Honda Civic / Del Sol (1992 - 2000) EG/EH/EJ/EK/EM1 Discussion

Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

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Old Oct 23, 2013 | 06:09 PM
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Default Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

So I'm new here, I'm buying a 98 Honda civic dx. It's in pretty decent shape, a couple of minor problems, new belt, a few gaskets, water pump and a few other small things. It only has 68,000 miles. I'm wanting to do work to it, new rims, lights etc. a engine swap eventually and a manual trans. What would you all recommend doing to it on a budget to start out with?

Thanks for any help!
Ethan
Old Oct 23, 2013 | 06:17 PM
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

put gas in it
Old Oct 23, 2013 | 06:24 PM
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Originally Posted by CO671
FAQs - Frequently Asked (Tech) Questions
6th Generation FAQ

WARNING: BEFORE ADDING MODIFICATIONS, SPEND YOUR MONEY ON NECESSARY REPAIRS.

Please, do the roads, safety of other people, your car, & yourself a favor by fixing any problems with it now.Before you plan on slapping on some accessories or modifications, ensure your vehicle is safe, reliable,& sturdy. An overall tune-up would be the best modification if the vehicle hasn't been maintained properly. This may include all fluids (oil, antifreeze/coolant, transmission oil, brake, &/or power steering, & clutch). A distributor cap, rotor, or spark plug + wire change too, suspension bushings, brake pads/rotors etc;. You get the gist, just make sure your vehicle fits spec reliability before you do anything, or else your car will just be riced junk with accessories.

IF YOU HAVE A D16Y7/D16Y8 ENGINE AND YOU WANT TO DUMP $1000's INTO HEADERS/INTAKE/EXHAUST FOR "POWER" YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME. YOU'RE BUYING SOUND MODS, NOT POWER MODS. THESE ARE ECONOMICAL ENGINES FOR GAS MILEAGE, NOT HORSEPOWER. THERES NO HIDDEN POTENTIAL POWER FOR AN ALL MOTOR BUILD, DYNO RESULTS PROVE THAT THEY GIVE NO NOTICEABLE POWER WORTH THE MONEY. . SO READ THE LINK BELOW UNDER "ENGINE".



I. Interior
-Integra Dual Bend Shifter
-Weighted Shift ****
-Wide Angle Rear view mirror
-Dome light LED upgrade
-Integra/Civic EX/SI Map light
-Seat Swap
-Cluster Plug&Play
>>Clusters requiring modification
-Steering wheel swaps
-Headliner/Carpet Dye
II. Exterior
-Front Lips
-Rear Lips
-Mudguards
-Fog Lights
-Tail Lights
III. Engine
IV. Suspension
V. Wheels


Interior
~$20+ (usually under $20) used Integra dual-bend shifter into 96-00 Civic
(Will need to be cut/dremeled to fit)
I highly recommend this, a noticeably different feel /short throw and worth the effort.
Length to cut
Shifter Installation Tutorial

~$??? weighted shift ****
If you want a different feel in shifting but don't want to do the shifter mod mentioned above, purchase a weighted ****. I personally use the PWJDM and it makes a huge difference.


~$25 240mm Convex Broadway rear view mirror (Ebay/Amazon)
If you're not a fan of a Convex, then a flat version is available.


~$5 48-LED panel Dome Light insert
Amazon Listing - All Bulb Sizes for Civic

~$??? used Integra/ Civic EX or SI Map-Light DIY
Integra Map Light - Map + Trunk Light Tutorial -

~$??? - Seat Swap
More Info
96-00 CIVIC:
-Front-
•92-95 Civic w/EK rails
•94-01 Integra w/EK rails
•97-01 CR-V w/EK rails
•92-97 Del Sol w/EK rails
•97-01 Prelude w/EK rails
•97-02 Accord Coupe w/EK rails
•01-03 CL w/EK rails*Requires 12v for heat feature
-Rear-(Hatch)
•92-95 Civic *Hatchback only
•94-01 Integra *Hatchback only
•02-06 RSX
-Rear-(Coupe)
•01-05 Civic Si*EP3 only
-Rear-(Sedan)
•92-95 Civic Sedan
•94-01 Integra Sedan

Cluster Modifications
Any 96-00 based Civic chassis cluster will plug & play no modification, this applies internationally.
Japanese, European, Asian, Australian/New Zealand, Canadian clusters will fit in USDM Civic's too.
97-01 CRV's - JDM Honda SMX - CDM (Canada) Acura 1.6 EL - Isuzu Gemini - Honda Orthia - JDM Honda Integra SJ also




