New guy needs help!
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New guy needs help!
Greetings from a new guy! I own a 2001 Civic Ex 2dr (automatic), which I plan to modify. I am looking to improve low & mid-range torque and handling. Although I’ve done extensive searches on this forum, I still feel that I haven’t found answers to all my questions. Forgive me if these questions have been asked/answered, as I may have missed or misunderstood messages in this forum. Also, keep in mind that I am probably older then most of you (close to 40 something) and have grown up with and owned cars with high performance V6’s and V8’s, so all of this is somewhat new to me! Now to the questions;
Handling
I’m not looking to make my Civic a racecar, just for it to handle and ride better. Right now, it’s a little too soft and bouncy for my tastes.
1) I plan on adding 17” wheels/tires (Kumho Supra 712 - 215/45/17) and lowering springs. Do I really need camber kits if I lower the car 1.5” or less? Will the stock springs hold up or blow out? Should I consider a new set of shocks? (Remember, I’m not made out of money, silly things like mortgage and food come first!)
Performance
Like I mentioned above, I’m just looking for more torque in the low & mid-range to make the car easier to drive in situations where I need to pass or break into traffic.
1) I’ve noticed that as the air outside heats up, the Civic becomes more sluggish. This is not a good thing here in Florida! I’m considering buying the AEM Short Ram Air Intake. To those who have one installed, especially people with EX automatics, does it really provide a performance boost? Would it solve my ‘hot air’ problem? Finally, what does it sound like? Right now the car is as silent as a church mouse, how much louder is the intake? I won’t mind a slight increase in noise, but I also wouldn’t want a high-pitched whine either.
2) Which brings me to my next and final question; exhausts. One of the first things I did was buy a DC Sports TCS exhaust. I was hoping to achieve two things, more low & mid-range torque and a nice sporty (but not excessively loud) exhaust note. I’ve heard others say it’s quiet. I didn’t think so. While I found the exhaust note outside of the car was great, it caused a constant droning sound inside of the car, which I found very irritating. So, I ended up removing the exhaust and reinstalling the stock unit (anyone interested in a slightly used TCS exhaust?). Anyway, I would still like to install a cat-back system and, as I mentioned above, I’m looking for the following: a) a sporty exhaust note, nothing to loud (high-pitched and whinny need not apply) but with very little noise in the cabin & b) a system that will increase low & mid-range torque. Currently I’m considering either of the following two systems: Thermal R&D Stealth Cat Back or Magnaflow Cat Back. Does either of these systems match my criteria or should I be considering another brand? For an example of the sound I’m looking for, check out a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. That’s the sort of exhaust note/interior noise I would like on the Civic!
Sorry for such a long post, and once again, forgive me if my questions have been answered before. While I did find some treads that were close to what I needed, none seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. Thanks in advance!
Handling
I’m not looking to make my Civic a racecar, just for it to handle and ride better. Right now, it’s a little too soft and bouncy for my tastes.
1) I plan on adding 17” wheels/tires (Kumho Supra 712 - 215/45/17) and lowering springs. Do I really need camber kits if I lower the car 1.5” or less? Will the stock springs hold up or blow out? Should I consider a new set of shocks? (Remember, I’m not made out of money, silly things like mortgage and food come first!)
Performance
Like I mentioned above, I’m just looking for more torque in the low & mid-range to make the car easier to drive in situations where I need to pass or break into traffic.
1) I’ve noticed that as the air outside heats up, the Civic becomes more sluggish. This is not a good thing here in Florida! I’m considering buying the AEM Short Ram Air Intake. To those who have one installed, especially people with EX automatics, does it really provide a performance boost? Would it solve my ‘hot air’ problem? Finally, what does it sound like? Right now the car is as silent as a church mouse, how much louder is the intake? I won’t mind a slight increase in noise, but I also wouldn’t want a high-pitched whine either.
2) Which brings me to my next and final question; exhausts. One of the first things I did was buy a DC Sports TCS exhaust. I was hoping to achieve two things, more low & mid-range torque and a nice sporty (but not excessively loud) exhaust note. I’ve heard others say it’s quiet. I didn’t think so. While I found the exhaust note outside of the car was great, it caused a constant droning sound inside of the car, which I found very irritating. So, I ended up removing the exhaust and reinstalling the stock unit (anyone interested in a slightly used TCS exhaust?). Anyway, I would still like to install a cat-back system and, as I mentioned above, I’m looking for the following: a) a sporty exhaust note, nothing to loud (high-pitched and whinny need not apply) but with very little noise in the cabin & b) a system that will increase low & mid-range torque. Currently I’m considering either of the following two systems: Thermal R&D Stealth Cat Back or Magnaflow Cat Back. Does either of these systems match my criteria or should I be considering another brand? For an example of the sound I’m looking for, check out a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. That’s the sort of exhaust note/interior noise I would like on the Civic!
Sorry for such a long post, and once again, forgive me if my questions have been answered before. While I did find some treads that were close to what I needed, none seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. Thanks in advance!
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From: san diego, California, US
Rep Power: 0 probably don't have to have the camber kit for a .5 drop, but they are easier to put in when dropping since everything is apart. spend the money for the new shocks.
intake will probably take away from the lowend and help in the mid to high. a short ram is less likely to help with your hot air problem.
try selling the exhaust, someone will buy it.
intake will probably take away from the lowend and help in the mid to high. a short ram is less likely to help with your hot air problem.
try selling the exhaust, someone will buy it.
