Modding my New Civic,.... Centrelink Style

[**Ghost**]

Hye guys after annoying crap :twisted: outta u all i finally found a EK4 for my garage.... problem is unless i sell my OTHER kidney i dont have any money left for nay mods at all...

The best i am going to manage is

1. go to autobarn and get some spray paint so i can color code those damn ugly side "bumpers"

2. get a pod/cone filter

With option 2, i want it cos it makes nice noise... but withotu a CAI kit/airbox am i giong to lose power?

:D hahahahaha if i am i'm just giong to scrap the idea for a while and buy more srpay paint so i can do the factory alloys....


Anyone else with ideas for cheap mods?

[EG4]

put on a cardboard bodykit :D

[saboteur]

Do the CTR lookalike headlights. They look awesome.

[**Ghost**]

how do i do that ? i need at least ONE kidney man... dont wanna sell my other one...

cardboard body kit? hahahaha.... oh wait wait wait.... would it be better if i tradedmy VTIR sticker for a TYPE R STICKER?!?!? faster? according to some of those stupid asses areound my area... it probably adds around 20kw at the wheels that sticker...

off the topic for a sec... today i saw a S.15 200sx with >>>>>MUGEN<<<<< sticker........... i am not jking... i reckon he put it on cos he thought the Chinese Characters looked cool or somehting

[VTEC16]

Do the CTR lookalike headlights. They look awesome.

http://www.honda-acura.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56277

:thumbsup:

[luzinit]

leave ur car stock
leave the alloys as it is
it looks much better this way then doin it up halfassed style if u know wot i mean..

[fozee]

My oven isnt big enough for my headlights!!!

[saboteur]

My oven isnt big enough for my headlights!!!

Mine only just squeezed in :D
Awesome result though, I'm heaps happy.

[fozee]

Im goingto do my back lights this weekend coming.
I know they will fit in no probs

[**Ghost**]

hahaha my old man's a chef...so guess who got a oven big enough to fit a bumper in it? :P not that i know y i would want to...

[traNce_gl]

leave ur car stock
leave the alloys as it is
it looks much better this way then doin it up halfassed style if u know wot i mean..

yeh do what he said what type of car u got ig u got like the new model that came with alloys i just slam u car with the alloys and color code ur things look mad...and thoes lites aswell

[vti-2]

Hye guys after annoying crap :twisted: outta u all i finally found a EK4 for my garage.... problem is unless i sell my OTHER kidney i dont have any money left for nay mods at all...

The best i am going to manage is

1. go to autobarn and get some spray paint so i can color code those damn ugly side "bumpers"

2. get a pod/cone filter

With option 2, i want it cos it makes nice noise... but withotu a CAI kit/airbox am i giong to lose power?

:D hahahahaha if i am i'm just giong to scrap the idea for a while and buy more srpay paint so i can do the factory alloys....


Anyone else with ideas for cheap mods?

Don't rush anything. The best results are achieved on a realistic budget and if you do something on the cheap now, you will regret it in the future. You will only end up spending more in the future to fix mistakes you made or make a cheap mod look good.

Best thing you can do now (assuming you are on a centrelink budget) is to get a pod filter for $30 from Autobahn. Don't bother with a $100+ name brand pod as it will do the same thing.

[bengbear]

leave ur car stock
leave the alloys as it is
it looks much better this way then doin it up halfassed style if u know wot i mean..

W3rd

[sesshoumaru]

first thing i'd do is lower it.

[vti-2]

first thing i'd do is lower it.

Just don't chop the springs! :evil:

[**Ghost**]

If i get a pod from autobahn now... i'd be mounting it in the factory air box rightttttttttt?

[VTEChnique]

$30 filters are good for noise - but they are actually a PAPER element - not COTTON like K&N etc.. so you cannot re-use the Paper filters..
get the $40 foam one or even the $50 stainless steel Greddy Style filter.

you may need an alloy adaptor for use of an aftermarket filter onto your Stock rubber intake tube.. or you can even use PVC pipe and joiners to make this piece into a CAI or sorts. if you want to retain your stock airbox, I reccoment a K&N panel filter rather than a pod.. but THAt costs over $100.

another mod - gut your cat - good for a couple of ponies and some more gurgle from your exhaust note.. NOTE > this mod is considered illegal due to breach of emmissions laws. ( but so is a fliter if you wanna be like that )

Get some NEW sparkplugs and ignition leads - be sure to index and gap the new plugs.

Advance your timing ( manually rotate distributor Clockwise ).

Re-set your ECU

duct cold air onto your filter.

Get some Redline fuel-injector treatment - like less than $20 - THIS STUFF WORKS WONDERS on cars with over 100,000kms

That's all I can think of for now.. HAVE FUN !!

[Setanta]

Dont put a pod on unless its a CAI. An exposed pod in an enginebay = power loss.

[saboteur]

Dont put a pod on unless its a CAI. An exposed pod in an enginebay = power loss.

