8th Gen Honda Civic2006 and up is the 8th Generation Honda Civic. It adds a new look to the Civic line-up. A really smooth front end separates it from previous generations while still carrying the reliability of the Civic name.
WOW, & Thanks! I've never heard of that. Do you recommend any brands and is there any trick to it?
Everyone has their favorites so it's tough to recommend brand. I swore by Meguires until I discovered Klasse maybe 5 years ago which is an arcylic paint sealant. Except for the tires, you could put it on virtually the whole car including plastics and glass (I also stopped using RainX). Recently I've been using Menzerna on my silver car and Blackfire on the black Civic. They both leave a slicker finish but they do not have any cleaning properties like Klasse. Lately, american brands have added acrylics to their product line so it may seem new to some but the europeans have had them for quite sometime. I should add that I did remove whatever wax the dealer put on before I put on the sealant coats. One "trick" that I do reommend is rather than waxing/sealing the entire car once a month or wahtever, work in sections. For example do the hood and trunk one week, the roof the next, and repeating the cycle. I do the sides less often as they are less exposed to the weather than the top surfaces. Because you work on small sections, it's quick to do and you'll be "layering" the wax/sealant on the surfaces that need it the most. If you check my previous posts I did leave links to the products I mentioned.
I realize that no one has likely put enough mileage to need plugs but what is the consensus on Iridium Spark Plugs? I put them in my 96 Corolla and noticed an improvement in performance.
I realize that no one has likely put enough mileage to need plugs but what is the consensus on Iridium Spark Plugs? I put them in my 96 Corolla and noticed an improvement in performance.
I would like to know about peoples experiences with these spark plugs to. They claim to give you better fuel consumption which is definately something I am looking for.
Had my car exactly 27 days now. washed 5 times, waxed thrice (once the the first day i got it, then 2 weeks after, then just this morning) using turtle wax ice, plus used the ice detailer twice in between waxings.
Definetly tint the windows! do some homework and find a quality tint shop that uses quality product. I had Formula One brand film put on for my third time. Its lifetime warranty, scratch resistant, and will not only keep your car cooler but will keep your seat fabrics from fading. I highly recommend it. Should run you between 150 and 200 bucks.
One of the things that I do with every car I own, is keep a journal in the console. I go to a drug store and buy a simulated leather covered journal in which I log every gallon of gas, oil and filter changes, tire rotation etc. The reason I do this is for resale value. I sell my cars about every four years to private parties. Never trade to a dealer unless you bring your own tube of vaseline. By keeping the car looking like new and providing the potential buyer with complete records, you are letting the buyer know that you took good care of the vehicle. It really pays off. I usually sell my cars to the first buyer who looks even though the car will usually have between 90-100,000 miles after four years. The buyer has probably already looked at similar cars while shopping. I want mine to blow the other choices away, and convince the buyer that they have made a good choice buying my car (and they have).
I sold my 94 Civic EX coupe for $11.5 in 1998 with 96k miles on it. I had bought it new four year earlier for $14,500. I bought my 07 LX coupe for 15998. I am willing to bet that I will sell it four years from now for between $11.5K and $12.5K. I will keep it bone stock. I will let the high school kid I sell it to have a blank canvas to mod to his heart's and budget's content. Where, you ask, will the high school kid get that kind of money? Mommy and Daddy, where else?
This is why you don't be lazy and you park at the bottom of the parking lot and walk a bit further to avoid people parking beside you. At least, thats what I do. No dings yet.
gotta find a mid range. I used to work pushing carts for a supermarket and some young people like to cut the corners on parking lots and I have seen them clip the far parked nice cars. I have also seen old people who can't drive clip cars parked on the very edge of the parking lot (right along side parking lot "roads")
Nothing is 100% but DO NOT PARK NEAR CAR HOLDERS IN LOT, cart crew cut between holder and the next car to get to next cart holder.
check your state laws, you can get away with a slight difference from state law but if you are going presidental limo tint, expect tickets (at least here in NY)
I'VE HEARD IT SAID TWICE, "DON'T USE ARMOR ALL ON THE INTERIOR"
Fair enough, it attracts dust- but, I live in South Florida, what then would best protect the dash? Shouldn't I use something?
One of the best things you can do in ANY car - and if it's not too late for yours I would do this - is to change the oil after the first 500 miles. New cars have lots of small metallic shavings on the parts inside the engine from the manufacturing process, which get caught in the filter. Changing the oil after the first 500 miles gets rid of all this garbage that could harm your engine.
I would also add to the list of Si Best Practices to use full synthetic oil in the engine every 3,000, most especially if you drive in stop and go traffic like I do.
A lot of folks don't believe in full synthetic oil, but I do. I had a 2.2L Cavalier (piece of crap, I know) for seven years and when it finally hit the grave yard with 125,000 miles on it, the engine never quit once and all I ever used in it was full synthetic. The guy at the junk yard, one week later, pulled the engine apart to sell parts and actually called me up to tell me how clean the engine's internals were and how the piston rings were in top shape.
tint the windows definitely to keep the heat inside the car to a minimum.
you can scotchguard the seats, which will help get rid of that annoying shock you get every now and again when you get out of the car. if you dont want to do that, just get into the habit of touching your key against the inside portion of your door as you are getting out.
claybar your car every now and again. this will keep the paint looking awesome.
change your fluids and filters regularly (to include your air filter, which some people forget about). I change my oil every 3000 miles religiously. i dont use synthetic for the simple fact if for whatever reason i blow my motor and have to have it rebuilt, it is pointless. rebuilt engines have to have regular oil ran through them in order for everything to seat properly with the pistons and stuff. synthetic oil wont stick to the parts like it needs to, which in turn will cause your engine to basically blow again.
proper air inflation in tires. also, rotate on regular basis.
pretty simple stuff.
oh, and dont put a hitch on it and try to tow uhauls and other trailers. our cars arent made for towing.
i dont use synthetic for the simple fact if for whatever reason i blow my motor and have to have it rebuilt, it is pointless. rebuilt engines have to have regular oil ran through them in order for everything to seat properly with the pistons and stuff. synthetic oil wont stick to the parts like it needs to, which in turn will cause your engine to basically blow again.
Ouch, not sure if I agree with this part of your reply, Kaotik. Check this article out: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ventional_oil/. Synthetic bonds quite well to engine parts, protecting it much better than conventional oil at start-up, where engine wears is the most problematic.
While I agree that any new engine needs to properly "break in" using conventional oil, using synthetic after the first 500-1,000 miles or so, in my humble opinion, is a smart and wise investment. Not sure why this would be so drastically different with a rebuilt engine, but perhaps that's the lapse in my knowledge. I used full synthetic - yes, even if a crap Cavalier - and the engine never, ever gave me a problem.
Anyway, just my opinion based on experience. I use Mobile One full syn in my cars and always will.
Last edited by BTRobertson : 08-13-2007 at 02:19 PM.
Reason: told the same Cavalier story in my last post
