5th Generation (94-97) Questions.....

[drifter136]

I have a variety of questions and thought I'd clumped them all into one thread, rather than several...

Suspension.... If you have lowered your car...how much did you lower it, what springs, shocks, coilovers, etc. do you have, and how is the ride comfort/handling, etc.?

Engine Mods.... I have an exhaust system and I'm thinking about getting ram air (or CAI) and headers. Do you notice much of a difference with those mods? Is it worth the expense? Do the headers or intake make the car louder, if so, is it an annoying level? What is a reasonable horsepower I can expect to get out of my car without extensive mods (LX = 130hp stock) and what mods can I do besides the e/i/h without starting to get crazy?

Pictures.... If you have any pics of your accords lowered please post and tell me how much drop and what springs. If you still have 15" wheels and no body kit, but still lowered, that's even better.

Thanks!

[HondaSpeed]

I can only answer the question about the intake and a little about the header. I have a short ram intake on my 95 Accord, and yes it deffinately makes the car louder, but the sound it produces is awesome. A verry low and solid growl that is only audible when you are really going hard on the gas. I personally can't get enough of the sound. I bought mine on ebay and it actually has helped in certain place in the rpm's, but now and then I wish I had bought an AEM one, maybe a new V2 model, even though they are so expensive.

I was recently reading about bolting on a header and I found that if it is not a top of the line header system that, or at least one of the higher quality ones, that it could even hurt your horsepower because it has to do with not just venting the exhaust but it creates a certain suction which is only achieved by the highly tuned ones. This just means you get what you pay for. Anyways, I have written way more then I intended, but I hope it helps.

[drifter136]

HondaSpeed, do you mind me asking which intake you got off e-bay. I've been looking at the ones that go for under $20 and just getting a good filter for it, since the tube is basically just a tube, but it makes me nervous that maybe those ones don't fit as well, may rattle, hoses don't hook up right, etc.

[HondaSpeed]

Yeah I was concerned too, but after doing this I looked back and realized that there was a lot that could have easily been done to make it work had it not.

But that was never really a problem. I just made sure that the picture seemed appropriate for my car... knowing I needed a place for two breather tubes, and knowing that the general shapen needed to take the intake to the area behind the battery. You do have to be careful of the individual models though (lx or ex) because if your car is EX (like mine) it needs the space for two breathers unlike the lx which only needs one. Mine went on really easy. Maybe 30 mins. It doesn't bounce around and everything has stayed connected great.

One small issue... The seller off ebay had the right one posted that I needed, but they shipped me the LX version (they were selling both). But it was really easy to fix. I went to pep boys and bought a two dollar "mini" filter for the breather and left off the intake. Works great.

What I am trying to say is that whatever you get will be easy to make work properly. Just make sure you know what your looking for, and you can fix any minor issues by yourself, if there even are any.

If this isn't what you were wondering just let me know I can try and help out.

[95mugenaccord]

i have a 95 honda accord.

SuSpension- my car is lowered with some neuspeed springs with tokico gas shocks. no coilovers. it feels great.

Engine Mods- I have dc headers, MSD Ignition System. AEm Short ram intake, yes it does have a low growl and makes the car sound great. AeM cam and Pulleys. With a Flowmaster exhaust with full piping.

I dont have any pics yet but i will pretty soon when i can get her on some gunmetal racing harts and a new paint.

Hope i was some help.

[drifter136]

95mugenaccord,
What Neuspeeds do you have and how much did they lower your car.

I'm looking into some springs that will lower my '97 LX about 1.8" front and rear. I'm afraid that may be too low for a daily driver.

The springs I'm looking at are:

H&R Sports = 1.75"f / 1.5"r
Eibach Pro-kit = 1.2" f/r
Vogtland Sports = 1.8" f/r

I will most likely be using Tokico Illumina shocks.

[drifter136]

PS: How do you like the MSD Ignition? Is it worth the cost? Anymore power, better fuel mileage, etc.?

[integrasedan]

MSD ignition mostly benifits cars with turbo, which has high compression where the stock ignition doesn't burn completly.

On a stock car, it well feel smoother, but is overkill, the stock ignition should be sufficient.

[HondaSpeed]

I have some questions about your header and cams and pulleys.

How much does the new header increase sound, and could you feel any difference after installing it? And how easy was the installation?

And the cams... I have heard they make the car run rough... but how do you like them? And are the pulleys nice? Again... Installation?

