JackedByJack

so i got a laundry list of questions, because i hear sooo much stuff about what i should do to my ek.

so for starters its mostly at stock right now. d-series crap engine, automatic crap, manual windows and door locks.

the aftermarkets that i have put in are k&n air filter, street suspension, new dash with tac meter in it(thank god), it has si wheels with 235 (believe) yoko s-drives, 2 1200 watt 12 inch subs with a 1000 watt amp, skunk2 tower bar, and a thick steel lower strut bar, i have a thick steel rear lower strut bar but havent put it on yet, decent exhaust manifold with cat back exhaust (sounds really nice), and the previous owner converted it to all wheel disc brakes.

now for all the things im having trouble with. THE BIG QUESTION WHAT ENGINE SHOULD I USE???? i want to get somewhere in the range of 250 whp that N/A i know that will be hard to achieve but i would love to get it at a decent price as well, i hear i should use the b18c1 gsr enigne, or mod the crap out of it with a k20, or the k24a2. with engine swap im assuming im going to need a new front axle any suggestions on that and a really good ecu? like maybe a hondata?? I want manual as well how much modification to my car will have to do? will i need a new dash? and i hear the skunk2 double bend short throw shifter is amazing whats your take on it? and whats a really good clutch i can get after i tear up the first two or three from newbie abuse?

now some easy ones that you guys can probably knock out quick the reason i dont have my rear strut bar in is because it started to tear the frame. i know i will need a rear subframe brace, whats a good one to go with and what else could help support the rear end? also how hard it to put a rear tower bar in? and do you think i will really need the bar to re-enforce the rear?

now the subs i know i need a better amp, what kind of watts am i looking for to power those two subs properly? and what guage of wire. i will also need those "power pods"? because my car already draws enough power out of the battery. ive heard of systems that prevent that and help improve response times on the the throttle how effective are those?

recently my ac belt came off and wrapped around my alternator belt and my power steering belt, i replaced all three but now "i think its the ac belt" is screaming when i start and sometimes when im in higher rpms how do i stop the noise?

i bought some aftermarket tail lights and they're are fogging and collecting a lot of water, do i need new ones or what can i do to stop this?

i need a camber kits because when i lowered the car i didnt know i needed a camber kit, whats a good camber kit to go with? i swung by my local performance shop and they said the most expensive skunk2 camber kit. do i really need that.

when the car was converted to all wheel disc brakes the e-brake stopped working to its max potential (wouldnt lock tires) i recently took of the console and tightened the best i could, it now locks tires but not like it should.

i salvaged two doors with power windows and locks, what do i have to do to get the windows and locks working properly, and whats a really good alarm system. i also would like to install a aftermarket steering wheel with a quick release hub for theft reason any suggestions on this? i dont want to find this car on the side of the road stripped. please give me good input on this

im looking to paint the car because the paint job is severly faded any place with a good price a quality paint job, the body is in excellent condition and just needs minor bondoing

i would love and input you guys have to offer, i love this car and i work on it all the time. i have some money in pocket now im dieing to make this car nice. so im thankful for any and every piece of information that is given.

MindBomber

Wow.. well I'm happy to give detailed answers to most questions, but your gettin quicky ones till i see that your serious.

Why do you hate your d-series so much? There are lots of turbo d engines that are over 500hp...

235 is way to large, all that tire is doing is adding rotational mass.

Making 250hp n/a is entirely possible with any k-series engine or the b18c5, you'll probably be spending in the $8000 dollar range. If you go with a k-series engine you'll be tuning with k-pro, with a b18c5 neptune or s300. There's no reason for you to burn through three clutches, just because your not used to driving manual, just get an excedy appropriate for youir power level.

The double wishbone skunk2 camber kits are excellent quality, that's what I'd go with. Gotta pay to play.

I'm lost, you don't need a subframe brace for a strut tower bar, you need a subframe brace for a rear sway bar. Asr is superb quality, and a beaks lower tie bar will help as well.

The screaming is the belt slipping on a pulley, tighten it.

Put your tail lights in the oven, open them up and reseal them. Those cheapo tail lights always fog up.

A decent paint job, excluding the engine bay, is around $2500.

I'm not even going to get into the sound stuff, the only advice i'll give on that is to choose one direction with your build. Track performance and sound performance don't mix.

