New guy wanting to get started

[Akroma1983]

Hey all, I'm new to this whole forum thing and have been recommended by a coworker to check it out. I'm wanting to improve my car a bit, nothing outrageous, just improve the engine a little, then work on the body. I own a 2003 Honda Civic LX, all stock. I'm not wanting to turn it into a racer, just give her a new heart and the body later. I'm up for advice and would love to go to meet ups to see other engines to help me along. I'm not wanting to go cheap on parts but at the same time not going to go buy the most expensive parts due to budget and obvious reasons. Please feel free to leave messages, thanks.

[Mr.Ricer]

ebay has good stuff for cheap.

[Akroma1983]

See I was told to stay away from ebay. I found a website Andy's Auto Sport, I see it constantly in Import Tuner magazine and other import magazines and I've browsed through there.

[Mr.Ricer]

my friend has a car thats pretty much ebay built and it runs fine. well are there parts cheap?

[luis8585]

welcome.......:you rock:

[civic nerd]

Ebay is good for little stuff that wont break or wear down such as a cold air intake, headlights, taillights etc. That stuff is just as good as the name brand stuff. Dont ever buy engine parts or turbos from ebay tho. They are always cheaply made and wont last. They are usually made out of Chinese steel, which sucks! Lol

[SoJDM]

Ebay is good for little stuff that wont break or wear down such as a cold air intake, headlights, taillights etc. That stuff is just as good as the name brand stuff. Dont ever buy engine parts or turbos from ebay tho. They are always cheaply made and wont last. They are usually made out of Chinese steel, which sucks! Lol

Exactly, theres certain stuff to buy from ebay, and certain things not to. Some advice, drop before you buy wheels. I cant stand it when people get aftermarket wheels on stock height. And the search button is your best friend on any forum :biggrin:

[failedabortion]

I wouldn't bother with adding anything to the d17, just maintenance and possibly a washable air filter.

If you want to drop it I would suggest coilovers or gc sleeves over lowering springs. The rear fender is lower than the front so you will have a bigger gap in the front if you use lowering springs.

[intenseDA9]

I wouldn't bother with adding anything to the d17, just maintenance and possibly a washable air filter.

If you want to drop it I would suggest coilovers or gc sleeves over lowering springs. The rear fender is lower than the front so you will have a bigger gap in the front if you use lowering springs.

Hmmm...i did not know that

[failedabortion]

Hmmm...i did not know that

2" in the front and 1" in the rear would probably loom normal but doubt anyone sells springs in a combo like that. I thought my springs were sagging already when I figured it out...

[Akroma1983]

Thanks all for the welcome, I'm really only wanting to put in a new air intake, new headers and cam shafts, maybe a battery relocation, new exhaust, and a few interior upgrades, spoiler body kit and paint job will all come later.

[MrRline2010]

Easy mods black out headlights, get an 04-05 bumper from certifit and 04 05 tails from there as well. That's a good start

[luis8585]

pic http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/ibeth_024/wackit.gif

[MrRline2010]

Ok now that i'm home I can really get to work on suggestions. Intake find used on craigslist. They pop up only so often, but better than wasting all your money on some brand new one. I picked one up from a member on here for 50 bucks. As far as header megan racing makes a good header. They have a downpipe for like 40 bucks cut it and throw a high flow from magnaflow on it. Then throw any catback you want on. I have a love obsession with the greddy tic I had it on my car and it was louder than hell. Shift boots can be had from daddy's on 7thgenhonda.com and there's lots more mods on there.

[SoJDM]

2" in the front and 1" in the rear would probably loom normal but doubt anyone sells springs in a combo like that. I thought my springs were sagging already when I figured it out...

I know people have issues with lowering springs on these cars, but my nuespeed race springs gave me a really balanced drop. I'm about a half finger gap in the front and one and a half finger gap in the rear.

[SoJDM]

, spoiler body kit and paint job will all come later.


:bolt:

[YuckerDisMe]

See I was told to stay away from ebay. I found a website Andy's Auto Sport, I see it constantly in Import Tuner magazine and other import magazines and I've browsed through there.

Stay away from that site.

I wouldnt recommend doing anything to the motor. Its all pretty much just a waste of money unless you get a turbo or do a swap. As far as the outside, you can get a lipkit, side markers, blackout headlights, grill, fog lights, or window visors if you like them.

[failedabortion]

I know people have issues with lowering springs on these cars, but my nuespeed race springs gave me a really balanced drop. I'm about a half finger gap in the front and one and a half finger gap in the rear.

Mines the opposite, one finger up front and no gap in the rear. Im on ksport springs, with r lca/uca's. Ill remeasure when I go back to stock fenders...but gc sleeves will probably be going on anyways.

