your opinion on my dx

i got a 98 civic dx a couple of months ago...and ive always wanted to spend all the money i possibly can on a civic...so heres the deal...its completely stock right now except for some ugly rims and polk speakers all around (with a decent deck)...anyways...ill be getting a job within the next month...itll be minimum wage, but my parents own the place, so ill be working the legal 24 hours a week...and then during summer (im still in high school)..ill be working constantly...but at minimum wage, this isnt much... so my question is: if you were in my position...what would you do to get some speed out of this car?...ive been told engine swap engine swap engine swap...but that would take me nearly the whole summer to save up..while meanwhile driving around a stock civic...would a cheap turbo keep me happy for a little until i can save for an engine swap?

any thoughts are appreciated..thanks

ps...please save the bashing...i just want to know what people who know what they are talking about would do in my position

cheapest thing to buy to make the car quicker....

a pair of rubber gloves....

no really, cuz u'r gonna get sum dirty ass hands otherwise when u strip the interior. basicly u could strip the interior to make it lighter. remove all the trunk carpet and and spare wheel well cover. if u think u can go w/o the spare and the jack, take them out too. gut the interior, and leave in only the minimal things. pull up the carpet and take off the sound deadening material under it and put the carpet back down.
as for purchases:
get sum steely wheels, 14in would do ya good, less rotational mass.
a good full catback exhaust
put in the lowest grade octane gas u can, w/in reason, and as long as u don't get misfiring or knocking, then u'll be golden.
if u really plan to do a swap, then don't buy a single item that u rn't 100% sure will swap over to the engine u plan on putting in. other wise that's money wasted. u could get a y8 head, and an EX ECU and that would still be a respectable gain. it's also a great platform to build on. u could get a turbo for u'r Y7 and swap it over to the Y8. by the way Y7= D16Y7 (96-00 Civic DX engine), Y8 = D16Y8 (96-00 Civic EX engine) just in case.
yes a turbo kit would be enjoyable, until u realized the decline in gas mileage. u'r best bet is to sit down make a list of ur end goal and everything it will take to accomplish it, then go get prices from stores, shops, dealers, online (but not ebay they flux too much). then add it all up and see if it's realistic. finally go thru and circle wut u could do now that wouldn't have to be changed for the final result. it'll work out so much better that way. u'll actually save money in the process. keep the list handy and always be looking on ebay, papers, forums for deals on any of the parts u would need. since u wouldn't be in a hurry u could wait for a deal and save more money.

edit: reason i didn't mention intake and header under purchases, is because if u r gonna turbo or fully engine swap, then they won't swap over and would be more money u didn't have to spend on the swap/turbo

tell us everything u want to do, like iwas saying about the list, after u make it, post it up in this thread and we could tell u rough prices, and wut would be worth it or not, and wut will swap between wut uhave now and wut u want to go to.

Honestly a civic isn't the cheapest way to get speed. If you're looking for a fast cheap car you should look somewhere else because is neither cheap nor made fast easliy. Cheapest way to get power would be from FI in the form of NAAAWWWWZZZ or turbo's or sc. Swap right of the bat won't give you a lot of power. Unless you put money into it as in bolt-on's, cams, port polish, ect... If you really want to burn alotta of money on a civic and you want power quick, build the internals of your now car now and bulid your own turbo. For under a 1000 you can make your own turbo kit. and blow away most stock b16s, b18s, ect..

http://www.cse.uconn.edu/~yelevich/turbo/turbo.html

Oh and next time search!

honda luvr: thanks...that was helpful...although i dont wanna rip everything out, because i dont just want a drag car...and ill eventually go for looks as well...and about that list..ive been studying up...but i still dont know what would be best yet...so i dont know if it would be best for ME to make the list..haha..but ill try

nerveagent:yeah..but i cant do much about it now, i have the car....also i did search, and i actually have that website saved...and ive read it all..thanks for the help though.

the list is most likely in order of when i would get it (first thing= what i would get first)...but please correct me if it doesnt seem reasonable

list (most likely in order of what would be bought:
1.cat back exhaust (decent system..but not too much..with not too loud of a sound)
2.y8 head?
3.ex ecu?
4.piece together a turbo setup

well..that was a horrible list...im really not sure what i should do, but it sounds to me like i could get a decent amount of speed from a turbo...but ive been told its worthless to put money into a D16y7...so i dont know if i should just put a turbo in, and then save for a swap...or if it would be worth it to put money into it (i.e. y8 head like honda luvr was saying)

and for the end result...i really have nothing to say, but that im going all out...so it all just depends on the cash i get..

hmm...*bump*
i could use someones opinion...im just really lost on what i should do first with teh little amount of minimum wage money im going to be getting...so if someone could give me some kind of list on what would be best...that would help..thanks

