96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope?
08-05-2005, 07:50 PM
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96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope?
I purchased a pristine 96 Accord LX with 55k miles from an older lady (60s) about three months ago because I needed to find a decent daily driver quickly. She was the original owner and it was garage kept and babied BIG TIME. I figured it would be a good investment at the very least and would make for a good commuter.
I've been driving this car to and from work (22 miles each way) for the past three months now and I have to say that I'm fairly dissapointed with the performance and handling of this car. I've had several Civics in the past and currently own a 2002 CRV. The Civics have always seemed fairly "zippy" feeling to me and I guess with it being a smaller car they seem to handle pretty well too. I'll also mention that I used to show and race Buick Grand Nationals so I'm just a tad bit spoiled when it comes to horsepower, he he. Something about owning a 300hp 12 second car seems to ruin you for life.
Anyway, I've always thought that it was a waste of time/money to throw parts at a natuarally aspirated 4 cylinder...especially all of the gimmicky junk that seems to attract folks who like sparkly things these days. Now that I am in this situation with the Accord, I've considered doing the following to the car to help it a bit:
- Sway Bars
- Cold Air Intake
- Cat Back Exhaust
I guess I'm wondering if this will really show much of a noticable improvement. From what I've read, the sway bars will help a lot, but the other two seem like pipe dreams, he he...sorry. I always take those notes about "HP gains" with a grain of salt...marketing sure is nifty these days.
Is it possible to make this Accord feel any quicker without dropping in an H22 or adding a turbo or supercharger? I'd just as soon sell this Accord and buy a 98 Buick Regal GS or a Pontiac GTP with 245hp out of the box before I go to all of the trouble/money with an Accord. Unfortunately I was in a time crunch and needed a decent car quick. Don't get me wrong...I love Hondas and think the Accord is comfortable and looks nice, it's just that, well ZZZZZZZZ.
Would love to hear a few opinions from some knowlegable folks out there about these cars. Hopefully some of you have had some first-hand experience with this stuff...what to do, what not to do, etc.
Thanks in advance for your comments!
Steve in Texas
I've been driving this car to and from work (22 miles each way) for the past three months now and I have to say that I'm fairly dissapointed with the performance and handling of this car. I've had several Civics in the past and currently own a 2002 CRV. The Civics have always seemed fairly "zippy" feeling to me and I guess with it being a smaller car they seem to handle pretty well too. I'll also mention that I used to show and race Buick Grand Nationals so I'm just a tad bit spoiled when it comes to horsepower, he he. Something about owning a 300hp 12 second car seems to ruin you for life.
Anyway, I've always thought that it was a waste of time/money to throw parts at a natuarally aspirated 4 cylinder...especially all of the gimmicky junk that seems to attract folks who like sparkly things these days. Now that I am in this situation with the Accord, I've considered doing the following to the car to help it a bit:
- Sway Bars
- Cold Air Intake
- Cat Back Exhaust
I guess I'm wondering if this will really show much of a noticable improvement. From what I've read, the sway bars will help a lot, but the other two seem like pipe dreams, he he...sorry. I always take those notes about "HP gains" with a grain of salt...marketing sure is nifty these days.
Is it possible to make this Accord feel any quicker without dropping in an H22 or adding a turbo or supercharger? I'd just as soon sell this Accord and buy a 98 Buick Regal GS or a Pontiac GTP with 245hp out of the box before I go to all of the trouble/money with an Accord. Unfortunately I was in a time crunch and needed a decent car quick. Don't get me wrong...I love Hondas and think the Accord is comfortable and looks nice, it's just that, well ZZZZZZZZ.
Would love to hear a few opinions from some knowlegable folks out there about these cars. Hopefully some of you have had some first-hand experience with this stuff...what to do, what not to do, etc.
Thanks in advance for your comments!
Steve in Texas
08-05-2005, 07:53 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
slushbox or 5 speed....if the former, it IS slugish. without spending alot of money, you can't make it that much more powerful....civics are zippy because they are light and have a better suspension setup in the rear...but accords have plenty of potential
best way to make power is to turbo the f22b2, or to swap in an H22a
best way to make power is to turbo the f22b2, or to swap in an H22a
08-05-2005, 07:55 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
Looks like a nice car Steve, why would you want to muck it up with the junk you mentioned?