Modification Required Clusters:
94-01 Integra
03-04 Civic
S2000

~$??? Steering wheel swaps
"What OEM Wheel fits w/ tutorial links"

~$?? Headliner/carpet dyeing (can be reupholstered easily too which may be better)
Carpet


"Post Your Interior Thread" (For Inspirational purposes)


Exterior

1996-1998 / 1999-2000 Civic Body Differences & Front & Rear Conversion

96 - 98 Lip Options


If purchasing a replica lip, do yourself a favor & get a polyurethane replica, they're much more flexible than the ABS plastic which may crack & break very easily, although their fitment may be more precise (not as precise as OEM or genuine of course)

99 - 00 Lip options
Info: When it comes to replica 99-00 front lips, the OEM 99-00 front lip is the same as the Civic Type R, & the 99-00 EM1/SI coupe front lip. so... CTR = Si = OEM.
You can tell the difference between an OEM/CTR/SI front lip, & a replica version because the replica has more flare on the sides & extends further than the OEM/CTR/Si. It's obvious if you focus.


Same applies as mentioned above for the 96-98 replica lips purchases & quality.

Rear lips:
Info: There is a difference on rear bumpers between the years & models.
96-98 Coupes/Sedans share the same rear bumper
99-00 Coupes/Sedans share the same rear bumper
96-00 Hatchbacks share the same rear bumper




Mudguard options:
Front mudguards:
FOR COUPE = Any '96-'00 Civic mudguards will fit.
FOR HATCH = Any '96-'00 Civic mudguards will fit.
FOR SEDAN = Any '96-'00 Civic mudguards will fit.

Rear mudguards:
FOR '96-'98 COUPE = '96-'98 Civic coupe/sedan mudguards fit.
FOR '99-'00 COUPE = '99-'00 Civic coupe/sedan mudguards fit.
FOR '96-'00 HATCH = '96-'00 Civic hatch mudguards fit.
FOR '96-'98 SEDAN = '96-'98 Civic coupe/sedan mudguards fit.
FOR '99-'00 SEDAN = '99-'00 Civic coupe/sedan mudguards fit.

Rear RSX mudguards have been cut to fit rear bumpers with rear lips on hatchbacks.


Fog Lights options
96-98 Circle - 96-98 Square
99-00 Circle

DIY 96-98 Civic square fog light wiring tutorial
DIY 99-00 Civic Ebay Fog Light Wiring tutorial

Info: In the US, USDM (OEM) Fog-lights came in clear lenses. The OEM Brand for Honda fog-lights would be "Raybrig" or "Stanley". Another common brand is "Depo" which are replica aftermarket foglights. They tend to leak, & install/fitment won't be 100% as OEM, so be aware you get what you pay for. Esuse is another aftermarket brand, of higher quality than Depo though.
Also, for the 99-00's, the OEM ones came with (as mentioned before) clear Raybrig lights, & a gray cover like this. Often, you may see yellow lights & a black cover, as that's usually the "JDM" ebay/replica aftermarket version. P.S: PWJDM Lights are Depo brand, not OEM. This is because in Japan the 99-00 lights are yellow Stanley's from the factory. As an aesthetic option, you can always get clear foglights & tint them with yellow tint, if you decide to change your mind, you may remove the tint & go back to clear fogs.

Tail-light options:
They're separated into different categories as to what matches the body, the coupes & hatcbacks are interchangeable in all years. however the sedans have two different trunks depending on the year.
96-00 Coupes
96-98 OEM Amber - 99-00 OEM Non-Amber - 96-98 Red tint over amber - 99-00 Smoked over Clear

96-98 Sedans
info: (need clarification) 96-98 Red/Clear Depo's are replicas of the 96-98 Red/Clear JDM SiR/Honda Integra SJ
96-98 OEM Amber - 96-98 Red/Clear JDM SiR/Honda Integra SJ

99- 00 Sedans
info: 99-00 Red/Clear Depo's are replicas of the 99-00 Red/Clear Philippine SiR/Honda Integra SJ
99-00 OEM Amber - 99-00 Red/Clear Philippine SiR/Honda Integra SJ

96-00 Hatchbacks
96-98 OEM Amber - 99-00 OEM non-Amber - 96-00 Clear Hatchback Aftermarkets


Engine
A clean sweep for a first, WD40 and/or simple green/engine degreaser and a pressure washer or just simple a hose does a great job. Make sure you cover electrical components though.

