Upcoming Mods to 03 civic lx sedan and questions

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
Hey everybody. I have a few questions about some mods i want to do by christmas. i have all the money i need but also need some advice.

I have been saving for a long long time and i finally have the money to get these KOBE Envy rims.

http://www.wheelsnext.com/wheels-tires-packages/KOBE-Envy-Machined w| Black.html

I'll get the 17x7 with the Wanli S-1048 All season tires 215/45/17

This header,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-01-02-03-04-05-Civic-DX-LX-Performance-Header_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c39Q3a1Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem350111751547QQitemZ350111751547

I already have a Tsudo Catback. My old header cracked after i hit a deer. i need a new one cus the weld i put on my old one keeps cracking. I finally had to braze it but it looks like crap. so i'm just going to get a new one.

now for the questions.

i have the money to lower it. but i dont want to get like a tein full suspension kit. I just want lowering springs. How much should i lower it with the 17s?? if i do an inch and a half will i need a camber kit? and what brands are the BEST without being TEIN. i want good. But not crazy expensive good. but i like my car and dont want to half ass it.

thanks in advance for all yalls help. anything is welcomed.

Gasket
 

baron340

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those wheels are definitely not my style but hey its your car. yes you will need a camber kit if you lower it at all. i recommend getting struts and springs no matter what you do. tokico blues are pretty good and not too expensive. i've got those and matched tokico springs, about an 1.5" drop. but springs are springs for the most part, just depends on how low you want to go.
 


Liquidice944

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Gasket,
Those are pretty nice wheels, idk about how they would like on a civic though. Whatever you like go for though. If you dont have rotas or red/green rims, the rest of the guys wont like them lol, dont worry about it.
 

Kaotic_Zeus

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i see those wheels everywhere on a honda.

if you're going to spend that much on a ebay header, you can get a megan header for about the same price and it's pretty decent quality.

Get neuspeed sports theyre nearly the same price as the, they have a perfect drop for the sedans because they're the only ones that are actually really made for our sedans, you only need a camber kit for the rear,SPC is your best choice for camber kit for the price, the front isn't even worth getting a camber kit. just adjust toe on the front, and you're set.
 


BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
ok. SPC rear camber kit. adjust toe on front. and neuspeed springs. thanks bro. the reason i picked those rims was because not only the tire deal tha comes with it. but the fact i have a gloss black and clearcoat hood with the stock satin silver paint job. they arent too flashy but still really nice.. and cheaper than enywhere else i looked. any other suggestions?? oh. and thanks Zeus.
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
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http://www.neuspeed.com/products/product_details.asp?app=33|CV&type=2&ltype=ns_import&p_id=891
i found these for an 01 and up civic sedan. but i just want to make sure they would work on my car.
 

Kaotic_Zeus

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Thats the camber kit for the front, I wouldn't buy it unless i got a really good deal for both front and rear.

and yeap if they're for 01 sedans then they should work for your 03 you should see a picture of a big fat spring(macpherson coil) and then some small ones. They're like the only lowering springs that were actually made for the 7th gen sedan. The rest sag, because they were all made for a coupe even though most brands dont specify.
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
so thats not just a camber bolt? its the actual kit?? i looked some more and found some other things. i am a pro under the hood. but as far as suspension goes... im such a noob. thanks alot for your help bro.
 

Civic_Addict

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oooh a generic header!!! fun. I wouldnt suggest them. but there okay i dont have a afternarket header on my ride. its too much to put a cat on the damn thing
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
yeah. i looked into a tsudo header for my car but the 4-2-1 was all they had. and i already have a catback thats setup for a 4-1. i had a DCS header on before and like i said. it didnt hold up too well to a 330lb deer. lol. Civic+330lb 18 point buck+ 67mph= $6000 in damage. DAMMMMN.
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
oooh a generic header!!! fun. I wouldnt suggest them. but there okay i dont have a afternarket header on my ride. its too much to put a cat on the damn thing
Do you have a catback? how does it sound with the cat deleted? my catback is 2.5" all the way back mandrel bent. and has the biggest damn muffler on the market on it. it sounds really toned now. but thats with an A2 manifold on it. i want it to be really really loud. but toned. and sound like its really put together and not just pieced together like a tinker toy.
 

vjf915

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I wouldnt suggest going with an ebay generic header, you might think that its just pipe welded together so what difference does it make.....not worth it. Go for a new HP or Megan header, I hear those are good. Or you can get something like a used DC header. Use your stock gaskets.
 

EMIIspecED

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i like my megan header but to get the full power from it u need the downpipe and cat back
 

BlownGasket

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i like my megan header but to get the full power from it u need the downpipe and cat back
so you have the ex? and do you have a stock exhaust other than the header? if i get the racing header for the lx and connect it up to my tsudo catback do you recon i'd get all the power it could give out of it? and do you think it would do better than the DCS header i used to have on there?
 

vjf915

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Since you have a SOHC non-vtec 1.7l, and the specs for most aftermarket headers for the D17A1 are VERY similar to the stock header....you unfortunately wont see any gains at all. Its more of an engine dress-up for our D17s.
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
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Since you have a SOHC non-vtec 1.7l, and the specs for most aftermarket headers for the D17A1 are VERY similar to the stock header....you unfortunately wont see any gains at all. Its more of an engine dress-up for our D17s.
Are you sure. I mean i know D17s dont respond to upgrades as much as the k or the B series engines. But i really noticed a gain with the catback alone on. then even more so when i had the DCS header on there. Doesnt the diameter of the pipe being increased allow for more flow and less resistance? I know its not much of a gain but there has to be some. i mean it physically just doesnt make sence for there to be none.
 

vjf915

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You might notice a difference on the higher end if you get something like a 4-2-1 header, but you will most likely lose a little bit on the lower end. I dont believe that anyone makes a 4-1 header with long runners, but if you get one with short runners, the diameter and shape of the runners is very similar to that of the stock header. You saw a gain with the cat-back exhaust because it was less restrictive than your stock exhaust. More air flow isnt always going to mean more power.
 

EMIIspecED

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Blowngasket;
I've got a megan header, megan down pipe, and megan cat-back exhaust on my 05 ex,
i notice the gain when i put the header and the down pipe, keep in mind it is a lot louder but u get used to it

can't u do a ex exhaust swap on ur lx?
 

BlownGasket

Civic From Hell
5+ Year Member
Blowngasket;
I've got a megan header, megan down pipe, and megan cat-back exhaust on my 05 ex,
i notice the gain when i put the header and the down pipe, keep in mind it is a lot louder but u get used to it

can't u do a ex exhaust swap on ur lx?
i can but i like noise lol. just how much louder is yours? and does you catback have a small resonator like the Tsudos have? i had an ex conversion but after a while i became more of a pain to keep it running than just deleting the cat. i could never find new cats for cheap. i could only find used ex cats and those always had lots of miles on them. so i just said F%&$ it and cut it completely.
 


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