Nice car just needs some un-ricing like you said blacking out everything the previous owner made red would be cool. Man I want to do the same things to my bushings and get a skunk 2 shoft shifting assemlby. I dropped money on skunk 2 springs first without thinking about fixing my notchy gears.

 

Thanks! And yes totally agree with un-ricing haha. That was my initial thought was to drop it first but after doing more research and driving the car, The shifter became first on the list. Do you or anyone know what to replace or change out to prevent any of the 3rd gear grinding issues?

 

Best of luck with the car man.

 

Thanks! Excited to finally be back in a manual car. The 2004 4Runner has been fun camping and off-roading, but now it's time to get back to the pavement! 😀

 

Thanks for the tip on changing the fluid.

After thinking about it, I may not go with the Hondata at first as I am fine with how the car drives stock. The cost of the suspension is around the same price as FlashPro so I think I may swap things around. Get my shocks and lowering springs with the shifter upgrades and pulley kit.

Later down the road I'll be getting the FlashPro but since I am fine with how the car drives stock, suspension it is!

 

Thanks for the tip on changing the fluid.

After thinking about it, I may not go with the Hondata at first as I am fine with how the car drives stock. The cost of the suspension is around the same price as FlashPro so I think I may swap things around. Get my shocks and lowering springs with the shifter upgrades and pulley kit.

Later down the road I'll be getting the FlashPro but since I am fine with how the car drives stock, suspension it is!

Exactly what Im doing.I dont feel enough stability in my suspention and tires to put more power in. At the moment i dont want a harsh ride so I just got skunk 2 springs for my stock struts, heard its a good balance of stability and only about 2 inches lowering. If my stock struts ever go im getting a pair of replacements just in case, even though people have ridden with stock struts with these springs a lot. The thing with hondata etc is that it gets rid of the hard vtec crossover sound, but adds more low end torque.

 

That is nice looking Si, if you are replacing a Premium Sound system, (HU + Factory Amp with 6 Speakers and sub), I might be interested in the Amp... depending on what you would want for it..

I have an '08 Civic EX with Premium Sound system.. amp is suspected to be bad, (no rear audio), and I'm not into replacing the entire system and did like the sound as it was before the rear deck+ sub went out.

 

the first thing any fg2 owner should do is delete the clutch delay. for a daily family car, 2nd would be hondata to delete the rev hang. if you want to have some fun, 3rd stage 1 clutch exedy.

 

I was reading back over my thread and after owning my car for a little longer, this was great advice! Thanks! I just got my hybrid racing clutch master and slave. Getting a FlashPro from another member here. Once I need a clutch replacement I'll be going stage 1 as you suggested. Thoughts on a lightweight flywheel?

 

Thanks for the suggestions. What do you suggest to do to delete clutch delay?

 

hybrid have a kit using the em1 clutch master cylinder but fitment no good. use the 2001-2005 civic coupe/sedan (non-si) clutch master cylinder, hybrid racing stainless steel clutch line. for the clutch slave cylinder, either pull out the delay valve from your stock slave or buy the ktune slave cylinder.

 

Besides the things you mentioned previously, what else don't you like about the car?

 

changing the spark plugs, lowering the car 1 inch cambers the **** out of the rear wheels, everything is expensive compared to older civics, not many bumper lips only hfp style, below 4,000 rpm its slow as hell gets on my nerves but its saving gas tho haha redline at 7800 but kills gas at 8300 rpm, be better if redline was at 8500 so i dont choke up there. thats just a few i can thrinknof quickly

 

I did notice everything is more expensive then when I had my Integra. And I feel you on that. Hardly any lips. I did find the devsport splitters but still not a lip.

Any tips for lowering the car and fixing the camber? Do you have Hondata to lower the VTEC point?

 

my favorite thing about the car is the interior, then the engine

I did notice everything is more expensive then when I had my Integra. And I feel you on that. Hardly any lips. I did find the devsport splitters but still not a lip.

Any tips for lowering the car and fixing the camber? Do you have Hondata to lower the VTEC point?

you have to buy the rear camber kit, hard racing and skunk2 sell them. i dont have hondata because i dont want to run on just either map or maf. stock runs on maf low rpm and map on high rpm. i've been thinking about getting it for every other reason tho.

 

K cool, Thanks! And it's very tempting to get, but I can wait on Hondata, for now...

 

I agree with you on that. I was choosing between an RSX and this Civic SI and the interior really got me. Way beyond the RSX. Love the sound of the engine as well and another reason why I don't want a loud exhaust. I actually like the short gear ratio. Makes driving fun for me haha!