:thumbsup:

[LatinoHatchCrap]

lower it. buy a 2nd hand set of springs for like 130. LOL i bought mine for cheaper than that :P

[AC]

if u were after looks you can get pedals, gear knobs, steering wheel, etc for under 100 bucks....pedals in particular, u can get decent looking ones from k-mart for like 20 bucks. good place to look for this stuff if u havent already is on ebay

[skoota]

How bout you keep it stock until you actually get some money? I mean there is no point doing cheap half arsed jobs that will either ruin your car or just make it look tacky.

Lower it for though then get a decent CAI. :D

[A'PEXi]

yeh jdm headlights :D theres a prac write up on my forums :)

[Toby]

leave ur car stock
leave the alloys as it is
it looks much better this way then doin it up halfassed style if u know wot i mean..

:thumbsup::nod:

[SIKCVC]

theres a difference between doing mods on a budget and half arsed... although...

forget i said that just leave it stock :P

Do your inteerior up... respray your dash etc. its fun time consuming and at the end of the day... you get to see the results when ever you drive, not just when you get out of the car.

Also unless you do crazzy shit outside your car the only reason people look is because of noise... Get a loud rear muffler (if you pay more than $60 your getting ripped off) and do your pod thing... nice and noisy... OR you could do the kool thing and leave it stock so you can go sleeper when you have money for performance.

[Kit]

if you're got no money, dont mod it at all, I've been there, used cheap ass methods to mod my EK, only to fork out more money later to fix it.

you'll be suprised at how well the car performs if you maintained it properly, that is, bring out the best in the stock car.
I would say most cars on the street are putt'n around in a poor state of tune. (and then again, probably most owners either don't know or couldn't really care less) :)

get your stock car performing at its best, and it will be faster than a lot of modified ones out there.

first off do a full service. i.e.:
- Full Synthetic engine oil and filter change (I've used Mobil 1 Gold Label 10W30 with good results)
- Gearbox oil (I've used Castrol Syntrax and Elf Synthetic, with good results)
- Spark plugs (NGK V groove coppers every 10,000km or NGK plats - the exact model numbers escape me right now)
- Change the fuel filter
- Check the ignition timing, and perhaps advance it a couple of degrees

Its a bad idea to change the air filter to a pod on a stick. you'll lose power, especially in the low end. it will feel faster cos its louder but infact it won't be faster.
What you can do is change the stock panel filter to a Power Filter, as the stock paper filter is pretty restrictive.

and here is a budget CAI alternative,
Remove the stock air box resonator and piping and either make some custom piping and join it to the air box, or cut the resontor intake pipe in half so that it draws air from inside the bumper area.
You can use a heat gun to mould the end bit into a bell mouth too for greater effect. 8)

If you have a look at the jap magazines, all the tuned NA civics are running the stock air box! the only pod I've seen on an EK civic is on a turbo'd one.

hope this helps.

Chris

[Kit]

oh and also, whatever you do, don't gut your cat.
gutting your cat is pretty stupid..
you'll get an extra 0.00000000000001kw to the wheels and in return ur pumping raw exhaust fumes out into the environment.
plus you'll get defected. (which you probably deserve if you did this mod)

:)

Chris

[SIKCVC]

oh DUDE if your strapped for cash and are willing to work... go to IPA personel... good pay... good hours... when you want.

I've worked 6 days through them and gotten $900

Its shit work but hey... easy way to make good money fast... and no skills needed PS leave your brain at home coz you'll go crazzy if you have any sort of interlect... just think of it as a way to get cash fast without any real interviews or waiting lists.

[wil]

sikcvc can u pm me more details about IPA cheers

[incoming]

hehe i rorted centrelink $4000 to mod my car..

2 years later they busted me and i have to pay em back... $15 a week LOL

those hongkie exchange students put everysticker under the sun on their car.. i saw a CC lancer with mugen, nismo, 351 GT, fcuken idiot!! i wanted to reach over and slap him!

[sesshoumaru]

oh DUDE if your strapped for cash and are willing to work... go to IPA personel... good pay... good hours... when you want.



i'd also like to know more about this IPA thing?? :P

[kimbi]

dont make your civic all dodgy :( if you havent got the money then hunt around for people willing to trade you..

i mean perhaps there are people on here who will trade you. one of my mates traded their stock springs for the really little ones.. so the car sits low..

just remember anything cheap and nasty you do now you'll pay for in the future, but sometimes the cheapest things can look good.. maybe dark tinting? or the reflective tint?? i know someone who can do your whole car for $120 and its not dodgy!!

[Kit]

do u want rice? or do you want performance?

changing your springs to low ones will wear out your shocks and will over time, mean your car will have even worse handling that stock as the shocks will struggle to keep up.

[kimbi]

yeah thats something to think about.. but it was just an example that while this person has no $$$ to mod it, the can still possbly make some changes asthetically and performance wise if they think of trading

[skoota]

WTF is IPA?? What work is it - who are they and how much $$$ per hour dude???