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From: TEXAS, Texas, US
Rep Power: 0 Welcome speed6238 ! Most people are not installing camber kits on less than 1.5" drop, but if you want to set the car up right you really need to install them. The factory struts should hold up for a while, but get some adjustables so you can fine tune the ride. As far as the SRI, I have a standard, but have noticed it took out the lag I had at 3500 rpms. The sound is not loud, but when you put the throttle into it, it will make some noise, but not bad. I think the TCS is one of the most mild of the catbacks, so it will probably be hard to find one quieter.
Glad to see another "close to 40" member like me !!
Good luck modding !!!!
Glad to see another "close to 40" member like me !!
Good luck modding !!!!
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Rep Power: 0 Just wanted to thank drbombay & BAK for both of your replies. Based on what I've heard so far and what I'm trying to do, I'll probably go with Eibach Pro-Kit springs and the AEM SRI. Since the Eilbachs are less then an inch drop, I pass on the camber kits, unless I see a problem. I agree with both of you regarding the shocks, but since there seems to be only a couple to choose from (Koni & Ground Control), I'll hold off until there are more choices. As far as the TCS exhaust goes, I agree with you BAK, it is pretty mellow from the outside, but inside it's a different story. Maybe it's me, but the drone from the (resonator?) is directly underneath you and gets to be very tiresome after a few miles. I'd still like to hear from anyone who has a Thermal Stealth or Magnaflow Cat Back Systems, especially if you've heard a Civic equipped with a DC Sports TCS, to let me know how they compare sound/performance wise. Thanks again!
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Rep Power: 0 Definitely IMO go with Koni's (no need to wait for anything else) Eibach. SRI honestly is more for style than torque. If your used to V8's with more torque than horsepower your not gonna find it with Honda or small displacement motors. Not beatin on our engines there just very different than V8's with 5800 rpm redlines.
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Rep Power: 0 I have the Magnaflow cat-back system. I am pretty happy with it. I like it because I can leave late at night and not wake up the neighbors. I don't even know its there if I leave the house very briskly. I would say it has a nice sound and can be heard in the cabin. Although, you will definately know it's there going down the interstate, but still not as loud as most on the market. The perfect choice for a sporty sound without all the excessive noise and craziness.
Not sure about the a cai with the auto. AEM doesn't make a true cai. I have the injen cai and it works very well and definately noticed the difference. It is fairly loud about 3k rpm but is very, very, loud from 5k-6800rpms.
IMO if you drop the car more than an inch, camber kits and new shocks will be necessary. Contrary to popular belief, lowering more than an inch will blow the stock shocks in a few months, if not weeks. I know from experience with prior cars.
An intake and exhaust will cause a noticeable loss in low-end power. A 4-2-1 header could help restore some of the lost torque though.
Not sure about the a cai with the auto. AEM doesn't make a true cai. I have the injen cai and it works very well and definately noticed the difference. It is fairly loud about 3k rpm but is very, very, loud from 5k-6800rpms.
IMO if you drop the car more than an inch, camber kits and new shocks will be necessary. Contrary to popular belief, lowering more than an inch will blow the stock shocks in a few months, if not weeks. I know from experience with prior cars.
An intake and exhaust will cause a noticeable loss in low-end power. A 4-2-1 header could help restore some of the lost torque though.
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Rep Power: 0 Once again, thanks to everyone who has responded to my original post. I’m getting quite an education!
aferenz: Yes, I did notice a power difference with the TCS installed, mostly in the mid-range and the high-end. I did seem to lose a little low-end.
greg2k1 & Mbow: After reading yours and others posts, I’m definitely going for the Koni’s & the camber kits. I was hoping that I could get away with just springs, but I’ve been hearing one to many stories on this forum about blown shocks and premature wearing tires. Seems like one of those situations of “pay now or pay later”. Besides, I’m sure the car will handle much better if I do it proper and not half-baked.
As for the air intake, I’m really not sure at this point. I definitely don’t want to loose any low-end, there isn’t that much there to begin with! I’ve heard that K&N is developing a drop-in filter for our cars; I may wait to check that out. Though I doubt it will give much of an HP/torque increase.
I feel pretty much the same way about the exhaust; I don’t want to sacrifice low-end torque for sporty sound and good looks. Plus, like I mentioned, I did notice a slight decrease in low-end with the TCS. Hmmm…ah, who am I kidding; I love to tinker with my “toys”, so I’ll probably end up with the whole sha-bang (intake, headers, exhaust)! Lets see…got the time, got the desire…need the bucks!
Anyway, thanks again for the input!
aferenz: Yes, I did notice a power difference with the TCS installed, mostly in the mid-range and the high-end. I did seem to lose a little low-end.
greg2k1 & Mbow: After reading yours and others posts, I’m definitely going for the Koni’s & the camber kits. I was hoping that I could get away with just springs, but I’ve been hearing one to many stories on this forum about blown shocks and premature wearing tires. Seems like one of those situations of “pay now or pay later”. Besides, I’m sure the car will handle much better if I do it proper and not half-baked.
As for the air intake, I’m really not sure at this point. I definitely don’t want to loose any low-end, there isn’t that much there to begin with! I’ve heard that K&N is developing a drop-in filter for our cars; I may wait to check that out. Though I doubt it will give much of an HP/torque increase.
I feel pretty much the same way about the exhaust; I don’t want to sacrifice low-end torque for sporty sound and good looks. Plus, like I mentioned, I did notice a slight decrease in low-end with the TCS. Hmmm…ah, who am I kidding; I love to tinker with my “toys”, so I’ll probably end up with the whole sha-bang (intake, headers, exhaust)! Lets see…got the time, got the desire…need the bucks!
Anyway, thanks again for the input!
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E-mail me with your price on the TCS exhaust at overclockedpc@yahoo.com
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