Hey guys, newbie here. I've got a 97 LX and I'd like to start tinkering with it. It's a fun little car, it just doesn't have a lot of power. It has a base 1.5 engine and everything is stock. I guess I need guidance on what route I should go (engine swap, turbo) and maybe someone could point me in the right direction. My budget is around $1500 atm but that is flexible. Any advice on what I should do would be appreciated!
-Newbie

 

at that budget, suspension, bushings, brakes, GOOD tires.

 

Thanks for the help! Do either of these look like a good suspension kit to you?

 

I wouldnt bother boosting a 1.5, rods are not strong enough, been there done that.

as far as 1500 that wont get you very far, tunning+ECU+injectors/fuel pump = 1500

you will need more like 4k to get any decent setup, and that assumes you are dealing with a HEALTHY motor,

youd be much better off with some type of swap preferably b series but of course this is more money in addition to the 4k, you will also most likely need to rebuild it unless its in good condition which is pretty hard to find these days unless you get it from hmotors or something similar

 

Eh, 2-3k (imo) if you look for deals or perhaps gimp on some things a bit (ebay fmic for example)

Even less if you street tune, or get someone else to for you. I have basically everything I need other than a pump, clutch, and lines, and those will put me at around 3k+ and that's with a complete full race kit in like new condition...a steal for sure.

But yeah for a noobie especially I wouldn't try to gimp much, and it really depends on how mechanically savvy you are as well I suppose.

 

yea but I said closer to 4k never said an exact amount...depends how far you go with it...its the small things that will get you

chime in when its all said and done, ...I have about 1500 just in my ecu tune and IM

and a good clutch will run you $500, many setups require you upgrade your radiator and use a slim fan theres soo many factors.

when buying used parts it does change alot obviously, it also brings in alot off opportunity to get screwed and longevity issues

 

Hey guys, thanks for the helpful responses. Guess I'll do a little more research and save up some more cash for the car. I can wait, nothing is going anywhere. Maybe once I have around 4k I'll start looking back into my options.

 

I recommend doing a compression and leakdown test so you know how healthy your motor is, thats gonna be the determining factor. You really need to know this before you can estimate any further costs as a rebuild would be more then likely close to 1500 if you decide to go with better pistons and rods. If it is healthy you can safely boost around 200HP.

Again I would totally ditch the D15 for a b series, you can get a low mileage B series which is capable of arround 300HP without upgrading anything for around $2500 from H-motors

once you have a motor capable of boost, take a look at GO-AUTOWORKS Turbo Kits Honda Civic Acura Integra D16 B16 B18

$2070 + shipping for that kit

You will then need upgraded fuel pump($100) Fuel injectors which can be anywhere from $250 and up depending what you go with, some sort of EMS I went hondata which was around $600 and you will need to check your area for cost of tune which I paid $500

that brings you to roughly $3550 and does not include extras like a better clutch,catch can setup, motor mounts and an upgraded radiator/fan setup

 

$1500 won't get you very far at all. Hell, a decent turbo is half that. My first ever turbo setup, when I was in my naive younger days, still ended up costing me $2500 or so. It was eBay everything except fuel pump, injectors and ECU. I even tuned it myself to save $400 on a tune. Then, I ended up replacing every single part of the eBay kit with name brand stuff over the next few years. Buy right the first time.

 

I've been searching and pricing for a bit now. For a reliably built 1.5 capable of 225-250whp, expect to spend 3k. Funny enough, this is about 500 shy of what it will cost me to swap from B7 to Z6 and build it to 500+ potential.

 

lies
pls dont spread mis-information
how can a 1.5 be reliable at 250hp without replacing pistons and rods...pls explain?

 

Clearly, you didn't read my post. I highlighted the pertinent information I posted in regards to the 1.5L engine. In the 3k spent, I figured in replacing the pistons and rods.