So, my brother recently passed away and he left me his car that he was working on. As stated, it's a '00 Civic EX. He's done a few things to it, full exhaust system, custom fabricated intake, MSD ignition system. He's also done custom build work for the sound system (sub boxes, dash and visor screens, etc.)

My question is, where should I start? As far as performance goes, I know I could always just do like a K or B series swap, but I would really like to try and get as much power as I can out of this engine (D16Y8) first. I guess the main thing would be turbocharger? This is going to be an on going project, so I'm not looking for instant results, more so just everything coming together in the end. As this is a project car and I have a separate daily driver, I'm not really looking for the cheapest solution. I want to do something that would make my brother proud.

This car means a lot to me, and I would really appreciate any suggestions, both on the performance side of things and any other aspect of the car. Just treat it like it was your project. Thanks a lot guys.

P.S. http://www.carsponsors.com/56094
He started this page a couple years ago, but I don't think he ever updated it. The car's a little different than pictured, but I thought maybe this would give you guys a better visualization.

 

I am sorry to hear that your brother has passed, my condolences.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BigVi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I guess the main thing would be turbocharger? .... Just treat it like it was your project.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If I were in your shoes I would turbo it. I love B-series engines, but if you turbo your D you can make more power than any stock B.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BigVi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> [url=http://www.carsponsors.com/56094]</TD></TR></TABLE>

What is that at the end of the intake pipe?

 

Sorry to hear about your brother as well. And like mcvtec said. Turbo the d.

as for that thing in the intake, its an intake blower, supposely it gives like 3 psi of boost and some sound if i remember correctly from seing one of those on ebay. not sure....that thing needs to be powered on, and i believe u can turn it on and off whenever u want if u wire a switch.

 

sorry to hear about yur brother, boost is the way to go

 

My condolences..

Boost it...

 

RIP.

The thing on the end of the intake is doing you no good, get rid of it. If you're looking for any sort of negligible power from the D, you're going to need to boost it and support the boost with reliable parts. If you're lucky, you can get up to a reliable 250 whp. Anything higher than that and you're going to have to get a great tune to keep it in perfect shape.

And it's going to cost a good bit.

 

Yeah, SinsEvil you're right, there's a switch right by the parking brake to turn the blower on and off. So is the difference it makes really not even noticable?

I'm kind of surprised to hear such a resounding response in favor of keeping the D series engine. I have no problem with that at all, as it would cost me less money and it's the engine my brother spent so much time on, but I'm curious: why not do a swap, specifically for like a K24/20? Would it just not be worth it? Or is there something about those engines (aside from being insanely expensive) I don't know about that would negate the benefit of having one?

Thanks so much for your condolences and suggestions guys. I really appreciate both. Please, keep 'em comin'! I want to keep an open mind for this project, because it's going to be a big one.

 

theres nothing with doing a swap, a k24/k20 swap is sweet and yea it's quite expensive, but you mentioned what you can do to your D16 to make some power and turbo is the way to go for that..But it all depends on what you the outcome to be and how much money/skills/time you have for the project..heres the link to one of the stickies in this 1992 to 2000 civic section you can find some more info on swaps and what not..personally, i would do a swap, u don't need a k24, u can do a b20/vtec, i think for a heavier body like your coupe the b20 would be good, if u want a k24, you looking at like 4-7 thousand total but you end up with awesome results..theres k24 longblocks going for 1000 shipped, all legit and all so its all up to you..
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1998336

 

Yeah, I certainly understand your point. Basically it comes down to, the more power I want, the more money and time I'm going to be spending to get it.

Really, money and time aren't that big of a deal. I mean, I'm not rich by any means, and I don't really have that much free time, but I'm planning on making this a project to last probably at least 2 years. I was also figuring on spending between 8-10 grand when it's all said and done. That's for engine, sound, body, everything. Does that seem reasonable, or am I just completely delusional with my prices?

 

Well man, I totally see where you're going with this.

And I have THE PERFECT solution.

LS1 swap.

 

I'm not sure if you're joking or not.

 

bump

 

Sorry to hear about your brother, that's not an easy thing to handle. But he'd be proud you've decided to finish his car as a tribute to him - I know I would

As for the D, if you want to make decent power with it the best way to go is definitely turbo. You should be able to make at least 200 hp reliably without having to rebuild the bottom end assuming the engine is in good shape.

What noone addressed and what is more along my interests is the stereo and appearance of the car. 1) Do you like the body kit that's on there? 2) It needs a drop - BAD 3) I'd look into different rims, but that might just be me. Overall, what you do to the exterior of the car depends on what you envision the car being used for and your personality. Are you looking for something clean and simple looking, with good power - an overall balanced car? Are you looking for something to stand out in, that will catch people's attention? Do you want to take the car to the track? to car shows? These things will all dictate what direction you go in every aspect of the build and is the most important thing to decide on...Whatever you do, GL and keep us posted

 

I do like the body kit, but I'm keeping an open mind for new ideas. As far as the ride height, it has fully adjustable springs, and it's been dropped since those pictures. It's sitting about an inch and half off the ground right now.

I like the rims, they're simple and clean, and I like the black paint. I think my ultimate goal is something that is very low profile. I want a car that looks basically stock and simple, but when I open her up on the road or the track, I want people to say "Holy [freak]!"