[TON32Z]

yeah im intereested in this IPA

[**Ghost**]

HAHAHAHA thanks for the input guys... and now we all want to know what IPA IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

nah i'm more of a performance man... rice isnt really my thing... especailly stickers... even if i have a 300kw car i wouldnt put a sticker on it...

hey Kit, about the custom CAI... does it attract hydrolock? right now all i'm going for is a k&n panel filter... in standard box...

[XXpl0Sive]

If i get a pod from autobahn now... i'd be mounting it in the factory air box rightttttttttt?YES.
hehehehehe I mean, NO.

[XXpl0Sive]

do u want rice? or do you want performance?

changing your springs to low ones will wear out your shocks and will over time, mean your car will have even worse handling that stock as the shocks will struggle to keep up.Get lower springs now, and by the time your shocks wear out, you'd have enough money to get aftermarket ones.

[vti-2]

If i get a pod from autobahn now... i'd be mounting it in the factory air box rightttttttttt?

Civic's use panel filters not pod's so you can't mount it in the factory box, unless you ... 'modify' the factory box. But you don't want to go cutting it up do you?

Just keep the car stock. If you really want to do a mod, get a pod filter and just remove the factory box and that way the induction noise should keep you happy. Don't expect power gains. :D

[vti-2]

changing your springs to low ones will wear out your shocks and will over time, mean your car will have even worse handling that stock as the shocks will struggle to keep up.

I had super low springs in my DC2 with stock shocks for 18 months and had no problems at all. My shocks were still in very good condition. So i guess there are always exceptions. 8) But i don't recommend you do that.

Just save up heaps and buy coilovers. :D

[**Ghost**]

hmmmm nah i was asking if i took the CAI route Kit suggested... which sounds interesting... by removing the resonator (woteva that is) ....would i be supsceptible to water getting in the engine...? sooooooooooo dont wantthat happening...

man just today,,,, i saw the best way to wreck a s2000... put a GT WING the size of a pool table on the boot...**sigh**

[vti-2]

hmmmm nah i was asking if i took the CAI route Kit suggested... which sounds interesting... by removing the resonator (woteva that is) ....would i be supsceptible to water getting in the engine...? sooooooooooo dont wantthat happening...

I still don't get what you want to do.

Do you want to:
a. setup a CAI where the pod is behind the front bar
b. setup a pod inside the engine bay with the resonator/airbox removed?

Because in setup (b) you don't have to worry too much about hydro locking because the odds water will get to the pod are next to none. It's only when the pod is outside the engine bay, literally behind the front bar that hydrolock can happen.

[VTEChnique]

oh and also, whatever you do, don't gut your cat.
gutting your cat is pretty stupid..
you'll get an extra 0.00000000000001kw to the wheels and in return ur pumping raw exhaust fumes out into the environment.
plus you'll get defected. (which you probably deserve if you did this mod)


have you got ANY idea ? have you seen the insides of a cat-convertor ?

you will get a noticable performance gain if you retain your STOCK exhaust system and a gutted Cat. .. not to mentioned much improved throttle response.

"raw exhaust fumes" BWAHAHAHAHAA I did mention that this mod is illegal, however the "pollution" aspect of the exhaust gasses ARE dirtier than if you were to keep your cat, however with Honda Engines, the emissions are relatively clean anyway.

In the perfect world, this guy could get a full Stainless headder (also emissions illegal), full cat0back and a HIGH-FLOW CAT.. but if you bothered to READ the dude's question - he is on a CENTRELINK budget. which means he prob doesnt live at home sponging off his mommy like you my friend.. and he has like ZERO dollars to spend.. Been there myself..

[**Ghost**]

hahaa true ture... but nto really on centrelink... i do work guys... waitering... pays the bills i guess while i study...

yeh i heard removing a cat gives u like 3 kw at the wheels...but greenpeace considerations aside, i wouldnt really wanan be that OBVIOSULY illegal... i mean a pod filter in ur car is good, makes noise at full throttle, but isnt obvious... a hole in cat burbles like nething... too obvious for me to risk...thanks for the suggestion tho : )

and what i want to do is... well since i'm clueless Vti-2, i would think i am wanting to mount the pod inside the engine bay, but somehow managing to keep it sucking cold air not engine air... is that actually possible? me kinda noob i know : )

[**Ghost**]

i mean i heard about heat shileds and stuff... but dont know if they work so well... i mean just looking at the damn things its some clear plastic around the pod... couldnt really imagining it shielding it from the hot air running around the engine bay?!!|

oh btw... my freidn gave mea free UNICHIP!!!!!!!!! but it was instqalled on a old civic Si... will this do nething for me?!?!

