'New' 1996 Honda Accord Sedan :D
#1
07-09-2013, 09:37 AM
'New' 1996 Honda Accord Sedan :D
Hello everyone,
I am new to forums and to car modifications (not a gearhead) so if I am posting this thread in the wrong area, I apologize, but please bare with me for I am still wet behind the ears..
My Story/car history:
I recently came to own a 1996 Honda Accord Sedan, manual transmission 4-cylinder 2.2l vtec engine with 156k miles. It has an old, rusted CAI filter (that I need to replace) and duel exhaust tips that came with the car.
I have owned it for a little less than a month now and have already put a little work into it. I replaced front/back brake pads, both control arms, tie rod and attempted to fix the gauge cluster (it stopped counting miles the other day) so I know a LITTLE bit about the car and even less on what I am doing. But I have gotten my hands dirty and yes I like the feeling of fixing my own car, not to mention that it's cheaper too
So I like the whole DIY aspect, because it helps me learn more about my car and how it works, not to mention that it makes me be less dependent on mechanics that could tell me that I am in need for new exhaust system and 4 new tires because there is a unicorn in the muffler... (that was a joke)
But anyway, the whole reason for this thread is that I want to pick your guys' brains to see what you guys would recommend for me who has about $500 that I can put into my car now for upgrades/mods and where should I start.
I am thinking that I work from the bottom up, so suspension first? Is that a good place to start with modifications?
I don't want my car to have a loud roar when idling so I am trying to stay away from exhaust work.
I am more interested in a quiet sleeper if that makes sense....
This car is my only car as of now, so it's my project and every day car. I want this car to last me another 156-200k miles (if possible) but I would also like it to have some sort of performance upgrades for speed...
My goals:
- To 'build' a new CAI from scratch
- To eventually have a quiet sleeper car (natural aspiration) if that is even
possible I don't know if that defeats the purpose of a performance car
Sorry for making this an extremely long thread and being all over the place. I am just new to the world of performance mods...
Thank you guys in advance for all of your input and wisdom.
I am new to forums and to car modifications (not a gearhead) so if I am posting this thread in the wrong area, I apologize, but please bare with me for I am still wet behind the ears..
My Story/car history:
I recently came to own a 1996 Honda Accord Sedan, manual transmission 4-cylinder 2.2l vtec engine with 156k miles. It has an old, rusted CAI filter (that I need to replace) and duel exhaust tips that came with the car.
I have owned it for a little less than a month now and have already put a little work into it. I replaced front/back brake pads, both control arms, tie rod and attempted to fix the gauge cluster (it stopped counting miles the other day) so I know a LITTLE bit about the car and even less on what I am doing. But I have gotten my hands dirty and yes I like the feeling of fixing my own car, not to mention that it's cheaper too
So I like the whole DIY aspect, because it helps me learn more about my car and how it works, not to mention that it makes me be less dependent on mechanics that could tell me that I am in need for new exhaust system and 4 new tires because there is a unicorn in the muffler... (that was a joke)
But anyway, the whole reason for this thread is that I want to pick your guys' brains to see what you guys would recommend for me who has about $500 that I can put into my car now for upgrades/mods and where should I start.
I am thinking that I work from the bottom up, so suspension first? Is that a good place to start with modifications?
I don't want my car to have a loud roar when idling so I am trying to stay away from exhaust work.
I am more interested in a quiet sleeper if that makes sense....
This car is my only car as of now, so it's my project and every day car. I want this car to last me another 156-200k miles (if possible) but I would also like it to have some sort of performance upgrades for speed...
My goals:
- To 'build' a new CAI from scratch
- To eventually have a quiet sleeper car (natural aspiration) if that is even
possible I don't know if that defeats the purpose of a performance car
Sorry for making this an extremely long thread and being all over the place. I am just new to the world of performance mods...
Thank you guys in advance for all of your input and wisdom.
#2
07-09-2013, 04:45 PM
Sounds like you aren't as cherry as you make yourself out to be. The maintenance you have done on your car already I would say puts you past the "novice" skill set.
Suspension is a great place to start, especially with that budget. $500 into the engine won't do too much as far as horsepower gains go, but will make a big difference with how the car handles. What I would do with that money is buy Function form coil overs for your car. These will get your ride height down from its stock 4x4 status and improve the handling. Plus who knows the last time your struts were replaced anyways.
As far as the car lasting a long time, short of the older Volvos I think the 5g accord is the most reliable and long lasting car out there.
As far as the sleeper naturally aspirated car goes it really just depends on your horsepower goals. While the fastest naturally aspirated 4cyl record is held by a F22, it is by no means reliable, long lasting, or sleeper.
Getting power the natural way is a lot harder, and a lot more expensive. But Bisimoto can help you out with all your F series performance needs whether it be N/A or boost.
