Hello all. Just a few days ago I was trying to figure out a small engine problem, and hadn't seriously considered boosting the performance of my car. But I've been browsing the forums since and my curiosity's peaked. So I guess now that I'm curious, here's my next question:

I have a stock 98 EX sedan. What might be the first thing to do to upgrade my performance? I understand that the first thing most people hit are the intake and exhaust. But which first, and what types of parts, etc.? This car is a daily driver, so I wouldn't want to do much at this point to cause major problems, but in the future ... hmmm ...

 

Definatly Cold air intake. Cheap and easy to install but don't get a 20$ intake from ebay. You will still end up paying like 50 bucks for shipping, not worth it. And only get cold air intake. K&N and AEM is the way to go.

 

If you don't care about being flashy, the cheapset way is to make one yourself. It's really not that hard. I don't think it matters what brand you get, because they are all just consist of pipes and a filter. The more expensive ones are powdercoated for heat resistance, but I doubt that it would make a dramatic difference.

 

P & P your head
Deck the head
Like the other thred suggested make a cold air intake
Good Exhaust
good plugs and wires

 

I have an Injen intake and it is very nice. That was the first thing that I modefied.

 

From experience I would say build the engine first. Replace the rods, pistons, valves, valve springs, maybe get the block sleeved, and get your ECU reprogrammed or chipped to jack up the redline. After this, you'll obviously want to add an air intake, so if you don't want to spend the money on a full rebuild system just yet, an air intake is the way to go. Also highly effective are new plugs and wires (Bosch double platinum).

 

Hey Kappa, how much would a rebuild cost? Labor and cost of parts... i dont know how to or have the tools

 

haha, if you have to ask then its too much... easily 1-2 grand depending on the brand of parts, then maybe another 300-500 for labor(considering most shops are about 80-100 per hour).

 

$80-$100 and hour????? Man, I feel sorry for you guys. We only charge $40 for ANY kind of labor (and never a single faulty job). But yeah, you're probably looking at a grand easily (it is worth it in the long run, if you seriously want to improve your car's performance).

 

and where do you work again? haha [takes out pen and paper]