LostnFoundPoet

I'm a pretty big noob. I just got my first car, an '04 EX coupe and I can't wait to get my hands dirty with it... but I just don't know what to do...
My parents helped me buy the car, and we bought it certified from a Honda dealer. The only catch? I can't do any mods that will void the warranty. In three years the warranty will expire and I'm pretty sure I'll attempt to swap to a k20... haven't completely looked into that yet, but it seems like it would be fun to try/have. But that's aways from now, and in the mean time I want to do SOMETHING that will be fun to do/have and won't scream ricer...
Also, I can't lower my car either, I live up in the boondocks and we've got some really extreme hills in my area. Soooo much fun to go corner in my friends Porsche (luck sob...). But even at stock hight my little coupe drags on the ground...
Has anyone tried putting a lift kit on a civic? I'm thinking if I bump up the rear just a very tinny bit, keep the front the same and just use slightly bigger rims I might be able to make it look a little bit more aggressive without lowering it... Or then again it might start to look like a 4x4 Jeep... noooo thank you. (Before I get flamed, I've been searching on that subject, and somewhere after the 40th thread under the search engine for "lift" anything, I thought I'd ask. )

greeen01civic4d

iTrader: (7)

no, there are no lift kits out there for our cars, but if u put bigger rims with some sizable tires on there u might get more height, but how many miles on it, u might be getting some rear end sag, adn if so, do u have subs or anything

LostnFoundPoet

As of right now it's a fresh canvas, not a single mod done to it, its as stock as a used car gets. It's got 47k miles on it as well, so it's pretty darn close to brand new.

amhtown01

iTrader: (11)

If I could do it all over again...I'd leave it stock.

LostnFoundPoet

Now where's the fun in that?

Nighthawk7thGen

If I had to do it all over again....to be honest...I would have bought the black 2000 Civic EX coupe with the 5 speed in it I was looking at very interestedly a week or so before I bought what I have now.

If I had to stick with a 7th gen though...I would have either bought a coupe with an EX...or left mine stock

G*d damn! wait...theres soooo many things I would have done differently!
awww man..this topic just ruined my day!



Oh yeah...no lift kits for our ride ...my best advice to you would be to get wider steel rims and put some nice aggressive snow tires on...rallying Civics could be prosperous!

ultimatetuner10

iTrader: (5)

You will come to realize a sad fact in time. This car is just not like the ef, eg, and ek body civics. The engine doesnt respond to mods very well, and there arent as many parts out there that I have found...its just not as mod friendly overall as previous years. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten a different car. I had the money for so much more, and I decided to be practical. Dont get me wrong guys, I love my car, but I could have gotten an STi or car of those likes, but I didnt. Ive spent too much time and wasted too much money on this thing to sell it now, so I am just gona drive it through college and then keep it as a beater after that and get a Z06 or something of the sorts

DsevenEm2

iTrader: (6)

can we see a pic of ur car to see what height its at now.. it shouldnt be low at all if its completely stock.. maybe u have something blown? ... just make it look nice.. since u cant void the warranty.. wheels... lip kit.. i duno..

LostnFoundPoet

That's just it, my car ISN'T low, in fact it's just as high as it ever was, the hills in my area are just that bad.
And yeah, I've been reading that it's not a great car for modding, but it's the car I got, and I do want to do some little mods. I'm not expecting some drag strip beast, just making a daily driver a little bit more fun to drive and look at. Either/or really.

imroadk1ll

if i had a chance and i could do it all over again i would have not wasted my money and woudlve already gotten the parts i want and then the remaining money wouldve went to having saved up half the money for a k

Connie

iTrader: (3)

I dont really regret any mods I did but I would do some differently.

I would change the Air Intake and head headlights right off the bat (I love HID). It would probably void the warranty but I would clear the corners and black the headlights as well, gives it a much better look.

Short of a full engine swap I can't think of too much else to do though. I had a nice entertainment system in mine but I just liked being slow and loud.

I feel sorry for your friends porsche if you bottom out in a civic!

LostnFoundPoet

I'm not worried about having the money for the k-swap. I've already started putting away for it, in 3 years I'll have that part easy.

My friend actually brought his Porsche to the dealer and I'm pretty sure they stiffened the hell out of his springs or something, I'm actually not sure what they did exactly. I do know that it's a really REALLY rough ride now, but then again, if you just love driving it's some of the most fun you'll ever have in a car.

And yeah, I'm starting to think that for the time being the only thing I could really touch is the sound system, as depressing as that sounds. Unless someone has some glimmer of hope that I've missed.

AGuyWithACivic

^When I bought my car new the salesman told me I could do basic mods-when I asked what exactly he said "intake, exhaust...stuff like that". Given that I have an extended warranty and I/H/E gives little additional power anyways, I deemed it wasn't worth it at the time.

So I'm in the same boat as you: waiting for this warranty to finish! Then turbo! (hopefully dezod still sells em in 2011 XD)

02BLKCIVIC

iTrader: (8)

one word suspention

LostnFoundPoet

I know, I'm just counting down the days... I figure while I've got the warranty I'll drive the hell out of the engine. Then the day the warranty's over I'm just gonna do the k-swap... unless theres something even better waiting down the road in 3 years.
AGuyWithACivic, did you ask your dealer about adding things like sway bars by chance? I haven't been able to get a straight answer from my dealer. I figure the way I drive around all these hills, improving the handling of the car might actually be a better little mod then anything engine wise right now anyway.

enjoitofer

i spent alot of money back and forth i should of just put hids and leave it

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Warranty? What's that?

Naw, I would stiffen up the suspension a little, sway bars and a front strut bar won't void your warranty. Neither will a new shift **** and short shifter (you have an auto or standard?). I love my RSX **** and the Revo SS (with aluminum bushings) that's in there.

I/H/E won't void your warranty and if you're worried about it, keep the stock parts and if it develops a problem, take an hour to throw the stock stuff back on there, then take it to the dealer for service.

If I had to do it all over again.....fwah I don't know. Not much else major I would have done differently.

AGuyWithACivic

sorry for the late reply ^_^

I never asked the dealership about suspension stuff because I never thought about it at the time, BUT according to the Suspension FAQ, stuff like lowering *might* void your warranty. Certain dealerships might do different procedures. I've seen people get away with strut lower braces, but aside from that...I dunno.

Lighten your car Go fast...the old fashioned way! XD

LostnFoundPoet

I'm driving a standard, that was my one rule that I wouldn't bend on with my parents. My first car HAD to be a stick shift.

I was actually thinking about doing something like that, but I don't know if I want to spend the money on parts now that I wouldn't even be able to use once I do the engine swap. Besides, I keep reading that you don't get very much with I/H/E... I'll either save the money for post-swap or use it on parts that I'll still have post-swap.

And yeah, apparently my dealer's a pain in the ol' ****, cause they said doing anything to lower it would void it... but I'm gonna take another look at the warranty/state law and see if I can't get away with it still... Cause I bet I could lower it a inch and if I just make the suspension stiff as heck and I'll be fine, cause I took another look at my friends Porsche, it's lower then my civic (which bottoms out every now and then)!!! It just doesn't have any give in the suspension. So I'll see if I can't just make it stiff as heck... Besides, would you rather a comfortable ride or a fun ride?... I know what I want.