JackedByJack

well whats a good dseries, because mines is probably a sohc with >100hp and probably not even a full liter of displacement. i might be but it just has very weak engine in it right now, and everyone talks about the gsr engine and the k series. so really i just need someone who knows more about engines to help me decide what i really want. i really dont want a turbo simply because they're very expensive and i always hear that they will destroy your engine quicker than a n/a.


on the rear strut bar is what i meant, i must've had a typo. i need to find a rear tower bar, any tips on how to install a rear tower bar without cutting holes in plastic, and whats a good rear tower bar?


ok thats a quick fix on the compressor ill probably do it tomorrow if i get the chance.

i might just trash em and stick with oem, unless you know of any really nice ones?

that sounds like what i was thinking for painting my car.

well its just cheap sound stuff so until i get more serious about tuning this car, i might as well get some enjoyment while riding around in texas with a black car and poor a/c.

as i said thanks again i cant wait for more feed back

MindBomber

What model do you have?
I'll tell you what engine you have and what the options are as far as building it. If your working on a budget and have moderate power goals you'd be better served keeping the d-series, saving the 5+ grand the swaps your thinking about will cost and putting that into the engine. I'm k-swapping because I cannot achieve the power levels I want on anything but a k, ithats the only reason.

Turbo'd engines are 100% daily driveable and safe, the rep for them being harder on your engine comes from ricer noobs buying ebay turbo kits and pushing their engines beyond the safe limits. It's all about good quality parts and keeping the boost levels within what your engine is built to handle. Building n/a is much more difficult and expensive to make less power.

You need to cut the plastic or remove panels to mount the strut tower bar on hatches i believe, they honestly don't make that much of a performance difference though. Just focus on your rear sway bar with a good brace.

Tighten the belt tension just enough that it doesn't slip and squeal, to much and you'll burn out the pullies bearings and cause an entirely new squeak.

Oem is best for lighting 99.9% of the time, you could make your own custom led tail lights, but that's a whole new discussion and a very difficult skill to master.

The problem with two 12's is the weight, it messes with your suspension and weight distribution. Honestly, i'd try and trade the 12's for one good 10 and you'll solve the weight and electrical loading issues and you won't need a larger amp. Besides, one 10 would still be deafening in a little ek haha

JackedByJack

i went ahead and tightened up and we will see if it screams some more when i drive, i have no clue what engine it is because the original owner swapped it i think he said d16y8 but then again im just guessing really. any idea of where to look on the engine to find where it says it at, i looked all over for it.

i know whenever i get a another car for driving ill end up stripping the interior and doing quite a bit of weight reductions. ok so i have a 4 lug and yoko s-drives you said there too big so what show i go with instead? to be honest i put those s-drives to their limit sometimes ill take a corner and they will be squealing. also would you recommend coil overs?

i know buying cheap turbo kits is not a good idea, i had the intention of probably going with HKS or turbonetics thats if i had to get one to achieve to power i wanted

MindBomber

I'm pleasantly surprised, most people don't listen to as well as you haha

An engine code will be stamped directly on the block, look with a flashlight but it will be hard to see. The power that can be made with a D16y8 is amazing, I'm being completely serious, it's probably the best option for any budget build. In fact, it's the engine almost everyone i know uses in their race cars.

Stripped interiors look sick, but your not going to make any massive gains off stripping it. Please, once you do don't be like the dumb kid here a few weeks ago who stripped everything but his drivers seat out on his almost stock civic, he even took the gauge cluster and dash out... Faceplam moment!

Reducing rotating mass is key, to do that you upgrade to light weight wheels and run the smallest tires necessary for your power level, lighten your flywheel and etc. The heavier those parts are the harder your engine will need to work to get them moving and for your brakes to slow them down. Every pound you strip off the rotating mass is equivlent to 4 pounds of unsprung weight, ie.. your interior.

Coilovers, yes, get the best ones you can afford. The reason your tires are chirping isn't that your pushing the limits of the tires, it's that your suspension can't keep your wheels on the ground. If you can't afford quality coilovers don't sweat it, you can run a good quality strut and spring combo, just get something with high spring rates.

Without swapping you'll need a turbo kit, besides, driving a turbo car is amazingly fun. You have no intention of buying a cheap turbo, another pleasant surprise! I saw someone who turbo their car with pvc plumbing pipe the other day... Ugghhh...

anyway, hks makes good turbo kits, but I would just assemble one myself.

JackedByJack

ok so i got pictures finally. i figured i would go ahead an post. let me guys know what you think, and if anyone knows what the engine is let me know please