First off, just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Michael Titman (greatest last name on the planet IMO) and am from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I'm a computer genius forced into an electrical position at Clipper Windpower. Well, sort of forced. Long story. Anyway I just mean to state that I am NOT a mechanic by any means. I learn well, and that's why I'm here.

About a month ago I bought my first Honda Civic. It's a 1999 LX 5-speed manual. Yeah, the one with the sh*tty D16y7 and the 90 horses it comes with. But I still fell in love with driving this car for some reason. It's downright fun! But I really need to work on the horsepower on this thing. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do everything I possibly could to aftermarket this beast into a thing of pure beauty... but the lack of oomphh, especially going up hills, just bothers the hell out of me.

So I've done some initial asking around, and I'm told that one of the most significant upgrades I can do is swap the engine out for a B18c1.

I should probably tell you my goal with this thing. I want to beef it up to the hilt, with the exception of nitro (just not interested right now). I'd like the drive train, transmission, exhaust, and whatever else to have a lot of horse power, and it be able to take it as well.

That and a six speed manual.

With that in mind, here's my first few noob questions for you:

Is the B18c1 what I'm really after? If so, what other improvements/upgrades to the B18c1 as well as the rest of the car itself would you recommend? If you have any forward thinking of "Oh, with that power you need better brakes" type stuff in mind I'd appreciate it.

And I don't mean to start any brand wars here either, but while making improvement recommendations I'd also appreciate any knowledge of the "best of the best" manufacturers, etc in your suggestions.

And on a final note: I found a guy (a friend of a friend if you will) that's mainly a BMW nut who seems to be quite the genius on any vehicle that's willing to help me put this all together once I get all my ducks in a row. I'm doing the research now... and I've found a lot of DIY guides at this and other forum sites that can help me prepare with wiring issues, mounting, etc. But right now, I just need those with more knowledge than me to point me in the right direction.

If I can do anything for any one of you in return I will.

Oh, and pictures of my car are in my profile.