ok...I just got a 99 Civic LX manual that has 43,000 miles on. It has been babied... except for the sound system (Alpine, eclipse..etc.)...it is completely stock.

I am looking to spend $1000 or less on it to improve overall performance....what would be the biggest bang for my buck...

new air intake?....headers? exhaust?

- what kind of hp gains is reasonable to expect from mods?

- I am not too mechanicly inclined

thanks to all in advance...

Chuck

 

dont waste your money save it up. for something that counts.

 

I would start out first with cold air intake because that I can install by myself. AEM V2 is your best bet for a good intake and DC SPort is your best bet for the header.

 

Or just buy a cold air off ebay for 25 with shipping and a header for around 170 shipped and you run the same as someone with same mods but name brand.

 

the cheap intakes CAN be OK, but they dont usually fit very well, and the cheap header is a waste of money. a stock manifold on a honda really isnt that bad, so it takes more than a shiny tubular header to improve it. actually, unless its designed right, the thinner header steel can hurt power on these engines, because it allows the exhaust to cool a lot when it exits the cylinder head, and that slows exhaust gas velocity enough to hurt power. so get a good, quality, exhaust system, a header, and a high-flow cat. the exhaust system is not a place to cheap out on.

 

so...I take it the LX is not the optimal model to do performance enhancements with..... I appreciate your honesty...

thanks

 

you can swap the head and for a d16y8 head, that will do you some good too.

 

Icon,

is the cold air intake a pain in the *** to install?

 

not a good brand name one. like AEM or Injen. they go in pretty easy. the lx is ok, but the vtec head from the d16y8 is your biggest bang for the buck. though if your not mechanically inclined, find a friend who is, to help you. thats how you learn.