Back with another update on the build.

First, coilovers are still not installed. Had to put the installation on hold as I had to get a replacement bolt for the control arm. The good news is that I put in a pretty big order of some parts that I am stoked to get.

1. Got the Powerstop Z23 Brake kit with drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic/carbon fiber brake pads. My brakes are needing to be replaced so this will be a good upgrade.

2. Energy Suspension Master Bushing Kit - Got the black color so don't have to worry about keeping the bushing lubed. I am super stoked on this as I always wanted to upgrade my bushings on my cars.

3. DOHC stickers - Picked up the Honda DOHC stickers to replace the red SOHC stickers currently on the car. This is a must right now. I can't stand the SOHC lol.

4. Paint Protect Vinyl and install tools - Got clear vinyl so I can protect my paint and finally install my Mud Guards.

Stoked to get all these parts. The car will really come together and the driving experience should improve drastically with new brakes, new coilovers, and once all the bushings get installed on the car.

There's 2 other things on the horizon that I will be ordering.

1. Type R Style Front Lip - Coming from owning 6th Gen Civics and Integras, I always loved the look of the Type R Style front lips. I did not think they made it for our cars but found a supplier in Canada and will be getting that soon. My goal is to install it and keep it with the natural urethane color to match the mudguards. If I don't like the look, I'll be paint matching the front lip.

2. Hondata - Came across this video today and totally sold me on Hondata.

- After hearing so many people say that is the first thing they got makes me prioritize it and push it to the front of the mod list. Stoked to get this as well!

Will update more once I get the parts in and installed! Thanks for reading!

 

It's been a while since I have updated my build thread!

In the past 3 months, there has not been that much changes with the SI but still excited to share the small updates and the big one.

First, I installed the Maxpeedingrod coilovers. The reason I did not post a review yet is because I am back to running my Koni/Tein setup. I installed the coilovers and they were making a lot of creaking and popping noises when turning. I couldn't stand the noise so I removed them after a week. BUT, in terms of ride quality. It was WAY better than the Koni/Tein setup. Less of that micro bounce feeling, lower, stiffer, just an overall awesome ride that I was not expecting to be honest. The car also looked awesome being even lower but I did not like rubbing on tight turns and scraping going into my driveway. So when I do reinstall, I'll be keeping it at a similar or just a TINY bit lower than the current height.

Currently, I am talking with my rep from Maxpeedingrods and their engineering team to solve those noise issues. My brother and I took a look and we think it was because the upper mount. I'm waiting on the replacement mounts to arrive and then will reinstall the coilovers. Hopefully that noise issue is fixed and would be stoked to run those!

I have installed the Powerstop brakes. They perform amazingly and look REALLY good. There are no noises from the brakes and the bead in process was fun and easy. I highly recommend doing it. And check out the pictures, it looks so nice!

I also got all the fluids changed out on the car. Changed the oil to Amsoil. While I was doing that, I changed the transmission fluid to the Amsoil (so now there is probably a slight mixture of whatever was originally in there, some royal purple, and amsoil). I also changed the coolant to amsoil coolant and brake fluid. But let's talk about the motor oil. The car runs and sounds amazing. I highly recommend and oil looks really nice still after a few months. The Amsoil MTF is also good. At first, it did not feel as good as the royal purple. The royal purple seemed thicker to me. So when shifting, it almost had a heavier and smoother feel? The amsoil seems like a lighter oil and the shifter has a less heavy feel and shifts smooth. I am not sure how else to describe it but if you were choosing between the 2, I would say either works good.

I got the DOHC stock decals in but have not changed it. I just removed the SOHC and it just has VTEC in red. I like how it looks in red but will probably put the OEM ones on there once I eventually get side skirts. I also removed the SI emblem and tried to attach it with the emblem tape but it was not working out. I think I need the tube of emblem adhesive and fill it in. For now its sitting on my counter.

Got the energy suspension rear sway bar bushings installed. Just swapping that out made a noticeable difference in the feel of the car on turns and oddly enough, going straight. The rear end jut felt all around tighter. HIGHLY recommend. I need to get new front swaybar end-links and then I will change the bushings on the front. Hopefully I will be able to install the rest of the bushings soon.

I also got my mudguards installed. I like how they look but will probably be removing them in the future as I do have plans on getting a front lip, side skirts, and the HFP rear bumper and paint matching everything. For now, the mudflaps look good and when directly behind the car, it gives it a slightly wider look, which is a plus.

The only other change in the past 3 months have been switching up to using Hybrid Solutions by Turtle Wax ceramic soap, wet wax, and detailer. I think it works A LOT better than chemical guys and Meguires and it's cheaper! I still use chemical guys for the interior cleaning though.

Now onto the new parts that have been recently ordered.

