Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
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I have a brand new automatic civic. This is my first car, so I am new to working on and learnign about cars. SInce I am new i was wondering what i should do to it. I have a part time job, and a steady flow of cash. I really want to increase horpower but idk how much i can do with an automatic transmission
[IMG][/IMG]
I was thinking about ordering this
http://honda.magauto.com/partlocator...catalogid=3564
Thank you for any help
[IMG][/IMG]
I was thinking about ordering this
http://honda.magauto.com/partlocator...catalogid=3564
Thank you for any help
Last edited by Jerabetes; 10-05-2010 at 06:24 PM.
#2
Johnny Tran stole my S2000 that I had over $100K in mods.
Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
You won't get much hp gain in an auto.Plus your Civic's got a D17A2 under the hood.The D17 isn't known for hp,but more of reliability.If you really want a lot of hp,your best chance is a swap.And you might want to get rid of the auto trans.Don't expect a whole bunch of hp gain on a small budget.
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You bought a civic, so unless you're looking to swap the enginge you won't get too much HP gain like VTEC said. Civics are extremely customizable look wise. They sure as hell are sexy. I didn't buy my civic for speed. I bought it because i can make it look good, there are a lot of options, and it's extremely reliable. What do you need a powerful car for? Unless you're looking to race i suggest you save your money and instead of putting it on performance (which won't get u too far on your budget), spend it on style my friend ... my 2 cents
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Thank you for the advice.
SInce i cant increase perfromance much what do you reccomend for style
i was thinking aobut lowering it and buying the oem spoiler
SInce i cant increase perfromance much what do you reccomend for style
i was thinking aobut lowering it and buying the oem spoiler
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I'm in a similar situation, just got a Civic and am learning about car maintenance with it. I've just been doing basic maintenance things that are frequently overlooked to learn.
Change the cabin & engine air filters
Check your battery and all fluids
Change the spark plugs
Change your fuel filter
Rotate your tires
Change the brake pads
One great resources, aside from this and similar websites, would be the service manual for your car. It will show you how everything comes apart and goes back together, how to work on your car. Just keep learning and asking questions.
Change the cabin & engine air filters
Check your battery and all fluids
Change the spark plugs
Change your fuel filter
Rotate your tires
Change the brake pads
One great resources, aside from this and similar websites, would be the service manual for your car. It will show you how everything comes apart and goes back together, how to work on your car. Just keep learning and asking questions.
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do the maintenance before anything how many miles are on it what has been done to it maintenance wise. you should know the 01-03 civics have automatic transmissions have problems make sure that fluid is good.
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#9
Johnny Tran stole my S2000 that I had over $100K in mods.
Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
Looks personally,I like lip kits.Not body kits,those are ricey.Coilovers,rims,tint,blacked out head and tail lights,and somr fog lights should do it.But just to warn you,coilovers are pretty pricey alone and you should also get a camber.Coilovers and a camber will probably run you over $1000.
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if u are not looking to track ur car... u can get raceland coilovers for just over 300... but they are only good if ur just look it be dropped and dont want to track ur car
#11
Johnny Tran stole my S2000 that I had over $100K in mods.
Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
Oh,I don't know many brands.Only Tokico Blues,Tein,and Skunk2.Those are pretty pricey if you buy both camber and coilovers.I want a track car so I can go to a track when I have nothing else to do or to get away from bs.
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Spend more money on suspension than engine "mods."
Like everyone above said, a nice set of coilovers, (or even a good spring/strut combo), get some lightweight rims and good tires, strut/tie bars, upgrade (at least) your rear sway bar.
you can do a few cosmetic mods to give it your own personal touch, but I wouldn't go hella overboard.
if you wanna buy aftermarket stuff, I'd recommend dezod.com and thmotorsports.com
Like everyone above said, a nice set of coilovers, (or even a good spring/strut combo), get some lightweight rims and good tires, strut/tie bars, upgrade (at least) your rear sway bar.
you can do a few cosmetic mods to give it your own personal touch, but I wouldn't go hella overboard.
if you wanna buy aftermarket stuff, I'd recommend dezod.com and thmotorsports.com
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problems with the clutch packs they start slipping usually 3rd gear. and stay far away from riceland coilovers they are actually so poorly made there dangerous. the best coilovers for 7th gens bang for buck are progress technology http://www.corsportusa.com/store/cat...roducts_id=481
Last edited by lowlife9; 10-05-2010 at 09:48 PM.