Y8 head, then save for junkyard turbo

www.homemadeturbo.com

wut swap were u considering?
u could get a very respectable ride from just building up u'r engine u have now. like GScivic7 said, y8 head would be a good start. get an ex ecu. run the wires for vtec. then again as he said, start saving $$$ for a homebuilt turbo kit. u can get just about everythin u'd need from a salvage/junk yard. a good cat-back exhaust, a hi-flo cat. lower it correctly, pull out the sound deadening material behind and under u'r interior and put the panels and carpet back. strip wut u feel u can do w/o. if u'r gonna turbo, UPGRADE THE BRAKES TOO! lots of people leave it out, but look at it this way. no matter wut u do to go faster, remember u will always need to be able to stop. the faster u r goin, the more heat build up u'r gonna get on ur braking system and the sooner it will all fail u. also the fuel system will need upgraded, a better cam and lighten most of the components that u can. get rid of the a/c & power steering if u have either.

but in all seriousness, it's wut u want to do. the end result of ur toils. u HAVE to have a goal in mind. then u can go thru searching to find wut u would need or could use to achieve that. once u have a narrowed idea in mind and u have done research and show it, people will be a lot more willing to help. a lot of people r tired of answering the same general questions time and time again. i understand at first it seems a bit overwhelming, and hard to narrow and search thoruoghly, but it pays off. the more u put into sumthing, the more u'll get out of it.

edit: i'm not tryin to be an ass

GScivic7 - yeah...thats what i think ill end up doing...im just gonna have to find the parts...i have a friend whose brother is willing to help me find some parts...also, is it possible to put an si head and ecu?...i think he was saying hes done it before

honda_luvr_2000 - dont worry about it, you werent being an ass at all, it was helpful...but i have 2 concerns (both about where i live..haha)...i live in bakersfield, so i dont think there is a decent junkyard for parts...but, ill have to check them out...and the other thing is, bakersfield summer = 100 degrees+...so im gonna need the air conditioner :-/...also, a couple of people have told me to take out the sound deadening material...how would i do that?...is there possibly a website to explain it...or is it really simple?

and heres what i think im going to do: find a y8 head and ecu...then maybe a cat back exhaust...then save for a turbo...then go for the looks (rims, body kit)...then in a couple of years maybe ill go for a decent engine swap...what do you guys think about that?

and heres what i think im going to do: find a y8 head and ecu...then maybe a cat back exhaust...then save for a turbo...then go for the looks (rims, body kit)...then in a couple of years maybe ill go for a decent engine swap...what do you guys think about that?
that sounds like a plan to me. I'd probably get rims soon after boosting though. Having a wider footprint will help put that power to the ground.

Here's a how to on sound deadening: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=525936
Seems like a pain for 15lbs or more. All it will probably do is make your car louder when you're driving; from road noise). If you're that serious about saving weight then skip the body kit all together and get a lip kit or something.

GScivic7 - hmm, what rims should i go with...ive heard 16s for speed...but i like 17s..oh also, would an si head and ecu work in my car?
CivicSpoon - yeah, right after i posted...i was searching and found that as well...it does seem like way too much work for 15 pounds...and im not that serious about weight...ive just been told to do it, so i thought it was worth it..thanks for the info

I personally wouldn't put higher than 16s on a Civic. 17"+ rims just look way too big on a Civic to me. Personally I love Rotas. Great quality and they only jack the best looking designs IMO. Checkout www.wheeldude.com

And a 99-00 Si head and ECU wouldn't work, but the 92-95 Si head and ECU will since it uses the same D16Z6 motor that is in the EXs.

alright thanks...
well this morning i went out to my car in front of my nice neighborhood with security driving around 24/7...and someone broke my drivers side window, stole my stereo, my 110+ cds, and my backpack i had just bought with a graphing calculator in it.
so the little money i had saved up is now gonna have to go to replacing that shit...i hate theives...and i havent even put money into my car yet...cant imagine how often my car will get broken into when i have.

oh shit, that sucks. I know what it's like to get your car broken into, but I only had my cd player's faceplate stolen.

Sorry to hear that man same exact thing happen to me..They stole my radio 60+ cd's my backpack and all my books for college at the time..Freakin nerds!!

yeah...and weve had A LOT of stuff happen to us withing like the past 6 months...plus we live in a really nice neighborhood and we have security driving around 24/7...but yeah...we are pretty much certain its the same assholes doing all this stuff everytime..they need to get caught..(other neighbors have had stuff happen as well)

i got one for ya guys. i had a 94 civic ex. i had $300 image dynamic 6.5" mid bass speakers in the front doors, $150 eaton tweeters, $150 image dynamic crossovers, $400 clarion headunit, $150 image dynamic 5.25" rear speakers, $250 image dynamic 12" sub, $1000 zapco 6-channel amp, and a crap load of cd's. they busted my drivers window (it was tinted, so it took a couple blows to get a hole ripped in it); i had the trunk latch locked, but they ranked hard enough to bent the whole unit popping my trunk and gas door; they moved my sub to the side of the trunk, and took JUST the amp. within a 30 minute window. i was at work, i had just run out at 9:00pm to get the rest of the carts in the lot. i got outta work at 9:30pm and to my car to find the window broken. yeah so if i had just gotten out a little faster or taken a little longer to get carts... hows that for shitty. needless to say it was sumone that knew i had that amp, and that narrowed it down to maybe a handful that knew wut it was worth. oh well, thank god for insurance.

dayymmnn...id say way too much invested in that system...lol.. :P...but yeah...i have liability only...also..luckily i hadnt installed my subs yet (shitty subs...but hey...still wouldve been money lost)