1. Megan Racing Header
2. Megan Racing Mid-Pipe
3. Mishimoto Silicone Induction Hose
4. K&N High Flow Drop In Filter
5. All replacement LED bulbs for exterior and interior in 6000K
6. Black/Red Tuner Lug Nuts
7. Honda Valve Stem Caps
8. Hertz Component Speakers and Coaxial Speakers

Here's my plan. For the performance of the car, I wanted to keep it reliable but add to the driving experience. Power gains are not my main concern as the car is plenty fast for driving it around Maui.

The car came with a megan racing axle back installed on it when I first bought it. So I got the midpipe to make a full catback exhaust and increase the sound and note of the exhaust. Then I got the Megan Racing header. This is the header without the down pipe. So the downpipe and the catalytic converter will say OEM. Hopefully the header gives it more sound as my goal was to increase the driving experience.

Next we got the intake setup I chose to go with. At first, I bought the Mishimoto charge pipe and the high flow drop in filter. Then adding that up, I realized I could get the full Mishimoto short ram intake with the heat sheild for a little over $100 more. So I found one on ebay with free shipping and cancelled my order for the silicone hose and filter. The filter didn't get cancelled because it was processed already but the filter cancelled. Then the next day the full intake system got cancelled because I am out in Hawaii and so I went back and reordered the drop in filter. Long story, but my goal here is to keep the main part of the intake system stock. The airbox and airflow piping, and change out the filter for higher flow, and the induction hose as it gives better airflow resulting in a louder intake noise, ultimately increasing the driving experience.

The rest is pretty straight forward. LEDs will really bring the car up to 2021 at night and allow me to see the road better. The lug nuts are because I had extended lugs on my old integra and it brought back memories. I also was on the fence on ordering new wheels but decided to keep the stock wheels so the lug nuts will fill that want for now. When I need new tires, I will be getting Pilot Sport 4S on the stock wheels. I also plan to powder coat them to give them a "brand used" look, lol.

My front driver side speaker has a blown sound to it so I have been wanting to get new speakers. I got the Hertz K170 and X170 speakers. The K170 is a 6 and 3/4 component set that will replace the tweeters as well. The X170 are for the rear speakers. I wanted to get something that would work with the stock system as I did not want to install a new headunit or amp. But they still have the capabilities to handle the power if I ever do decide to upgrade.

 

Got the energy suspension rear sway bar bushings installed. Just swapping that out made a noticeable difference in the feel of the car on turns and oddly enough, going straight. The rear end jut felt all around tighter. HIGHLY recommend. I need to get new front swaybar end-links and then I will change the bushings on the front. Hopefully I will be able to install the rest of the bushings soon.

I'm glad to hear this as i'm in the process of upgrading the old rear sway bar for the Si model one (I have an EX Sedan) and i'm pairing it with poly bushings. Difference is that mine are from Prothane because Energy Suspension had the 17mm bushing out of stock LOL. I've messed with black poly bushings on both of my cars and they don't squeak unlike the red ones which i've heard. I already swapped out the front sway bar bushings for Energy Suspension ones along with Moog End Links and wow - it makes a huge difference in handling on the front!! It feels very planted and rigid. I 100% recommend swapping out the fronts for poly and pair with new end links too!!

Be prepared to wrestle the old end link off if they are rusty and stubborn. I had to take the whole front bar off to wrestle it off with vice clamps and a breaker bar. The rear is easy but fronts are the tough one.

 

Stoked to get the Mishimoto silicone induction hose. Installation was easy and straight forward. Remove the stock one. Replace with the silicone one. The engine has a light growl sound to it that it didn't have before. The car does feel a little more responsive but not by much. Downshifts also have a nicer sound when downshifting. I think this is a perfect addition to the intake system while keeping the stock airbox. The K&N high flow filter should be arriving on Saturday so we will see if that makes any difference in sound and feel.

The Megan racing mid-pipe arrived today. I got the car on jack stands and was going to change it but the bolts were rusted on the cat. So I just soaked them in PB blaster and hopefully they will break loose on Saturday. The quality looks really good and stoked to see what the sound difference is and if there is any difference in the feeling of the car. I really like how the Megan Racing axle back sounds having the full cat back is going to be nice!

The header should be in today or tomorrow. My plan is to install the mid-pipe and go drive the car. See how the exhaust sounds. See how the car feels, and mentally log everything. Then I'll install the Megan Racing Shorty Header and see what the difference is in sound and driving feel.

I also found out I have an oil leak today. The entire bottom of my oil pan is oily but there are no oil stains in my garage and I don't see any leaks coming form the seal or above the oil pan. It looks like it is just leaking by the drain bolt, so I'll probably use this as an excuse to order the Mishimoto magnetic drain bolt.

I'll also need to get new front sway bar end links as those are rusted and need to be cut out. Then I can replace the front sway bar bushings with the energy suspension bushings.