Sorry about all the questions, but I am trying to decide where to put my next amount of money on my car...

Thanks,
T

[95mugenaccord]

ive driven a stock accord and believe me there is a difference. As far as my cams and pulleys i can immediately feel them workin as soon as i turn my car on. As far as my neuspeed springs im pretty sure they are about three hundred or so but the tokico varys as whether u want full suspension or coilovers. i dont have coilovers, too rich for my blood.if ur lookin to daily drive ur car like i do, then id get them a lil higher than 1.8. Especially since i live in so cal and the streets are never straight so i kinda hate it cuz i hit everything and i mean everythin. So unless u have really really smooth roads then by all means go for it, but if u live on like bumps and humps like i do then i wouldnt. I have DC headers along with a flowmaster full piped exhaust. My car is loud but its not that annoying Bzzz sound but a low growl, makes it sound really nice. But yea the msd i can feel my car takin off, but the thing is if u dont plan on turboing ur car anytime soon then i suggest u shouldnt get it.
All my mods came with the car wen i bought then, thats why i have so much car problems. i really dont like them cuz im runnin on a stock honda engine, if it was up to me i wouldve put all those mods on an H22. But yea i mean my car doesnt pull as much as it should with all those mods, but ive been able to take b16 hatchbacks in second gear. But again i suggest watever u do with ur car is ur choice. Dont imitate, but create. Thats the whole point of all those aftermarket stuff out there. Racing is more than the stuff under ur hood, its the driver and his mentality of ability to supe up his ride to make it better than the next one.

[jajimo]

I lowered it with H&R Sport Springs but the drop was closer to 2.25" then 1.75". I'd have to actually compare it to another Accord to fine the exact amount, but the drop was significant. Using stock struts. Ride is okay, kind of bouncy. Will probably replace struts within the year.

I have the AEM Short Ram intake and RS*R ExMag Cat-Back Exhaust. Combined, at WOT, it sounds like a fucking V8 (but moves like a near-stock I4). Performance from only I/H/E will likely never exceed 30hp max, so don't expect too much.

Dropped and riding on stock 15x5 rims and stock lips/skirts! >=)

[drifter136]

jajimo,

Do you have any problems with such a dramatic drop? I'm really trying to decide between the Eibachs and H&R's...I know both are quality springs with a nice ride quality, so not worried about that.

What I am worried about is that I'll either get the Eibachs and regret not having a lower drop for looks and handling, or get the H&R's and regret having it be too low and not as real-world-road friendly. I'm not planning on getting a body kit.

[grimple1]

eibach sportline drops it 1.8 in the front and 1.7 in the back. lots of people are rolling on eibach sportlines, kyb agx struts, suspension tech sway bars, ingalls camber kit for roughly $800.00. can then put a wheel as big as a 17inch and drive w/o rubbing.


if you're too worried about too low or too high drops, i'd strongly suggest saving and buying a nice set of coilovers. (A'pexi are known for their quality and sell a set for accords) that way you can adjust up and down. if you live in an area like chicago, the snow will get old real fast with too far of a drop. not to mention piece of shit roads.

as for the handling, i'd suggest starting with the sway bars and wheels/tires. a nice set of yokohamas and a nice rear sway will go a long way in that department.

[92lx]

basic bolt ons are about the only thing you're going to get "cheaply" ......which is about 8-10hp on a good day. True power comes from the expensive stuff, internal work, turbos, nitrous, etc.
- sadly.

- Nathan

[jajimo]

Originally Posted by drifter136

jajimo,

Do you have any problems with such a dramatic drop? I'm really trying to decide between the Eibachs and H&R's...I know both are quality springs with a nice ride quality, so not worried about that.

What I am worried about is that I'll either get the Eibachs and regret not having a lower drop for looks and handling, or get the H&R's and regret having it be too low and not as real-world-road friendly. I'm not planning on getting a body kit.

Dramatic? Not really =P I think it's a pretty moderate drop considering others =) The H&Rs are only supposed to drop you 2" in the front and 1.75" in the back, or about around there. The only problem I've had is with the bouncy-ness of it, due to the fact that I'm riding on shitty stock struts. I chose H&R over Eibach because I read a lot more good reviews for H&R than I did for Eibach... and they were cheaper! Tein sells some springs that are pretty cheap also, but I haven't heard from many people that have them.

A full on coil-over installation will be much easier than doing springs/struts because the entire strut assembly will be replaced, but it is more expensive.