Hi everyone! I recently purchased a '99 EK and have no clue where I should start with modding. I'm not sure if I want to start with appearance i.e. interior (fabrication, sound system, new cluster, etc etc) body work, rims... or with performance i.e. exhaust system, engine work (know nothing about that ) and handling upgrades. Also, I'm really REALLY wanting to learn the ropes of modding... is there a book, site or whatever you can refer me to? Thanks for you time and help guys!

 

This site or if you like a book there is Haynes Xtreme Customizing Honda Civic
8J1-11373. You might want to get a Haynes manual for your car.

 

sweet, got em both! Thanks!

 

welcome, and my frist words. ALARM, ALARM, ALARM!!!!!!!

I started with my alarm and stereo, then coilovers, and SI sway bars.

Then body. Interior is last on my list. Only thing wrong with it is the seats. lol

 

Thread titles MUST summarize the tech problem (be topic specific) so that members browsing titles can understand the problem without reading the post. Title edited.

 

most people just start with exterior mods. heres what i think most people start with when they first get into the scene and most common "mods"

ctr rear lip for the bumper
ctr front lip or the spoon/mugen lip forgot which one
exhaust muffler for a deeper nice sounding car
short ram/cold air intake
foglights if you like that look
HIDs if your hatch didnt come with it
wheels
50 dollar ebay coils cuz everyone likes to be low but dont wanna pay big money to do it right the first time
i strongly suggest paying at least 500 dollars for a decent set. like function and form type 1 or type 2. you dont wanna be bouncing everywhere :p
no particular order just somethings that aren't too expensive and you can do it yourself ^_^

 

alarm suspension

 

x2

 

Well thanks guys for the input! I think I have a direction to go in. I was all about making the interior comfortable, but I also want it to look clean and 'grab ya' when you see the outside, so, I think I'll start with a few exterior mods, coils and a sway bar to start :D I'll have to put up some stock pics soon and keep ya posted. Any other input though is greatly appreciated!

 

Don't bother with those coilovers. buy something that will hold up. progress, Koni/gc, PIC, AMR,

 

Alright guys, so I've decided I wanted to start out with this in this order: 00' SI front end conversion (but what if I want fog lights? Do those have to be cut out of the bumper, or is there another bumper I can get that has the fog lights already for it? preferably something stock/oem so I can just get a type r lip), an SI gauge cluster and suspension kit... then after that, I'm going to want a short shifter, exhaust/header, and maybe change my seats. What do y'all think?

 

I think you better start saving your money to do everything right the first time! Don't cheap out and cut corners. This site is filled with lots of great info, check out what people say works well and what to avoid (certain sellers, parts companies, etc.) Good luck! Oh, and if you get an Si front end then the holes for fog lights will already be there. Also, learn how to search and you can pretty much find pictures of anything

 

SI front end and type R rear lip sound good. lowering is a must, skunk2 short shifter and shift **** add a nice touch as well. what are you going to do for rims? I would stick to a 15" personally, but that's me. what color is the EK? are you planning to do a swap in the future?

 

Just buy an SI lip and an SI grill. Those are the only differences from the regular Civic front end. The Type-R grill and lip are exactly the same as the SI parts. Same part numbers too, I believe.

 

My EK is black but I love the championship white. I might be an individual and find another color though (I just realized how much painting cost!!!!). As for rims, I have given it a slight thought, but when I did think of it, I was thinking 17s... too big eh? I'll have to look at 15 (which are cheaper too) and see what I can find. As for a swap, I talked to a buddy of mind and he was telling me that swaps aren't that hard to do. I might consider it (again, I know nothing which is why I'm getting a few books to learn about engines, parts and what does what and where/when!). Thanks!

 

I'm good at searching, and have only checked out one place so far. But thanks for the heads up on the bumper. The pictures I've seen of the conversion didn't show for light holes :/

 

Thanks for that tid bit! Those parts aren't that expensive. My only dilemma is if I really want fog lights or not!

 

Everyone goes through modding stages..
So start where u feel at this point..
You can always change it later

And what is a 99 ek? Is It a hatchback,coupe,or sedan?

 

No where in the world was an ek coupe sold. It was never manufactured.

 

It's a Hatchback son! I just learned that myself :D And thanks for the words. I want to get the outside looking straight and then do a few performance tweaks. I just noticed massive corrosion my battery :S and I also need to fix the hood release button/pulley (don't feel like waiting on the dealership to fix it)

 

Figure out wtf you plan on doing with it first. Daily driver, dedicated track car, half track half daily, drive your kids to preschool, take your lady to the movies and etc. Then you can start modifying toward that. You want to set it up it to your needs then go from there. Good luck man !

 

Well, it's going to be my daily driver, something nice to 'get away' in. Not into racing and something nice to take my wife out in (ha). That's why I want to go for a clean look... fresh interior, good sound system and sounds nice from the back end.

 

There's no such thing as "nice sounds" from the back end. Not without spending $1500+ just on exhaust. Even still, it requires picking a good muffler and probably using several or one large resonator.

Fresh interior? What the hell does that mean. I'm getting the idea that you saw fast and the furious and you're ready to reupholster your interior in blue and white marine vinyl, add 2 tvs and a ps3 to your glovebox.

If you want a nice car to drive your lady around in, buy a TL or a CTS-V. It will be a lot easier and look better. Not to mention ride more comfortably.

A mildly modified civic is not "fun" I have one. It's not a car I think people will look at and say "wow" or anything. It's an economy oriented compact.

My ideal would be to have a nice TSX to daily drive and use my civic for track/weekend driving.

Here's my car:





It's nice, reliable, bearable for daily driving even with it's somewhat stiff spring rates. It's lower than I would like for daily driving but I've gotten used to it. I've been to every autocross event this year since the Novice School I went to and it's been the most fun I've ever had. Only planned on going to 1-2 this year but I've been to 6 now.

Some peoples take on "fresh" might be my car. Simple on the outside, stock interior with some nice seats and keep it vacuumed. And I agree with that, simple stock look with nothing flashy. Making a civic look like more than it is by over-doing the interior/exterior has always been tacky and the fore-mentioned is why.

 

I'm pretty sure the spot you cut for fogs is marked on the back of the bumper, so it's hard to screw up. All the OEM bumpers are the same so no worries about finding anything special just for fogs.

 

swap the motor