So I picked up a salvage 98 Civic EX coupe with 80km~ on it for 3500... Decent deal no?
A month and a half later, and a lot of waits at the CHP office and the DMV, I now have a title and plates for my car, lol.

Anyway, I'm aiming to make it a handling machine. I know a hatch would've been a better choice from a performance standpoint... but I like my cruise control, power steering, and sunroof thankyouverymuch.

However, I haven't got a lot of experience turning wrenches and I want to start with a few projects on my car that will help me learn to do that a bit better.

Where's a good place to start?

I was thinking bushings....I've heard they make the biggest noticeable difference for the least amount of $$.


Energy Suspension has a huge kit for like 100-130 depending on where i look. Is that all of the poly bushing's i'll need to replace the crappy old rubber ones?

After that?
Coilovers?
Rear Sway+Front Strut Bars?
Rotors+Pads?
Eurobeats Techno CD? >_> <_<

 

You got it all wrong you start with the techno CD
jk but sounds like you have a good plan going good luck

 

US ex? or a canada land one?

And when you say mountain goat... Do you want to keep this car on paved roads or not? Cause if not please do not lower it you will get dominated.

 

well ive always gone to a nice suspension first. lowering it definatly gives a better performance feel on the twisty roads! and dont cheap out. cheap parts will ride like crap!!!!!!

o ya mountain goat is more of a 4x4 term.lol how about road runner

 

$3500 seems high for a stock salvage title EK. I got a freshly JDM LS swapped 2000 Hatch for the same price, with a new suspension, Si cluster, and wheels. But as far as your plans for it, sounds good. Suspension can make a car feel so much different. Just make sure you buy quality name brand parts for it. Knock off suspensions are terrible.

 

plethoric: mods lower the price of a vehicle not raise it.

 

^ its all in the eyes of the buyer.... id love to buy a ride with nice wheels and suspension on it. but id rather have the stock drivetrain myself. i dont like motor swaps myself. to much unknown.

 

I say get the bushings, an oem (or good aftermarket) sway bar package, brakes, good wheel/tire combo.

 

Offroad? Oh Dear God no... but I will be taking this car to back-mountain roads that you would never want to dream of taking a car lowered more than 1.5" on.... So mountain goat isn't entirely inappropriate, lol.

I love the roads in the Santa Cruz mountains, but the Redwoods reach under the road with their roots, and make devilish speedbumps and potholes.

I want to go over them without worrying about the stability of my suspension. I'll probably need a softer setup than the street/track stiff springs for a rougher road


I'm going to wear out the parts and then replace them over time. No use pulling off and selling perfectly un-messed up parts, lol.


The real reason I got this car is with the exception of noisy valves (after I got them adjusted it sounds like new, totally quiet), the whole car was in excellent condition and had been well maintained. My thoughts were: If you buy a car with mods, it's b/c the guy who put them on there wanted to use them. They probably did, and then they probably beat up the rest of the car...

Anyway, I had to learn stick on something that I knew wouldn't be toast before I figured it out, LoL. And I'm getting close to "good" now...


And I've got a set of Traction TA's on steel wheels, and they have got satisfying grip for the stock suspension =D

 

LCAs, strut bars and tie bars, springs then shocks are good ways to start with suspension things.

Getting aftermarket wheels wont hurt.