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Hey everyone. Thanks for having me. I own a 1997 Honda Civic EX with 101,000 miles. I bought the car a few years back as a parts car for my Camaro but a recent family tragedy forced me to sell the Camaro and I have started to focus on the Civic.
I'm hoping I can ask for help as to the best possible solution to what I'm looking for from this car. The main goal is preventative maintenance and to upgrade anything without having to do it twice while going for a go-kart look and feel without focusing on power as much until after suspension is done. This car is COMPLETELY Stock and has never been modified so I'd like to do this right. I figure if the repair or install/removal touches something lets go ahead and replace it. For instance, new alternator and power steering pump and lines when doing the timing belt. New plugs and wires again etc. If I have to take it off, I figure it's probably best to replace with new for longevity and less time repairing the car in the future.
I don't have many options for working on the car so Bolt-on and direct fit is usually my route. I have access to a lift but not for major repairs that would require overnight work. Maybe 3-4 hours like doing suspension arm swaps or exhaust removal and install etc. Maybe a clutch swap.
My next repairs are as follows but would like to know what company I should be going through for these parts as well and if anyone thinks I should focus on other things or routes.
Repairs:
Accessory Belts (Gates)
Air Temperature Sensor (Beck/Arnley)
Alternator (WAI Global)
Brake Kit -Front- (PowerStop Stock Replacement w/ Calipers)
Brake Line Kit Front/Rear (Valex Racing)
Brake Speed Bleeders (Russell Performance)
Catalytic Converter (1320 Performance)
Cat-back Exhaust (1320 Performance)
Clutch Line w/ Tilton Flow Control Valve (ChaseBays)
Cold-Air Intake with Filter Shield (Injen)
Header (1320 Performance)
Motor Mount Kit (1320 Performance)
Oxygen Sensors Up & Down (Denso)
Power Steering Kit (Chase Bays)
Power Steering Pump (Edelmann or Atlantic Automotive Enterprises)
Power Steering Pulley (AAE)
Raychem DR-25 Engine Ground Kit (Chase Bays)
Short Shifter (K-Tuned)
Timing Belt Kit (Gates) (Plus replacing sensors and seals while I'm in there. New Crank Lightweight pulley not underdriven)
Future Plans: Looking for feedback here
AC Delete and Cruise Control Delete
Coilovers
Rear Disc Brake Conversion
New Clutch and Flywheel
Most Suspension components are rusting so I'd like to start replacing them as needed.
Prothane Bushing Kit (The Biggest Kit, NOT the Total Kit)
Steering Wheel (Smaller than stock so I can bring it down from Bus Driver position but not hit it with my leg when using clutch)
Bucket Seat
Wheels and Tires (Easy to install for best overall size and grip. Thinking 17's)
Wheel Bearings (started to grind a bit)
I will update this post as I start doing work on it. Thanks.
Last edited by SimplisticBeing; Oct 4, 2025 at 08:57 PM.
Hondas no like aftermarket electronics. For example, the alternator is made to turn-off if battery is topped off, so electronic control. non-OE tends to not work in a short time. NTK or denso are the OE ones. If discontinued, consider finding a junkyard part.
car-part.com for a listing of scrapyards.
I think gates is OEM, so OK there.
clutch - unless forced induction, it will simply be a hard clutch... keep OEM.
Cold air intake - maybe 2-5 DP (dog power )
coilovers - stay away from cheapo kits. around 800 minimum is a good guide? Unsure of current prices.
Suspension - be careful there. 6th gen is still better than later years (front double wishbone vs macPherson). FWD need to be setup differently than RWD (Camaro). They will understeer. Stiffen rear and softer fronts is the call for FWD.
If available, look for rear spring rates higher than fronts on coilovers. Same for sway bars. Negative camber use only on fronts.
Example - to stop understeer in autoX I had to remove front swaybar and beefed up rear bar.
Hondas no like aftermarket electronics. For example, the alternator is made to turn-off if battery is topped off, so electronic control. non-OE tends to not work in a short time. NTK or denso are the OE ones. If discontinued, consider finding a junkyard part.
car-part.com for a listing of scrapyards.
I think gates is OEM, so OK there.
clutch - unless forced induction, it will simply be a hard clutch... keep OEM.
Cold air intake - maybe 2-5 DP (dog power )
coilovers - stay away from cheapo kits. around 800 minimum is a good guide? Unsure of current prices.
Suspension - be careful there. 6th gen is still better than later years (front double wishbone vs macPherson). FWD need to be setup differently than RWD (Camaro). They will understeer. Stiffen rear and softer fronts is the call for FWD.
If available, look for rear spring rates higher than fronts on coilovers. Same for sway bars. Negative camber use only on fronts.
Example - to stop understeer in autoX I had to remove front swaybar and beefed up rear bar.
-I want to make sure I keep the car running tip top before something goes wrong as I can't afford downtime so I figure most of what I touch I should probably expect to replace at that time too.