Also, if anyone reads this and has seen pictures, please post them here. I am looking at eventually getting a full lip kit. I want it to look a little different so I am thinking about getting a Type R Style Front lip, Mugen Style Side Skirts, and HFP Rear Bumper all painted to match the color of the body. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

Back with another update.

I got the Megan Racing mid-pipe installed and the exhaust is WAY louder. It is not raspy at all and has a real nice tone to it from outside and inside the car. There is drone from the exhaust now if you let off the gas and let the car slow down. The exhaust note gets nice and deep but also has drone in the cabin. Overall, I really like the sound.

The sound with the stock mid-pipe was also very nice and I definitely kept the stock one. So if you have a similar setup and like loud exhaust, get the mid-pipe. If you don't like a loud exhaust but still want a sporty sound, the Megan Racing Axle Back sounds very good!

Almost installed the Megan Racing Shorty Header this weekend but decided not to because I have been contemplating on getting the Magnaflow Downpipe and High Flow Cat. I didn't want to do double the work so I just waited on the installation.

I was thinking about it today and I decided to hold off on the downpipe and high flow cat. I am going to stick to my original plan and keep the main part of the exhaust system (catalytic converter) stock for now. I plan to install the shorty header and that will be the final exhaust setup for now.

The NST Lightweight Underdrive Pulleys are on order as well and I am VERY excited to install this part. Aside from looking cool in the engine bay, it should provide me with a nice little boost throughout the entire power band, improve my MPGs and improve the overall driving experience. Hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Once I get the pulleys and shorty header installed, I will be taking the car to the dyno to get tuned with Hondata. I'll post up my numbers here on my setup and super stoked to see what I will be hitting.

Here is the full bolt-list currently:

• Mishimoto Silicone Induction Hose
• K&N High Flow Drop In Filter
• Megan Racing Mid-pipe
• Megan Racing Axle-Back Exhaust

Future Parts to Install (Before Tune)

• Megan Racing Shorty Header
• NST 3-Piece Pulley Kit
• P2R Throttle Body Spacer
• P2R Thermal Intake Manifold Gasket
• P2R Thermal Throttle Body Gasket

- Hondata and Dyno Tune

Last night I was at a baby shower and someone opened their door and hit my car, chipping my paint on the driver side rear quarter panel. I was pissed but will be getting it fixed soon.

I also got my front, side, and rear lip ordered today. As soon as that gets in I will be taking it to get painted and installed on the car. It's going to look sick! (As long as fitment is good) Here's what I ordered:

• Type R Style Front Lip
• Mugen V2 Side Skirts
• HFP Rear Lip

I'll probably be having to remove my mudguards but that's ok.

Also on the way is my new upper mounts for the Maxpeedingrods Coilovers. I can't wait to install those and will be making sure everything is greased up to hopefully fix the noise issues.

I'll be setting my ride height to the same height as my Tein/Koni combo or just a tad bit lower. Most likely running it on the stiffer settings on the dampening. Once I get those coilovers on the ride should be a lot better. The true question is how long will they last?

The whiteline front sway-bar end-links are also on order and I'm stoked to get those in as well. Then I can install my energy suspension sway bar bushings and tighten up the front end a little.

Lastly, we got more fluids on order from Amsoil. Got more signature oil for another oil change with the Amsoil filter. Got the metal protector and heavy duty metal protector to protect my suspension and underside components. Got a waterless wash and wax to test out and see how it does. Then we got some additives for the car.

The motor has 112,000 miles on it and I am sure there is carbon buildup and the motor is dirty from all the miles of operation. So I got the Amsoil engine flush to clean out the engine. Then I got the upper cylinder lubricant to lubricate those moving parts and PI performance improver gasoline additive to clean injectors and everything out. My goal is to clean out the engine as best as possible to prolong the health and life of the motor as well as get it ready for the dyno and tune.

That's about it for now but will be back soon with another update. Peace!

 

My front bumper clip on the passenger side was broken when I purchased the car. The bumper has been coming off on the corner since the tab is broken. So last night I got a Plastic welding repair kit off of amazon to try and fix it. Hopefully it works as I had no idea a plastic welder was a thing before this week.

I also picked up a kit of plastic clips and retainers for my car. There are various clips missing like under the hood and in the trunk to hold the carpet to the wall, so this is just a small thing I have been wanting to fix but have not. Nothing exciting here but it will be nice to look at everything all buttoned up.

I also picked up some fuse taps. I ordered interior LED lights months ago and never got around to installing them because I wanted to power them from the fuse box. You can set whatever color you want but I plan on leaving it on the lowest brightness on red. I think it will look really good at night. If not, I'll take it out.