[luzinit]

ive been there and thought abt doin some of the things u wanted to do to ur car.. i have the same car myself.. thought about sprayin the rims.. but its something u cant go back on..

sprayin the moulds urself, i guess it can be done, but im leavin mine to a pro so there is less chances of chips and cracks happening. theres alot of bits to color code on an EK4, so u mite as well pay someone 300-500 to do it all properly.

cai, im assuming this is what ur asking abt, and is wot Kit is describing..
Put an aftermarket panel filter to replace ur stock one [like K&N, or trust or whatever]. When u remove it u will c a hole in the air box. This leads upto resonator etc. What Kit described is removing the resonator under there, and replacing it with some piping to the front of ur bumper, thus feeding cold air to the filter! (do a search its been covered many times, and some ppl even included pics.. :))

In terms of hydrolock, driving thru light rain shudnt be a problem, but big puddles etc best be avoided. But at the end of the day, the gains are negligible and if ur fingers are really that itchy then go for it. Otherwise just leave it stock :)

umm wot else. I've always been an advocate of doin something properly the first time around, so if u are gonna lower ur car, do it properly with set of decent springs + shocks. If u cant do that, try some of the stiffer springs like Tein, Eibach, etc. If u look in the right places, they can be had for similar prices to what the dodgy ones go for :)

At the end of the day, what'd i recommend is save ur money, spend a good 100-250 on getting it serviced and replace all teh fluids if it hasnt been done recently, the difference u will feel is much more appreciable then doin some dodgy shit like painting ur interior etc.

Anyways, this is probably the longest msg i've ever posted on OH, haha.. gl, have fun mate.

******omg that was a massive post.. sorry ppl. ahahha**********

[Kit]

oh and also, whatever you do, don't gut your cat.
gutting your cat is pretty stupid..
you'll get an extra 0.00000000000001kw to the wheels and in return ur pumping raw exhaust fumes out into the environment.
plus you'll get defected. (which you probably deserve if you did this mod)


have you got ANY idea ? have you seen the insides of a cat-convertor ?

you will get a noticable performance gain if you retain your STOCK exhaust system and a gutted Cat. .. not to mentioned much improved throttle response.

"raw exhaust fumes" BWAHAHAHAHAA I did mention that this mod is illegal, however the "pollution" aspect of the exhaust gasses ARE dirtier than if you were to keep your cat, however with Honda Engines, the emissions are relatively clean anyway.

In the perfect world, this guy could get a full Stainless headder (also emissions illegal), full cat0back and a HIGH-FLOW CAT.. but if you bothered to READ the dude's question - he is on a CENTRELINK budget. which means he prob doesnt live at home sponging off his mommy like you my friend.. and he has like ZERO dollars to spend.. Been there myself..

*shakes head* obviously we have some immature minded ppl here. and I love the bit about you saying i sponge off my mother.

thanks for the flame anyway, its always interesting how people can cast judgement like that.

dude, i was being sarcastic about the 0.000000000001 kw gain. of course you will get a power gain if you gut the cat, but the cat has a very important function, and it removes alot of the pollution from the raw exhaust gases.
I reckon, if you gut your cat, you deserve to get defected. :)

Now back to the original question,
Ghost as someone Luznit mentioned, if you remove your panel filter you will see a hole in the bottom. this hole in the bottom joins onto a black U shaped pipe, the pipe goes down, and back into the engine bay. At the bottom of the U there is a big white chamber, this is the resonator, and it blocks out alot of the induction noise created by the engine.

so you can either remove the U pipe, and do some custom piping into the area vacated by the removed piping, or you can actually cut the U pipe just after it reaches into the area behind the bumper, obviously you won't be able to return it back to stock after that, but that is an option you can take. and if you do cut it, get a heat gun, and heat up the end, then put it onto a ball or something to mould it into a horn shape.

if you cut or create a pipe that is fairly short and therefore high up, that is, the pipe ends the moment it enters the area behind the bumper, then your car would have to be pretty submerged into water to get hydro lock.
I actually ran an AEM style CAI for a couple of years on my civic, and I drove in teh rain, and through puddles and I never had any problems.

one other thing to remember that airbox and plenum volumes and intake lengths and all that stuff is tuned from the factory, so by modifying the intake you affect this tuning. by reducing the volume of air in the airbox (like by removing the box and adding a pod) you are reducing the response of the engine. but retaining the stock air box and modifying the feed pipe doesnt affect this.

Hope that helps

Chris

[A'PEXi]

good explaination by chris... basically i think what he suggested would be the most centerlink type beneficial mod you could get... creating a cai effect sort of intake which feeds your airbox with a bit more cool air, and is less restrictive...

on the other hand, if you are looking at spending more money, something like the proper aem cai intake setup may give you a bit more noise as well as power... i've got a aem replica atm with blitz pod and since i've installed it, the car's been a bit more responsive under throttle... haven't had any problems in rain either, because it sits behind the drivers side frontbar and there is a mudguard which also surrounds the other side of the pod, enclosing it sort of..

[vti-2]

and what i want to do is... well since i'm clueless Vti-2, i would think i am wanting to mount the pod inside the engine bay, but somehow managing to keep it sucking cold air not engine air... is that actually possible? me kinda noob i know : )

That is possible. So you want a pod in the engine bay with some sort of pipe feeding it cold air from under the car?