 

yeah, spirited driving is awesome with the car. i have a stage 1 exedy clutch and its awesome driving spiritedly.

 

rsx dont have a limited slip differential so the si wins lol

 

Exactly my thoughts haha.

So today I drove over a metal plate and the right front side of the suspension blew out. Wheel rubbing the fender and car lower on that side.

Jacked up the car and looks like the previous owner cut the stock springs to lower it and the spring coil fully cracked.

Reached out to the previous owner and luckily they offered to buy new oem springs and install it for free!!! Got to love the Aloha spirit here on Maui.

So car is down until the Monday after next...

Since I was under the car I also checked out the exhaust and removed the silencer. It now has a nice aggressive sound and did not realize it had an exhaust on it.

Also, found out from the previous owner that he painted it last year and put 5 or 6 coats of clear coat on the car. Another HUGE bonus. They own a body and paint shop so it worked out perfectly.

Can't wait to get back in it!

 

Got the car back yesterday. The front is back to stock height and the rear is still dropped so the stance is off. Ordered my koni orange shocks and tein stech drop springs last night. The rides bouncy from the shocks being worn out so this should really help.

I'm also contemplatingreplacing all the bushings with the full energy suspension kit. Anyone got thoughts on that?

I just got my JDM Emblems but not installing on the car as I had the logos and the windshield wipers paint matched. I like the blacked out look.

The SI emblem placement needs to be fixed. Not sure why they put it there but it bugs me.

The center console latch spring is not working and won't stay closed. Got a used latch and spring ordered from ebay to fix it.

The accuity order arrived but I'll need to pick it up later tonight.

Here's how it's sitting now.

 

Got the car back yesterday. The front is back to stock height and the rear is still dropped so the stance is off. Ordered my koni orange shocks and tein stech drop springs last night. The rides bouncy from the shocks being worn out so this should really help.

I'm also contemplatingreplacing all the bushings with the full energy suspension kit. Anyone got thoughts on that?

I just got my JDM Emblems but not installing on the car as I had the logos and the windshield wipers paint matched. I like the blacked out look.

View attachment 243870

View attachment 243871
View attachment 243872

The SI emblem placement needs to be fixed. Not sure why they put it there but it bugs me.

The center console latch spring is not working and won't stay closed. Got a used latch and spring ordered from ebay to fix it.

The accuity order arrived but I'll need to pick it up later tonight.

Here's how it's sitting now.

View attachment 243873 View attachment 243874 View attachment 243875 View attachment 243876 View attachment 243877

why is your Si logo on the back in the wrong place?

 

Update:
Installed the Acuity Poco Shift Knob and Shift Cable Bushings. Definitely huge upgrade! The throws are much shorter with the poco and a little heavier feel from less leverage. This is actually a good thing in my eyes as the extra force needed to shift allows you to make sure you are in gear. It helped a lot with the 3rd gear. No grinds but sometimes it would feel like it wanted to pop out. Now it's eliminated as that issue was from me not fully putting it in gear.

Here's some pics.

A new shift boot is on the list. No pics of the cable bushings as nothing special there. There is a noticeable difference with the new bushings and shifting feels smoother and easier to put into gear.

I also got all my cleaning products in from Amazon. That's been nice. Also got OEM all-weather floor mats. Much better knowing my carpet is protected. Got a weathertech liner for the trunk as well. I also got in my OEM mud guard set. Not sure if I am going to put it on as everything is painted nice and black on the car and not sure if I want any flat black pieces on it. It would be nice to help with keeping the paint nice and clean after a wash though.

The Koni orange shocks arrived and the front camber bolts. The springs and rear camber kit should be here by Monday as well as my sirimoto shifter base bushing kit.

I ordered a magic drift front lip but not sure if I am going to be putting that on as well. I reached out to the paint shop to see if they could paint the lip and possibly the mud guards. Have not gotten a shipping code from MagicDrift so hopefully that gets in soon.

Lastly, I purchased a used Hondata. Someone referred me to someone here on the forums. Sent them the $390 over venmo and now have not heard anything back from the dude. This user referred me to the guy: @bregh . The dudes email is jbabat107@gmail.com. Hopefully these guys are not scammers and hope I either get my FlashPro or my money back.

Oh another update. Removed the silencer from the exhaust. Looks like it is a Megan Racing exhaust. Sounds nice without the silencer and with the silencer. I'm rocking it without the silencer for now as it sounds better and looks better to me.

There's a seller on Facebook Marketplace selling a brand new Mugen Muffler. I may be buying that for $375. Not sure what would sound better on the car. Any thoughts?