Lastly I ordered a set of clear fog lights from Amazon. RP Remarkable Power brand. The reviews say it is quality and has glass housing, so I am stoked for that. I was conflicted on choosing between clear or yellow. Nothing else on my car is yellow so I decided to go the cleaner route and get clears. This way I can get these installed when I install my lip kit to complete the look. My plan is to put white/Yellow LED bulbs in there. That way I can choose if I want it yellow at night. If not, they will be white like the rest of the lights (once my LEDs arrive from China)

The new top hats from Maxpeedingrods arrived last night as well so hopefully this weekend I'll be putting on the coilovers. I need to make sure to grease everything up prior to installation to hopefully avoid the noise issue. I'll be looking at setting the same height as my current setup or just a few mm lower. Super stoked to finally be getting those coilovers back on and having a nice stance and sportier suspension.

The last things to finish the first stage of my build are the pulleys, throttle body spacer and gaskets, front swaybar endlinks, energy suspension bushings, Lip kit and paint, and finally Hondata and tune! I can't wait!

I am not sure what is in store for the next phase of my build but I do know, wheels and tires are on the list! until next time!

 

While changing the mounts on the coilovers, I accidentally broke the dampening/rebound adjustment knob. Luckily I can get new ones from the manufacturer so just small set back. I did get the coilovers all grease up with some grease. Here's the link I referred to on grease points: https://blog.maxpeedingrods.com/coilover-noise-how-to-fix-it/

There was also a car that opened their door and chipped my paint recently. I was pissed but got their information and will get getting it repaired. I took it to a shop to get a quote and I guess this is not the original OEM paint on this car so I'll have to go back to the guy that originally painted the car to get the code and ratio on the pearl flakes.

I also had my crank pulley go out on me a couple days ago. Since buying the car, I could hear a off and on rattle sound coming from the side of the motor where the pulleys and belt are. It was not loud at all and most of the time I wouldn't notice it. Then I drove about 6 miles to pickup my kids from school and heard an off and on loud rattle noise. I drove a little bit and decided to pull over and check it out. It was the crank pulley. Picked up a replacement from the store and drove the car to my parents house. Got the pulley changed out and issue fixed!

The rubber on the OEM pulley went bad and separated. I was a little frustrated since I ordered my NST Pulley Kit and that would have replaced the bad pulley, but oh well. I'll save this one on the side if I ever need it in the future.

So the Pulley kit with new belt, and the intake manifold and throttle body thermal gaskets should be coming in shortly.

I also got a new project/daily car on the way since I really fell in love with this car and want to keep the miles low on it. So I guess this will not be my daily driver anymore. Will be back with more updates.

 

Back to the build log...

Received some new parts. Got the thermal gaskets in for the civic. The NST pulleys are currently on back order by 2 weeks so hopefully they come in soon.

I plan on installing the gaskets today. I checked out other posts and know this won't give any performance gains to the car but I do look forward to the car being able to be more consistent with power since temperature should be lower.

There are other pulleys on my car that are going out. After checking out the bad crank pulley and noticing the noise it made, I can tell the other pulleys need to be changed too so the pulley kit should fix that issue.

The new daily driver is a 2000 Acura Integra LS. It has an auto trans and I actually kind of like that it is auto. It feels slow compared to the 8th gen but I just always liked these cars .I don't plan on doing much to the car, but there is a lot of cleaning up to do.

It's funny. I say the Integra is the new daily but I still drive the 8th gen everyday. But I drive it just to enjoy driving it and now I can keep the mileage low on this car and keep it in nice condition. This will still be the main focus of my build with lots of parts on the way!

So here's how the teggy looked when I first bought it.

I wish it had those wheels but the guy swapped it out for these other ones. They still looked alright though.

That's how I bought it. And there's some cleaning up to do but nothing too bad. Engine wise. It had a check engine light with a bad engine temp sensor. My dad and brother wondered why the guy didn't just replace it since it's so easy and said it must be something else. There also was an O2 sensor code and the catalytic converter is bad and rattles.

Here's my plan for the car.

1. Fix the immediate issues. The car would start really good when the engine was cold but once warmed up, it would not start back up. I need to make sure I can drive this car without having to let the engine cool down before being able to start up again.

2. Replace or fix the rattle from the catalytic converter.

3. Oil Change. Not sure when the last change was but always good to change any newly purchased used cars oil as soon as you buy it.

4. Clean up the interior with a good detail. The driver seat is damaged under the seat covers so easiest thing to do is change them out. Change out the weird floor mats for black ones. Change out the steering wheel. Run and tuck the wires cleanly where you cannot see it with the other factory wiring if possible.

5. Exterior detail. Learn how to do paint correction. Repaint the hood and the roof because the clear is fading. Remove all the stickers. Remove the 5% tint and install whatever the darkest legal tint is. Clean up and restore the wheels. Restore the headlights so they are clear again. Touch up all the little nicks and small scratches. Poor man ceramic coating. Repaint the windshield wipers black. Try to cut and reweld the muffler to sit flush with the bumper.