Very possible, you would need a custom made metal pipe or an easier and cheaper method is using that flexible all weather pipe and running it from behind the front bar directly to the pod area. You will need to make a custom heat shielded box to keep the cool air in that area where the pod is so having said that you may as well stick to an aftermarket panel style filter and feed it the cold air via that pipe. ;)

And by doing that you won't need to worry about hydrolock.

[**Ghost**]

sweet man... but since my fingers are about as agile as a monkey's and my knowledge about cars negligibl at best... ne kits aftermarket that do the job\?>

[vti-2]

sweet man... but since my fingers are about as agile as a monkey's and my knowledge about cars negligibl at best... ne kits aftermarket that do the job\?>

Where abouts are you again? I'm sure some of the members on Ozhonda will be willing to help you out! :)

[**Ghost**]

I'm in melbourne!! Eastern Suburbs!! Helppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp :P

But ah well the guy is giving the car to me on friday nehow... haha being honest with u guys tho... since he lives 5 minutes away from me... i'm kinda snooping around having a perv at my new ride everyday almost hahahahha

[LatinoHatchCrap]

i'll help!! where abouts are ya bro? i would however not pay too much attention to all this anit-pod talk and do what you want. Personally i run the apexi power intake kit which is a filter attached to my stock intake arm and the difference between this kit and the stock airbox is like night and day :)

[VTEC16]

he is on a CENTRELINK budget. which means he prob doesnt live at home sponging off his mommy like you my friend..

:thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::t humbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thu mbsdown::thumbsdown:

no flames please.

[**Ghost**]

Thanks guys... well i'm getting the car on friday, and yeh we'll see then... i wanna get insurance for the car before i do anything to it...cos then at least the inspector wont see a fat pod hanging off : )

[Redteg]

Just speaking from experience and not as a rich bastard scoffing at others **Ghost**, but make sure you can afford to cough up for maintenance and unexpeted repairs. I'd spend the $30 for the pod filter on some engine oil and the $20 or so from the paint on filters, plugs, etc.

I've been caught out once having a very pretty car which didn't move around sitting in my garage, and it isn't very nice. Now i'm working my butt off just to have a pool of funds for the year, just in case I hit any rough patches.

(I read pages 1 & 4, sorry if its already been said)

[LatinoHatchCrap]

if you regularly maintain your car and its in good cond when you buy ut there wont be much need to save up for rough patches. LOL work while you study and then you can have a nice car thats quick and looks clean :thumbsup:

[**Ghost**]

hahahaits damn hard to find money to pay for petrol nowdays... let alone keeping the car modded and cleaned...

hey someone gave me a unichip for free... its sitting next to me now... but wtf does it do?!?! how do i use it? even the guy wasnt sure if it was good for me, cos he had it on an old Civic Si Eg... (ADM)

[Kit]

Ghost, if its a unichip from a EG civic, it might not fit.

if i remember correctly, the unichip is a piggyback computer.
it is an add-on for your standard ECU and it allows the tuner to adjust things like ignition timing and fuel maps and such. its good for squeezing out a few extra kw throughout the entire revrange.

but piggyback computers are typically ECU specific, so hence may not fit.

you need someone to fit and tune it, usually on a dyno, i think this costs around $400.

Chris

[mo]

centrelink style? just get a panel filter, remove ya resonator and make your own cai feeding from front bar or somewhere similar.

sorry didn't bother to read the 4 pages at all lol.

[**Ghost**]

Thanks chris, i'll go check on it... cos yeh apparently it cost him a lot new... so if it fits so much the better... but ishould sort out my exhaust and intake before i put it on right?

[Kit]

Thanks chris, i'll go check on it... cos yeh apparently it cost him a lot new... so if it fits so much the better... but ishould sort out my exhaust and intake before i put it on right?

nah, it doesnt really matter, u'll still get power gains from a stock car. but of course there will be more of a power gain if you have breathing mods.

check to see if it is right for your ECU first, cos i think it probably wont.

also ask how much it will cost to tune, and also how much for a retune to accomodate future mods.

Chris

[vti-2]

hahahaits damn hard to find money to pay for petrol nowdays... let alone keeping the car modded and cleaned...

hey someone gave me a unichip for free... its sitting next to me now... but wtf does it do?!?! how do i use it? even the guy wasnt sure if it was good for me, cos he had it on an old Civic Si Eg... (ADM)

Stay away from the Unichip.

The fact you were given the chip for free and the fact the guy didn't even know if you would get gains should ring alarm bells.

Don't pay someone your hard earned money to install and 'tune' that chip because i'm telling you now you won't get good power gains and will end up regretting doing it.

APS do heaps of these and have done a B16A Civic. Check out the link below for the Civic VTECH. LOL! The guys couldn't even get the spelling for VTEC right. Not only that but the power gains they made could have been achieved with I/H/E anyway.

http://www.airpowersystems.com.au/unichip/dyno/honda/civic_vtech.html

Sell the chip to someone else and save your money!