-With the Timing Belt replacement it encompasses a lot of parts like AC, Alternator, Power Steering, Cruise Control, Motor Mounts and Crank Pulley. This is a job that will require a lot of parts to replace and probably the first big project I do using the above mentioned parts. I will try not to replace anything I don't outright see wrong like the alternator and maybe just remove and clean it up but I figure it can't hurt to drop a new one in and if it's worse, simply return it as defective before warranty expires and install the cleaned up stock alternator.
-The intake was to replace the busted box and start cleaning up the engine bay for easier detailing in the future. This engine bay is fairly dirty and I figure removing a simple pipe is easier than this big ole box.
-Coilovers I've never installed so I'm unsure if I would need anything else to go with them to ensure proper geometry after install and possibly lowering it further than stock slightly. Should I get a lower control arm camber kit, do I need a ball joint camber kit? What suspension company is reputable for aftermarket hard parts like control arms, forks, sway bars and chassis related pieces to ensure I can adjust caster/camber and keep geometry correct as I learn to setup this car and how I like to drive?
When it comes to suspension this is where I want to get this right. Most of my suspension arms and parts are rusting away and I don't think simply removing and painting would look good over buying aftermarket and replacing outright plus saving time sanding and painting stock things. I'll keep them just in case but thinking to replace as I go.
If there are any specific routes I should take when doing these bigger ticket items I'd like to know. I've done work on the Camaro for years and almost every single part has an aftermarket upgrade option but I'm simply unsure of what the brand and what the quality is for Honda's at this time. I know of the usual Megan Racing, Skunk2, Hybrid Racing, MaxPeedingRods, Whiteline, K-Tuned and hope to learn mroe about these companies being either basic replacments or actual quality replacements as I like the idea of better than stock if possible.
-Clutch feels good at the moment but wouldn't mind something with faster engagement or stronger material. The Chase Bays line and tilton flow valve sound good when doing a new clutch and flywheel. This cars clutch is nothing like a cable operated clutch in an old Mustang so I'm happy to say a harder clutch wouldn't be a bad thing either if only a bit stronger/harder than stock. Stock is fairly easy to deal with compared to some of the muscle cars I've driven which felt like I was trying to move the transmission myself with my foot.
Overall at this time I am looking at nearly $5000 in upgrades as most of these upgrades are things I have going bad on the car anyway as most of this car is still OEM and never replaced as far as I can tell.
Project 1 - New Front Brakes. (Should I do a big brake kit upgrade that fits under stock rims?) / Maybe Valex Racing Brake Line Kit overhaul to start replacing brake lines I can do myself. Then Front and Rear Brakes will be good for a while until I do rear disc conversion.
Project 2 - Timing Belt Kit and surrounding parts overhaul. Power Steering Pump, Alternator, Lightweight Crank Pulley (Not underdriven), Motor Mount Kit and AC/Cruise Control Delete to free up space and clean up the engine bay. This will keep me from worrying about tossing the engine due to an old timing belt.
Project 3 - Intake / Exhaust / Shifter Overhaul / Steering Wheel Change - Fine waiting on these since e-check is no longer required and my O2 sensor is throwing a code.
Project 4 - Suspension / Fuel Line Kit form Valex Racing
Project 5 - New Rims maybe?
Project 6 - Body work like new hood or front bumper and lip. Not really thinking about this part of the car just yet. I want my engine, suspension and drivetrain overhauled before I mvoe to this part of the car. Even interior I want redone before doing the body.
Personally I'd keep the ac and cruise, no real benefit from deleting them
I understand that. I will be doing proper uninstalls so if I want them back in I can swap them back. No cutting wires and busting lines. With the AC, I've always seemingly found them to make me tired and I'd rather be hot and alert than cold, comfortable and falling asleep at the wheel.
Cruise control is the same as I don't like the way it works constantly slowing and speeding up over a short distance. I am a spirited driver and rarely drive more than an hour somewhere and if I do I have no problem manualy controlling the speed over great distances seemingly better than the way Cruise Control does.
Did a little Body Makeover. Still undecided on which cat-back to get and whether or not to get the 1320 UEL Headers coated or leave them raw. Now for before and after pictures of the body makeover.
1.) Magnaflow (I liked how my Camaro Magnaflow exhaust was quiet cruising but had a good growl at full throttle)
2.) Megan Racing (A video I watched kind of sold me on this exhaust, but they also had DC Headers)
3.) Yonaka (Good rumble at idle and when cruising and seems to pair with the UEL beautifully, but, is very common and I'd like to try something different)
4.) Spoon N1 (Like Mega Racing but a bit more tame and the Muffler Tip was not to my liking)
Ran out for some Arby's and on my way back home a deer hit the driver door and mirror. Disconnected the mirror and left a nice gash, scrape and dent on the driver door. Thank you November.
You're lucky it wasn't a lot worse. I grew up in a pretty rural area but tons of cars were written off by deer in the winter. My FR-S almost got totalled after an incident a couple years ago.
