92' Civic next step

I have a 92' civic with intake, exhaust, but not catback, strut bars, spoiler, and was wondering what to do next...i don't have alot of money and i was wondering what cheap next step would give me some extra Hp...i was thinking headers...or a catback...which would give more Hp and how much is a catback? many questions...thanks for any input...

ditch the fart can, replace it with a nice high quality performance cat back that is quiet. get a header

dont expect a lot of power, you will get some but not much.

You may look into header unless you plan forced induction later on. If thats the case it's a waste of money IMO, as headers are not cheap and you will just be ditching it at that point anyway. As for a cat-back, you can get a decent qaulity ( and not oversized) universal muffler. Then take it too a muffler shop and have them run 2 1/4" custom piping. You can tune and deepen the exhaust note using a resonator. This will also quiet the exhuast down quite a bit, and a resonator helps deepen the tone somewhat and avoid the annoying high pitch squel assoisacted with fart cans.

A universal muffler, 18" resonator and 2 1/4" custom cat-back piping shouldn't run more than $290-$340 dollars total: parts, installed and done. You also may consider a street legel high flow cat. Random Technolgy makes a very good street legel High flow cat. If you need a new cat anyway, this is a very good way to go. You can get one for around $219 if you call them up and have them give you the number to a few their biggest distributors (you can usually cut you a good deal). They are really easy to install...unbolt and rebolt. A good time to put it in is when your having the cat-back exhaust work done (and the header installed if you opt for it). You can cut down on labor cost that way. However, the cat is VERY easy to install and it' pretty self explanitory once you look at it and the one under the car. Unbolt and re-bolt. It's pretty simple, even if you've never done anything of the sort before.

I have an exhaust, but it's not cat-back, it has a nice deep tone. I checked it out and the larger piping starts a little before my rear wheel. It's tone is not even close to a fart can.
I think that you should save your money for a better engine, a b-series if you want but they are more expensive, a v-tec d-series would be better if you dont have alot of money and it will definately be better than your 100HP d15b7. It will cost a few hundred dollars more than the custom exhaust and the hi flow cat but it will definately give you more power than the exhaust and cat.

A custom 2 1/4" cat-back exhasut is going to be cheaper than buying a pre-made set-up and he can then have the sound tuned to his likly, etc...old school style using resonators.

As for a motor swap, whether he's running a D16Z6 or a B-series motor, the car could use a better breathing exhaust. 92-95 civics come with a very small 1 3/4" piping. If he does a custom 2 1/4" cat back exhaust and high flow cat, it'll work for him now and for a future D16Z6 or B16A, etc swap. If he swaps in a B-series he'll want to do exhaust, either a custom cat-back or a pre-made one) for sure. 1 3/4" is too restrictive for a b-series. While you're at the exhaust, I've always felt it's best to do the street legel high flow cat right then, kill 2 birds with one stone. The cat and exhaust will work for him now and after a swap. If he wants to swap in an B-series, he will want the exhaust done soon thereafter, as 1 3/4" piping just won't do. For the most part, B-series cars came with 2" piping stock, so you at least want that. Since the exhaust is getting re-done anyway at that point, might as wel go to what is considered optimal, 2 1/4" piping.

finish your exhaust sell your wing are you planning swap or boost?

i was planning on headers right now and i like my wing...thanks for all the ideas..just curious what a swap would cost for a b series...installler?...thanks

i was planning on headers right now and i like my wing...thanks for all the ideas..just curious what a swap would cost for a b series...installler?...thanks

First off what motor do you want to swap? B16A, B16B, B18B1, B18C1, B18C5?

If you seriously want to swap don't waste $$ on a header. You won't be able to use it on your b-series motor after the swap, so it will just go to waste. Headers are motor specific. So a Header for a D16Z6 for example will NOT work on a B16A, GSR LS, etc. The means that when you swap, the header goes to waste.

If you want to swap, your are FAR better saving that $$ and putting it towards a swap or putting it into something like cat-back exhuast/piping/hi-flow cat, which you can use with this or a swapped b-motor.

how are DC-S headers b/c i find them on ebay for $100 are they a good brand b/c they ar alot cheaper than all the other brands....thanks

give us a link... if they are new and selling for only about $100 they are probably knock offs or something

its on ebay the link is http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7934031351&category=33631

I would have to say stay away from that.

Problem #1. Its a knock off.
#2 Sellers positive feedback is kind of low
#3 The feedback is hiden. There are a ton of negative feedback comments and you can't see what they are because the seller hid them. They probably say things like 'it didn't fit' or 'it rusted out in a week' 'it cracked' etc.
#4 Shipping costs as much as the actual header??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33631&item=7933543563&rd=1

i would go with something like that for about 30 bucks more any day. 100% positive feedback as well

plus i have actually heard of Holley

lol DC-S, how much you want to bet the S standards for style. You get what you pay for remember that.

thansk for the advice ...i will stay away from those and thansk for the link on the other header...how hard are they to install yourself and i've heard of these home made electric superchargers...how are they?...thanks

lol electric superchargers are hair blow dryer motors...not really, but you get the point right?

Stick with turbochargers, you get a lot of wasted energy out of superchargers. They aren't bad, I just prefer turbochargers over superchargers.

Stick with turbochargers, you get a lot of wasted energy out of superchargers. They aren't bad, I just prefer turbochargers over superchargers.

The term for this is parasitic loss:)

I'm a big fan of turbo's over superchargers. I perosnally don't care for superchargers much. They do have a place, and can be good for big block motors, but I don't care for them on most small engined cars like imports.

In a nutshell, since superchargers are belt driven off a crank, they take power to make power. A Centrifugal s/c will be more efficent than a roots blower. It has less low end power than both a positive displacement roots blower and a good small turbo. A roots blower is less efficent than a centrifugal s/c or a turbo. It has less top end than both but more low end than a centrifugal s/c.

A good ball-bearing turbo, properly sized, can give you both good low end response and power up high. They can spool quickly and run off of wasted energy. Instead of taking (costing) energy to create power like a supercharger, they create power from wasted engery: exhaust gases spin the turbine which spins the compressor. In an S/C, a belt connected to the cranckshaft drives the compressor. Like all belt driven assessories though, this causes a parasistic loss. It costs power to make power.

That's very well said. And yes "parasitic loss" is probably the right term I was looking for! Turbos are just better for small imports.

thanks for everything...i was just wondering what a good price for body kit is...how much it helps...if at all...i mean it makes it look awesome but like performance wise....thansk

thanks for everything...i was just wondering what a good price for body kit is...how much it helps...if at all...i mean it makes it look awesome but like performance wise....thansk

Body Kits don't do anything performance wise. It is an modification for looks and style. As for the price, that varies...name brand kit or knock off...Urethane or Fiberglass...hand-laid fiberglass or chopper gun class. Not all kits have the same qaulity. Typically knock off kits made from chopper gun fiberglass are the cheapest price wise, but the qaulity is usually questionable at best.

not the erebuni and WW shit, but Mugen wind tunnel tests all of their aftermarket body pieces. I'm sure the knockoffs aren't worth shit, but the genuine Mugen kits are for aerodynamics.

not the erebuni and WW shit, but Mugen wind tunnel tests all of their aftermarket body pieces. I'm sure the knockoffs aren't worth shit, but the genuine Mugen kits are for aerodynamics.

Too bad Mugen costs so darn much. Besides not doing anything, the qaulity of knock-off peices is almost always less, plus they almost never fit right.

yah, too expensive, but you get what you pay for.