NeXCIVICEX

Ok guys heres the scenerio
i have a 2002 civic si ( canada) EX ( american) coupe. with vtec, AEM cold air intake, 17" konig wheels, and a performance exhaust tip only.
My mom has a 2001 civic lx coupe NO VTEC

Problem: her car can out perform mine anyday? hers seems peppier. And just tonight, i was goin up a steep hill with four people in car, and i couldnt get up it in 2nd had to put it back in first. its not cause of bad shifting either. her car can do it no problem.

Question: Why is it that even with vtec, and performance intake and exhaust. a stock lx out performs me


any info would be greatly appreciated

neoretromax

because you have larger wheels which takes away acceleration, and the cars were broken in differently. for example, my 2k1 lx auto accelerates better than a 2k1 accord ex auto (fathers) because he broke it in like a old man driver.

mattskav

because there is extra weight.

do a search on power to weight ratios and mattskav.

at one time or another i did a comprehensive breakdown of the power to weight ratio for each variety of civic.

NeXCIVICEX

thanks for the replies guys
is there anything i can do to improve my performance without removing these parts?

i also read somewhere that the lx reaches its max torque a lot quicker than the si/ex
lx reaches max torque at 3500 rpm
si/ex reaches max torque at 5000 rpm
this could also be the reason

rs232

I would suggest selling your wheels and getting lighter ones.

Konig's are very heavy.

I would suggest Axis wheels. http://www.axiswheels.com/ The Mag-Lite at 17x7 is only 14 pounds.

Here's a pic of it:


Another good one but slightly heavier is the VPD:


The 17" VPD is 16 pounds.


Your Konigs probably weigh around 25-30 Pounds. When you hit the gas your engine has to spin this wheel. The weight of the wheel is multiplied roughly around ten times with what's called unsprung weight.

That's means your tires and wheels that together weight around 35- 40 pounds are like it trying to move 350 - 400 pounds. Cutting this down with a lighter wheel will make it 200 - 250 pounds. It will make a big difference.

Your cold air intake is only give you a couple extra horsepower. While it has been dyno proven that heavier wheels can rob as much as 10 hp.

If you want to test this out, take the Konig's of the front of your car, and put the stock wheels on.
You will notice a considerable difference.

Macko

In many cases i've heard a Non-VTEC LX, performs slightly better than a Si(Ex), I have a LX and i keep up with the VTECs (Si, 1.7EL) maybe cause i take good maintenance of my ride...but i heard that the Non-VTEC has a higher compression than the VTECs, Also the power to weight ratio is somthing to consider

jro

hmmm....let's see

compression ratios:
DX & LX: 9.5
EX & HX: 9.9

ex has the compression ratio edge here...
_____

weight to hp. ratios (manual transmission coupes)

DX: 21.322 lbs/1hp
LX: 21.704 lbs/1hp
EX: 20.394 lbs/1hp
HX: 21.402 lbs/1hp

the ex has the best weight to hp ratio of the roundup as far as coupes are concerned--the LX has the worst. the DX takes 2nd place.

_____

torque to hp. ratios (manual transmission coupes)

DX: 22.291 lbs/1 ft. lb.
LX: 22.691 lbs/1 ft lb.
EX: 22.719 lbs/1ft lb.
HX: 22.559 lbs/1ft lb.

the dx has the best wieght to torque ratio of them all. the ex has the worst; however the margin between the lx and the ex is very small.
_____
my only reason someone may think that the lx feels peppier is because the peak torque output for the lx is 300rpms lower than the ex and the peak hp is produced 200rpms sooner as well. i don't know!?!?! draw you own conclusions from the math i've done....=)
-jro

azn2k1civic

i think this guy is on to something...i'm pretty sure this is the reason...the 10 hp difference from lx and ex is not enough to compensate for the heavy moonroof and all its mechanics.