EvilMonk

I was wondering.... I know I could save myself a lot of trouble by buying someone's car off ebay that they already did all the work to. Going this route, I'm getting a car with mods that I'd like in my car without having to do it myself or pay to have it done... I'd have no idea how the car has been driven... What kind of condition its really in... Can anyone tell me what kind of reliability a car w/ a engine swap, lowered, CAI, etc. (your usual N/A mid-high end mods) will or should have and what affects their reliability the most? ....

The other alternative is buy a used civic in decent condition in a color that I like and fashion it with exterior styling, interior styling, wheels, and performance mods (including engine swap) for X,XXX ... possibly XX,XXX dollars after labor and have a car that only I would be revving up and burning rubber in. Again, I'm stuck w/ the reliability issue. I have a vague idea of what I want, but don't know a specific price range and I'd like someone to tell me the pros & cons ... namely reliability and possible "upkeep" costs of a modified vehicle.

ciRcuitJerk

if you get a good engine and get your swap done correctly...it should be just like getting a car from the dealer without warranty..a lot of people have no trouble with their swaps ...id say do a swap...you learn more about your car in the process also

EvilMonk

What would you experts recommend as the best choice for car & motor.... What is the cost + labor? In what order should I start modding my car? As I don't have the necessary funds available at this moment... I'd be saving up for each addition to my vehicle... or would you recommend not doing anything till I can get it all done at once?

Spoond TEG

If you buy the car on Ebay you could finance everything and enjoy your car if there are problems arises then have it repaired.

If someone went through the troble to mod a car that heavily then you should better bet that it was driven hard. Not to say that a B16 or B18 can't handle the average hard driver, but just KNOW that this car is mostlikely raced.

CONS: was the swap done correctly? Are there internal problems with the engine? Problems with the car? Tranny?

If you do all of this yourself:

Buy the engine have the option to rebuild the engine to make sure it is in top condition. You should at least replace the rings and check the mating surfaces.
You can customize the car just how you want it. yes it may take a bit longer to get all you need and get it just right but in the end it will be nicer for you.

Pho Real

Never buy someone elses project unless you know them very, very well and have helped work on it.

ciRcuitJerk

what kind of car do you want...what are your goals for your car...there are many options

FasteddieIX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Pho Real &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Never buy someone elses project unless you know them very, very well and have helped work on it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i'll second that. If you buy something with work already done on it, you may end up spending even more than doing the work yourself (if the original owner had no idea what he was doing); while it may necessitate more time and aggrivation on your part, I think you'd be best to do the work yourself: it's fun, and at least you know it's right.

that said, good luck.

Tadeh

Buying someone else's project is boring too if you ask me. Doing everything yourself make's you keep the car twice as long and putting your blood and sweat into the work will make you love your car even more.

ciVick_EX

So... It seems that you are new to the performance car world and you desire advice from the experts in the field. From my experience along with what I've learned from listening to other people discuss their theories, I've decided that the best way to begin is to:

1. Get a job that both you enjoy and pays fairly well.
2. Keep reading information from msg boards and other informative sites until you decide that building a project car IS what you want.
3. After a couple/few weeks of searching for the perfect car (a high mileage car with no rust and decent paint), buy it for as cheap as you possibly can. (you can get 92-95 civics for less than a grand if you search long enough.
4. Since all this time you have been working and searching, you should have several hundred dollars saved up, then you can think about the suspension you want to upgrade. Be prepared to spend at least 600 dollars for decent suspension. Keep in mind, I'm going to recommend you don't upgrade the stock engine at all...Go for the b18... If you want to turbo it later, get the LS motor, else get the GSR. Also, the LS motor/swap costs about 1500 less than the GSR which should help you out financially. Trust me, both give huge gains and you will love either choice...
5. All this time, you have hopefully been keeping the goal in mind... a low 14-high 13 second car that handles well and looks good... if you really build the GSR and got a cheap hatchback or if you turbo your LS swap, both goals will be a year or two off...
6. Total project cost including your car will probably be around 7000 dollas... This is a serious investment but the payoffs are huge... Good luck

EvilMonk

Ideally, I'd like an integra, but financially, I can't afford to do anything to it if I bought one. So, I'd probably go the civic route... My goals aren't for a race car, but I know someday after college I'd probably get into racing just because I know driving fast is so fun. So, get the cheap civic w/ good exterior. Get the LS or GSR engine... is the GSR more reliable than an LS w/ turbo?
I can't do engine swaps on my own... maybe my neighbors across the street could help me, but I've never exchanged a word with them...
$7,000 (someone said) and that includes labor??? I can afford that within a year as long as I get a damn job soon. I could keep my POS 90' Regal and work on my project car... I want a clean, reliable car that is fun to drive and a lil faster than everyone elses

Spoond TEG

Civic is a Great car. You pay less for Insurance and you can go just as fast.

I have one of each and although I drive my Teg more I couldn't give up my Civic