Recommendations on Civic EX

Okay, if and when I get a 96-98 Civic EX, can someone make a recommendation of what I should upgrade on it first? A friend told me to replace the breaks and then move to the suspension. Any thoughts?

It depends on what your goal is.... Speed, looks, tackiness, handling, etc...

Lowering it is always a good thing to start out with no matter what you're going for. A lowered car handles good and looks good.

You might want to wait and see what you need to do to the car to get it in normal running condition. It might need a new tires, new suspension or new brakes in which case you might as well upgrade.

96-98 Coupes come with the ugly red/yellow/white tails...it be nice to change em to clear(up)/red, if they even exist for that model...just an idea
post some pics when u get it

If they exist? Dude just get them off of a 99-00 coupe.



Also, your friend is a bit confused. Why upgrade brakes when the car doesn't have any engine performance mods to make it travel more quickly than stock? :confused:

Most people lower their car and get an intake and then they flood message boards with questions about what motor they can get. LOL


Decide what you want to do with the car. Go ultra fast or just have a more spirited daily driver. A more show oriented car? A more race oriented car?



Decide these and things will fall into place for you.

Well, I would like to go for speed. But I need to be real careful that I don't get caught speeding, because I already have SR-22 Insurance. Yes, I will probably change the tail lights to the clear ones but I really want to make the car a "sleeper". I don't want a bunch of people to know that it has a bunch of modifications done to the car. If the exterior of the car looks real sporty and "beefed up", this would increase the chance of theft to the car or theft of parts from the car. So basically do things to the engine and stuff like that first and maybe do a body kit on it last. Of course I want rims to make it look nicer too. :) So you guys say to lower the car first? Well after that I will probably install an AEM Cold Air Intake. I know it's dangerous but I am thinking about putting NOS in the car once everything else is all set.

Well anyway, I need to say that I am still in highschool (going to be a senior next year) so I don't have a whole bunch of cash. Any of you guys know where I can get these parts for cheaper? Or where I could get the car cheaper? I want to just start out with a used stock 96 or 97 Civic EX. Then I plan on applying modifcations when time permits.

if you want to save money then you should try and do most of the mods yourself. by that i mean installing them urself. that way you get to know and educate yourself about cars while doing your own work on ur car. for getting the parts cheap i dont know an exact place but just browse the internet and i know that www.groupbuycenter.com can get you some good prices.

Yeah, I had planned on installing the parts myself. Thanks for the link.

Originally posted by VTEC_boi
If they exist? Dude just get them off of a 99-00 coupe.


good point...the tails are the same size
I've never seen a 99-00 coupe with clear(top)/red(bottom)...i wonder how that looks

I know it's dangerous but I am thinking about putting NOS in the car once everything else is all set.
Before you go dumpin happy gas in there, you might want to consider a few things. Depending on your shot, your engine might not be able to take it - so you might need to beef it up a little bit. And your clutch isn't gonna last long with NOS in there either. I'd spend that $700-$2000 getting your car ready for stuff like that. I/H/E, brakes, gaskets, stronger rods, that kinda stuff. But it's your car, and whatever you want to do with its cool. I'm not the be all and end all of NOS info - check out some posts in the forced induction forum. They'll have all kinds of info.

yeah on the 99-00 coupes it is red on top and clear on bottom. when i got new tails i gave my stock ones to my bro who has a 97 coupe.

Oh yeah, I definitely plan on beefing up the engine before I would install Nitrous. I'm thinking for the fuel system, use Holley products since they are the prime source of Nitrous Injection.

Originally posted by VTEC_boi
Also, your friend is a bit confused. Why upgrade brakes when the car doesn't have any engine performance mods to make it travel more quickly than stock? :confused:


Why wait until your car is too much for the stock brakes to handle? If you plan to build up everything around the engine, this is one of the things you can get to, and its pretty important in my opinion.

As far as speed, I think the two best options are turbo the D16 you have now, or swap a bigger B series engine in. How fast you want to be, and how much time and money you are willing to spend in the long run will be a major factor in your choice.

swap or turbo

bolts ons are do do on a D16

then do suspension, brakes are just fine the way they are.

yes i have finally realized that my d series engine will never be fast unless a good amount of money go into it. so i decided to make it a show car per say. just the average bolt ons and exterior and interior work for my civic. with all the extra money that i make i am saving for an s2000.:eek:

Will I want to drop the stock engine if I want to install NOS in the car? If that is the case, then it will be a while before I install NOS cuz an engine costs a lot of money. Do you guys think doing a B16 engine would be good enough?

Originally posted by L-U-R-C-H
Do you guys think doing a B16 engine would be good enough?
Umm - yeah. :) The SI engine is a great engine to work with.

Man, that's a lot of money though. The B16A2 is $3295.95 direct from JDM. It doesn't list the price for just the B16A. Would it be more wise to get the B16A or the B16A2? When should I do the engine swap once I get my civic (like, after what modifications)?

you can get a b16a for cheaper than that...I got a 99 b16a2 for $2325. If you can, get the USDM motor, it will most likely be in way better condition.

