I just bought a 2000 Civic Si that already had i/e, coil-overs, camber, and stuts on it. When I had it checked out by our mechanic he said that the only thing wrong was that it was leaking fluid from the left-front-lower strut. He didn't go into any detail except that it wouldn't cost that much to fix. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what this might be, and what could have caused it to leak? And also does anyone have any suggestions on what to do to my car next? I was thinking about a short-shifter and wheels & tires. What do you think?

 

He's saying that your left front strut is gone because it's leaking and will need to be replaced. What caused it? more than likely a big bad bump or everyday wear and tear...it happens. Coilovers tend it be hard on struts and shocks if they aren't adjusted properly, who knows what the guy before you did with it.

What should you do next to your car? what's more importand to you? Looks? handling? performance?

 

Thanks......I am looking to improve the cars performance.

 

A short shifter is a good mod on the Si as the stock shifter is so tall so I would go with that for sure. Wheels and tires can help appearance and handling although 17's will slow you sown as they are heavy. I went with a lightweight 15" rim from a 17" and it made a big difference in the cars responsiveness.

As for performance (power) upgrades, it's probably a good idea to start thinking about which way you want to go, ie: turbo, supercharger, nitrous, or all motor. You can have any of these combinations in a daily driver and still have it be reliable with proper tuning. What do you want out of your car? what is going to be your type of useage for the car? what kind of budget will you be on?