6. Fun stuff. Mugen front lip. Type R rear valance. Spoon mirrors. JDM style yellow fog lights. New turn signals.

Once all that is done, the car should look really good. In the future, I may manual conversion. I may K swap. But overall, this was a good deal on a good body and I could always get out of my new daily/"project" for a profit.

Here's how it currently looks.

Here's what I have done so far since owning it on my birthday, August 18.

1. Replaced the coolant temp sensor with the cheapest one they had at Napa Auto Parts. It took about 5 minutes, $29 sensor, and some coolant. Drove all around for 40+ minutes to makes sure the car did not overheat and would be warmed up to see if the issue was resolved.

Turned off the car, turned it back on and it fired right up! It was a temp sensor and the issue is fixed! Cleared the check engine light and have not had any problems or the light return on me.

2. Cleaned the interior. It was not a full detail but a 35% detail with vacuum and cleaning everything in the front. Still need to do the back. I also removed the 50+ free air fresheners you get from a car wash from the car. I'll need to ozone the car to remove the odors lol. Removed the blue floor mats and there were some generic black ones under. I was stoked. Put the blue ones in the hatch for now.

3. Oil Change - I just bought high mileage full synthetic oil and a good filter. Letting the engine cool down as I type this but will be changing the oil right after this.

4. First fill up as car was almost on E. I used royal purple max clean to clean the injectors as the car has `185,000 miles. Hopefully it just helps clean things out a little. Not expecting much from this.

Parts on order:
1. New Amber Turn Signals
2. New Black/Grey Seat Covers
3. New Mugen Style Front Lip
4. New Steering Wheel (Black with Red Stitching) and Honda Logo on Horn
5. New Black Integra Floor Mats
6. New Spoon Style Mirrors
7. New Integra Type-R Style Rear Valance
8. Yellow JDM Style Integra Fog Lights
9. New Catalytic Converter

So far the total for the car and all extra expenses after it so far including the parts on order is at $4,349.37. I think It is a pretty good deal and when I am done with cleaning up the car, I could sell it for quite a bit more if I wanted to.

What do you think about the cars and build so far? Thanks!

 

Hey everyone! I recently picked up a 2008 Honda Civic SI Coupe for $6500. I initially set out to buy a car because my V8 4Runner is a GAS MONSTER! Since selling my 1998 Integra about 4 years ago, I have regretted it everyday since. I have been wanting to get another car but things were not working out until now.

My plans for this build is to keep things mild. This will be my daily driver and I am a single dad with 2 kids so will need to keep comfort, MPG, and reliability.

Mods for the car:
1st Round:
- Paint red windshield wipers and badges black
Shifter Upgrades (Goal - to keep stock but make it better)

• SiriMoto Shift Lever Bushing
• Red Acuity POCO Shift Knob (Looks cool and to shorten throws while keeping stock)
• Acuity Shifter cable bushings, base bushings, and K Series Transmission Spring
• NST Short Shift Adapter (Shorten throws even more)

Performance Upgrades (Goal - Keep it stock and make daily driving fun. No sacrifice in low end power.)

• Hondata FlashPro (Make the stock car drive smoother and more enjoyable)
• NST 3 Piece Pulley Kit (Free up a little extra HP and get better mileage)

Future Plans:
1. Suspension, Tires, Wheels

• Koni Oranges with Tein S- Tech Springs
• Energy Suspension Full Bushing Kit
• OE Performance 193 2019 Shelby GT350 Replica 18x9 +30 wheels (Have not seen anyone run these on their civic yet and loved them off the Mustang)
• Tires - ?

2. HFP Muffler (Still keeping stock i/h/e but get a little more sound)

3. DevSport Chin and Side Splitter (More aggressive look)

4. Sounds

• Double Din Android Head Unit (Use the ATOTO one in my 4Runner and it's awesome)
• 8-10" Subwoofer in a smaller box (Save space)
• 1 Set of Component Speakers
• Coaxial for the rear
• 4 or 5 Channel Amp
• Kicker Front Row SP

5. Who knows...


Here's some pictures of the car.

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nice car and thanks for the information

 

Any updates on your NST Pully kit?

 

Hey! I have been so busy lately and have not been able to install it yet.

I'll be posting a big update once I do get the pulleys and shorty header installed!

I recently did another oil change with Amsoil signature series oil and their oil filter. This is the second time I used the engine flush from amsoil and I love it! Makes the engine feel nice and crisp at every oil change and is something I'll be doing as normal practice moving forward.

I've recently been taking my car out for fun spirited driving on the curvy roads here in Maui. For the last month I have been going driving every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. I'm thinking about setting up a pov setup and recording my drives. I think it would be entertaining and a fun way to document how each part changes the driving experience.

Update on the MaxpeedingRods Coilovers. They are great!!! The noises went away the more I drive it and they are performing very well! I'm highly impressed. I did have some suggestions for them on I proving the product and come to find out, they already released a version 3 of their coilovers that solve those issues!

