Murnerr

Alright, So I'll start off by explaining what i Have..... a COMPLETELY stock 02 civic DX sedan. I'm 18 years old with a job and looking to start upgrading my car. I figure that the first thing i should do is put a new engine in, kind of as initiation into the modding scene. I plan to do more afterwards, but i figure that if i am determined enough to buy and install a new engine into my car, then i should be able to keep moving with it.

So here's my dilemma, I've read xProductionz thread on D.I.Y. k20 engine swaps, but i'm still a little shaky. First off I would like to know which engine i should get: K20a, K20a3, or K20a4. I have looked all of them up on Ebay and they are in my price range, I was looking for the swap that would cost me the least amount of money.

Secondly, i was wondering if the fact that it is an Acura engine makes any kind of difference than if it was a Honda engine. I realize that the K-series engines typically come out of Acura RSX's but i wasn't sure if it would change anything. My assumption is that it doesn't matter as long as its a K- series engine that xProductionz has previously stated fits my car, but i dont want to drop that kind of money to be sorely mistaken.

Lastly, I have found an engine on Ebay that looks enticing, however i don't plan on buying it i am just using it as a model. The description reads as follows
This for $999, would it be a good deal?


Any thoughts about such a product would be greatly appreciated, so thanks

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

that engien is a waste of money. you want at least the k20 engine from the RSX-s

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

a k20 swap will cost you roughly about 5k. search on the forum to see what takes.

here's a word of advise, if u dont know anything about cars, then your in way over ur head for wanting an engine swap as your first mod.

very ambitious indeed.

MindBomber

A new engine shouldn't be the first thing, it should be the final thing.

You would be looking at a k20a/a2/z1/z3 or k24a2 or a lower end k24 with a k20 head, typically. The k20a3, which is what you posted, is a waste of time and money to swap in most peoples opinion.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

the kid has got ambition, i say he does it.

MindBomber

Ambition, yes, he has that. Power is the most expensive thing to improve with the least reward, unless you're primarily interested in drag racing however. Suspension -> Brakes -> Cosmetics -> Power is the best order IMO

Murnerr

Thanks everyone for the advice, and I'm aware that this project would be not only costly but difficult, however my grandfather used to be a "gear grinder" with the older cars and completely rebuilt a ford F1 flathead with the help of my father, who is another motorist connoisseur, so naturally i have any help

As for this, Does that mean that you wouldn't even think about dropping in an intake, exhaust, or ANY performance parts before i drop my car and throw on some strut bars and sway bars? Or are there any basic performance upgrades that you would recommend?

MindBomber

Look at it this way, you could easily spend
$550 on a catback,
$100 on a midpipe,
$100 on a header, and
$250 on an intake

That'll put you down $1000 and you'll achieve adding a couple horsepower and making your car loud.

Whereas if you start with suspension, then every second you're driving the car the difference in feeling is dramatically different from stock, because your contact with the road is so much higher. Every corner, every speed, every road, will have an improved feeling. In terms of bang for the buck, suspension is where it's at.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

yea, id start with suspension first.

torenxw

I'm thinking I should learn a little bit more about suspension. I know I have double wishbone front suspension, and I have a basic idea of how it works, but that's about it. Where should one start with a suspension upgrade? Or is it something you do all at once? What's the difference between coilovers, regular springs, or anything other option? Which option is the best for certain situations? How much does this kind of work cost? Sorry guys, I know I'm the type of forum user who asks questions and never answers them, but that's because you gotta start somewhere, and I'd like to be on the giving-end one of these days.

MindBomber

Where should one start with a suspension upgrade?

That's debatable, technically tires would be the most 'by the book' appropriate answer.

Or is it something you do all at once?

You can do it all at once, or gradually. Most would recommend gradually so you have an opportunity to feel the difference installing each part makes.

What's the difference between coilovers, regular springs, or anything other option?

The very 'by the book' answer would be that you have coilovers stock, because the spring sleeves over the damper. That answer should give you a bit of insight alone. One piece coilovers, two peice coilover sleeves, spring/damper pairings are all functionally identical and are only distinguished from one another by the features specific to differing performance levels. The benefit of a one piece coilover to the novice suspension tuner would be that the spring rate is paired to the damper valving by the manufacturer for optimum performance.

Which option is the best for certain situations?

Refer to above, but to simply and expand somewhat, the more aggressive your goals the more features you will want. If you just want to roll around town, a carefully chosen spring and damper combination is more than adequate. If you want to autox on weekends, having dampening adjustment would be beneficial depending on the racing class. If you want to build an unlimited class road racing car, a $12,000 set of Moton triple adjustable coilovers would serve your needs nicely.

How much does this kind of work cost?

You can get very serious about suspension and brakes for a whole lot less than anything engine related. There are so many different parts I could give you price ranges on though, I'll leave it at that for now.

Sorry guys, I know I'm the type of forum user who asks questions and never answers them, but that's because you gotta start somewhere, and I'd like to be on the giving-end one of these days.

No worries, we all start somewhere.

torenxw

Thank you, Mindbomber. Sorry for the slow response, I was on a road trip.

e-teckk

I wish i had this advice when I first started; I regret not starting with suspension........listen to Mindbomber!!

Murnerr

Thanks all for the advice, I'll make sure i continue my suspension questioning in the suspension forums.... feel free to keep adding advice