Originally posted by madtownhonda
you can get a b16a for cheaper than that...I got a 99 b16a2 for $2325. If you can, get the USDM motor, it will most likely be in way better condition.
That's not entirely accurate. If I'm not mistaken (damn my bad memory!) it's illegal in Japan to sell an engine that has more than something lik 32,000 miles on it (75,000 KM maybe?). So if you can get an engine direct from Japan, it's gonna have less than 30,000 miles on it. Or close to at any rate. Anyone else remember a law like that? Back me up, cuz i'm doubting myself - :D

if i were to get a swap i would get an itr engine. b18c5.:eek:

Oh believe me, I would love to have the B18C5 as well, but now were talking some money. The B18C5 is $6295.95 from JDM and I really don't have that kinda money.

well personally, the first step I'd do is sell the car and buy.. oh.. a GS-R, Impreza 2.5RS, WRX, RX-7 TurboII, FD RX-7.. whatever.. if you want a fast car, start with something that isn't sLoW like a Civic. I made that mistake once, and ended up wasting money.

Anyhow, if you are dead set on modifying a Civic.. then..

1) New "upgraded" brake pads (I've got the AEM pads, and they're pretty good, work best when a little warmed up (not cold, not hot))
2) New rotors - stay away from cross drilled they like to crack. I got slotted and they didn't seem to do anything great, and they just fill up with brake dust, but it's up to you.
3) New wheels/tires - do NOT go for 17's (or even 16's) they're a waste of money and are just overweight and unnecessary for the car. However, get yourself some nice 14x6 or 15x6 (or better yet 14x7 or 15x7) wheels and put some 195's on the 6" wide wheels, or 205/215's on the 7" wheels. I've got 195's on my 14x6's and they're pretty good. I also like the Bridgestone Potenza RE950's if they still sell 'em, H-rated (130 mph) if you ever go faster than that in a civic you're either rich enough to make it safe to go those speeds or stupid.
4a) Get yourself a front AND rear strut tower bar. The stock chassis is pretty flexible, and that's bad. It'll tighten it up a little bit. This should actually be the first suspension mod you do.
4b) New shocks/springs - get some adjustable shocks and a coilover kit, should still be cheaper than a "full coilover" set, plus you'll have adjustable height and adjustable shock damping.
5) Now is where we split. If you want to have a car that's got some speed to it, dump $3000 and buy a COMPLETE changeover (search here on the forum to find info on it) prefferably a B18C from a JDM Integra GS-R (or whatever it's called over there). The 1.8L DOHC VTEC motor.5a) If you don't want a faster car, stick with the regular Civic motor.
5b) You could also go turbo at this point, that'd be my choice over anything, but if you're going to go turbo, you DEFINITELY should have the engine built to handle it, unless you're working with a SOHC motor, which are EXTREMELY cheap (we're talking like $500 for a good used motor WITH transmission), you can probably run 4 or 5 psi on this motor without a rebuild for a little while, it probably won't last super long though. I'd have one built.
6) Buy an AEM Cold Air Intake - decide whether or not to get the air bypass valve, I'd get it just for safety sake. If you went turbo, get some sort of custom air intake.
7) Buy a header of your choice. If you went turbo, get some sort of custom downpipe.
8) Get a catback exhaust. Do NOT get a frigging coffee can looking exhaust tip unless you want me and everyone else laughing at you as you drive by. If you went turbo, you'll probably get 3-3.5" mandrel bent piping, if not, maybe 2.5" or something mandrel bent piping.. it all depends.
9) If you're going to race the car on a real race track (road course) then you'll want to look into getting a rollcage. It'll stiffen up the whole car.

Miscellaneous things I missed somewhere in there:
- If you get a turbo system, make SURE the fuel system is up to the new needs, as well as the computer can handle the calculations for boost pressures and intake temperatures, etc.
- Might want to get an upgraded ignition system. MSD or whatever.
- If you go turbo (or even not) you might want to look into getting a standalone programmable ECU. These are NOT cheap (like $1000) but they're incredibly powerful for engine control and setup.
- Gauges (within reason) are a good idea. Have a good water/oil temp, oil pressure, exhaust gas temperature, air/fuel ratio, and whatever other gauges might come in handy.
- Don't put a friggin' swingset on your trunk lid. People will laugh at you and so will I. (That means not an ugly spoiler).
- Don't put clear taillights on it. People will laugh at you and so will I...
- Don't put ridiculous stickers (actually don't put any) on your car. People will laugh at you and so will I.
- Don't put LED decorations, neon, huge bodykits, and whatever else might be considered "rice" by any normal human being.
I'm running out of things to say, so there. Don't rice it out please, people make fun of Hondas enough already, we don't need to add another riced out Honda to the fray.

