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Im new here, so if this isnt where this should be, Mods feel free to move it.

Anyway, Im in Ohio, and have done track days at Nelson Ledges with a couple of cars, like a 3000GT SL, and a Grand Prix GTP. I also do bike track days at Mid Ohio, but am looking for a new track bike. Thats not what this thread is about, just saying Im not some hot shot tween looking to make a 9 sec monster out of a junky DX.

I turn a wrench for a living now, and work on pretty much anything that comes in the door. Ive only been doing it a few years, but Im a quick learner and am always looking for good advice. If Im out of line, let me know, otherwise try to keep the flame out elsewhere.

My buddy (who is also a mechanic) has a beater and gave to me for 500 bucks. In 2 weeks, I am getting a 90 Civic hatch with 210k on the body (body is rough) and unkown mileage on the powertrain. Its a D15 engine, but not the stock one (its got junkyard numbers on it), but he said its got good compression and doesnt knock, leak, smoke, nothing. He just replaced the grinding 4spd with an SI 5spd and a new Zoom clutch. The water pump is spitting out the weep hole, and since he has 3 other cars to drive, he wants the space in his shop more than he wants the car. He said it got 40mpg and ran like a champ before the water pump blew.

It has a clean title, frame and body is straight (albeit dented and chipped), and drives straight down the road. Since I also have extra cars (and 7 extra bikes), I was gonna turn this into a track car so I dont have to worry about blowing strut tower mounts on my 3000 again, plus the 3000 is my Daily. I havent got the car yet, so this is a bunch of ideas. Sorry, wall of text to get to the point.

Please let me know if you have experience that says Im doing something wrong or going about it incorrectly. Heres what I had in mind:

Replace water pump, timing belt, tensioners, and whatever else looks like replacing while Im in there.
Delete all on the pulley except alternator.
Strip interior, leaving only front seat(s), some gauges, shifter, etc
Make roll cage (I know a magician with a Tig welder and free tube frame)
Ebay intake, weld up a freer exhaust, have magician tune it better
LOOK INTO SUSPENSION AND TIRE UPGRADES

Now, Ideas, advice? I just threw together a list off the top of my head, so there will be revision.

Thanks guys!

 
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I forgot to add that the engine is a D15B1, which makes 70hp and 83Tq at the flywheel. Thats wicked slow. If the engine is as good as he says it is, I'll run it till it dies, and then look into something better. Forgive my limited knowledge of Honda Performance, but what would be a easy engine swap for better numbers? Dont need ridiculous power, but Ive driven a D15B2 with VTECH and that was the slowest thing Ive ever driven.

Also, the Integra rear disk brake upgrade? Any advice with that? This car is a shared project, and the other guy investing money has never been to a track before, so I would prefer not being able to lock up the rears and spin out a FWD car.

 
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when the time comes, K20, K24 (modern), B16 or B18 (older ones) engines. The B-series should be easier for this year. go to the engine forum for that. D-series are just for economy, not real vtec anyway (mine is D series...). Check Hasport - they make the swap kits.

rear discs - not required at this point, maybe never, if you gut it will be even lighter in the rear. 95k miles and i still have stock drum pads and they look new...
FWD - understeers cars - need stiffer rear and softer fronts, but don't overdo or it will be a oversteer *****.
safety gears, added to the roll bar (seat belts, seats, etc) depending on the class you running (as i believe you know already).

look mainly for suspension until you get more power - the beauty of the older civics is having one of the cheapest double wishbone suspensions, together with the miata, and they do wonders.

 
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Man, I havent updated this thread in a while. I flipped that Civic for some profit, and bought an 04 Civic SI that looks like a small minivan. I cant decide whether to do mods to the SI or keep it as my daily driver.

Does your advice still stand for an 04? Whats the best bang for your buck mods?

Thanks again!

 
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04 USDM Si?
Tires
the car should be already well balanced, but now you have front struts, not double wishbone.
Hard to tell, never driven a Si before, just the 8th generation Si coupe, which nis a different animal althogether.
Run the car on an autoX and you should be able to tell what it needs.
All the things i said are for the older civics, the 04 Si already have the K20 engine, rear discs, stiffer suspension and if i am not mistaken, some neutral to slight understeer, but already have the LSD (Not sure).
Stock should be better for a first season on some sort of amateur racing.
At least hawk pads, i guess and then go from there.

