sirhonorable

hey guys, first thing ill say is i know absolutely nothing about cars.

my jeep wrangler recently died. dead. gone. forever. so while looking for a new car i found my elderly neighbor was selling her 97 civic dx (in literally perfect condition, body and engine) with 73k miles for 4 grand. i checked the kbb/nada guides, took it for a test drive, and decided to buy it.

im not a big honda fan because of all the ricers that do thousands of dollars of work in body mods / cosmetic mods and not a dime into their engine and then zip around town thinking they own a high end sports car. i dont want to do a single cosmetic mod to it, i just wanna speed it up a bit. its pretty peppy for a 1.6l 4 banger, but it still leaves room for improvement. im used to tearing *** around town in my jeep, which was much faster.

so in short what can i do to cost effectively increase my acceleration? what would be the first thing youd do to speed it up? i dont care about top speeds. i have a dad who is a muscle car god (this summer hes putting a 500hp crate engine in a charger and throwing a blower on it, he knows his stuff) but these new tiny compact jap engines are beyond him. i also have a friend who will be doing all the labor. im basically just gonna watch and pay for the stuff.

i just wanted to get ur guys take on what i can do before i start shelling out $ for stuff i dont need. thanks!

project98civic

Welcome

I/H/E should be your first mods.

Intake
Header
Exhaust

Then a mini-me would be suitable if you dont want to fork over tons of cash to do a swap.

I can go on but i'll leave it to some other peeps.


Modified by project98civic at 5:11 PM 2/18/2005

dantastic

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by project98civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Welcome

I/H/E should be your fist mods.

Intake
Header
Exhaust

Then a mini-me would be suitable if you dont want to fork over tons of cash to do a swap.

I can go on but i'll leave it to some other peeps.</TD></TR></TABLE>

IHE isn't really cost effective. they'll add 5whp max and knock off a 10th on the 1320. some really cost effective mods: EX tranny, vtec head, boost, nitrous

EJ1 wilcox

For someone like you...

Depending on your funds, either Greddy or Edelbrock turbo kit...

It's really the only way you are going to get noticeable extra power from that engine...

If I were you, I would buy the basic Greddy kit, put it on the car, and drive around happy

You can find them for around 1300 or so, maybe cheaper...

That's just what I think...

flood

Either go turbo (extensive mods required)

Or just buy another car for your speed needs. Civics were designed to be economy cars, not sports cars - SI excluded. 1.6 liters isn't much. Some slurpee's have more displacement.

variable

iTrader: (1)

You will probably want to look into a larger displacement dohc swap, it will cost a lot of money to make that engine much quicker

sockvtec

welcome to HT

and i/h/e is always a good way to begin, then maybe going turbo is always a good idea

EK k kay

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by variable &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You will probably want to look into a larger displacement dohc swap, it will cost a lot of money to make that engine much quicker</TD></TR></TABLE>

It'll cost less than a b-series swap to boost his stock motor quicker than any b-series.

Tiferet

How about you start off slow, get a EX tranny, and while your at it throw ina lighter flowheel and after market clutch.

Setsuna F Seiei

turbo

sohcvtec1995

is the car auto or stick? Also i would go homemade turbo, depending on how mechnicaly inclined you are.

ftwlucky13

You don't need a "mini-me" because the head that is used for the swap is the one you already have. So ignore that please.

Intake, header, and exhaust is defintly the first thing you want to look into doing to improve the air flow to and from your engine.

So the person who said that I/H/E is a waste of money, doesn't really know what he's talking about. Please don't even think of boosting your engine without having a free flowing exhaust and a more efficient way of getting air into the engine.

So bottom line, start with getting rid of the restrictive intake with either a better filter or just completely get rid of the whole box and everything and get a short ram or cold-air aftermarket intake.
After that I would start looking into free flowing cat-back exhausts. You want something with manderal bends and a straight through muffler. Of course this is going to be quite a bit louder than stock, but you can do some research and find a cat-back setup that is relatively quiet while at the same time free flowing.

Good luck. This is a good starting point.

perlmeister8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You don't need a "mini-me" because the head that is used for the swap is the one you already have. So ignore that please.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmm he as a 97 dx=d16y7 non vtec, mini-me is y8 (ex=vtec) head on a y7 block. You have no idea what you are talking about... Also the edelbrock kit comes with an intake so it breathes just fine. The extra hp he got from the kit would be to his liking. Then if he wanted more power he could get an exhaust. I/H/E is not worth 3hp.

project98civic

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perlmeistere81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hmm he as a 97 dx=d16y7, mini-me is y8 (ex) head on a y7 block. You have no idea what you are talking about... </TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said ^. Damn you beat me to it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perlmeistere81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also the edelbrock kit comes with an intake so it breathes just fine. The extra hp he got from the kit would be to his liking. Then if he wanted more power he could get an exhaust. I/H/E is not worth 3hp. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Now you're assuming he's goin for that setup.

perlmeister8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by project98civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What he said ^. Damn you beat me to it.