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i know a couple people running racelands for dd and are really happy with them... its when u track them is when they start having problems.... and for 300 with a 2 year warranty cant really go wrong with them considering i spent more on springs/struts
Last edited by Muirsy; 10-05-2010 at 11:16 PM.
#15
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Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
I have the same exact car in white
What I've done so far only is
Short Ram Intake
HIDs
Sound System
On my list is:
Header
Catback Exhaust
Rims
Tein Lowering Springs
05 Tail light conversion
and JDM/Altezza grill
and maybe new front/rear OEM bumper, and paintjob if i can afford it
That's some suggestions for you, but first of all, I would try to restore your headlights, they look dull
What I've done so far only is
Short Ram Intake
HIDs
Sound System
On my list is:
Header
Catback Exhaust
Rims
Tein Lowering Springs
05 Tail light conversion
and JDM/Altezza grill
and maybe new front/rear OEM bumper, and paintjob if i can afford it
That's some suggestions for you, but first of all, I would try to restore your headlights, they look dull
Last edited by Kennykid2002; 10-06-2010 at 01:39 AM.
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I have the same exact car in white
What I've done so far only is
Short Ram Intake
HIDs
Sound System
On my list is:
Header
Catback Exhaust
Rims
Tein Lowering Springs
5 Tail light conversion
and JDM/Altezza grill
and maybe new front/rear OEM bumper, and paintjob if i can afford it
That's some suggestions for you, but first of all, I would try to restore your headlights, they look dull
What I've done so far only is
Short Ram Intake
HIDs
Sound System
On my list is:
Header
Catback Exhaust
Rims
Tein Lowering Springs
5 Tail light conversion
and JDM/Altezza grill
and maybe new front/rear OEM bumper, and paintjob if i can afford it
That's some suggestions for you, but first of all, I would try to restore your headlights, they look dull
#17
Kenny the Ricer
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Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
I spent 25 on short ram
35 on HIDs
Phewwww, dont even get me started on civic stock sound system, that thing is HORRIBLE
I thought I was cool for cranking it up to 30 and having my speakers sound loud, once I got the head unit in, i was like wooooow, then i got sub in, it was like WOW, then my polk speakers was like OMG!!!! :O
lol
Spent 80 on headunit, 100 on install from bestbuy (including din, and harness, charge me 25 each, what a rip. Buy your own stuff, and have them install for $50)
-$180 HU
Spent 150 on Sub/Amp/Box combo on craigslist, bought amp kit at walmart for 25 bucks, had it installed at Bestbuy again, $40
-$215 Sub
Spent another 50 on polk 6.5" speakers later, on craigslist, brand new in box
-$50
I'm out $445 on speaker system, planning on getting new 6x9's too though
it was soooooooooo worth it
35 on HIDs
Phewwww, dont even get me started on civic stock sound system, that thing is HORRIBLE
I thought I was cool for cranking it up to 30 and having my speakers sound loud, once I got the head unit in, i was like wooooow, then i got sub in, it was like WOW, then my polk speakers was like OMG!!!! :O
lol
Spent 80 on headunit, 100 on install from bestbuy (including din, and harness, charge me 25 each, what a rip. Buy your own stuff, and have them install for $50)
-$180 HU
Spent 150 on Sub/Amp/Box combo on craigslist, bought amp kit at walmart for 25 bucks, had it installed at Bestbuy again, $40
-$215 Sub
Spent another 50 on polk 6.5" speakers later, on craigslist, brand new in box
-$50
I'm out $445 on speaker system, planning on getting new 6x9's too though
it was soooooooooo worth it
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#19
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eh.. I wouldn't skimp when it comes to suspension.. It's one of 2 links between your car and the road (the other being tires), but that's just me..