I can't say my '99 is fast, but it can cruise all day long on the highway at 80mph.
From what I hear, if you feel the need for speed, you may as well start saving for an H22.
Have fun
I can't say my '99 is fast, but it can cruise all day long on the highway at 80mph.
From what I hear, if you feel the need for speed, you may as well start saving for an H22.
Have fun
08-05-2005, 08:00 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (George Knighton)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by George Knighton »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
</TD></TR></TABLE>
george ****** that picture around here like a skank at a republican national convention
getting parts yourself, low boost, and using shady fuel management, <$1k....kits are around $3k.....you probably want a combination of the two....then you gotta have someone who can help you install it/tune it
</TD></TR></TABLE>george ****** that picture around here like a skank at a republican national convention
getting parts yourself, low boost, and using shady fuel management, <$1k....kits are around $3k.....you probably want a combination of the two....then you gotta have someone who can help you install it/tune it
08-05-2005, 08:12 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (Buck Turgidson)
This Accord has the automatic tranny.
What would a good quality turbo set-up cost for this engine? Also, would the stock engine/tranny be very reliable under boost? Curious what kind of hp gains could be expected.
Unfortunately I have been cursed with the need for speed...thanks Dad (old hot rodder). I've had roughly 28 cars in my day ranging from a 91 Si Hatchback to a 87 Buick Grand Nationals to a 93 Z28. I can't quite explain this inability to just leave a car alone and drive it...drives my wife crazy
One thing I cannot stand is trying to make a slow car "look" fast with all the aftermarket junk. I subscribe to the philosophy of, "Walk softly, carry a big stick." Sleepers have always appealed to me.
I guess what I'm wanting to do is make "enhancements".
Thanks for the input guys!
P.S. LOVE the photo of the autocross Accord!!!!
Steve in Texas
What would a good quality turbo set-up cost for this engine? Also, would the stock engine/tranny be very reliable under boost? Curious what kind of hp gains could be expected.
Unfortunately I have been cursed with the need for speed...thanks Dad (old hot rodder). I've had roughly 28 cars in my day ranging from a 91 Si Hatchback to a 87 Buick Grand Nationals to a 93 Z28. I can't quite explain this inability to just leave a car alone and drive it...drives my wife crazy
One thing I cannot stand is trying to make a slow car "look" fast with all the aftermarket junk. I subscribe to the philosophy of, "Walk softly, carry a big stick." Sleepers have always appealed to me.
I guess what I'm wanting to do is make "enhancements".
Thanks for the input guys!
P.S. LOVE the photo of the autocross Accord!!!!
Steve in Texas
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08-05-2005, 08:13 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (fw190bvi)
yea, it must be George's favorite picture. Wouldn't be suprised if he uses it for his wallpaper.
anyways...shoulda gone with the EX instead, j/k.
Turbo or swap. If you want to feel 'zippy', plug in a fan inside you're car, or turn your fan on hi, and you'll feel like you're flying through the wind!
anyways...shoulda gone with the EX instead, j/k.
Turbo or swap. If you want to feel 'zippy', plug in a fan inside you're car, or turn your fan on hi, and you'll feel like you're flying through the wind!
08-05-2005, 08:14 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
I would say nothing light will do the trick. If its an automatic, theres little hope because so much power is lost in those. Get a good price for the accord and pick up one with a manual and turbo it, otherwise you will be hitting 60 in 10 secs (depending on the weather)
08-05-2005, 08:31 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (eavtimmy)
converting it to manual is the most drastic thing you can do it will feel like light and day... either that or just put a whole h22 while you have the engine out... an auto f22b2 is.. teh gay... i dont think theres anything you can do.. and if you do plan on boosting your prolly gunna have to end up replacing your tranny a lot..
oh yea also look into: massive wieght reduction... and a better suspension for nice more responsful handling
oh yea also look into: massive wieght reduction... and a better suspension for nice more responsful handling
08-05-2005, 08:50 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (Dj14aZnS)
I guess the verdict is H22 swap or H22 swap, ha ha!
I may eventually just try to sell her if the ride becomes too mundane.
Not that your interested, but here are a few that "got away"...
