Turks11

Recently I got to thinking about my 2000 Integra LS. Shes a silver babe, 13 years old, almost 14. Her name is Athena. I've had her for about half a year and I love her. Shes reliable, good on gas (especially in this economy) and she looks darn good. Shes got some heavy scratches o the rear bumper on the drivers side. Shes missing the radio antenna (I hate the radio anyways, there's only trash on nowadays), the front windshield wiper arm on the drivers side is bent so it broke 2 new wipers I bought for it. The window on the drivers side goes up when it wants to. I mean shes got her things here and there but in performance, she takes off from 0-60 like nothing. What I want to do is know what I can do to upgrade her in performance? And then what can I do to upgrade her in looks? Shes automatic so a lot of my friends say I should just leave her as is since shes not a stick, but even though sticks are funner to drive, she simply isn't manual. Is there any website I can access to find fairly priced integra parts to upgrade, both in performance, maintenance and in looks like rims and stereos? Or a place near Sacramento that I can go to where I won't get ripped off for something?


Thanks

B_Swapped93

If you're not going to auto to manual it leave it be, but if you do decide to make it a manual go LSV(get a vtec head and throw it on).

cvcrcr99

fix the problems first, then swap to MT

safedriver

iTrader: (1)

In an automatic, you know that you won't be running down anything except an over loaded Church Van.

Don't blow more money on your car than you would spend to convert it to a manual.

Budget = $1,200 if you do your own upgrades.
Budget = $2,000 if you get a local kid that is into Hondas, to do the work.

Performance that you'll feel:
DC 4-2-1 header (AHC-6504 one piece)
Unothordox pulleys (w/belts)
4.7K ohm resistor (across intake air temp sensor plug, during hot Summer months)

Suspension that does improve your handling:
ITR rear sway bar
Eibach Pro Kit or H&R Sport Springs Kit

Brakes that you'll wish every car had:
ITR front and Prelude rear (you'll need ITR-length soft lines) OEM 15" rims will fit.
Axis/PBR ULT ITR pads

You can spend a lot more money, if you want Mugen, Ground Control, and Spoon, but you won't notice the difference on your automatic.

I once read an article about a big name transmission builder putting $10,000 into an Integra's automatic transmission and gaining 1/2 of a second, in the quarter mile.

B_Swapped93

Using a non dampened crank pulley will not end well....
for an ITR rear sway bar you'll NEED an ASR subframe brace.

arguably something SOOOOO many ppl over look is tires!! you can have tein FLEX's or koni/GC but if your tires are crap the car will handle like wise. auto to manual or just leave it alone.

safedriver

iTrader: (1)

I guess, if you always "manually" shifted the automatic transmission and really ran it into its high RPMs regularly, you might have an issue with the crank pulley. The automatic will shift into its hwy gear at 4200 RPM. Then it stays at 2900 RPM doing 70 mph.
I'll look at the suspension ends, to see if there is any tearing, as my daughter has been running with these parts for over 100,000 miles, on her 2000 LS.

Then again, I see that I could have saved $300 by not getting these items. That money could have gone towards better tires.

cvcrcr99

Yea, tricking your ECU into thinking cooler temps so more gas is put in is a great idea on an otherwise stock car. lol terrible idea

Blackhalo6

So, any modification you do regardless of trans type is going to yield some sort of result. A manual transmission definitely adds a huge boost to fun factor, but I've never thought an auto should be swapped for manual or just leave it alone. If I had a choice id pick manual but that's not always an option. Lightening the drivetrain ie clutch/flywheel and whatnot, doesn't increase actual power, but frees up what you do have. It takes no real tuning to adjust for because the engine ins and outs don't change. It really just does what it does with less resistance. Bolt ons such as intakes, exhausts etc take some adjustment to see full effect. Full internal mods such as. Cams pistons, block/head swaps, require more modification to supporting systems (fuel/timing) management. From a driving standpoint, tires are a HUGE improvement in handling. When I swapped from reg to low profile, I thought I had bought an Indy car, But bumps hurt more. Lowering the car added to it, but the price wasn't the same ratio to feel as the tires. A sway bar is another way to stiffen up the suspension, but a larger one in the rear isn't necessarily better, too stiff and the car will loose some of the cornering ability it had. The sway in the rear vs the front helps with the understeer felt by most fwd cars. Brakes are a really big deal, but I feel the teg brakes were amazing compared to any other car I've driven, which is a lot, comparable to higher end cars,sure there are upgrades available that put it close to supercar brakes, but the end decision is based on how you feel about what you have now. In the end, what you need is based on what you feel needs to be improved the most. We can all spout what we feel is the most important, but in the end the decision is yours. Also even in a highly modified car, I would never just throw a resistor in parallel with the iat to change fuel values. If you are going to do something do it right.

B_Swapped93

OP i'll sell you my time attack track car....

Blackhalo yes I know even moderate things can be felt but it comes down to is it really worth it. In the sense of when I had my car caged I knew it was never going to see the streets again but heck for what I use it for it's well worth it. OP COULD cage and strip his car and have that racecar feel but would get laughed at everywhere lol. +1 to tires night and day when using shitty 205 enduro's to 225 Toyo R888's and solid engine mounts !!!

Blackhalo6

All I'm saying is, whatever he thinks should be improved the most should be the first under the knife. My wife's Integra will not be changed to manual, for girl reasons, but it will not stop me from upgrades.