Project HX: Efficient Style

[HeX]

I'm one step closer to mounting the HX rims. Hankook 175/70-14; a slightly thinner, thus lighter, tire that allows for improved penetration through snow in the winter. Dont expect to find this size for much longer. Companies are fazing them out.

11lb HX rim + 15lb tire = 26 total pounds per wheel

 

[slayer1219]

HX owner here too!... just showing some love, nice looking car

 

[HeX]

HX owner here too!... just showing some love, nice looking car

I appreciate that, fellow HXer. You may wish to click on my signature titled HX Owners Unite! where the rest of us HX owners make ourselves known.

 

[HeX]

The powder coated Civic HX rims are mounted! The center caps are painted charcoal metallic. Unfortunately, I need one more center cap but I have a temporary replacement. If anyone has an extra laying around, please let me know.

 

[mc360]

god your car is super clean, i wish my hx was that clean and still around. you should have kept the center caps close to the same color as the rims and painted the H

 

[HeX]

god your car is super clean, i wish my hx was that clean and still around. you should have kept the center caps close to the same color as the rims and painted the H

Thanks. Matching the rim powder coat color would prove to be nearly impossible because its an uncommon silver tone. Hence, it would never be exact without having someone try to color match the paint. Its not worth wasting extra time or money to color match center caps on a daily driver. As for the H, I'll likely paint it eventually.

Next on the list are black lug nuts. I do not like chrome so I'm eliminating all that I can.

 

[HeX]

I found a 4th center cap and painted then installed it along with the black lug nuts.

 

[HeX]

Update

Here are some updated pictures, in better quality than usual.

The clear on my red taillights started to peal a bit in some small spots, so I chose to just swap in SI lights I purchased for $50 at a junk yard.

 

[young_]

Lookin good man! New tail lights look great. Dang good price at 50 bucks

 

[HeX]

UPDATE: Trunk Panels

I also finally completed all of my black custom trunk panels. I was missing those under the sub.

 

[HeX]

Lookin good man! New tail lights look great. Dang good price at 50 bucks

Thanks, Young. It helped that the lady up front didnt know the difference in Civic lights. Otherwise, the usual guy would've charged me about $75. I also got several fuses & relays along with an aftermarket lower grille ($90-$140 reg. price) for just $15 more bucks.

 

[HeX]

Opinions Please

I'm considering some options and would like your input in case I haven't factored in something else.

1. I want to powder coat my muffler tip. I want no finished metals on the exterior. I'm deciding between either color-matching it to the rims or going black. I worry that black would just blend in & wash out with the car.

2. The grille I recently purchased at the junkyard is silver, which matches with nothing else. Its also a little rusty and tarnished so it needs new paint anyways. Plus I will be cutting it to fit around the fog lights. I'm almost dead set on powder coating the lower grille in black so it matches with the upper grille in color and style. However, I flirt with the idea of also color-matching it with the rims, but I think having them in the rim color will be too much and still not look as good as in black.

3. For months I've been mulling over whether or not to install the EX trunk spoiler. It seems to make the rear end look too tall, in relation to the front end, on most Civics that have it. However, I haven't yet seen a side profile of the EX spoiler on a Civic with a rear lip. I'd appreciate any pictures anyone may have that'll help my decision.

 

[HeX]

Those insight seats look amazing, i might have to find a set.

Here's a better quality picture of the Honda Insight seats in my Civic.

 

[young_]

The muffler tip looks like it already kind of matches your wheels. :O I'm not too familiar with anyone powder coating their muffler tip. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Could be awesome, could be.. Not as awesome.

Do you have any particular examples that have influenced you, or is this your own idea?

I don't think the lower grille being silver would look good, personally. Black is a good option

 

[HeX]

The muffler tip looks like it already kind of matches your wheels. :O

Nah. Its a chrome tip I scrubbed with steel wool to emulate polished aluminum. I hate chrome finishes.

I'm not too familiar with anyone powder coating their muffler tip. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Could be awesome, could be.. Not as awesome.

Do you have any particular examples that have influenced you, or is this your own idea?

Its just my own idea driven by the fact that I don't want any finished metal surfaces on the exterior. I may just leave it but I like the idea that everything on the exterior goes with a scheme.

I don't think the lower grille being silver would look good, personally. Black is a good option

Thats how I feel, which is why I'm almost positive I'll just go with black unless someone has a better idea I haven't yet considered.

 

[CHILD]

11lb HX rim + 15lb tire = 26 total pounds per wheel
]

Wish I would've weighed my tires with my current setup. My job speeds were a bit heavier than the hx wheel and tire but my nt03 are far lighter than the j speeds. Wonder how close it is to the hx combo. I have much lighter front brakes so that might make up the total difference.

Cool project

 

[si_gn]

Great build so far! Being that the main reason I got civic was to get reliability and gas mileage for my long work commute I know exactly what your trying to achieve.

Have you been able to check what mileage you get from full tank to almost empty?? Just curious what the y5 does compared to my y8. The best I've gotten is 370miles on one full tank, however 90% of that is all highway. I drive 110 miles a day due to work. I also have a 2013 cr-z , and believe it or not, the most I've gotten is about 350miles granted it has about a 10 gal. Tank

 

[CHILD]

^^^^interested in that as well. If I could calm down I could have some decent info for comparison, but I did do 202 miles at slightly above half a tank with the k swap on highway. Then I got bored and took off lol.

 

[HeX]

Cool project

Great build so far! Being that the main reason I got civic was to get reliability and gas mileage for my long work commute I know exactly what your trying to achieve.

Thanks, fellas.

Have you been able to check what mileage you get from full tank to almost empty?? Just curious what the y5 does compared to my y8. The best I've gotten is 370miles on one full tank, however 90% of that is all highway. I drive 110 miles a day due to work. I also have a 2013 cr-z , and believe it or not, the most I've gotten is about 350miles granted it has about a 10 gal. Tank

The most I've gotten so far is 394 miles on 9.8 gallons, which averaged 40.2 mpg. I never drive it to near empty (11.3 gallons or so). I have gotten 41+ MPG on a fill-up. My city/highway driving varies each week although I drive far more highway miles lately. My MPG number will vary as sometimes I'll drive at the HXs optimal 60-ish MPH and other times I'll go 75+MPH because I'm tired of my near-hour commute to or from work. I'm still always open to anything that will increase my fuel efficiency, although I fully accept I dont have the patience to constantly drive at all the HXs optimal speeds and shift points. I'm quite content averaging around 40 MPG while filling up once a week and hardly ever surpassing 9.5 gallons.

 

[si_gn]

That's great MPG HeX! I try to stay at 70mph on the highway which puts me right at 3k rpms. That doesn't last very long tho, usually running late to work, or just want to hurry home lol