Okay, after looking at these again...I'm rethinking this Accord thing, ha ha.
Steve in Texas
I may eventually just try to sell her if the ride becomes too mundane.
Not that your interested, but here are a few that "got away"...
Okay, after looking at these again...I'm rethinking this Accord thing, ha ha.
Steve in Texas
08-05-2005, 09:25 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
yea man.. the accord is so nice.. comfterble... and bearly broken in..... now its waiting for you to turn it into a beast!... just think after putting the H in.. you'll have a nice quick sleeper. and it will really become YOUR CAR.. i dont think theres anything better... than tuning a 4 cylinder (accord at that)... and ppl's face when your car outperforms what they ever thought possible of it...
08-05-2005, 09:35 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (Dj14aZnS)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dj14aZnS »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yea man.. the accord is so nice.. comfterble... and bearly broken in..... now its waiting for you to turn it into a beast!... just think after putting the H in.. you'll have a nice quick sleeper. and it will really become YOUR CAR.. i dont think theres anything better... than tuning a 4 cylinder (accord at that)... and ppl's face when your car outperforms what they ever thought possible of it...</TD></TR></TABLE>
Just out of curriosity....what would an average H22 swap and install run me?
Steve in Texas
Just out of curriosity....what would an average H22 swap and install run me?
Steve in Texas
08-05-2005, 09:37 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
08-05-2005, 11:50 PM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (Buck Turgidson)
im in da same situation u r...i got a 95 lx with a auto also...i dont know bout u, but im not real into drag racing..its fun, but nothing im seriously trying to be competitive in, i get my fun from the corners...so im pretty much just goin to work on suspension to make it feel 'fast' in the corners =/...but yea, for serious power H22 or turbo F22(go turbo!)...and btw, dunt wunna jack the thread but i think the poster will wunna know too...how much is it to convert to manual and how labor intensive is it to do it urself? im not really confortable with fabrication work so let me know what kind of stuff needs to be fabed
08-06-2005, 03:59 AM
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Re: 96 Accord LX - SLOOOOOW - Is there any hope? (lonestar)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lonestar »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
P.S. LOVE the photo of the autocross Accord!!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>
It's not really an autocross Accord. It's my old daily driver/commuter, with about 250,000 miles on it now. The motor's never been worked on.
The car was commandeered by two of your moderators, Honda318dx and Urbanlegend21, and is raced in Honda Challenge when they don't have anything better to do. It won its races at Sheannandoah Circuit a couple of months ago, but doesn't do quite as well where horsepower matters more.
I do like the Accord pictures (more in My Gallery under my name to the left) because it's an absolute blast to drive and doesn't cost anything at all.
P.S. LOVE the photo of the autocross Accord!!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>
It's not really an autocross Accord. It's my old daily driver/commuter, with about 250,000 miles on it now. The motor's never been worked on.
The car was commandeered by two of your moderators, Honda318dx and Urbanlegend21, and is raced in Honda Challenge when they don't have anything better to do. It won its races at Sheannandoah Circuit a couple of months ago, but doesn't do quite as well where horsepower matters more.
I do like the Accord pictures (more in My Gallery under my name to the left) because it's an absolute blast to drive and doesn't cost anything at all.
08-06-2005, 06:08 AM
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gee everyone wants the accord to be a racer but it is a family car. It excels at what it is supposed to do.....being a family car....for some serious cash you can make it a racer but that is not something that would intrest me personally.
08-06-2005, 07:06 AM
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yeu is right. it seems silly to buy this perfect, pristine, umodifided reliable car and then turn it into something totally different. your accord is an excellent reliable commuter. i say lower it 1 inch, throw a k&n filter in the stock airbox, and just drive it as your commuter. use it for what you buoght it for. otherwise, sell it to some other old lady who will wand it the way it is and buy something you like better. i just sold my 94 accord and bought the gsr instead because throwing $4000 into my $3000 accord doesn't make sense to me.
08-06-2005, 07:10 AM
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Re: (YeuEmMaiMai)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by YeuEmMaiMai »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...for some serious cash you can make it a racer ....</TD></TR></TABLE>
The car in the picture has a total of maybe $5,000 invested which sum includes the $1801 purchase price of the car.