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I found these
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Tein-...Q5fAccessories
How is the quality of these, and how much will installation cost
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Tein-...Q5fAccessories
How is the quality of these, and how much will installation cost
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An example of a decent setup would be eibach or tein springs (~$200 new) on some tokico blues shocks (~$450 set of 4, new), and a camber kit (~$150 new), then take your car to an alignment shop that knows how to adjust a camber kit.
that would be doing it properly. you can get away with used stuff, but i'd be weary with buying used struts. I'd make a note of how many miles are on them, the physical condition of them, and I'd ask the owner of their driving habits when they had them. Springs would be less likely to go bad.
I'm not gonna lie though, I was able to drive for a year and a half with tein springs (s-techs, 1.3"F/1.4"R) on stock struts and be fine. It's just that the ride quality got so much better when I finally swapped the struts. So you can get away with a slight drop (i.e. <1.5" drop) on stock struts for a while, so long as you're not terribly abusive. Otherwise your ****'s gonna start bouncing like mad (symptom of blown shocks).
A camber kit will save your tires from wearing unevenly due to negative camber.
that would be doing it properly. you can get away with used stuff, but i'd be weary with buying used struts. I'd make a note of how many miles are on them, the physical condition of them, and I'd ask the owner of their driving habits when they had them. Springs would be less likely to go bad.
I'm not gonna lie though, I was able to drive for a year and a half with tein springs (s-techs, 1.3"F/1.4"R) on stock struts and be fine. It's just that the ride quality got so much better when I finally swapped the struts. So you can get away with a slight drop (i.e. <1.5" drop) on stock struts for a while, so long as you're not terribly abusive. Otherwise your ****'s gonna start bouncing like mad (symptom of blown shocks).
A camber kit will save your tires from wearing unevenly due to negative camber.
Last edited by xRiCeBoYx; 10-06-2010 at 02:04 AM.
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oh, and save money by installing them yourself. A spring swap was the VERY first mod I ever did to a car, and I had ZERO experience with suspension work. It was me @ 17 years old with my equally inexperienced 15 year old friend working in my dad's driveway with a socket set, breaker bar, hydraulic jack, and jack stands. Also used a scissor jack and hammer to separate the tie rod.
Took us about 4 hours for all 4.
Took us about 4 hours for all 4.
#27
Kenny the Ricer
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Re: Brand new 2003 Civic Ex
oh, and save money by installing them yourself. A spring swap was the VERY first mod I ever did to a car, and I had ZERO experience with suspension work. It was me @ 17 years old with my equally inexperienced 15 year old friend working in my dad's driveway with a socket set, breaker bar, hydraulic jack, and jack stands. Also used a scissor jack and hammer to separate the tie rod.
Took us about 4 hours for all 4.
Took us about 4 hours for all 4.
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Free.. do it yourself. It'll cost probably 150-200 if a shop did it.
It'll cost you tools (which eventually pay themselves off when you start learning how to do everything on your car) if you DIY. Get a quality socket set if you don't have one, a torque wrench will do you good (as little as $30, make sure it can read more than 85 ft-lbs as that'll cover most auto jobs), tie rod separator ($10-20 bucks), hydraulic jack ($60 or so), jack stand set (cheap.. i dunno.. most jack stands can support 1500lbs on their own).. a few 2x4s help, too, in case your jack won't lower far enough when you're done lowering your car.
It'll cost you tools (which eventually pay themselves off when you start learning how to do everything on your car) if you DIY. Get a quality socket set if you don't have one, a torque wrench will do you good (as little as $30, make sure it can read more than 85 ft-lbs as that'll cover most auto jobs), tie rod separator ($10-20 bucks), hydraulic jack ($60 or so), jack stand set (cheap.. i dunno.. most jack stands can support 1500lbs on their own).. a few 2x4s help, too, in case your jack won't lower far enough when you're done lowering your car.