Honda Car Forum

Why do young kids feel the need to over modify a Honda Civic? They do realize they are disposable cars, right? I mean they originally cost about $12,000, so when these kids buy them used with 150,000 miles on them for $2000 and then sink about $5000 into them between rims, paint, mufflers and body & suspension kits. Do they know how ridiculous they look driving in them? They look like a little kid driving a go cart in the street all done up so that people will look at how stupid they are. Why not buy a real car that is 90% of the way to being fully moded, like a Mustag or Camaro, with a REAL engine in it and original sold as a sports car and not as a secretaries car. Add a nice exhaust on a Mustang and you have one of the nicest sounding cars on the road with true acceleration. Not some little lawnmower that sounds like it is farting and going no where too fast.

that is a really good question.people are just stupid

A friend of mine had about $35000 put into his Civic. It still wouldn't touch my 30 year old 914 Porsche in handling. Straight line acceleration he had the edge, but the first turn was another story entirely. His car looked like a Frankenstein beast. For turning heads and getting attention, my $6500 Porsche was way ahead. Much more comfortable and fun to drive in as well. Kids, peer pressure, and their toys...

it is ridiculous. i agree with you completely...they are disposable cars. when kids put turbos on them, it brings their gas mileage down to the range of a mustang/camaro...and it's not nearly as powerful. it kinda defeats the purpose of having a honda.

This is something I've wondered about for many years. Kids nowadays seem to thing performance only comes from Japan and anything made here in the US with a V-8 isn't worth jack shiznit! I have heard some say that it' s a challenge kinda thing. Modding a lawnmower motor is more fun than working on a V-8. Go figure!

I did a report for a class once on this very subject. I went around and spoke to these kids about why they did what they do. I basically had to bite my tongue half the time. Many of them honestly think a little Civic or MR2 with a ridiculously huge exhaust and a modified air intake is fast. In talking with them, most of them had never driven an American or European sports car. I drove one guy's 89 Supra at his coaxing, and it was not fast. All of them made a big deal about beating a v-8 with a four banger (at least fantasizing about it). They all talk about horsepower, but don't even know what torque is. They don't know the difference between a v-6 and a straight 6. I could go on. Basically, they want to get attention with whacky crappy cars and they want to be counter culture and fight the true sports cars. They sure are fun smoking in a race because they get so pissed!

Half the fun of owning a disposable car is tuning it. I just bought a brand new 07 civic, and spent $18k on it. The car is pretty quick and the power to weight ratio is pretty amazing. But I wouldnt even consider spending $35000 on modding it, I think thats pretty ridiculous. I was planning on spending a couple thousand on aesthetic items (spoiler, interior ambient lights, maybe some alloy rims), but nothing too extravagent as you guys are talking about.

I like this post. My brother had a 2000 civic V-tech that he decided to have some fun with. It was basically a project for us. We installed an HKS Exhaust, Greddy Turbo, Eibach springs, and all the other Ricer crap you can think of. And I can tell you it never came close to the power or acceleration of a stock LS-1 Camaro or Firebird.All you ricers out there that are planning to mod one of these, Don't bother with it.

Power and acceleration are only a small part of an equasion. Anyone, skilled or not, can go fast in a straight line. That is why the outdated, underpowered, overweight nature of the US OHV V8 is pure and simple crap. Weight balance, suspension setup, and proper brakes are completely foreign to US manufacturers. The 'standard' V8 Mustang GT still uses a live axle rear suspension setup. Thats a truck suspension, not a performance vehicle. I can't speak for the people who actually are ricers, but I'd take an FD, early Evo, or an MR2 over a US manufactured car any day. Simply put, there is a reason only a handful of US manufacturers compete in world class GT and rally competition. US auto development lags signifigantly behind the rest of the world. Give me a straight four or rotary any day.On a final note, I concour that tuning a Civic is a waste of time. All FF cars are a waste of time with regard to performance.

Wow, these jacka**es have obviously never met a true Honda enthusiast.Well then let me introduce myself. I've been building high performance Honda engines for the past 5 years, from all-motor, to chemical and forced induction...I've done just about everything, and let me be the first to say that I too have a burning hatred towards the "ricers". They give the entire import scene a terrible name. Nothing is worse than seeing one of these losers on the street with their "tricked out" ride. People like that should be shot in the kneecap and then sterilized.But for people like you, who are so ignorant, to say that Honda's aren't worth tuning, then you sir...are an idiot. I have to 2000 Civic Si Coupe that will blow the doors off of 80% of all V8's that come my way. I have a full blown done up engine (supercharger, cams, titanium valvetrain, you name it...its in there) sitting in my little Civic that weighs next to nothing....now for the numbers...300+ whp. That's a pretty impressive number...especially when your car only weighs 2600 lbs.As for looks...besides the OEM carbon fiber hood, 16in rims, lower than stock ride height, and tasteful black window tint...you couldn't tell my car apart from a bone stock 00 Civic Si Coupe. No dumb bodykit, spoiler or euro tails, no flashy paint (just stock electron blue), no big stupid rims, no loud exhaust (silenced, which gives it a nice low tone). I've kept it clean and JDM styled. There are those of us out there that are not afilliated with that stupid "ricer" crowd, but still enjoy building high performance four cylinder cars.Yes, I couldnt agree more with you that these kids are idiots for buying a old beat up Civic's and then dumping loads of money into pointless visual crap. With all the money they sink into making their cars look even worse then when they bought it, they could easily have afforded a nicer car, or they could have afforded to build a quick, respectable looking little street car. But these kids nowadays are so enthralled with "The Fast and the Furious" that they think an exhaust and intake will give them a bazillion horsepower...when in reality it gives them a whopping 5 extra horsies. Not even enough to feel a difference in performance. Like I said...these people need to be sterilized.As for a Mustang and Camaro having a REAL engine in it...I dont see anything to brag about there. Let me introduce you to a crazy concept called horsepower per liter. Honda's generally make about 100% if not more hp per liter Example: The Integra Type R's 1.8L makes 200hp...thats 110% hp per liter. The Camaro has a 5.7L...but it sure doesnt make 570hp from the factory...like the Honda. So I wouldnt brag about the underpowered V8s in those cars.Let's not forget about other cars like the Evolution and WRX STi.These factory cars wil blow the doors off Mustangs and Camaros with ease. They may be four cylinders but they make loads of power and have the handling to back it up. I hate to say it but the time of the muscle car is fading which sucks because I love muscle cars as well as the import cars. But lots of people now want a turbocharged four cylinder that makes rediculous power and has the handling to match...Im not saying their arent people who dont want muscle cars around....but its what the latest trend isAnyways...Im all for hating on the stupid ricers who put all that dumb crap on their cars becuse they think it looks cool. But show some respect to the other half...guys like me who have a sense of taste and actually know their way around under the hood of a car...especially a Honda.