 

Update:
Installed the Acuity Poco Shift Knob and Shift Cable Bushings. Definitely huge upgrade! The throws are much shorter with the poco and a little heavier feel from less leverage. This is actually a good thing in my eyes as the extra force needed to shift allows you to make sure you are in gear. It helped a lot with the 3rd gear. No grinds but sometimes it would feel like it wanted to pop out. Now it's eliminated as that issue was from me not fully putting it in gear.

Here's some pics.

View attachment 243912 View attachment 243913 View attachment 243914 View attachment 243915

A new shift boot is on the list. No pics of the cable bushings as nothing special there. There is a noticeable difference with the new bushings and shifting feels smoother and easier to put into gear.

I also got all my cleaning products in from Amazon. That's been nice. Also got OEM all-weather floor mats. Much better knowing my carpet is protected. Got a weathertech liner for the trunk as well. I also got in my OEM mud guard set. Not sure if I am going to put it on as everything is painted nice and black on the car and not sure if I want any flat black pieces on it. It would be nice to help with keeping the paint nice and clean after a wash though.

The Koni orange shocks arrived and the front camber bolts. The springs and rear camber kit should be here by Monday as well as my sirimoto shifter base bushing kit.

I ordered a magic drift front lip but not sure if I am going to be putting that on as well. I reached out to the paint shop to see if they could paint the lip and possibly the mud guards. Have not gotten a shipping code from MagicDrift so hopefully that gets in soon.

Lastly, I purchased a used Hondata. Someone referred me to someone here on the forums. Sent them the $390 over venmo and now have not heard anything back from the dude. This user referred me to the guy: @bregh . The dudes email is jbabat107@gmail.com. Hopefully these guys are not scammers and hope I either get my FlashPro or my money back.

Oh another update. Removed the silencer from the exhaust. Looks like it is a Megan Racing exhaust. Sounds nice without the silencer and with the silencer. I'm rocking it without the silencer for now as it sounds better and looks better to me.

There's a seller on Facebook Marketplace selling a brand new Mugen Muffler. I may be buying that for $375. Not sure what would sound better on the car. Any thoughts?

View attachment 243916

Ur car looks niceee

 

Update:

So owning this car has been amazing. Loving driving it and how it looks and feels. One thing that came up is a 1996 Acura Integra GSR with 88,000K miles and leather interior in Milano Red. Looks pristine! I may be trading in my 2008 SI for it. What are your guys thoughts?

Here's the Integra GSR: 1996 Used Acura Integra 3dr Sport Coupe GS-R Manual w/Leather at Choice Automotive Serving HONOLULU, HI, IID 20585574

Now onto the updates on the Civic.

Magic Drift cancelled my order on the front lip. That actually works out as if I decide to keep this car my plans also slightly changed. Looking at keeping it as OEM and stock as possible. I also did not install the Mud Guards as I did not want to risk damaging paint as well as I plan on getting the full HFP kit and the Mudguards don't work with it. If anyone is interested let me know. The mud guards are OEM and brand new.

I got fully scammed on the Hondata and lost my $400. So no Hondata and lost out that money that could have went towards a new Hondata. Sad day...

The suspension got fully installed. Got the Koni Orange STRT shocks and struts with Tein S-Tech drop springs. Megan Racing upper control arms, and front camber bolts. Here's my mini review on this setup: I was disappointed. Reading many reviews on this setup led me to believe it would be comfortable, which it is, but no one talks about the bounciness. I think the mixture of the soft progressive springs and the soft Koni Struts and shocks make this setup bouncy to me. At faster speeds it feels good but going 40 and below, especially slow, is way to bouncy for me. I wish I went with a full coil over setup. But that will be later on when I need to change the suspension out. The stance does look really nice though!

I also got a new passenger sun visor. For those of you wondering, the 2008 Civic SI Coupe in Black color for the visor and headliner is called "Clear Gray". Anyway, looks nice and complete now.

I ordered a new slider mechanism to fix the armrest. That will be here today and then I will finally have an armrest that stays closed. Amazing!

I also changed out the super dirty cabin filter with a FRAM brand with Baking soda to help eliminate odors. Car smells a lot better! (Not that it smelled bad. Just smells cleaner)

I also changed out the engine air filter with a brand new OEM filter. I almost went with a Mishimoto SRI with head shield but decided not to to keep the car as stock as possible.

I did not get the Mugen SI Axle Back but will be as then the entire engine and exhaust will be back to OEM.

The Acuity Shifter base bushings have also been installed and the shifter felt Nice after that.

