I'm going to have aroud 2500 bucks to spend soon on my 91 hatch. The car needs everything, so instead of just going for as much motor as I can afford, I'm going to take a balanced approach and worry about making more power later. So far I'm looking at:

Now:
ZC engine, 5spd trans, ecu 845+shipping (nippon-motors.com)
ground control coil over conversion kit 299 (ground-control-store.com)
4xKYB GR-2 shocks 200 (summit)
Energy Suspension bushing kit 135 (summit)
suspension techniques swaybars - 235 (summit)
Flik Blast-c 15x6.5 w/Falken Ziex 512 - 529 (edge racing)
2x Power Stop front rotors 110
EBC pads +/-65

Later -
Neuspeed front tower brace - 110
DC Sports Rear lower brace - 110

I'm not including the B&M shifter, Sparco pedals, Grant wheel or anyting else right now, but they're going to be necessary too, so don't think I haven't done the math.

I'm mostly concerned about the Ground Control kit and the swaybars more than anything. The GC coil-over kit looks like a good deal from a good company - the peice seems to be high-quality, the springs are Eibach and I don't seem to think that GC is going to risk their reputation on a crap product. Yet, I've seen a lot of similiar kits panned as being a waste of time and money, although they were for strut-suspended cars (Sentras and Gofl/Jettas mostly). Then again,I also haven't had any luck with finding a stand-alone spring set that doesn't seem to be aimed at the needs of neon-flaunting posers, more concerned with dropping the car two inches and 'maintaining ride quality" than improving the handling at all. Thoughts? Opinions? Real life experience is always nice, too.

As for the swaybars, the kit is well-priced and Suspension Techniques is a reputable company. However, the kit specifies that both the front and rear bars to be 7/8" diameter, which doesn't seem 'matched' to me, and no mention is made as to adjustability. I've also heard about torn sub-frame mounts on Civics, but I haven't seen anything to correct the problem yet.

I would be willing to skimp on the bars at this point, if possible, since the car handles pretty well in it's current form with no bars at all. When Sport Compact Car built their EG Civic, they went with a 22mm rear bar by Ground Control and used a stock front bar from an Integra. Is there a cheaper, stock-based solution to tide me over until later? Recommendations?

Regarding the wheels and tires, I wanted a set of lightweight, strong 15x7in wheels and good street tires. Unfortunately, the SSR competitions that seem to be ideal for the application are also out of my budget. The Flik wheels are only 11.5lbs each, are a five spoke design (as cool as BBSs and such are, I've always thought that a simple five-spoke design always looks best) and come powdercoated black. Seemingly perfect, minus the missing .5in of width, but I wanted to see if anyone else has had experience with them - are they highly prone to bending? More so than a Konig Helium, my other (more expensive) choice? The Falken Ziex has a 'rim protector' sidewall design that should help, but the money saved initially won't be worth it if I have a set of 11.5lb octagons inside of six months.

I'm also interested in a brake upgrade, but StopTechs and Brembos are not on the list and likely won't be. Is there a worthwhile 'junkyard' brake upgrade available? How about rotors and pads? The Power Stop rotors look cool, but I've seen a lot written about how cross-drilled rotors are, today, more of a cosmetic upgrade than anything because newer pad formulations don't release the gas that made the holes necessary in the first place. I'd also like to hear from some people with experience on their own cars about some pad recommendations for the street.

That's about all for now. I'm mostly knowledgable about general 'speed theory', but since I haven't seen an EF hatch build-up that's had the before-and-after accounts and track testing to see that, for instance, the ST bars will or won't give me what I need. Before I drove one, I wouldn't have been caught dead in a Civic - I had planned on getting a Sentra 'classic' but the hatch fell into my lap, and quickly became my favorite out of all of the cars I've owned.

BTW, anyone with windsheild-squirter lights, underbody neon or 'dubs' on their Civic can politely pass on posting to leave room for the people who build their cars to actually drive, not to post pics on the net and try to boost their chances of getting laid. I'm an all-go-and-no-show kind of guy, and would like to hear from those with similiar aesthetics.

Thanks,
---<M13>---

 

youve got you crap together. youre on the right track. for the GCs, i say go for it. ive had good luck with them. the sways from an integra should work if you get a few extra parts, like the LCAs. if youre mechanically inclined, and you have access to a junked teg in a junkyard or something, youll get it done. for the wheels, also look into Rota Slipstreams. they are a decent wheel for a great price. and are really light too. for a brake upgrade, the bigger discs from an integra can be had if you get the whole front steering knuckles and the rear trailing arms. basically the whole assembly for both. easier to do than you would expect. for pads, i cant justify anything more than the carbon-metallic pads from autozone, they grip like crazy, and have a lifetime warranty. all for about 50 bucks. hard to beat for a daily driver. as for rotors, the drilled ones arent that great. they seem to crack really easy, but they slotted ones will do plenty to remove any gas that is built up. good luck man, and keep us updated on the progress. maybe post up some pics of it now, so we can see it as you go.