[LatinoHatchCrap]

hahahaits damn hard to find money to pay for petrol nowdays... let alone keeping the car modded and cleaned...

if you can afford a 10K car you should be able to afford petrol. If you're strugglin to afford the essentials you prob bought the wrong car for your needs :|

[madgrk]

I am glad somebody has FINALLY come to realise that there is a differance between OWNING a car and BUYING a car... **sigh**

Just because you bought a car man, I would assume you want to drive it correct? Keep it stock, and dont waste your money on pathetic mods that will only make you re-do them because they aren't doing much in the long run. Do as Vic said and just drop a pod in for the noise if you want and thats it. They're a nice car stock anyway...

theo

[**Ghost**]

yeh i reckon that pretty sums it up...and yeh about the petrol... of course i can AFFORD it... but it doesnt really help when its a buck a litre for BP ultimate is it?

hey off the topic... is ne one on this forum rich enough to have gone IN autosalon/

[AC]

yeah i went, but ain't rich...why do u ask??

btw, shell optimax is better than bp ultimate :)

[**Ghost**]

Motor mag said BP was better apparently...

oh so u actually ENTERED? i dunno cos i reckon ne car that enters must have a rich owner :P and it'd be worth seeing

[LatinoHatchCrap]

to keep a long sory short these are the mods that i would do if my budget was very small...say 500 bucks :)
1. megiuars cleaning equipment: car shampoo, wool mint, wax, application pads, vynil protectant. COST= $60
2. you can pick up a 2nd hand good brand intake from someone here; otherwise get in contact with thangy and get him to get you a panel filter of sorts. you can also remove the resonator box and instead go to bunnings and get some pvc piping. COST= $75-180
3. remove your spare tyre and buy a can of tyre filler. THIS IS NOT RECOMENDED IF YOU TAKE LONG TRIPS. If you want to take it further and its ususally just you taking trips by yourself take the back seats out of the car as well. COST = $9
4. remove your power steering belt. this will release some power say 3kw's?? COST= $0
5. buy a shift knob. you can pick up bargains in the traders' forums. original jdm stuff like mugen and spoon. Remember you'rre changing gears all the time COST $60
6. buy some 2nd hand springs and dump that ish! nothing looks more sexy than stokish clean EK dumped at least 1.5" which is wot king lows do. They always come and go in the FS forum. I picked up mine for 80 bucks :P i couldnt be happier with the price for what they are. COST= 80-140
7. paint the wheel covers black unless you've got rims already. I would paint them gunmental or flat black. COST=$16

Holy shit my list just kept on growing! Im sure you get the idea. IMO forget about pianting the mouldings just yet as its expensive and for that $ you can get other stuff done which is more satisfying. Its important to understand that a clean car always impresses no matter how modded it is or its not. Keep your car clean and it'll bring smiles and compliments all the time :thumbsup:

-Joe

[LatinoHatchCrap]

if your car is a sohc i dunt think you need to buy 98 RON. I think thats only the case with dohc VTEC...

[Kit]

if your car is a sohc i dunt think you need to buy 98 RON. I think thats only the case with dohc VTEC...

dude, he got a VTi-R. so thats the B16A2 engine.

about petrol, I also prefer BP ultimate over shell optimax..
Shell has a high sulphur content, hence the rotten eggs smell whenever you drive the car hard.
BP also has slightly higher octane.

[**Ghost**]

i agree kit... but i reckon it smells worse than bad eggs... i work in a kitchen sometimes... it smells like the gunk left in the washing machine at the end of the day... or rather the steam that comes off it

thanks latino!

at last somebody understands my needs : )

yeh i was getting king springs already... but the thing is i heard they screw up the stock shockies or something? oh and one more thing... do i have to take it to insurance COMPANY to get insurance? or will a fone call suffice\? never had a sports car so dont know if i need an inspection or nething... if so i'm going to wiat till Mr Inspector gets a good look at it

[AC]

damn... i was told that optimax has higher octane than bp...all well i jus use normal unleaded anyways heheh

ghost, i didn't enter my car into the autosalon...i went though, i misread ur question :oops:

about insurance, for me, it was done all over the phone with AAMI so i'm not sure bout other places, although my EG si wouldn't raise as much suspicion as a vtir i guess.

[mugsee]

I heard that ART/Technik Tuning in Melbourne did a couple of tests on fuel and ended up saying that Optimax was better for ITR's... ?

I find that my fuel ecconomy is really shocking with Optimax. I pull less than 100k/10L but I get something like 110k/10L with Ultimate. I think I might be sacrificing a little bit of performance though, but I'm fine with that... at least until petrol prices come down...

[Kit]

I heard that ART/Technik Tuning in Melbourne did a couple of tests on fuel and ended up saying that Optimax was better for ITR's... ?

I find that my fuel ecconomy is really shocking with Optimax. I pull less than 100k/10L but I get something like 110k/10L with Ultimate. I think I might be sacrificing a little bit of performance though, but I'm fine with that... at least until petrol prices come down...

if you are getting better fuel economy how can that possibly be sacrificing performance?

if your car is making more power, you don't need to step as hard on the throttle hence you save fuel :)

[mugsee]

I was under the assumption that if your fuel wasn't burning as fast (in this instance), your engine wasn't combusting efficiently - hence less power... :?:

it doesn't have much to do with throttle - I'm always on the light side of the throttle...

