $50 to $120...$120 probably is a little high of an estimate, but most shops I've called around to usually say about $70-$80 depending on the car. Luckily, I have made an acquaintance with a long time mechanic who will do it for me for $50. And since the USD and the CAD are pretty much the same (at least they were about two months ago) you'll probably have pretty comparable prices.

 

[will85w4]

also a muffler on a auto is bad. its gonna sound bad cause of the way autos shift. but a intake is fine you can def hear a growl from the motor

I have an A/T and I/H/E on mine and it sounds a hell of a lot better than the other Hondas in my area. That is, unless you like the high pitched "angry bee" sound.

 

[JohnS.]

First off, if you haven't made an introduction thread. Second, there are a lot of stickies and information on this site (and Google for that matter) that will help you learn a lot. Trust me when I say almost everything has been covered many times, especially beginner questions.

With that being said...... Speaking solely on performance, it's not worth modifying an automatic. But it's your car. Your motor (D-Series) doesn't respond well to bolt-on modifications meaning you don't get a lot of power from them. It is a common mistake for people to feel like they gained power when in reality they hardly gained any.

Personally, I would recommend 2 options:
1. Save your money for a better engine to swap in or save up for a turbo kit and engine build.
2. Build your car's suspension and make it handle like a go-kart. Civic's are light and don't take much to make them fun around corners. You'll still be spending a couple thousand dollars but having a cheap car that can out-handle most of the cars on the road can be VERY fun. We have some great stickies in the suspension section that will help you out.

Also, you have to set a budget and goals first. It's hard to give you advice on how to modify your car when you don't know what direction you want to take it in.

 

[L3IX]

id say look into a complete swap cuz of your miles

 

[itsmycookie]

gee L3IX that was a fast complete redo of your entire post

All things considered. Is it even worth getting anything done to this car?

it is never worth investing into cars. you'll almost never make any money on it and probably not even break even. it's mostly a money pit. so if you aren't financially able to support such a hobby i would say no.

u can do some things just to make it nicer to drive and save up for if/when u need to replace something that can break on a high km car.

as far as tires are concerned i would get a set of decent summer tires and a set for winter. all seasons usually do a half good job at both. having a set of winter tires on steel rims is a decent choice if u have space to keep the spare wheels.

 

[HeX]

Welcome to the forum. In order to learn more about your hatch, simply spend hours upon hours researching and reading through various posts on this website. Also, randomly google different things that come to mind you'd like to learn. Thats always a good way to start the learning process.

As for potential mods to a 222,000KM (138,000miles) automatic, I would suggest KEEPING IT SIMPLE and keep costs respectably low since its an AUTOMATIC daily driver and your sole means of transportation AND youre new to the car scene. Some may say its not worth it, but if you intend on keeping it for a long while then modest investment is worth it for ride comfort & overall optimized stock performance. Here are my recommendations based on your comments.

- Aftermarket intakes do NOT improve anything on a stock engine, so just replace the air filter with a K&N air filter. Stock engines can only pull in so much air, so all you need is a less restrictive filter, hence the K&N.

- The only way to get a decent sound thats not obnoxious is by upgrading to a good quality header/catalytic & muffler. If you deal with snow & adverse conditions, you'll wanna consider upgrading the pipes as well to stainless steel. Some suggest to swap to EX style set-up with the catalytic under the car, but its really not necessary.

- If your tires are worn and unbalanced, upgrade to tires with as high a thread rating as possible from a good brand. Crappy tires can wear out quickly & perform poorly. Ive never lived in snow conditions, so do your research thoroughly & ask others.

- Suspension = go with simple aftermarket shocks & springs of quality brands. As previously said, they'll upgrade your ride feel nicely and last far longer than stock replacements.

- I wouldnt suggest rims larger than 16-inches whether you modify the suspension or not. Anything bigger will likely cause some rubbing in the wheel well. Even if they dont, 17+ inch tires begin to get pricier than smaller options.