If you have a D-series and want to modify the engine for power, but don't have at least $2,000 to spend, you should just give up and save up until then. Read this thread for more info:
Guide to Answer the Common Question: Just Bought a Civic! How Do I Make It Faster?

~$20 Valve Cover Painting
DIY

Suspension:
All that would be said here is if you go cheap, you get cheap. Suspension is crucial to your safety.
In most cases, when referring to Civics coilovers, the coilovers would be a whole aftermarket kit (shocks + springs combo [adjustable or not]), Shocks being just the shock absorbers, and springs/coil sleeves being the springs that are wound around the shock.
Lowering springs w/ stock shocks: Bump stops may need to be cut in half + dust boot (get alignment, shocks may blow)
Adjustable springs w/ stock shocks: Bump stops may need to be cut in half+ dust boot (get alignment, shocks may blow)

A great option to refer to is a rear sway bar, this reduces body roll and helps increase handling. If you feel like you're falling out of your seat in a deep turn, tires slipping, car feels like it's twisting, then get a stabilizer/sway bar and chances of that will decrease, I wish I had purchased a rear sway bar as my first mod.

EK Honda Civic Coilovers Install

The common answer to be the best bang for buck suspension setup,would definitely be Koni Yellow/Ground Control combo. More info here:
Need help choosing suspension? Click here!!


Wheels:
You have a many options as long as they fit your bolt pattern (commonly 4x100 unless a lug-conversion has been done)
OEM wheels, a replica knockoffwheel along the lines of (XXR. Drag. Rota etc or the more genuine brands such as Work, CCW, SSR, Mugen, Rays, Enkei, etc;.
14's seem to small, 17's are pushing it for the big side (the rice days are over)
Keep your range between 15 & 16 with good tires.



Inspirational / Picture Threads:
Show off your 6th Generation Honda Civic (1996-2000)
** The offical 96-00 civic 4dr thread ** PART 2
***POST ALL SILVER EJ6, EJ8, & EM1 COUPE***
Calling all BLACK 96-00 Civic Coupes!
Post your rare 96-00 Civic parts
Post Up Your LCA's & Exhaust pics.
**The Official RAYS Volk Racing Wheel Thread**
**OFFICIAL ENKEI WHEELS THREAD (RPF1, 92, J-Speed, etc...)**
All Sportmax & XXR wheels, Post them here.
Post your CCW wheels
Low Offset Wheel Thread
Official Konig Wheel thread
-=Official SPRINT HART Wheels thread=-
♠ Shaved, Tucked, Customized Engine Bays - Pics, Theory, Discussion ♠
Post Your DIY Door Panel Inserts!!!
*!*!*Civic's w/ SiR bumper moldings*!*!*
Old Oct 24, 2013 | 01:42 AM
  #4  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Figure it your goal for the car and your budget.
Old May 12, 2020 | 12:22 PM
  #5  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Is there a specific year for RSX rear mudguards? finding EK hatch guards is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack
Old May 12, 2020 | 02:47 PM
  #6  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

put some 15x10 wheels and a large rear trunk spoiler on it

Old May 12, 2020 | 03:03 PM
  #7  
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From: Georgia
Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Originally Posted by NVturbo
put some 15x10 wheels and a large rear trunk spoiler on it
how does that achieve Mudguards...
Old May 12, 2020 | 06:00 PM
  #8  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

I want to put a 98-04 Honda Accord header on my 2000 d15b dx is it possible to do it?
Old May 12, 2020 | 09:47 PM
  #9  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Originally Posted by Tyster80
I want to put a 98-04 Honda Accord header on my 2000 d15b dx is it possible to do it?
Nope... especially not an '03-04 Accord header.
Old Aug 29, 2020 | 10:28 AM
  #10  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

I just bought a 99 civic dx. It’s straight piped and obnoxious, I don’t plan on dumping lots of money into this thing. Just need it reliable and enjoyable. But my question is I plan on keeping the piping, getting a new axle back to try and make it sound better and also put a cat in it. I found the even Fischer header manifold with integrated catalytic converter. Would that be a good choice ? Just want to quiet it down but also still have fun with it.
Old Aug 29, 2020 | 02:09 PM
  #11  
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Default Re: Best things to do to a 98 civic dx

Originally Posted by The Underdog
Is there a specific year for RSX rear mudguards? finding EK hatch guards is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack
i have a set of actual 96-00 hatch ones i’ll sell you.
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