...ahahaha, what a lie...

but when i'm driving conservatively i'm always on the light side of the throttle so I don't think it was a case of ultimate having better power.

Maybe i was just in the honeymoon period with the car and just fanging it around a bit too much...? i doubt it, but i'll change to optimax next week and try seeing how I go with it again. :)

[Kit]

I was under the assumption that if your fuel wasn't burning as fast (in this instance), your engine wasn't combusting efficiently - hence less power... :?:

it doesn't have much to do with throttle - I'm always on the light side of the throttle...

...ahahaha, what a lie...

but when i'm driving conservatively i'm always on the light side of the throttle so I don't think it was a case of ultimate having better power.

Maybe i was just in the honeymoon period with the car and just fanging it around a bit too much...? i doubt it, but i'll change to optimax next week and try seeing how I go with it again. :)

yep, the other thing you gotta remember is that octane decreases with age. So you can fill up at two different petrol stations and get a different octane fuel (depending on how long its been sitting there of course).

and also doing an fuel economy test is largely inaccurate, mainly cos you'll never drive the same on any two tanks of fuel. but if you get large differences in fuel economy then thats a good thing :)

I remember back in the olden days when there was no 98RON fuel, I used to put Napthalene (read Moth Balls) into my fuel to give it a bit more octane. I know lots of people thought I was mad, but i got an average of 50km extra out of each tank over normal premium.

about your comment regarding the fuel not burning as efficiently hence better economy, i'm really not too sure about that, but if its not burning as efficiently, i don't see how that will effect fuel economy, only power output. but in any case, were only taking like 1 or 2kws difference here, so its not like its a major power gain :)

[A'PEXi]

moth balls ????

[**Ghost**]

MOTH BALLS?!?

[mugsee]

...lol. your tempting me to chuck in a couple of moth balls into my dads old POS... lol. if the engine dies, can i hold you responsible? ;) haha...

[mo]

Just for ray!! who doesnt know what moth balls are


Mothballs have been around for years. They were what every mother used to keep the moths out of winter and summer clothes. The mothballs would be placed in a trunk to also keep the clothes deodorized. People used mothballs under their sofa cushions and in drawers and closets and under rugs. They were placed everywhere. Mothballs were the most inexpensive deodorizer to buy, so they were purchased in large quantities and used most frequently.

Now we find out that mothballs contain naphthalene, which is a poison if inhaled. Mothballs can cause nausea, vomiting and headache. Other signs of illness are shortness of breath, coughing and burning eyes.

Yes that is what moth balls are and also what are in there.
I believe that you crush the moth balls using a hammer or something so it's all powdery and put it into the fuel yes? Not sure though

Btw. moth balls look like "kool mints" - those lollies

[A'PEXi]

lol i know what they are, i just didnt know the "english" term for them hehe :D

[**Ghost**]

Man, where in the world did u get the idea of putting that in ur fuel ?!?!?!

If u say itwokrs i'll take ur word for it... but seriously were u shitting urself and waiting for explosions the first time u did it

[Kit]

mothballs (the 99.9% napthalene ones) are safe to put into your fuel.
just make sure its not the camphor ones lol.

I used to use the powdered napthalene, but initially, i used to crush moth balls, 1 per 10L of fuel in the tank, so therefore 4.5 balls to fill up an entire tank.

napthalene boosts octane and is used in some octane boosters.
I did extensive research before doing it the first time, and in the end i only stopped doing it cos optimax was released, and also I started getting too lazy to pre mix and melt them into some fuel before filling up etc.

Mothballs have been used to get the edge in cart racing for years. people used to put them in the fuel filter of their carts, in the first few laps the carts were faster until the mothballs in the fuel filter ran out.

those of you from HK may have seen one of those current affairs shows a few years back do a story on mothballs in fuel, they tested it by putting some in the fuel tank of a scooter. It made a significant difference in power!

[LatinoHatchCrap]

yeh i was getting king springs already... but the thing is i heard they screw up the stock shockies or something?
I can only speak from experience. I run king LOWs on ITR shocks front and back and have had no probs for the last 5 months :)

[vti-2]

yeh i was getting king springs already... but the thing is i heard they screw up the stock shockies or something?
I can only speak from experience. I run king LOWs on ITR shocks front and back and have had no probs for the last 5 months :)

I ran King Superlows on my DC2 with stock shocks for over a year, with no problems. :D

[Kit]

yeh i was getting king springs already... but the thing is i heard they screw up the stock shockies or something?
I can only speak from experience. I run king LOWs on ITR shocks front and back and have had no probs for the last 5 months :)

I ran King Superlows on my DC2 with stock shocks for over a year, with no problems. :D

yeah, in the short term, running lowered springs on stock shocks won't do anything, but over time they will wear out significantly quicker than if you ran the stock springs.

other thing is, running lowered springs on stock shocks, doesnt typically change your car's handling characteristics for the better. As the lowered springs cause the shocks to dampen near the end of their travel, they can have trouble keeping up with road irregularities etc.

