i currently have a 98 dx coupe which needs a new paint job due to sun fade. So, what should my first mod be should i start collecting parts for a sohc vtec set up or b series? OR should i work on suspension mods if so which? and if i get a lip should i get it before i get my car painted so the lip gets painted too or is it a honda thing to leave the lip black??

 

B-Series have a lot more potential.

My first mods were suspension and brakes. I thought it was a logical sequence that these should go first if your build is to be done in stages. It's dangerous to add a heavier motor with a lot more hp to your car and not modify the brakes and suspension. Stopping power before go power

Planning out the right suspension is not always easy though. I wished I had gone for a little something more then Tokico HPK201s. I think I will end up getting coil overs and stiffen up the front end. So if your thinking B18C then think coil-overs or a spring with a high rate.

 

hey thanks for the quick response! what sort of coil overs should i get? the full coilover sets or no? would a spring/strut/bushing setup be just as good?

 

Unless the motor is toast, I would second the brakes, suspension then engine route.

For the motor, it's all up to you. A D series can be turbocharged and make nice power, but a B series is more pleasant for everyday driving. If I could do it all again though, I'd just have done a F23 or H22 or H23 swap from the start with a H2B adapter plate.

For springs, just stick to a name brand and ask around what others like. Off the shelf Ground Control coilovers are nice, they're stiff enough to handle well but not too stiff to rattle your teeth.

 

What about control arms do i need those? What is a good route for brakes? i have about 1200 dollars to spend on mods and 800 for the paint job would that be enough? and a little off this topic..should i get my lip painted or leave it black??

 

$800 for a paint job is not enough. I would worry about getting it together first. Then paint it... Convert your rear drums to rear Integra disks or rear Si disks. It's much easier to find Integra rear disks though. Spend the rest on a suspension. Coilovers can be cheap and can be really expensive. You might also consider tie bars, add a front and rear sway bar, yes you will need control arms to support a sway bar as I dont think the DX came with sway bars. The rear sway bar will require a subframe brace as well. A proper suspension adds up real fast

 

yeah i would do suspension first and wheels and work on all your exterior before you start working on the motor

 

i was going to just wetsand and ask the car and take it into maaco since i want to keep the original color (silver) i wont have to worry about the door hinges or anything... and they quoted me 550 but i wanted an extra clear coat and remove a couple dents

 

brakes, suspension, motor, paint. its always better to have a sound running car that looks like **** versus a car that looks baller as **** but cant do anything but hardpark

 

i was thinking paint first because everything else is working fine...but suspension and brakes are coming up next for sure

 

people said i should get a 99-00 front end before getting it painted but i cant really tell uch of a difference between mine and the 99+'s is there that much of a difference? what front lip should i get? is there a paint to getting the lip kit for the side skirts or just getting my factory side skirts painted and is there any nice rear lips for these cars?

 

si lips? if you got 1200 bucks, paint the car yourself. thats more than enough. buy a soch vtec head and put er on there.

 

I would go with a B-series swap as the first mod. The second I would suggest is a rear disc brake swap

 

how much would the sohc vtec run me? 600 in parts?

 

no. shouldn't cost that much. its only a sohc vtec, not a dohc vtec. here https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/%5Bfaq%5D-d16y7-y8-mini-me-write-up-pics-56k-maybe-not-735196/

 

Dude it's all up to you... It's your car, do it your way. Start by replacing worn, used, useful things. Think of your priorities... I personally started out with a small soundsystem, and kept it simple. Then I got my lip and mesh grill. Next was the suspension, and now my car's getting sprayed in april, along with some wheels. If your engine isn't fried, keep it and beat it until you've got the cash for a B swap...

 

well for me, paint is first because that is the only part where the car is hurting. Then ill do suspension/brakes or mini me swap depending on what deal flys my way.

 

the D series is fine for a boost build, N/A it doesnt have much potential without ALOT of money and knowing what parts to choose.
B series is fine either way N/A or with boost.

i personally like my cars balanced so that no one area of performance is ALOT better than another. so handling and braking are very important along with acceleration and top speed.

 

id leave the exterior stock for now, do your performance mods with a quiet exhaust.........sleeper

 

need rims too!

 

i wouldn't bother with switching to disk brakes either unless you really like the look of it. you do so little braking in back it doesn't make it worthwhile unless you were gonna full race but thats a different story.

start with suspension brakes engine. good defense before you go ballin down the power road. forget paint right now. and your maaco paintjob at 500 will almost garuntee to start peeling in a few months if even.

 

get a realy big wing

 

as far as motors are concerned. you can put in an LS/GSR with a manual transmission quite easily. They are plug and play(gsr vted already wired if you have a d16y8). you can keep your obd 2 for emissions and diagnostics. you would only need the T bracket for the rear subframe/transmission and the drivers side mount. shifter linkage will bolt up along with the exhaust. it will take about 2 days with no lift, or a day if you have access to one, it is worth it if you do.

Suspension. Ls rear disk brakes are a good add on they range from 80 and up for a decent pair. your best bet is to plan to upgrade wheels to a wheel where you can see them later, as your steelies dont like to let the rears breathe as they will need to. HX rims, GSR blades, and Fat 5s are always a good oem add on. Prelude front brakes can be added, you will need to take the rotors and caliper brackets to a machine shop. the rotors will need to be redrilled to 4x100 and the caliper bracket will need to be machined 3mm to fit properly. if you do the front prelude upgrade, then you will need to run a 15 in wheel or bigger and change your spare to a 15 in as well, the calipers just wint clear an oem spare tire. Coil overs are a good start. si front springs from a 96-00 are good.

Coilovers Here are the same set that i have on my car. well priced with a decent set of springs and stock absorbers. adjustable at that.

SI tail lights are a good add on, mild tint, and A GOOD ALARM. take a look at cause for alarm on my Signature.

 

B swap OR mild turbo build on the Y8 could definitely get you some nice results too. boosting the Y8 would most likely be cheaper. either way theres plenty of potential. whatever order you decide to do things in i suggest saving up and doing things all at once(get coilovers, sway bars, bushings.......THEN put it all on) its so nice to have things apart ONE time and then its done. same with brakes. and DEFINITELY engine. whatever you decide to do, wait til you have the money to do it all and be done with it. plus every time you loosen and tighten a bolt its wearing the threads, every time you tighen a bolt theres the chance you could strip it or crossthread it.........the less you mess with them, the better.

 

you could build a k24/k20 and have 350hp NA...thats always cool