sheepdog

Hello, fellow civic fans. I finally have bought myself a civic. I have a white 96 Honda Civic EX sedan. It is in pretty good shape and IMHO one of the best Civic sedan bodystyles (if not the best).

I will try to keep this organized so that my questions are understandable.

Engine Mods- I do not want forced air induction (no turbos or superchargers)

1. In order of preference, I had looked at cold air induction, header, and exhaust. At some point in this, will I have to do any fuel system reprogramming in order for my car to run properly? I am not overly concerned with it being really fast. (That is what my motorcycle is for)

2. If I do an exhaust system swap, is it possible to NOT have a loud, raspy exhaust note? I would prefer it to sound as stock as possible.

Suspension mods- my main interest is ability handle well, not extreme handling. I don't race (on or off track).

1. Will anti-roll kits work on my EX or will additional modifications be necessary to use the kit?

2. Will the H&R .75" lowering kit (or similar...don't want more than that amount of drop) require a camber adjustment?

3. I have had back surgery, so I do not want the modifications to make for a harsher ride. Do I need to ditch the drop kit so I don't run into that problem?

For those interested in other mods I am looking at. This is an approximation of what I would like for my civic to look like. I prefer a nice, but not too extreme body kit and 15" rims (+1 wheels are more than sufficient for my purposes).



I would like to get some better seats for the front. Possibly from a Prelude or Integra. Something with some more support, but still comfortable (see statement above about my back).

I have a bunch of stereo that I will finally be able to install. single, 12" Eclipse aluminum sub in back. 3 way up front. Alpine head unit hooked to an iPod with all my music on it (15000+ songs...who needs satellite radio). 2way security system w/pager ability. Redo my nasty, bubbling, cheap tint on the windows (legal tint).

My apologies for not doing a search for some of this, but I had too many questions. If you tell me to buzz off, at least smile when you say it.

ScottDR

Engine mods:

1. Do NOT reprogram your ECU. Intake/exhaust/header will NOT require retuning the ECU.

2. If you want quiet exhaust, KEEP IT STOCK. Or if you must spend the money, Greddy makes some very quiet mandrel bent exhausts (stock is also mandrel bent).

Suspension mods:

1. Anti-sway bars are available in bolt-on style for your car, no mods necessary.

2. .75" will need a bit of camber adjustment in the rear (washers can work). Alignment will of course be mandatory.

3. Ditch the drop kit since shorter springs will be stiffer and will require stiffer dampers to ride/handle appropriately.

Not a fan of body kits but only functional changes.

Good luck.

sheepdog

thank you for the help...that was what I was needing to know.

OCDjG

Agreed. There is no need for a fuel recalibration for those bolt on mods.

As for the exhaust note just stick to stock. However if you do decide you want an aftermarket exhaust then at the very least get an axle-back system. Preferably a full cat-back would be best but at least you'll get a descent low rumble with the axle-back. Just throwing in a muffler will get you that distinct raspy, ricer sound you dread of. Oh and for the love of God don't be dumb and throw on some ridiculous size tubing. Our cars need all the torque they can get.

Any drop you go with will give you a negative camber. While it may not be noticeable visually, the camber is there and it will affect your tires (speaking from experience). Also any mod you do to the suspension will change the soft stock ride. I prefer the bit harsher and stiffer feel in my ride personally but if you got back problems then I don't think messing with the suspension is such a good idea. At best just replace the stock shocks and struts for some new ones to return that new car feel. Also make sure you got some decent rubbers on your wheels. Properly maintaining your suspension will equal a nice smooth ride.

Hmmm, body kits and wheels. I've gone through the whole spectrum with my car , from stock, to full budy club II kit, and then back to stock with a lip kit. Imo the 96-98 years look a bit dated, especially because of our headlights. Dressing up the body with a simple lip kit does wonders. Its nothing fancy but it gives the dated civic a bit of a face lift. I'd go that route if I were you. However if you must get a full body kit stay away from fiberglass front bumpers. They are cheap for a reason. Sure they look nice, and for show cars yeah no prob go for it. But for daily drivers they are hell. One small rock, one bad turn, or one steep driveway and you can kiss your bumper goodbye. For the wheels, 15"s are too small. 16"s are the way to go for this car. I had 17's at one point, but they made the ride too harsh. 16's look big enough and still maintain ride quality.

sheepdog

16" wheels? I wasn't wanting super sticky tires, but rather tires that give me decent life/miles. Is that possible w/ 16" tires?

ScottDR

Don't go bigger than 15" if you want to keep tire prices down, lifespan reasonable and a comfortable ride.

OCDjG

I think a debate between 15" and 16" wheels is going to lead to nowhere. Its a matter of personal preference. IMO, 16" wheels are the best option for the civic, but again thats my opinion. To me they provide a good balance of looks & performance, performance meaning quality of the ride. I've owned 14's (stock) 16's, & 17's for the civic so I'm speaking from experience. I also don't think prices for 16" tires are that much more expensive if at all than the 15's. Its when you get into the low profiles, large diameter, and high street rated performance tires is when prices shoot up. Again though in the end its your money, your ride, and your taste. Go with what you like.

sheepdog

for me it is purely a mathematical issue if mileage on 16" = 15" and the cost difference is negligible, then I'd definitely get 16's. That is where further study would be needed. Probably via tirerack. I doubt the cost of the rims would be that much more

ScottDR

No it's not a personal opinion, it's a fact that unsprung weight goes up. That's why the original poster should stay with 15" (or even 14"), besides the aforementioned back issues. Why throw away more HP to heavy wheels/tires? That is why in racing you will not see larger wheel sizes. Even at Formula 1 level they run 13" for a reason-not tossing out horsepower.

OCDjG

This is not that serious of an issue but hey whatever...

No, it is a personal opinion but I'll say it again, in my opinion I like the way 16's look & feel on my car. In a racing situation I do agree with you, even though we're talking about fractions of seconds saved on track times. Anyways in a street application where you just want a nicer looking ride and not a racing beast I'm sticking to my guns. The weight difference between stock vs. my choice of 16's is not that drastic, at the most we're talking about 2-4 pounds per wheel added over the stock steelies. My wheels were a mere 2 pounds greater over the stock wheels. So that overall 8lbs added was really nothing in the grand scheme of things. If it really concerned me that much then I'd go on a diet.

The life of the tires vary due to many factors but mainly on the driver. So someone with stock tires could very easily wear out his/her tires as fast, if not faster, than someone with aftermarket wheels and tires. I drive on 16" wheels everyday for 40 miles one way. The ride is not bad. I will say this much however, anything larger than stock will change the feel of your ride.

To the OP, if that inch is not a big deal to you and you don't think you'll regret your choice then go for the 15's. There is nothing wrong with them, they're just not my first choice.

sheepdog

rofl....love the "lose weight" comment. extra weight (2 lbs or so) won't matter as much as mileage and price. I will definitely research those differences before buying tires & rims. thankfully the car has new tires installed before I bought the car. I've got time to think about it

matt70

Thanks for the information guys. myself have been a long time owner of civic and really love the car. lately after getting some time free in my hands i have tried to go for some good upgrading of my 96 civic. the result with getting suspension and brakes upgrading has been surprising. i never missed them but having got them dont know how i will be able to live without them. besides this might be going for a engine swap. trying to convert this into a performer and get another civic as a daily driver with better mpg.