The biggest change to shifting was changing the transmission fluid. I went with Royal Purple Synchromesh. Shift SO GOOD!!! I highly recommend it!

Luckily for me, my VIN was not part of the cars with the 3rd gear grind as well!

Here's the next plans on the list:

1. Install Hybrid Racing Gear Selector and Detent Springs to make the shifter stiffer.
2. Install Hybrid Racing Clutch Master Cylinder and Clutch Slave kit.
3. Install Mugen Axle Back.
4. Reposition SI Logo on the trunk.
5. Change out ALL interior and exterior lights to LED bulbs.
6. Install custom Shift boot, Center console, and door armrest to Black Napa Leather with dark red stitching.
7. Order custom black blankets with red stitching for my kids. (They always keep a blanket each in the car and need it to match the look of the interior haha!)

Thanks for following the build! Here's some pics of everything.

 

Loving the updates. I have been wanting to get the Acuity setup in mine. I've heard nothing but good things. I know the side panel i-VTEC decals are aftermarket due to their color, but I also noticed that it says SOHC instead of DOHC. I love the red but I'm assuming the previous owner put those on?

 

Thanks! Yea it's definitely worth upgrading to the Acuity bushings. I could see how some may not like it. But if you want a solid notchy feeling, then it's worth it. Also it sounds cool since no rubber. The Poco was a game changer. I would highly recommend that as the lower leverage stiffens up the shifting without changing anything else.

Thanks for pointing that out! Yes, from the previous owner. I didn't notice that until you pointed it out. I will definitely be removing those and replacing with OEM if I can find it. If not, just remove it.

 

I recommend if you plan on keeping the Si, to flush your transmission fluid again and go with OEM MTF, or AMSoil MTF (much higher quality lubricant product proven in our transmissions, don't settle) Fluids are a huge thing for transmission in this gen. Probably the only pain to deal with in terms of keep fresh lubrication so shifting is as pristine as possible. Next, K-tuned clutch master/slave cylinder combo with a braided line is the best upgrade for the SI, period. You can adjust your OEM clutch master cylinder if you have grinding/ engagement issues later. but you should be fine with your current upgrades, and staying ontop of 10-15k transmission flushes. They are EASY as hell.

Next thing I can recommend, is keep your exhaust 100% OEM if you want a quality ride, torque, lack of vibrations and ghetto noises. Changing from OEM = a fart can of problems, vibrations, and its really hard to get a perfect sound without swapping and spending tons of money figuring out your tone. I've seen almost every SI owner go through this. Learn from their mistakes, and enjoy your tone!

Recommend upgrade path if you care to read for longevity, and ride quality with some performance in mind:

• Shocks and springs (replace top hats with KYB shock mounts as these guy bad FAST and make the most front end noise)
• 4-wheel alignment
• Keep OEM Rims as they are well balanced and can take some serious hits. Upgrade tires only Contential and Michelin make KILLER tires 215-225 width works wonders..
• Rebuild front + rear caliper sliders with new pads + rotors nice and properly lubed.
• Flash pro (unlocked)
• OEM intake box with K&N filter
• Check belts, bearings, tensioner pulley. Replace with OEM honda or gates products. Both offer quality USA made or Japanese bearings/products

Pro-tip for gauge faces that are scratched, take a tiny bit of car wax, and polish the face with clean micro-fiber towel.


Fello 8th gen si (sedan) owner! GL and great looking car. These are extremely sought after generations, don't give this up man. This is the new GS-R/ EM1 that everyone will want and will end up all getting destroyed, so if you love this platform, keep it. Save for a REAL power upgrade later on like a KW supercharge kit, or a used/new CTE supercharger. Bolt-ons do make power, but 15-20hp after a tune and several thousands for a bunch of sound isn't the most ideal. In stock form, this cars perform well, and can compete with cars in slightly higher bracket.

 

@OGbroski

I recommend if you plan on keeping the Si, to flush your transmission fluid again and go with OEM MTF, or AMSoil MTF (much higher quality lubricant product proven in our transmissions, don't settle) Fluids are a huge thing for transmission in this gen. Probably the only pain to deal with in terms of keep fresh lubrication so shifting is as pristine as possible. - Thanks for the tip. I was thinking the same thing and since I wanted to fully change out all the oil I was planning on changing it again 1-2 more times. I'm probably going to stick with Honda OEM MTF and see how it feels. Right now the royal purple is REALLY SMOOTH though and I am really impressed so far.

