greetings, looking at a civic
 

Hello all,
I joined to get some insight on civic selection. I am a long time Subaru and Toyota guy, but never done much with Hondas. Ive always sorta liked the look of the 99-00 Civic Si. Now in the subaru world, there are better years and models for performance applications than others. for example, I have a 95 legacy (see photos below), its a good year for modifications because it was the last year of OBDI and the first year of a new body style that shared more components with the later models, making it a good base for a swap/performance parts.
So im looking for opinions. what is the ideal, cost-effective civic and setup for 400-500hp and occasional track use? what are some good transmission, engine, turbo, tuning options etc?

here's my current project car:
95 Legacy with a Ver. 4 JDM STi swap, AEM EMS4, RWD conversion, 2.3L big bore/de-stroker Forged bottom end, p&p heads, front mount intercooler... you know.. the worx.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hon...1762b0afbe.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hon...fa34a565d4.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hon...46dacc6803.jpg