Build a sleeper

Patrik

Active Member
10
1
Los Angeles ca
Vehicle Model
Civic ex
Body Style
Sedan
Forgive my ignorance on car mod knowledge. I know just a little bit about cars. I do regular maintenance on my car. I know civics are known for its flexibility to make it any car you basically want to turn it to. But I was wondering how can I get just a little more power from my civic and making it a sleeper. I am definitely not taking this car to the track. This is my daily but I just want a little more power and excitement. Let me know what you think. Thank you!
 
Hondata flashpro with a tune gives you the ability to make hp/tq gains. Without it, most add-on parts will be useless. A downpipe and a tune will be the best add on for power and cost.
 
It really depends which trim level you have. The si is endless parts but the lx/ex is a bit more limited.
 
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Bolt ons wont net you much power with the ex. Look into the jackson racing supercharger kit if you want sleeper status. Itll put you around stock si power levels but very quietly and with your stock parts.

The cost is high.
 
Bolt ons wont net you much power with the ex. Look into the jackson racing supercharger kit if you want sleeper status. Itll put you around stock si power levels but very quietly and with your stock parts.

The cost is high.
So why are the older civics such a popular option to mod and tune? I feel like I can't have fun in my newer civic
 
Progress rear sway bar & light weight wheels will help make the car more fun to drive. If you really want a lot of power, you need to really get into the si for aftermarket parts. The R18 engine (engine you have) is primarily built for fuel economy and low emissions. Some people have dumped 5 grand or more into superchargers/turbo setups, but you'll basically be where the SI is for power. A number of people have swapped their car for the si exactly for that reason.
 
Progress rear sway bar & light weight wheels will help make the car more fun to drive. If you really want a lot of power, you need to really get into the si for aftermarket parts. The R18 engine (engine you have) is primarily built for fuel economy and low emissions. Some people have dumped 5 grand or more into superchargers/turbo setups, but you'll basically be where the SI is for power. A number of people have swapped their car for the si exactly for that reason.
I really wanted an si but I'm such a noob don't know how to drive stick.
 
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Yeah what everyone else said I had a turbo'd R18 civic (8th gen, same engine you have) and I was only making 220hp, that's pretty much what a full bolt on, rbc swap and tuned Si makes, learning to drive stick just takes patience and you will have alot more fun trust me! I had a "Sleeper" look I guess since I had a black intercooler.

 
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So why are the older civics such a popular option to mod and tune? I feel like I can't have fun in my newer civic

Weight and cheap parts. Also, the suspension on the older cars was a double A-arm front suspension which is great for racing. (They gain neg camber under compression.) Tuning was also easier when you didn't have to deal with modern ECU's.

New non Si Civics are single economy profile cams and limited by integrated intake (sort of) & exhaust manifolds. Also the weight of the car. A "newer" Civic even in coupe form will have at least 8 airbags. Older cars did not have the same safety requirements which means smaller hp numbers were much faster. You need a lot more power to move a heavy new Civic than you used to.


You can have a lot of fun in your "new" Civic. Properly modding an older Civic to run a turbo setup will cost you about the same as it does now for the Jackson SC kit. Yes, you can cut a lot of corners on the older cars to save money and there are tons of old used parts available for cheap that you don't have access to with the new cars. Yet.

The downside now is this:

$5k for the Jackson kit.

$5k for a reliable NA/NB Miata and keeping your EX for reliable daily driving.


If you want a track car buy an older Civic/Miata for $5k. If you want to make your EX fast, it'll cost you the same as a whole 'nother car. Do what you want. If you want a sleeper, your car is perfect because you can get Si power with stock non-Si noise levels. You would surprise a lot of cars. Swap a few parts and you can be in the low 200's at the wheels. Thats plenty quick but it still won't be fast.
 
Their design may run really close to the firewall or something. I know the fullrace design is super tight as well. I don't think I've seen anyone install that downpipe to see what their install looked like.
 
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