I'll be looking at getting their newest version for now...the suspension can always be tweaked and I have plans to go with Tein Active EDFC coilovers system with the gps unit. I'm very excited for this but will be a while before I get to this point.

Hondata is still on my wishlist but waiting until the pulleys and manifold gets put on before I get it and tune the car.

I'm stoked with my current intake and exhaust setup. Just running the mishimoto intake hose and a high flow filter for intake. Exhaust is Megan Racing catback and soon exhaust manifold. Downpipe and cat will remain stock. This setup is probably how I'll keep it and not change a thing. At least for now.

After the pulleys and manifold, my next area of focus is to increase the stiffness in the car. So hopefully I can get the energy Suspension kit fully installed.

After that, it may be time to save a little bit and get the lip kit painted and installed. I can't wait as I feel it is going to really change the look of my car!

I'll be back with more updates soon and reviews on any new products I install on the civic!

 

Updating the build thread for 2022!

I wanted to compare my original post and plans vs. where we are today and what we actually did.

Hey everyone! I recently picked up a 2008 Honda Civic SI Coupe for $6500. I initially set out to buy a car because my V8 4Runner is a GAS MONSTER! Since selling my 1998 Integra about 4 years ago, I have regretted it everyday since. I have been wanting to get another car but things were not working out until now. - I now have a 2001 Integra!

My plans for this build is to keep things mild. This will be my daily driver and I am a single dad with 2 kids so will need to keep comfort, MPG, and reliability. - This is still the goal but the car has switch from my daily, to a car I drive for pleasure on a daily basis. If I am going to work, running errands, or anywhere with a destination, I take my Integra. When I want to have fun, I drive my civic.

Mods for the car:
1st Round:
- Paint red windshield wipers and badges black - Done, thank god! Got them color matched to the body paint.
Shifter Upgrades (Goal - to keep stock but make it better) - Done everything except the Transmission upgraded springs. I will have to say that I REALLY enjoy this setup and these parts plus Amsoil MTF made 3rd gear grinds and pop-outs go away for good.
- SiriMoto Shift Lever Bushing - I did not get this since the stock one was still good.
- Red Acuity POCO Shift Knob (Looks cool and to shorten throws while keeping stock) - Definitely shortens the throws and gives less leverage which in turn makes it feel stiffer and shifts are more direct and precise.
- Acuity Shifter cable bushings, base bushings, and K Series Transmission Spring - Got the Shifter cable bushings. Got SiriMoto base bushings, and ordered Hybrid Racing Transmission Spring set which is on its way currently.
- NST Short Shift Adapter (Shorten throws even more) - Decided to not do this. Shifter is perfect with the above mods.
Performance Upgrades (Goal - Keep it stock and make daily driving fun. No sacrifice in low end power.) - Still the current goal except mild bolt-ons.

• Hondata FlashPro (Make the stock car drive smoother and more enjoyable) - I have yet to buy this but may be possibly buying one from a member here. Fingers crossed as I got scammed from another user that I sent him money for a flashpro and he never sent me the product. I guess I attempted to purchase this, got scammed, then put it on the back burner lol. FlashPro and tune will be coming soon.
• NST 3 Piece Pulley Kit (Free up a little extra HP and get better mileage) - I bought this and it is sitting in my trunk waiting to be installed. Hopefully soon!

Future Plans:
1. Suspension, Tires, Wheels
- Koni Oranges with Tein S- Tech Springs - Done, but not what I expected. I had high expectations based off of what other users reviews but the setup wasn't for me. I currently have Maxpeedingrods Coilovers and they actually ride really good. I was not expecting that quality of a product based on the price. I am still not fully happy with my suspension setup and the next setup will be Tein Flex Z Coilovers with EDFC. This way I can have active suspension and change my settings on the fly or have it adjust based on my speed or how I drive. I understand that the system cost just as much as the coilovers themselves but I am really excited to do it. If anyone has experience with it, I would love to hear their feedback!
- Energy Suspension Full Bushing Kit - Purchased but have not installed. Installed the rear sway bar bushings and the rear shock mount bushings. I could definitely feel a difference from the sway bar bushings. Can't wait to do the rest of the kit but I have heard it's a lot of work!
- OE Performance 193 2019 Shelby GT350 Replica 18x9 +30 wheels (Have not seen anyone run these on their civic yet and loved them off the Mustang) - Thank god I did not do this! LOL. Wheels are not a priority for me at the moment and I like the look of the stock wheels for now. If I do get wheels, it would probably be a cheaper set of Volk TE37 knock off designs from Fitment Industries, Gram lights, or something along the 5-6 spoke design. If not, I want to just powder coat the stock wheels and put the best performance tire on it and call it a day! We will see when I need new tires.
- Tires - ? - Whatever the best performance tire is. I will cheap out on my wheels, but not the tires.