Next, K-tuned clutch master/slave cylinder combo with a braided line is the best upgrade for the SI, period. You can adjust your OEM clutch master cylinder if you have grinding/ engagement issues later. but you should be fine with your current upgrades, and staying ontop of 10-15k transmission flushes. They are EASY as hell. - I have been on the fence of what to purchase next and this will probably be it. Thanks!

Next thing I can recommend, is keep your exhaust 100% OEM if you want a quality ride, torque, lack of vibrations and ghetto noises. Changing from OEM = a fart can of problems, vibrations, and its really hard to get a perfect sound without swapping and spending tons of money figuring out your tone. I've seen almost every SI owner go through this. Learn from their mistakes, and enjoy your tone! - Thanks. When I purchased the car it had a megan racing axle back. If it is still available, I would get the Mugen Axle Back off of Facebook and that way the entire exhaust is somewhat more stock. I trust Mugen vs Megan Racing.

Recommend upgrade path if you care to read for longevity, and ride quality with some performance in mind:

• Shocks and springs (replace top hats with KYB shock mounts as these guy bad FAST and make the most front end noise) - I have the Koni Orange and Tein Drop Springs. What do you recommend?
• 4-wheel alignment - This is definitely on the list once I change out my lower control arms.
• Keep OEM Rims as they are well balanced and can take some serious hits. Upgrade tires only Contential and Michelin make KILLER tires 215-225 width works wonders.. - I will be keeping my OEM wheels but will be getting another set as well. This is in the future though.
• Rebuild front + rear caliper sliders with new pads + rotors nice and properly lubed. - Good tip as I hear slight noises when braking. It just started.
• Flash pro (unlocked) - I am trying to stay away from this but I think it is inevitable and I just need to bite the bullet and get one.
• OEM intake box with K&N filter - I opted out of the K&N filter after seeing tests on how well it filters the air. It definitely gets more air vs. an OEM filter but the actual filtration properties were horrible. I'll be sticking with OEM for sure.
• Check belts, bearings, tensioner pulley. Replace with OEM honda or gates products. Both offer quality USA made or Japanese bearings/products - Thanks for the tip. I'll have that checked out. Do you have any experience with after market pulleys to free up more power or just stick to OEM?

Pro-tip for gauge faces that are scratched, take a tiny bit of car wax, and polish the face with clean micro-fiber towel. - Thanks! I also have a product made for plastic. I think Plastx or something. I'll try that, thanks! Know of anything to protect it with?

Fello 8th gen si (sedan) owner! GL and great looking car. These are extremely sought after generations, don't give this up man. This is the new GS-R/ EM1 that everyone will want and will end up all getting destroyed, so if you love this platform, keep it. Save for a REAL power upgrade later on like a KW supercharge kit, or a used/new CTE supercharger. Bolt-ons do make power, but 15-20hp after a tune and several thousands for a bunch of sound isn't the most ideal. In stock form, this cars perform well, and can compete with cars in slightly higher bracket. - Thanks! This confirms my exact thoughts for the future of this platform and I do agree with you there. A 2000 black Integra Type R and Yellow 2001 Integra Type R popped up at our local dealership here. I am VERY VERY tempted to get the black one. All original with less than 80,000 miles. Leather interior. It's a beauty. But at $43,000, I decided to keep the SI.

 

@OGbroski

I recommend if you plan on keeping the Si, to flush your transmission fluid again and go with OEM MTF, or AMSoil MTF (much higher quality lubricant product proven in our transmissions, don't settle) Fluids are a huge thing for transmission in this gen. Probably the only pain to deal with in terms of keep fresh lubrication so shifting is as pristine as possible. - Thanks for the tip. I was thinking the same thing and since I wanted to fully change out all the oil I was planning on changing it again 1-2 more times. I'm probably going to stick with Honda OEM MTF and see how it feels. Right now the royal purple is REALLY SMOOTH though and I am really impressed so far.

Next, K-tuned clutch master/slave cylinder combo with a braided line is the best upgrade for the SI, period. You can adjust your OEM clutch master cylinder if you have grinding/ engagement issues later. but you should be fine with your current upgrades, and staying ontop of 10-15k transmission flushes. They are EASY as hell. - I have been on the fence of what to purchase next and this will probably be it. Thanks!

Next thing I can recommend, is keep your exhaust 100% OEM if you want a quality ride, torque, lack of vibrations and ghetto noises. Changing from OEM = a fart can of problems, vibrations, and its really hard to get a perfect sound without swapping and spending tons of money figuring out your tone. I've seen almost every SI owner go through this. Learn from their mistakes, and enjoy your tone! - Thanks. When I purchased the car it had a megan racing axle back. If it is still available, I would get the Mugen Axle Back off of Facebook and that way the entire exhaust is somewhat more stock. I trust Mugen vs Megan Racing.