Suspension is a great place to start, especially with that budget. $500 into the engine won't do too much as far as horsepower gains go, but will make a big difference with how the car handles. What I would do with that money is buy Function form coil overs for your car. These will get your ride height down from its stock 4x4 status and improve the handling. Plus who knows the last time your struts were replaced anyways.
As far as the car lasting a long time, short of the older Volvos I think the 5g accord is the most reliable and long lasting car out there.
As far as the sleeper naturally aspirated car goes it really just depends on your horsepower goals. While the fastest naturally aspirated 4cyl record is held by a F22, it is by no means reliable, long lasting, or sleeper.
Getting power the natural way is a lot harder, and a lot more expensive. But Bisimoto can help you out with all your F series performance needs whether it be N/A or boost.
#3
07-09-2013, 06:08 PM
Wow. That's some great input live2rice. Thanks. I am ready to get my hands even more dirty fixing up my car 
What do you mean, "As far as the sleeper naturally aspirated car goes it really just depends on your horsepower goals"? Isn't all horsepower goals the same? More? Or did you mean specifically?
I will definitely look into some of the Bisimoto stuff.
Here are some pictures of my car. I remind you that I just recently got it so it's not super clean...
What do you mean, "As far as the sleeper naturally aspirated car goes it really just depends on your horsepower goals"? Isn't all horsepower goals the same? More? Or did you mean specifically?
I will definitely look into some of the Bisimoto stuff.
Here are some pictures of my car. I remind you that I just recently got it so it's not super clean...
#4
07-09-2013, 06:53 PM
dang, that is a janky air filter lol. Honestly, to replace your air filter, buy a $30 generic intake piping kit for the car, throw the filter away, and replace it with a quality AEM or K&N filter.
And with a $500 budget for now, as long as your maintenance is up, I'd go with Function&Form Type 1 coilovers like live2rice suggested. They aren't the best brand around, but they make a decent product for the money. They will allow you to adjust the height of your car to your liking.
And with a $500 budget for now, as long as your maintenance is up, I'd go with Function&Form Type 1 coilovers like live2rice suggested. They aren't the best brand around, but they make a decent product for the money. They will allow you to adjust the height of your car to your liking.
#5
07-09-2013, 07:16 PM
Hahahah yeah I know hondafreak91c, rusted to the death. I was just thinking about going to the local hardware store and just buying some pipes, coupler and a filter and then just assemble it at home. but I guess it would be coming out at about the same price.
I am actually going either tomorrow or the day after to get my car looked at to make sure that the maintenance is up to par
I am actually going either tomorrow or the day after to get my car looked at to make sure that the maintenance is up to par
#7
07-09-2013, 07:55 PM
Ah, okay I gotcha.
Roughly off of the top of your head, how much would a stroker crank, high compression pistons and individual throttle bodies go for? Just so I would have a some sort of budget in mind.
I would go turbocharged but I heard that it causes a lot of stress on the engine thus not making it last long.
Roughly off of the top of your head, how much would a stroker crank, high compression pistons and individual throttle bodies go for? Just so I would have a some sort of budget in mind.
I would go turbocharged but I heard that it causes a lot of stress on the engine thus not making it last long.
#8
07-09-2013, 08:24 PM
Well the set up I described wont last too long either, I'd day probably not as long as a turbo f series on mild boost. But you'd probably be looking at 5-10 grand for a na set up like that. Individual throttle bodies alone are in the $1,500-2,000 range.
#10
07-09-2013, 09:53 PM
I guess the question is what do you want the goals are for this car with upgrades.
I don't think that you gain much from the CAI and you risk getting water into the engine and possibly hydrolocking it.
Since this is your daily driver, I would suggest leaving it stock for now. You may want to go to a junkyard and get a stock air intake.
Inspect the suspension, like tie-rods, ball joints, CV joint, etc... Make sure the car is sound, then consider upgrades. Shocks/springs aren't a bad place to start and tires.
At 156k miles, your engine has a lot of life left, if you keep up the maintenance. If you have engine problems, upgrading to a H22 engine would get you to 200 hp (from 145 on the vtec). That swap is common and there is a lot of information out there about the swap.
I don't think that you gain much from the CAI and you risk getting water into the engine and possibly hydrolocking it.
Since this is your daily driver, I would suggest leaving it stock for now. You may want to go to a junkyard and get a stock air intake.
Inspect the suspension, like tie-rods, ball joints, CV joint, etc... Make sure the car is sound, then consider upgrades. Shocks/springs aren't a bad place to start and tires.
At 156k miles, your engine has a lot of life left, if you keep up the maintenance. If you have engine problems, upgrading to a H22 engine would get you to 200 hp (from 145 on the vtec). That swap is common and there is a lot of information out there about the swap.