Op if you're ever in phx ill trade you my injen cai for your stock one, if they are compatible between the a1 And a2 intake.

[MrRline2010]

Honestly I wouldn't bother with spring strut combo's most of them will end up being too bouncy imo. Also for the money you can't beat a good set of racelands. Good Warranty and overall not a bad product. You'll be happy for 300 bucks. A lot more so then you ever would be with a spring strut combo unless you went koni's

Also stay away from Andys Autosport. Not only is half the crap on there super marked up but it's all ricer kit crap. I remember I used to look at some of those kits back in the day but stay away.

[bryantiscool]

just get some cheap coilovers (bwr)
i have some on mine but took perches off to go lower and its whatever. i got what i paid for.
but they ride BEYOND better than any spring set up youre planning on buying.

engine mods, dont bother. keep it stock and drive it til it blows up.
do interior mods if you wish, new steering wheel to replace that school bus size wheel they come stock with. New shift knob/boot, front and rear seats, RSX cluster, ETC.

other than that, theres really nothing to do except make it a clean looking car.

[Akroma1983]

Is there any sites you guy could/would recommend? I'm not really wanting to lower my car nor really take it racing, just give it a few new parts then work on exhaust then body kit and spoiler then lastly give it a new paint job

[gunsup0331]

cant help ya there

[SoJDM]

dezod.com

hondaautomotiveparts.com for oem stuff.

Ebay is where you'll find your lips and some other random stuff.

[MrRline2010]

Don't waste your time. Body mods to a car that isn't dropped just don't look right. The best thing I ever did was drop my Em2 it made everything flow.

[failedabortion]

Lowering with a lip or the hfp kit will look better than any aftermarket body kit. And ditch the idea of a rear spoiler...looks ghey.

[MrRline2010]

Lower first here's before and after pics of my car. first two should be the monster truck height looks horrible, next ones are lowered
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/dj_cronic_metal/civicrims1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/dj_cronic_metal/ExteriorSideSkirts002.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/dj_cronic_metal/100_0940.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/dj_cronic_metal/em2fixed2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/dj_cronic_metal/100_0997.jpg

[Akroma1983]

I just checked out Hondaautomotiveparts.com and its asking for system/component. I'm not entirely sure what it means by that could someone help me on that one

[SoJDM]

Its just a list to help narrow down what oem part your looking for. Click one and look at the daigrams.

[Akroma1983]

Does anyone know of any meet ups here in the near future? I'd like to meet up with some people get some pointers/ideas and just go cruising sometime. If anyone knows or is interested let me know tango

[Bill Cosby]

Does anyone know of any meet ups here in the near future? I'd like to meet up with some people get some pointers/ideas and just go cruising sometime. If anyone knows or is interested let me know tango

The in n out on Broadway and kolb Saturday nights 9 o'clock or so if you want we can meet at sir veza's before we go. That's where the ef cruise is ending

[Akroma1983]

Thanks Joe, I'll be there, my schedule has me work every other Sat and Sun but on my weekends off I'll start showing up

[Akroma1983]

Ok so I haven't posted on here in a good while, but anyways I have a problem. My parking lights and dash and gauge lights flicker on and off when I turn the vehicle on. When I took it to the shop to do a check up the mechanic said he didn't see anything. I'm hoping that this isn't a normal thing with my car and I've just been overlooking it this whole time and make an idiot out of myself on my post. Please help

[BB6 SwAg]

Ground issue?

[MUG]

As stated do lip kit,drop it and other cosmetic upgrades but don't bother upgrading the engine unless its an intake. Even turbo'd these d17s don't even put down 200 whp on normal boost pressures all for $6,000 and the internals will erupt like a volcano. The problem with these motors is they are weak not cross platform compatible and have a super long stroke so if you were to rev them out your fps of the piston would exceed a s2000's piston speed lol. If you want fast pull that puppy out like I plan to do and throw any K in that fits your budget,luckily these cars are basically RSX's ugly cousins so the k swap is very easy compared to other models.

[MUG]

Ok so I haven't posted on here in a good while, but anyways I have a problem. My parking lights and dash and gauge lights flicker on and off when I turn the vehicle on. When I took it to the shop to do a check up the mechanic said he didn't see anything. I'm hoping that this isn't a normal thing with my car and I've just been overlooking it this whole time and make an idiot out of myself on my post. Please help
By mechanic do you mean the Honda dealership? If not I'd take it to one,could be a ground a short an alternator taking a shit. Mines never done anything like that but there was another guy on here with an EM2 with weird issues like that his cluster died and car went into limp mode.