Recommend upgrade path if you care to read for longevity, and ride quality with some performance in mind:

• Shocks and springs (replace top hats with KYB shock mounts as these guy bad FAST and make the most front end noise) - I have the Koni Orange and Tein Drop Springs. What do you recommend?
• 4-wheel alignment - This is definitely on the list once I change out my lower control arms.
• Keep OEM Rims as they are well balanced and can take some serious hits. Upgrade tires only Contential and Michelin make KILLER tires 215-225 width works wonders.. - I will be keeping my OEM wheels but will be getting another set as well. This is in the future though.
• Rebuild front + rear caliper sliders with new pads + rotors nice and properly lubed. - Good tip as I hear slight noises when braking. It just started.
• Flash pro (unlocked) - I am trying to stay away from this but I think it is inevitable and I just need to bite the bullet and get one.
• OEM intake box with K&N filter - I opted out of the K&N filter after seeing tests on how well it filters the air. It definitely gets more air vs. an OEM filter but the actual filtration properties were horrible. I'll be sticking with OEM for sure.
• Check belts, bearings, tensioner pulley. Replace with OEM honda or gates products. Both offer quality USA made or Japanese bearings/products - Thanks for the tip. I'll have that checked out. Do you have any experience with after market pulleys to free up more power or just stick to OEM?

Pro-tip for gauge faces that are scratched, take a tiny bit of car wax, and polish the face with clean micro-fiber towel. - Thanks! I also have a product made for plastic. I think Plastx or something. I'll try that, thanks! Know of anything to protect it with?

Fello 8th gen si (sedan) owner! GL and great looking car. These are extremely sought after generations, don't give this up man. This is the new GS-R/ EM1 that everyone will want and will end up all getting destroyed, so if you love this platform, keep it. Save for a REAL power upgrade later on like a KW supercharge kit, or a used/new CTE supercharger. Bolt-ons do make power, but 15-20hp after a tune and several thousands for a bunch of sound isn't the most ideal. In stock form, this cars perform well, and can compete with cars in slightly higher bracket. - Thanks! This confirms my exact thoughts for the future of this platform and I do agree with you there. A 2000 black Integra Type R and Yellow 2001 Integra Type R popped up at our local dealership here. I am VERY VERY tempted to get the black one. All original with less than 80,000 miles. Leather interior. It's a beauty. But at $43,000, I decided to keep the SI.

Yo I almost bought a ticket from Oahu when I saw that phoenix yellow ad. I also have a si that I bought recently

 

Back with another update!

2 weeks passed since I was able to wash my car due to the weather, and I finally got around to it.

I picked up 2 of the Chemical Guys car washing kits from Wal-Mart. It comes with a bucket, dirt trap, microfiber wash-mit, a seat/cover for the bucket, car wash soap, wheel and tire cleaner, and an interior dressing. I mostly wanted the buckets, dirt trap, and the wash-mit. So all the soap and dressing was a bonus!

I also picked up a Water Hose Nozzle, Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic detailer and wax, and a couple microfiber drying towels.

The Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic wax is amazing! I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to wax their car and get the added benefits of ceramic, quickly and easily. You just spray it on after you wash your car and then rinse it off.

Here's links if anyone is interested:

Auto Drive Car Wash Water Hose Nozzle 8 Pattern Spray, Heavy Duty Durable Material​

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Detailer - G200526, 26 Oz​

Meguiar's G190526 Hybrid Ceramic Wax, 26 oz​

Chemical Guys 7 Piece Wash & Shine Kit​

Here's my car wash process. Not sure if this is the best but here's what I do.

1. Rinse car with water.
2. Wash car with soapy water (while keeping all panels wet.)
3. Rinse
4. Spray on Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax
5. Rinse Off
6. Dry with Microfiber Drying Towels
7. Prep panel with Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Detailer
8. Wax with Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax
9. Buff Wax Off
10. Done

I wash my car once a week and hopefully that will keep the paint looking good for years to come!

I also got to detail the interior of the car. I do detail the inside once a week as well. I like my car to feel new at all times and keeping the inside clean keeps it smelling nice!

Here's some pics of how the car came out after the wash and wax.

I'm stoked to have finally gotten the armrest slider mechanism in. It took a while for shipping but it finally arrived. I should be installing that later today...and FINALLY will have an armrest!

Since this is used car, I figured it would be best to change all the fluids in the car. Another member recommended I switch my MTF to Amsoil. Well, I went all in and ordered all Amsoil fluids for my car. Here's what I got.

1. Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil - Got 2 Gallons and 2 Qts. for 2 oil changes.
2. 6 Bottles of Amsoil Manual Synchromesh Transmission Fluid 5W-30 - Got 6 so I have enough for 3 transmission fluid changes.
3. Amsoil DOT 3 and DOT 4 Synthetic Brake Fluid
4. AMSOIL Oil Filters
5. Amsoil Passenger Car & Light Truck Antifreeze & Coolant

In my research I have only found good things about Amsoil. Also, a lot people do testing between oils and Amsoil seems to come out on top. My goal here is to keep my car performing as best as possible and keep the motor and other components in the best shape possible as well.

Here's a link to all the Amsoil products I purchased for an 8th Gen Civic SI - 2008 Honda CIVIC (2.0L 4 -cyl Engine Code K20Z3 Z) Motor Oil, Filters and Lubricants - AMSOIL

Here's another link to more information on the fluids in the 8th Gen Civic SI - 2008 Honda CIVIC 2.0L 4-cyl Engine Code K20Z3 - AMSOIL Online Product Application Guide

Right now on order I have some 3M Pant Protectant Vinyl coming in with the installation tools. I have my set of OEM Mudguads and I have been wanting to put them on the car without ruining the paint. I am going to attempt to cut out a piece of clear vinyl and put it on the car where the Mudguards make contact with the paint. This way I can install them without ruining/scratching the paint. This will be an exciting project as not only will it look good on the car, it will stop more of the dirt from coming off the tires and onto the bottom corners of the paint.

Lastly for my most exciting update!

As you have read in my previous posts, I have recently installed Koni STRT (Orange) struts and shocks with Tein S.Tech Drop springs. I have not been happy with this setup as it is a little bouncy to me and I believe it is due to the softness of the springs with the softness of the Koni shocks. I thought they would be different based on other reviews but I was not happy with the way the car drove with it. The car had less bounce to it when I had the previous setup with blown out OEM dampers.

I ordered a set of fully adjustable coilovers that should be arriving soon!

Now I was trying to figure out which direction I wanted to go with the brand of coilovers I bought. I wanted something that was not going to break the bank, but still provide a good product for the value. I also wanted to test out a brand that I have not seen anyone run on their cars, so I went with a set of coilovers from maxpeedingrods.com.

Here's a product image (I did not get them in yet)

These coilovers are a steal at only $312.00 plus $238.24 shipping to Hawaii. That's only $550.24 shipped to my door! I really hope these perform and handle well.

I'll be writing up a full review for everyone with an install guide as I think these are priced amazingly.

These coilovers have 24 levels of dampening adjustment and can lower the car to around 2.5 inches. They also come with adjustable camber plates. Here's the spring rates for them.

• Front spring rate: 7 kg/mm (392 in/lbs)
• Rear spring rate: 6 kg/mm (336 in/lbs)

Once I get these in I will be installing on the car and lowering the height from where it sits not to a flush or very minor tuck stance. I'm so excited to see how these perform.

My TPMS light is the only light that is on in the car and figured something must be wrong with the TPMS sensors. I picked up a set of 4 TPMS sensors from Maxpeedingrods.com as well to fix that. And priced at $40.00 you can't go wrong! Hopefully that fixes the issue and it's not something else with the TPMS system.

Lastly, I am not sure when I will get around to it, but I will be installing LED lights in the interior foot wells of the car and under the seats for the back foot wells. My plan is to cleanly install these where you cannot see any of the LED strips or wiring. I also want to install in a way where it would be easy to remove in the future as my goal is to keep the car as stock as possible. I'm waiting on my Fuse Taps to come in so I can properly tap into the cars electrical system instead of powering it through the 12V port.

I also want to start making videos and recording the build so here's short clip of the car after the fresh wash and wax. (Excuse the mess in the corner of my garage. Lots of parts from my brother's motor swap in his 1995 Toyota Tacoma and my sisters 1996 Toyota 4Runner)

I also have a 2004 Toyota 4Runner Limited with the V8 motor. This past weekend did a lot of maintenance on it. Changed the water pump and timing belt, new radiator, new sensors, new belts, new hoses, new oil, and a bunch of other parts. That car has 280,000 miles on it so hopefully it funs for another 150,000 miles! Got no pictures of my 4Runner at the moment but let me know if anyone is interested in seeing it. It is stock besides the 3 inch lift, mud tires, Android Touchscreen stereo and component speakers, sub woofer, and a flowmaster muffler.

Thanks for tuning in and until next time!