The car in the picture has a total of maybe $5,000 invested which sum includes the $1801 purchase price of the car.
08-06-2005, 07:23 AM
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Re: (George Knighton)
I got about $7K saved up and I can tell you this.... buy another accord or spend it on this one....I am gonna buy another honda accord as I do not want to spend the cash on this car.....
08-06-2005, 08:42 AM
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Re: (YeuEmMaiMai)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by YeuEmMaiMai »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">gee everyone wants the accord to be a racer but it is a family car. It excels at what it is supposed to do.....being a family car....for some serious cash you can make it a racer but that is not something that would intrest me personally.</TD></TR></TABLE>
haha you say that everyone wants to make it a RACER... but since when has ANY honda except the s2000 and and NSX be badged as a racer... we do things because its called a HOBBY.. a DREAM .. thats what leads us to make our cars out perform what the norm would be... i can see your point as IT'S a FAMILY CAR... but if it has a potetial... and your ideas to go with it... thats all that matters...
personally i dont think of a car a RACER... unless you buld it up to be... civic, integras, preludes... ACCORDS... there all cmomuter cars to me... you getting your GSR is like one of us putting an H in ours.. theres no differnce...
but after all this i still can see your point.. for the people with an auto 4 door accord it does seems funny... but those are the cars that if enough work is put into them can turn night into day for its owner...
haha you say that everyone wants to make it a RACER... but since when has ANY honda except the s2000 and and NSX be badged as a racer... we do things because its called a HOBBY.. a DREAM .. thats what leads us to make our cars out perform what the norm would be... i can see your point as IT'S a FAMILY CAR... but if it has a potetial... and your ideas to go with it... thats all that matters...
personally i dont think of a car a RACER... unless you buld it up to be... civic, integras, preludes... ACCORDS... there all cmomuter cars to me... you getting your GSR is like one of us putting an H in ours.. theres no differnce...
but after all this i still can see your point.. for the people with an auto 4 door accord it does seems funny... but those are the cars that if enough work is put into them can turn night into day for its owner...
08-06-2005, 09:14 AM
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Re: (phateless)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phateless »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeu is right. it seems silly to buy this perfect, pristine, umodifided reliable car and then turn it into something totally different. your accord is an excellent reliable commuter. i say lower it 1 inch, throw a k&n filter in the stock airbox, and just drive it as your commuter. use it for what you buoght it for. otherwise, sell it to some other old lady who will wand it the way it is and buy something you like better. i just sold my 94 accord and bought the gsr instead because throwing $4000 into my $3000 accord doesn't make sense to me.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I guess I should have been a bit more clear in my original post. I like the car, it's just that it sways too much in the turns and it's pretty guttless when it comes to acceleration. I'm by no means interested in "turning it into something totally different." I was just wondering how much of an improvement could be noticed by adding sway bars, CAI, and a cat-back exhaust.
If the car stays with me, it will remain pristine and definitly won't look riced.
It's my daily driver so I was hoping to invest in some low-cost, easy to make enhancements. I agree...family car it is, just hoping there was a way to spice it up a bit without spending a fortune.
Thanks again for all of the input.
Steve in Texas
I guess I should have been a bit more clear in my original post. I like the car, it's just that it sways too much in the turns and it's pretty guttless when it comes to acceleration. I'm by no means interested in "turning it into something totally different." I was just wondering how much of an improvement could be noticed by adding sway bars, CAI, and a cat-back exhaust.
If the car stays with me, it will remain pristine and definitly won't look riced.
It's my daily driver so I was hoping to invest in some low-cost, easy to make enhancements. I agree...family car it is, just hoping there was a way to spice it up a bit without spending a fortune.
Thanks again for all of the input.
Steve in Texas
08-06-2005, 10:38 AM
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Re: (YeuEmMaiMai)
he came to ask how he can spruce things up... not souly complain how slow it was.. and we gave him input on how his 4door auto didnt have much hope with simple bolt on's..
08-06-2005, 04:04 PM
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dont forget tires, they are a big factor in turning also. A rear strut bar actually helped my accord feel more intact and stable in high(ish) speed turning.
oh and what I tell everyone else, juice it, bang for the buck right there.
oh and what I tell everyone else, juice it, bang for the buck right there.