'88 accord performance?

[A20A3beast]

hey,
my name is moncef and i have recently received a 1988 honda accord lxi coupe from my mom when she got an '04 civic ex VTEC...the specs are as follows...A20A3 (2.0L SOHC 12-valve EFI I-4), with 120 hp and 122 lb ft of torque, and a 5 speed manual transmission. this car is fun to drive, but i would like to enhance the performance (accleration and throttle response, mainly) of this car with some affordable modifications that could yield some decent gains...any suggestions will be greatly appreciated
thank you

[slipknotcraig133]

For intakes your making your own. Get a 90 - 93 accord one and do some chop work and it will work. As for exhaust, Pacesetter has a header and catback. No flywheels. There is a member on 3geez that sells lightened ones. Theres a few things for you.

[bluboomlxi]

great car, I have an 86 lxi hatch, and I love that car more than my 2000 ex !! get an civic intake , it will fit if you re-route some vacuum lines, you make need to cut about 3 inches off, depending on your battery and brake line placement. also, do a nice upgrade on your ignition, get a new coil and some really good plugs and wires, not that platinum or splitfire crap... just get some good ngk plugs. I also upgraded to 2.25 " exhaust, you don't want to make the exhaust diameter too big, that will hurt your torque, and torque... not horsepower... is what gets you better mileage and gets you off the line. also, when you can afford it, a really good clutch can make the biggest difference, just don't get a full race clutch, the engine doesn't make enough power to need one. I did all that, plus changed the fuel pressure regulator, performance cat, port matched the intake/exhaust manifolds, did a slight bore on the throttle body, and bypassed all the emissions crap, still get over 40 mpg on and engine with over 300,000 miles on it, and will still stomp a redneck pickup truck into the ground!! it's not the fastest thing out there by far, but I get respect, as long as I show respect.

[A20A3beast]

Originally Posted by bluboomlxi

great car, I have an 86 lxi hatch, and I love that car more than my 2000 ex !! get an civic intake , it will fit if you re-route some vacuum lines, you make need to cut about 3 inches off, depending on your battery and brake line placement. also, do a nice upgrade on your ignition, get a new coil and some really good plugs and wires, not that platinum or splitfire crap... just get some good ngk plugs. I also upgraded to 2.25 " exhaust, you don't want to make the exhaust diameter too big, that will hurt your torque, and torque... not horsepower... is what gets you better mileage and gets you off the line. also, when you can afford it, a really good clutch can make the biggest difference, just don't get a full race clutch, the engine doesn't make enough power to need one. I did all that, plus changed the fuel pressure regulator, performance cat, port matched the intake/exhaust manifolds, did a slight bore on the throttle body, and bypassed all the emissions crap, still get over 40 mpg on and engine with over 300,000 miles on it, and will still stomp a redneck pickup truck into the ground!! it's not the fastest thing out there by far, but I get respect, as long as I show respect.

rofl well that sounds like a good plan...what year civic intake will i need...i've seen a weapon r "secret weapon" intake for my 3rd gen accord, what do u think of that? what do u use to bore the throttle body? my OE clutch isn't holding well lol its got 100k on it and its the 1st clutch on this car...how much in total did this cost?

thanks,

moncef

[Igovert500]

Get an ebay intake, not some $300 name brand intake. An intake is an intake, if you are worried about the cost, then an ebay intake for a 1/10 of the price is the way to go.

Custom catback at your local exhaust shop should only cost $150-300.

Basic bolt-ons simply wont give you a ton of power gains, but real power gains wont be cheap.

You could compliment the catback with a high-flow cat and headers.

Making sure the car is in good running order, new timing belt, plugs, wires, and fuel filter will help. Also make sure your compression is good.

Also the older accords motor mounts generally wear out after 100k. Get some solid or poly mounts that will help get your power to the ground.

Lighter wheels would also be a good investment.

[bluboomlxi]

I suggested the civic intakes because they are cheap, like the ones to fit mid 90's civics, don't bother with a header for the A20 unless you have a huge fuel system or forced induction, like I said, too big of an exhaust on an A20 will kill your torque, do everything in equal increments to get the best gains, Air, Fuel, Exhaust. too much of one thing with out upgrading the rest to match, just won't get reach the potential gains. be carefull with wheels too, alot of the "lighter" aftermarket wheels are the same if not heavier the your stock wheels, and if you get a wheel too big, it will mess up your final gear ratio, making it slower in the bottom end too. also, KVR makes some really good carbon fiber brake pads for the front roters that work really well and make almost no brake dust.

[Deadhead]

i've heard porting out your throttle body works pretty well, He said that it gave him much more throttle response.