I would say, if you're doing it for performance, then dont do it, cos you'll be very dissapointed. save up, and hold off for some springs + shocks.

just think, you spend $150 for springs, $150-$200 for fitting, then another $90 for a 4 wheel alignment... you may as well get the shocks done at the same time... just remember the cheap ass option now = more money later on.

[VTEChnique]

yeah i went, but ain't rich...why do u ask??

btw, shell optimax is better than bp ultimate :)
Shell Optimax = 96 Octane

BP Ultimate = 98 Octane...

I personally find the Shell 'Premium' to be the worst !!

2nd to the BP Ultimate is Caltex's Vortex but that is only 96 Octane.

BP Ultimate by far..

( I am in WA so PERHAPS you are getting different fuel at your Shell's ?? )

[vti-2]

yeh i was getting king springs already... but the thing is i heard they screw up the stock shockies or something?
I can only speak from experience. I run king LOWs on ITR shocks front and back and have had no probs for the last 5 months :)

I ran King Superlows on my DC2 with stock shocks for over a year, with no problems. :D

yeah, in the short term, running lowered springs on stock shocks won't do anything, but over time they will wear out significantly quicker than if you ran the stock springs.

They probably would. Like i said, i probably had mine like that for 13-14months and had no negative effects. When i got the RWC done the shocks were still in good condition and there was no damage on any of the suspension components. :)


other thing is, running lowered springs on stock shocks, doesnt typically change your car's handling characteristics for the better. As the lowered springs cause the shocks to dampen near the end of their travel, they can have trouble keeping up with road irregularities etc.

True. Mine handled fairly well though. I went GOR last year with a group of Honda's and there was only one other crazy bastard that kept up with me. Handled great on corners. It depends greatly on the driver too i guess. :D


I would say, if you're doing it for performance, then dont do it, cos you'll be very dissapointed. save up, and hold off for some springs + shocks.

just think, you spend $150 for springs, $150-$200 for fitting, then another $90 for a 4 wheel alignment... you may as well get the shocks done at the same time... just remember the cheap ass option now = more money later on.

I agree 100%. Do it right first time. If you can't afford Tein coilovers for example you can match your own springs/shocks to make a good all round package. There are heaps of cheaper options out there like Koni etc when it comes to coilovers. Just don't get cheap sleeve coilovers.

Bottom line, don't get lowered springs without replacing shocks as well as it can have quite a negative effect. And even if you are not after performance but good handling, upgrade the shocks when you do the springs. :)

[**Ghost**]

hey guys thanks for the input... yeh eventually i will swap to coilovers...i'm applying to be a university tutor so should be ok if i get that job...

buyt for NOW... i reckon stock shocks with new springs be ok... i rther pay that extra for alignment/fit now and have a sweety low car until i get coils

oh btw... when i pop my engine theres that front bar across it for chassis rigity .... is that the STRUT brace? or is that the swaybar?

*respect* for someone who would put moth balsl in their engine.. .

[Kit]

thats called a chassis bar i think, its not a strut tower bar cos its actually not bolted to the struts.

A swaybar (or stabilizer bar) is on the bottom of the car and is a U shaped rod... well a really wide and squarish U anyway.
it is bolted onto the lower suspension arms and reduces body roll during cornering (by limiting the amount of difference in movement between the left and right lower suspension arms)

[LatinoHatchCrap]

VTI2+KIT: shocks and springs for the street. Coilovers for the track. My handling is cool nothing especial but for 80 bucks its more than sufficient for my current needs.

Ghost: just get the king springs and pm me i know a place where you can get them installed for much cheaper than kit suggests.

[**Ghost**]

Latino: thanks man will do!! : ) but i think i have to wait till next week... cos RACV wants to see my car first... and it'd be a bad idea to bring it in modified... especailly since my car is complete stock right now

[vti-2]

VTI2+KIT: shocks and springs for the street. Coilovers for the track. My handling is cool nothing especial but for 80 bucks its more than sufficient for my current needs.

Ghost: just get the king springs and pm me i know a place where you can get them installed for much cheaper than kit suggests.

LatinoHatchCrap - Coilovers are fine on the street too. Just depends on how much folding stuff you have. :)

**Ghost** - if you are definitely interested in King springs give the guys at Suspension City a call. Speak to Damian, he will take care of you.

41 Provost St
North Melbourne VIC 3051
PH: 03 9329 5133

Highly recommended. :thumbsup:

[LatinoHatchCrap]

you beat me to it man. suspension city is the way to go :thumbsup:
I wouldnt run coilovers unless i was tracking my car.
Even then I wouldnt run coilovers with high spring rates on the street as it is stupid and unnecessary unless I track my car.
In any case coilovers just for the street with high spring rates are a waste of $$$$. For the $$$$ you can buy two brand new sets of springs and adjustable shocks that will suffice your needs.