HEY GUYS, I WANT TO START MODIFYING MY CAR! WHERE DO I START?
So you want to build and/or race your Honda, huh? Well there's some good news and some bad news for you....first, the bad news. All Hondas south of the $30k price range are REALLY slow to begin with. This basically encompasses the front drive variety (Accords, Civics, Integras, and RSX). The good news is, that doesn't really matter. Why? Because in LEGAL racing (the ONLY kind we support here at Superhonda), you can compete in a class with other slow cars.
So now you may ask "What fun is that if all the cars in my class are slow?" Well since everyone is on an even playing field, the only thing separating you and the champion is driver skill. Those w/ small budgets can still be very competative against those with larger racing budgets. Hence, the best bang-for-the-buck modification you can do is to the nut behind the wheel...yes that means YOU.
www.autocross.com/evolution
OKAY, BUT HOW IS THAT A GOOD MODIFICATION? I WANT MY CAR TO BE CRAZY FAST WITH M4D tYt3 jDm VEETAAK y0!
By going to driving school and making the changes to your driving is by far the best modification anyone can do for their need for speed. Why? because for $300 or less, these specialized driving schools can help you decrease your lap times by FULL SECONDS. Whereas a $1000 suspension setup, or $1000 in bolt-ons (intake, header, exhaust, etc), will only make you better by a few tenths of a second. Not only that, but those modifications can actually bump you up into a more difficult class.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO AUTOCROSS OR ROAD RACE. I JUST WANNA GO FAST IN A STRAIGHT LINE!
While I feel sorry for you wanting to play in the inferior sport, I can't really change how you feel. With that said, even drag racing has bracket racing so you can compete w/ cars that move as fast (or as slow) as yours. Again, it comes down to the basic skills of driving (launch, gas, shifting)...all of which can be taught the proper way to do these at a driving school. Oh yeah, and autocross and road racing utilize the same skills as drag racing (the launch, the accelerator, and shifting), except you learn how to brake and turn...skills that take much more time and effort to perfect than pressing the gas down as hard as you can.
SO I SIGNED UP FOR SCHOOL, WHAT'S NEXT?
Seat time! Practice makes perfect! Find your limits first at the track. You'll find the car in its factory state is well beyond your limits as a new performance driver. The only thing I would recommend at this point in time is to upgrade the
TIRES. They are the only thing connecting that hunk of metal called a car to the road. For recommended street tires that can give you the performance edge without bumping you up a class, check out the
Tire, Wheel, Brake & Suspension Forum here on Superhonda.com sponsored by
The Tire Rack.
NOW CAN I ADD MORE jDm VTAK POWER?!
NOT YET!!! Before any sane person tries to put more power into their ride, they explore and plan the direction of how the car will be used. The goal is to build the car right the first time so that you don't have to spend more money than you really need to. In all road courses, the technical sections are key areas where time is lost. In drag racing, traction is lost over the drive wheels in a front wheel drive setup, making you lose time. So the next important modification would be to the
SUSPENSION. Again, check out the
Tire, Wheel, Brake & Suspension Forum for more info in this area. For beginners, read up on the Suspension FAQ and I would recommend that you investigate
Springs, Struts, and Stabilizers (aka Anti-Sway Bars) and to generally stay away from ebay for these types of things.
OKAY, I GOT BASIC SUSPENSION MODS NOW, WHAT'S NEXT?
Hopefully you've planned out what direction your build is headed by now. There's really nothing left to introduce. You've gotten lots of seat time by now and have pushed your limits. You've also learned how to get information from the forum by asking the right questions. You can continue to build your suspension setup and add bits of power adding parts. But just remember...Most Hondas were built to be ECONOMY cars. They will continue to behave like economy cars until you rebuild it from the ground up. Budgets can get really wild beyond this point...so let me show you one last thing.
The Rule of 72
This graph shows how long it takes your savings to double depending on the interest rate. Well the Rule of 72 can also work against you in the form of Credit Cards or loans. Many credit cards have an interest rate of 18% or more. That means you can be paying thousands more in interest payments if you can only afford the minimum payment!
While modifying your car can be fun and addicting, remember, there are much more important things in life than your car. My final suggestion is that you really weigh your finances and create a budget before you have to spend more than you really need to in the form of interest payments. Planning your route to the goal will really help in defining your budget and will make sure you don't spend double money on the same item. With planning, make sure to buy quality products as well. DO NOT SKIMP OUT! Most products cost more for a reason. The main reason is manufacturing costs. There are three things to tuning: Power, Price, and Reliability...you're only allowed to have two.
- Simply to say the things u learn in life apply to everything u do to ur car. Buy shit---> become shit. Waste time---> Loose time. Drive fast ----> Die fast.
Damn, a Honda minivan could take out an INEGRA in stock form 
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