Now you're assuming he's goin for that setup. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Why not? Good reliable power

ftwlucky13

OK, since when does a '97 Civic not come with a D16Z6?
By the way, he would be getting a lot more than 3hp from a turbo by freeing up the exhaust

blackcivic44

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You don't need a "mini-me" because the head that is used for the swap is the one you already have. So ignore that please. </TD></TR></TABLE>
already been addressed, he doesn't have the z6 head

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Intake, header, and exhaust is defintly the first thing you want to look into doing to improve the air flow to and from your engine.

So the person who said that I/H/E is a waste of money, doesn't really know what he's talking about. Please don't even think of boosting your engine without having a free flowing exhaust and a more efficient way of getting air into the engine. </TD></TR></TABLE>

a turbo kit will eliminate the header and the CAI, so it would be a complete waste of money, a 2.5" exhaust would be a good idea if he plans to turbo eventually

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK, since when does a '97 Civic not come with a D16Z6?
By the way, he would be getting a lot more than 3hp from a turbo by freeing up the exhaust </TD></TR></TABLE>

never has a z6, it has a y8 if its a 97 ex, the EG si and ex had the z6

The only way your dx will be fast is forced induction (turbocharger,supercharger, nitrous). I vote boost check out http://www.turbod16.com

R-Lug

OK why is everyone telling this guy to go turbo with a DX??? I don't understand the logic to that. The DX rods cannot support the load of a turbo that EX rods can handle. I used to have a EX turbo and it ran fine and low 14's all day with good low end torque. BUt if you have a DX to start off with, then i would highly recommend a B-Series motor. That should be your baseline to start things off with. With a GSR motor, you can definately run low 14's no problem and that's is just scratching the surface.

With a DX turbo.. you are already exhausting your limits to that motor. What else can you do to it without building the block?, which cost the same as a new motor anyways.

You gotta look at the big picture. Even though the motor has 73k on it....it's not worth spending close to 3g's just to turbo charge it. Thats just my opinion and that's exactly what i would not do IF i had a DX. I would take motor out and have piece of mind knowing that if anything were to happen that i would have a nice reliable D-series motor waiting.

Think about it and do what fits your priorities. Good luck with whatever path you choose.

blackcivic44

its the age old question of D + engine build + turbo OR swap + turbo

his decision, he just needs to read around a bit more, but building a motor is cheaper than a b-swap any day... $1.5k(expensive d-build w/ labor) vs. $2.5k (b-series swap w/ no labor cost)

perlmeister8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EK9D6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK why is everyone telling this guy to go turbo with a DX??? I don't understand the logic to that. The DX rods cannot support the load of a turbo that EX rods can handle. I used to have a EX turbo and it ran fine and low 14's all day with good low end torque. BUt if you have a DX to start off with, then i would highly recommend a B-Series motor. That should be your baseline to start things off with. With a GSR motor, you can definately run low 14's no problem and that's is just scratching the surface.

With a DX turbo.. you are already exhausting your limits to that motor. What else can you do to it without building the block?, which cost the same as a new motor anyways.

You gotta look at the big picture. Even though the motor has 73k on it....it's not worth spending close to 3g's just to turbo charge it. Thats just my opinion and that's exactly what i would not do IF i had a DX. I would take motor out and have piece of mind knowing that if anything were to happen that i would have a nice reliable D-series motor waiting.

Think about it and do what fits your priorities. Good luck with whatever path you choose.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Jesus, DX rods=EX rods. Both can handle approx 10-12 psi and approx 200-220 with a good tune (hondata, uberdata, neptune, crome).

You=

perlmeister8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK, since when does a '97 Civic not come with a D16Z6?
By the way, he would be getting a lot more than 3hp from a turbo by freeing up the exhaust </TD></TR></TABLE>

d16Z6 comes in 92-95 ex/si. 97 DX comes with d16y7.

ftwlucky13

Wow, I was always under the impression that all Civics were vtec after '95.
Opps, sorry about that
Oh well, what does a 5th gen owner know anyways
Well if this guy is even reading this (which he probably isn't) go with what the last guy said.
It's not going to be all that fun to dish out the money for a turbo and find out that if you boost it more than like 3psi your going to blow the motor up

perlmeister8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ftwlucky13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow, I was always under the impression that all Civics were vtec after '95.
Opps, sorry about that
Oh well, what does a 5th gen owner know anyways
Well if this guy is even reading this (which he probably isn't) go with what the last guy said.
It's not going to be all that fun to dish out the money for a turbo and find out that if you boost it more than like 3psi your going to blow the motor up </TD></TR></TABLE>

Seriously you have no good info to contribute to this thread. Check my sig, I have been boosting 10 psi on my daily driver for over a year with no problems. Idles like stock and gets 37 mpg. Please stay out of conversations that you know nothing about

blackcivic44

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perlmeistere81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Seriously you have no good info to contribute to this thread. Check my sig, I have been boosted 10 psi on a daily driver for over a year with no problems. Idles like stock and gets 37 mpg. Please stay out of conversations that you know nothing about</TD></TR></TABLE>

My thoughts exactly.

sirhonorable

the car is an auto