 
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Cool thanks man! Yes USDM. I'll take it to the local track when I get that day off. It doesnt handle super well, but its better than that GTP. Way too much body roll.

 
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if you mean the civic rolls, well, sway bars, but try to find out if it need front/rear or rear only.

 
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Good pick up on the 04 si. They are great cars and they have alot of potential and very easy to swap in other k motors in it especially since it has the k20a3. A good rear sway bar swap would be the rsx rear sway cause it is just a little bigger. The ep3's they are very well balanced already in corners and stuff but wont hurt to upgrade it. You can also make the rear camber slightly negative for better handling around corners (hope you are talking bout auto x and race track racing). The ep3 chassis are great for track racing all together anyway. What alot of people dont know that the honda fit is a very great auto x/track car cause of the chassis. But the best thing to do with the ep3 is swap in a k24 for the torque of the k24. The trq in them is a hole lot better than the k20's. It also will help with coming out of turns. Vtec killer will also be a good setup to have while tracking. There are alot of things that can be done.

 
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yup, seem a FIT in an autoX - pretty amazing, actually with all the high CG. But the driver was the main part of it, though.

 
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that's a thing that bothers me. Have seem a pretty good driver having his RSX oversteering all around and even spinning. Other
RSX seemed to be oversteering too.
Now, the EP3 is a hatch, so supposedly more wieght in the rear than the RSX. So it should be more neutral. Would you recommend using more camber in teh rear even considering the struts up front (smaller camber gains?)

just curious - you have more experience with the Si's, if i remember correctly.

 
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Ya I have heard of the rsx having bad oversteer but with the ep3 hatch the rsx sway is a good upgrade and works good. And with the hatch style and suspension with the rear camber alittle negative it helps get the rear around better. With the ep3 going round a turn it likes to **** its leg like in the top gear video of testing the ep3 type r. With the negative camber it will help when that leg ***** to get the traction it needs on all of the tire. Kinda hard to explain.

 
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extreme cases, we will have our famous "pissing dog three wheeler"
Thanks, that was clarifying!

 
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Man I forget to update this. I am an impulsive child that buys the first thing he likes. For instance, I just paid off that SI about 3 weeks ago. It was 8000 out the door with taxes, title, etc. I bought it in January, and traded it in yesterday for 4500 bucks and got a 2011 CR-Z. I had to get a loan for the difference of this 22,000 buck car out the door.

Mainly I bought it because my dream car is an old CRX, but I could never find one that I wanted to buy cause I would have to fix it up and maybe get my hands dirty, maybe have to use the google machine to fix problems with it, etc. So this CRZ gets worse gas mileage than an older CRX, is slower (runs 17.7 against the CRX 16.4), weighs more, handles as well as a Grand Prix, and it has less seating and storage area. But its got a 122hp VTEC 1.5L HYBRID! And did I mention that it was my favorite color? Aquamarine Metallic BLUE with glistening flakes!

What might throw you off is that I was about to buy a 3000GT VR4 (Fast, sexy sports car), or a nice VFR, or supercharge that 04 SI cause I wanted more performance out of my car. Instead, I drove by a dealership that had a car that I have never seen before and I HAD TO HAVE IT NOW!

Unfortunately, this is a true story that I put a smart *** twist on. I have been posting up for a friend cause he wanted to buy that initial 90 Civic and make it into a track car. He then bought the SI, then really did just buy this CRZ that doesnt make any sense to me, and he just went a good bit in debt.

I just dont understand some people. And Ive known this guy since we were in grade school, and now we are almost out of college...

 
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Oh, my...
What do you have, then?
CR-Z... sniff... miss the CRX...

 
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Me personally? I have a 98 3000GT SL (daily), 01 ZR-7S (Daily Bike), 00 VFR800FI, 86 Nighthawk S, 90 Radian 600, 76 CB750K. I used to work at a bike shop, and now work at a car shop.

That VFR is about to get cut up to be made into a Reverse Trike. Pretty much like this one, just with a little difference on taste. If I can get close to 1.55G on the skidpad, then I think I did something right.

www.mride.se

You can track the build here, if you care enough:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Revers...22176574496627

 
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oh, my!