 

The 5w-30 Amsoil Synchromesh did quite a number for me. The shifts were smooth and only got better during the first week. Just upgraded to the EM1 CMC and it’s a different breed of civic now. Also, I’ll be installing the Maxpeedingrods adjustable coilovers as well shortly. Best of luck to you

 

Awesome to hear since I do have 6 bottles on the shelf haha. The royal purple has definitely been good so far. I don't see a lot of information on people using Royal Purple MTF in our cars so it was a good test and works really good. Excited to see how the Amsoil works!

What do you mean by different breed? I have not ordered mine yet but you may push me to order sooner than later haha!

Can't wait to see how the Maxpeedingrods coilovers perform. I did not want to blow the bank since I spent a lot on the Koni/Tein upgrades. Looking over my posts, it's funny how plans change for cars in such a short time. But here's what is on the list for the future.

• Install Slider Mechanism to fix armrest.
• Install Maxpeedingrods Coilovers (Should be here this week or next)
• Install LED bulbs on all exterior and interior lighting (Should be here within the next 2-3 weeks)
• Motor oil change with Amsoil and Amsoil MTF Change

Things on the horizon:

• Upgrade CMC and CS
• Wheels and Tires (Here's the wheels I am looking to get: Artisa ArtFormed Carrier 18x9.5 35 Brushed Apollo Silver | ART104189551143573X | Fitment Industries
  • What tires would you recommend?

Quick questions for the community - Does anyone have experience with Energy Suspension full bushing kit or any of the bushings? I want my car to feel tight and I feel like bushings would help. Anyone have any input on this?

Thanks!

 

The shift delay almost disappears. The OEM cmc has this dorito shaped delay valve that essentially slows down the clutch engagement/disengagement which just doesn’t allow you to actually drive the car. So After some lockout issues above 6k rpm, I ended up going with Hybrid Racing’s kit. It includes a new soft line, the CMC and the CSC. Getting the CMC out was a bit of a hassle; but worth it in the end. I swapped the rod that connects the pedal to the CMC. So I had the EM1 CMC with the 8th gen rod, and bracket that hooks to the pedal. After bleeding the system, and adjusting the clutch, I was on the road shifting into any gear at any rpm as fast as I wanted to. I absolutely recommend this upgrade; especially if you’re having some lockout problems.

 

Sick, thanks for explaining and the breakdown. I'm sold! Will be getting this sooner than later and hopefully it feels closer to how my Integra shifts!

 

Hey everyone, back with another update.

I got the Maxpeedingrods Coilovers and TPMS sensors in this week. Did not get a chance to install them just yet as I was very busy the past week and weekend with work and went on a nice 3 day camping trip in Kanaio. It was a nice off-road trail down the mountain to the beach side and surprisingly, my 4runner did very good considering the 4WD is not working right now. I ordered the actuator yesterday to fix the 4WD in the 4Runner, so stoked about that.

Onto the first impressions on the Maxpeedingrod Coilovers.

Before we start I want to make clear that I have not installed these on my car yet. These are just my first impressions. I got the package when I came home from camping and was super stoked to check it out. When I first opened it, I was surprised at how good they look. Construction feels solid and everything looks really good. I was also blown away by the fact that I got red coilovers! On their website, the coilovers with adjustable dampening only came in gold. I took a swing in the dark and asked if I could get it in red and looks like they came through!

Overall, I am stoked to install these on my car and test out how they ride. When I do install them, I'll be making a video testing them out on some twisty roads!

Here's my prediction. I've watched a lot of the review videos while waiting to receive these and I think Maxpeedingrods took all that feedback they got and made improvements to their coilovers. The one change I noticed is that the review videos always talk about the rubber spring isolator going bad quickly causing knocks and noises from the spring moving. These now have metal spring isolators to hopefully resolve that issue. Anyway, I think they improved the product but we will see once installed.

Here's some pictures.

 

So tonight I decided to fix the armrest in my car as the latch was broken and it would not stay closed. Finally the armrest will stay closed!

While I was in my car my cat jumped up on the hood and I could hear her claws on the paint. I immediately jumped out in a panic and took her off and yelled at her.

I get back to work and the next thing I see is my cat swifter, jumping back up onto the hood and this time you could really hear her claws scratch the paint. I panic again but this time as I got out I hit my door on my garage wall. So now there are a few small scuffs on the edge of the door and cat scratch marks on my hood. Let me know if you know how to remove these scratches please!

If anyone is interested in how to disassemble the armrest, here's the video I followed:

 

Of course it popped up after I got my si. I was looking for an integra or rsx for months