2. HFP Muffler (Still keeping stock i/h/e but get a little more sound) - This actually changed. I now have Megan Racing Catback exhaust. First had the axleback. Then bought the mid-pipe. And now bought the shorty header. Can't wait to hear the sound with the header! I am not expecting any gains as it looks very similar to the stock part, but hopefully the sound changes.

3. DevSport Chin and Side Splitter (More aggressive look) - Decided against the splitter. I did purchase a full lip kit for the car from Kplayground. I initially wanted their "Type-R" style front lip (which reminded me of the Type-R lip on an Integra. ) When I received the box, I got the Mugen style front lip and they said they did not have the Type-R so they sent the Mugen. I was bummed at first, but am going to run it as it will match the Mugen style lip on my Integra. I also got Mugen V2 sides, and an HFP rear lip. It is in a box in storage now, but will be getting it painted this year and installed! It's going to look awesome!

4. Sounds - Plans changed here. The stock audio system was good enough for me. This car now is my fun car, and I do not listen to music anymore. I just listen to the sounds of the K20 and VTEC LOL.
- Double Din Android Head Unit (Use the ATOTO one in my 4Runner and it's awesome) - Keeping stock headunit but may switch to the stock double din in the future if I can find a used one.
- 8-10" Subwoofer in a smaller box (Save space) - The sub in the deck is good enough for me.
- 1 Set of Component Speakers - I did replace the front and rear speakers. I went with Hertz speakers off of Crutchfield. I got components for the front and back. Initially I got coaxial speakers for the rears, but the amp was sending a weird signal and I was getting a lot of feedback through the speaker. Got another component set and just installed the woofers and now the car sounds amazing!
- Coaxial for the rear - Went with components and just used the woofers.
- 4 or 5 Channel Amp - No amp.
- Kicker Front Row SP - No need for this anymore.

5. Who knows...
Here's the parts I installed that are not on the list above.

• Mishimoto Silicone Intake Hose
• High Flow Filter
• StopTech Drilled and Slotted Rotors and pads
• OEM Mudguards
• Lots of Amsoil fluids replaced more often than needed - Motor Oil, Transmission, Coolant, and Brake fluids
• Thermal Throttle Body and Intake Manifold Gaskets
• Rear Sway Bar Endlinks
• Clear Foglights (Not Installed)
• Hybrid Racing Clutch Master and Slave Cylinder (Need to install)
• OEM All-Season Floor Mats
• Weather Tech Cargo Tray
• Lots of Tree Frog Squash Air Freshener
• LED's for all exterior and interior lights

Plans for 2022?

• Install the parts I already have - Megan Racing Shorty Header, NST Lightweight 3 Piece Pulley Kit, Thermal Intake Manifold and Throttle Body Gaskets, Paint and install lip kit (fronts, sides, rear), Foglights
• Once the above is done - FlashPro and Tune
• Continue with good Maintenance

I'll come back and add some pictures of the car and possibly a video!

 

How are those polyurethane sway bar bushings in the front?? Still love mine!

Edit: I don't think you installed them yet lol.

 

I didn't install them yet. I need to get new end-links first as the current ones are rusted and need to be cut out. I have been wanting to get the Whiteline end-links but they are pricey. What are your folks thoughts? Go with OEM replacement or are aftermarket ones worth the $120+ price tag?

I do have the rear bushings installed and can definitely feel a difference and love them!

 

Little update.

Got the Hybrid Racing clutch master and slave kit. Finally getting this recommended mod and stoked to get it installed. I also got the shift selector and detent spring upgrades as well. Still waiting for some time to install all the parts on my car but I'll have them installed soon!

 

Little update! I'll be installing the Clutch master and slave tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have time to install the transmission selector and detent springs but we will see.

Small little change on the car, what do you guys think? I'll also be adding the SI emblem back to the correct spot on the rear...once I find where I put it.

Will be back tomorrow once I install the Clutch master and slave for a review!

 

Finished installing the hybrid racing clutch master and slave kit today. First off, the results are awesome! Shifting feels so much better and smoother. The entire driving experience all around is 100% better than before. I am not sure if this is common, but now I can feel a lot more vibration in the clutch when shifting. I don't mind it, but that is something to be aware of. I should have read the instructions fully and missed the part where you need to swap over the fork and rod from the stock master to the em1 master. So we had to remove the master, swap the parts and reinstall.

I would highly recommend this upgrade to anyone with an 8th gen. The difference is night and day and shifts are buttery smooth!

Flushed out all the old fluid and filled up with Amsoil brake fluid. The old fluid was brown and milky due to the slave going out. Here are some pictures. I did not get any pics of the new cmc installed but here's the new slave and the old bad one.

I also picked up some new front sway bar end links for the civic and a Wix oil filter for an oil change on the teggy. Next install will be the front end links and energy suspension front sway bar bushings. Judging how the rear felt with the new endlinks and bushings, I think this will tighten up the front and be a nice upgrade. Stoked to see how all these parts change the feel of the car. Stay tuned

 

Got my FlashPro in today! Thanks @StompingSix!