You're lucky it wasn't a lot worse. I grew up in a pretty rural area but tons of cars were written off by deer in the winter. My FR-S almost got totalled after an incident a couple years ago.
No doubt. I am more than grateful to have been able to drive away after it happened.
Getting a temporary fix by a local exhaust shop so I can keep working until I can save a bit more for the new exhaust overhaul. 1320 UEL Header, Magnaflow 53956 Catalytic Converter and Magnaflow 15646 Cat-Back Exhaust. Looking for a quiet cruise with a scream at WOT. Magnaflow usually mixes the two well. Really curious what the UEL Header will do for the Magnaflow tone overall. Hopefully update in the next few weeks about the exhaust. I will be getting the Header and collector Jet-Hot Coated as well and will post the cost. I remember my Camaro headers and collector being about $300 for the pair...about 8 years ago. Next after exhaust I really have to get this timing belt overhaul done. It's going to be a really big project and encompass a lot of new parts especially the motor and torque mounts as well as a crank pulley but the big part being I need to buy some new tools to get all this done too. Still no garage or driveway to work in atm. Slowly we'll get hammering on this car. I have quite a bit of work ahead of us and we'll tackle them as needed first.
Exhaust overhaul commence. I will call 1320 Performance and Magnaflow soon and see about a local Jet-Hot Coating location. New exhaust will be a nice little Christmas gift.
Last edited by SimplisticBeing; Nov 15, 2025 at 04:22 AM.
Weighted socket and an impact for knocking the crank bolt loose.
they make a special tool for holding the pulley when you reinstall it.
Oh yeah, I'm buying the special socket to do this job and I already have my 1/2" Impact from Milwaukee to help with the removal. Vacuum Pump, No Spill Funnel Kit and Valve Lash Tool I'm also picking up for this job.
Looking at close to $3000 for a complete overhaul when doing the timing belt but the best part being once I do this overhaul the engine should be solid until I get around to saving for a turbo overhaul in the very far future. I want to get suspension, chassis and body overhauled before adding more power beyond the intake manifold and throttle body upgrades which are simple bolt-ons.
The main point to this car is now to extend its' life as long as possible with solid, high quality parts and maintenance schedules. We just hit 105k the other day.
I'll be getting the exhaust fixed Monday and will order the UEL and Magnaflow after I talk with 1320 Performance about the updates and changes to the header.
That and making sure I can buy it without issue as I don't have e-check anymore and won't be subject to this part being a problem legally. It just sounds like they have it described as something you can't buy anyway so their website wording seems odd. They sell it, but not legally for the cars they go to so I'm not sure what that means lol.
They're described as "race parts" because in many of the jurisdictions in which they're sold to, they're illegal, either because they negatively affect emissions or decibel count. The phrasing is the workaround. You won't have any issues purchasing. Using them is of course at your own risk though. Most cops won't care if the car isn't obnoxious.
They're described as "race parts" because in many of the jurisdictions in which they're sold to, they're illegal, either because they negatively affect emissions or decibel count. The phrasing is the workaround. You won't have any issues purchasing. Using them is of course at your own risk though. Most cops won't care if the car isn't obnoxious.
Okay, that's what I was hoping, that it was more-so "on their end" that they needed to make this form for this part due to their location. Thanks for clarifying. I will be picking up the UEL soon and then sending it out for coating. Magnaflow is showing a 30 day wait upon purchase as they are build to order now. Hope to get you guys a before and after and post it to you tube as there are no Magnaflow 15646 with UEL videos. The new stock exhaust will be from Mufflers 4 Less in my area but otherwise just a stock replacement so should be relatively close to what the Stock D16Y8 will sound like. I'm really pumped for this upgrade. The next big overhaul I can't wait to do is thew shifter overhaul.
What does everyone think about the RFAB plate and rmeoving the shifter rod? Some comments state something will break due to it removing the bushing that allows some give so i may very well stick with the dual shifter linkage setup and just upgrade the bushings accordingly. The RFAB does allow all 3 bolts for the Hybrid Shifter to be installed so i thought it might be nice for that and the removal of the shifter rod but I'm curious if anyone has anything to say about the RFAB plate versus bushings.
If you are interested in following along or simply wanting to use this sheet to help organize your own build go for it. This is where I will be adding anything and everything for this car. Be it notes, tips, tricks, tools required etc. Hope everyone is having a good one. I watched 5 Fast and Furious movies while updating this list.
Simple replacement trying to find a color scheme and orientation I like. Unfortunately the layout of the cluster bulbs are weird resulting in some bleed from other sections of the cluster.
^^My Color Scheme at the moment. x1 194 Red, x1 74 Red, x1 74 Cool White, x1 74 Warm White, x1 74 Blue^^ ^^Cool White 74^^ ^^Natural White 74^^ ^^Warm White 74^^ ^^Amber 74^^ ^^Red 74^^ ^^Green 74^^ ^^Blue 74^^
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