Originally posted by L-U-R-C-H
Oh believe me, I would love to have the B18C5 as well, but now were talking some money. The B18C5 is $6295.95 from JDM and I really don't have that kinda money.

your looking at the wrong places...you can get a b18c5 for less than $5000

So your parents aren't rich, and you aren't making a lot of cash selling drugs. That said, if you want a fast car, you should look somewhere else. By the time you're done making mods to your D16, you will have spent enough money to buy a car that really IS fast, and has a lot more potential. Don't get me wrong, Civics have their place, as I own one too, but there's no sense in trying to make it fast unless you have a huge budget, and it seems like you definitely don't. You could more than a couple thousand dollars on an I/H/E, suspension mods, fuel system, etc etc, and you're gonna feel like a dumbass when you still get smoked. The D16 isn't impossible to upgrade, it's just a lot harder to pull power from. Hindsight being 20/20, since I was in the exact same situation you're in... (I bought my 99 Civic right when I graduated in 2000, actually) Buy a CRX, a 5th gen coupe, or a hatch. Take the extra money, do an engine swap, and own a car that at least has potential. I'm not trying to sound swap-happy, but for the price of a 97/98 EX, you could easily buy a high-mileage 5th gen and still afford a b16 swap. I wish someone would have said it to me before I went car shopping, as I would have saved myself several thousand dollars and been much happier. Your D16 will never be a performance machine when you're on a small budget.

Yeah, but I just don't like the the body style of the CRX. I'm sure I can do it with a Civic EX but it will just take time. I plan on fixing it up while attending college.

Okay, right now I own a Ford 94 Ranger. I am hoping to get at least $4000 out of it when I sell it. Now all I need to do is save up around $2000 and I can add that up and have $6000 to spend on a 1996 Civic EX coupe. Then, over time, I will just make modifications when time permits.

Please understand I'm not trying to discourage you from taking a project on, but rather from trying to make a D16 Civic fast. You don't have to get a CRX (which is 4th Gen), but a 5th Gen would be considerably cheaper, and leave you money for an engine swap. You'll probably spend another $6000 on that 96 EX trying to make it fast, and it never really will be. Anyway, if you do still decide to go that route, I wish you luck. I'm sure you'll have fun either way.

I USED to own a 97 Civic EX and it was my first project car. I poured about $2500 into it w/ performance parts and looks and finally I realized that it was going to cost A LOT more than I wanted to spend in order to make it faster. Thank God, a few months ago a girl slammed into my rear and my insurance company handled the rest. With the money I had left over from paying off the car, I bought a 92 hatchback cx w/ a 98 GSR motor swap. Man, I wish I could take you for a ride to show you the difference! I love this thing. It is so much more fun to drive that than my old civic and adding money into this motor will actually be worth it. If you are going to go for speed, get a crx or 5th gen. and put a b16 in it. You'll be a lot happier than putting your money into the d16 sohc motor.

OR if you want to get a car that really IS fast, you could dump $3500 and get an RX-7 TurboII. Or if you're into custom building your own car, get a first gen RX-7 GSL-SE for under $1000, (around 2400 lbs stock I believe, and easy to lighten), get a TurboII core & TurboII transmission $300, ship it out to SDJ Motorsports, have them port & rebuild it and tune it and do EVERYTHING to it, $3000, get yourself an HKS fully programmable ECU $1000, then buy yourself a nice large turbo and front mount intercooler, put down around 400-450 hp to the rear wheels, all for about $8,000.

Wow, good looks, low cost, speed, AND rear wheel drive.. you can't go wrong.

Okay, I have made up my mind and I have realized that getting the 1996 Civic EX would be a lot more money. So I was thinking more about getting that CRX.

I will probably be going for the 1990 CRX Si. I want to hopefully find one for $1500 good condition. Then, I want to drop the D16 engine out of it and put in the B16A since I will be able to do more modifcation.

Anyway with that in mind, after selling my ford ranger for $4000 (hopefully) and buying the CRX for $1500, I will have $2500 for the B16A engine swap. In this magazine, it says that the B16A DOHC VTEC 160HP for the 88-91 models is $1195.95 from ARD Performance.

Here is what it says directly from the website:
The 88-91 Honda Civic/ CRX will require a motor mount kit; available for $450. This kit requires no welding and since it is adapted to your current motor mounts, it is easy to put it back to stock should you need to. You need to obtain axles from a 90-93 Acura Integra. Note: if your 88-91 Civic/CRX is the DX model you will also need a 90-91 Si wiring harness or if your mechanic is able, have him modify the wiring harness to run four injectors. Shift linkage is also required.

Can you guys help me out here?

do NOT count on spending exactly what you're planning on. You WILL run into miscellaneous problems that'll end up costing you a couple hundred bucks to buy replacement stuff and what not.

*cough* RX-7 TurboII *cough* Maybe it's not as good a sleeper as the CRX, but man it's much faster.