Hopped on the Hondata forums and found EFICU. He is super helpful. Explains the entire process and sent me a tune to start the process. Just did the data logs today and I am excited to see the final revision! For the datalog, I had to do a bunch of stop and go driving and a couple WOT pull in 3rd up to redline. I'm setting the rev limiter at 8400rpm.

Once I got the Flashpro, I registered it, locked it to my car, and went for a drive. I didn't upload any calibration at this point and just wanted to datalog my car in stock form to get some baseline numbers.

Then I went home and uploaded the tune I got from EFICU. The process was pretty straight forward. Since my laptop is having issues, I had to use my desktop. Plugged in flashpro to my computer and started the software. I loaded up the calibration from EFICU and loaded it on the secondary calibration slot. I left the first calibration slot blank.

The reason I did this was so that I could flash the car back to original settings without a computer.

To upload the calibration to your car, you just plug hondata in to the OBD2 port, turn the cars ignition on but do not start it up. Then press and hold the program button for more than 1 second to upload the first calibration. You will be able to see the status of the upload by the tachometer. Finally, turn off your car and then turn it back on and you are all set!

On the first drive on the new tune, I got 6 knock counts. I'm not entirely sure what that means but I know it's not good. If anyone can explain that would be awesome!

Took it back out to datalog and do the 3rd gear WOT pull and got 1 knock.

Uploaded and sent the files back to EFICU and looking forward to see the revisions.

Little update on the Clutch master and slave install. There is a lot of vibration in the pedal. There is no play in the clutch at all and the bite point is almost at the top. I would say 90% of the release is the bite point. I'm going to adjust the clutch later today to see if that helps.

I am not sure of the vibrations or if that is normal. Anyone have any experience with this?

When installing the master, I moved over the stock rod and everything attached to it.

It shifts nice and goes smoothly into gear but hopefully adjusting it will help with the vibrations.

 

New update.

Got the second revision for my tune and loaded it up and did some datalogging. Excited to see the end result and really liking the tuning process. It's crazy how different the car feels. I am able to flash back to the original settings and test the differences and it is night and day!

Also adjusted my clutch pedal. It was pretty much slightly engaged hence all the vibrations. It still has a little vibration feel through the pedal when shifting gears but nothing crazy. Just more of a direct feel. But it feels 100% better. The throw is shorter now as well, which I like. Stoked on the new clutch master and slave as well as flashpro!

 

Little update on the car - Been going through the tuning process with EFICU on the Hondata forums. I'm on my 15th revision and the car is feeling great! The sound of the motor is a lot more aggressive and it just drives overall smoother. Loving no rev hang and the car just feels great!

I've been doing research and trying to teach myself how to tune. There is A LOT to it but it actually is not as complicated as I thought it would be. I can't wait to be able to tune my own car and coming from an IT background, this is right up my alley!

I don't know if anyone likes custom gauges in their flashpro software but here's one I came up with that looks great!

I have not done anything else to the car. Just been in the tuning process but loving it! I did get a new aero part in that goes on the spoiler. It is a smoked plastic and I am wanting to get it painted when I get my lip kit painted. I think it looks great! Here's it mocked up on the car but not installed. I may not paint it but still deciding. What are your thoughts?

I'm also planning on doing a little modifications on my stock airbox by eliminating the resonator chamber. I'll post up more details on that once its done.

The build is slowly coming along but will keep on slowly moving forward!

 

WOW, the paint looks good! Was is resprayed before? If I see an 8th gen Si on the road which is rare, the paint is most likely trashed.

 

Thanks man! Yes it was repainted. Bought it from a guy that owned a paint and body shop. I definitely scored on that! I try my best to keep the pain t nice but I think it was a "quick" type of paint job. I do want to repaint in the future. I have my full lip kit and now the aero flap that I want to get cor matched so maybe paint everything at once? We will see but thanks!

 

Great to hear about your tuning progress!
It sounds like you're really starting to get the hang of things, especially with reaching revision 15. Your detailed description of the improvements helped me with my 2008 Honda Civic which h bought a few months ago.
I had been asking for recommendations from professionals and friends for a while, and had studied reviews of the Honda Civic but settled on the 2008 model.
Now I am repairing the brake system, I need to replace the brake pads, probably because safety first).

 

@OliverBasil Hi! Welcome to the forum. I doubt you will get any response from the original poster. Last post was 2 years ago. If you have questions about your car, you should start a new thread. I have a 2008 EX that was handed down to me. It is a great car but if I were to buy another Gen 8, it would be at minimum a 2009 due to the fact that some 2008 models may have the casting flaw that makes engine block cracking a possibility. There are zillions of them out there that will not crack but, just saying.