New SI owner: what should I do and what have you done?

[Pauleo1214]

Thanks again for all the replies! My swaybars, end links, and Mishimoto intake arrived yesterday.

I was able to remove the stock intake and install the Mishimoto in an hour. I put a generic CAI in my 2013 LX and that was much more of a pain given the piping had to be snaked around the battery.

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[Partsmike]

My top suggestions
1. Tune
2. Intake
3. Exhaust
4. Brake Rotor Upgrade ( This was a top for me as I think the stock rotors SUCK)
5. Short Shifter

 

[Chris_19Si]

If you plan to do the work yourself, the list of mods that are reasonable, and have a high rate of return are:
1. Stage 1 tune (using KTuner V2, and I like Phearable tunes)
2. Clutch, with light weight single mass flywheel (several kits available, do research on availability for parts)
3. Lowering springs (I use Eibach pro kit)
4. Cold air intake will get you the nice turbo sound, but no big deal for power on stage 1 tune. Same with exhaust. Put your money somewhere else first.
5. Good set of ultra high performance all season tires to compliment the added performance and sensibility.

Unless you are going to do autocross, or need to get to next level, I wouldn't do anything else. Stage 1 tune and a good clutch will wake the car up and keep you away from many issues that many of us are having. Enjoy the car within it's limits, or join the madness!

 

[jrow3]

Currently, I want to focus on mods that will improve the handling experience of this car; I have a Whiteline Sway Bar kit on order and will also likely order a front strut tower bar and performance breaks.

I have no dreams of adding a bigger turbo, given the horror stories I have read. I have the stage 1+ tune, which I read can damage the clutch if MAP3 in sport mode with regular use.

My question to those with more experience tuning Civics and the 10th gen platform is, would I be hurting anything by adding an Injen short ram intake, performance downpipe, and a PRL intercooler to keep heat soak and help the turbo spool faster? Should I keep everything stock and focus on handling mods instead? What do you think, and what have you done with your Civics to keep them reliable?

This car is my daily driver, and I am lucky I have been able to remote work the past two years to avoid putting on heavy mileage. My inner hooligan still dreams, though!

Thank you all, and apologies for the long post.

You say you want to improve the handling of the car, but the car comes from the factory VERY well balanced. What are you actually looking to change with the car? WHY are you looking to change it? If you are a seasoned driver you'll know you want more "x" and be able to communicate what you want more of from the car, and look at finding parts that compliment that goal. If you're new to the car you'll just throw parts on the car, unbalance it, and then get frustrated that you're still slow, or take 10x as long to become a better driver and realize you didn't need to do half of whatever it is you do.

There are probably hundreds of us on this forum that have that exact history with modding cars. I suggest you drive your car, and only make modifications when you find there is something actually lacking with what it's currently outputting. Throwing mods at it just to mod it based on what worked for someone else with their particular driving style/goals seems like a great way to end up hating your car in 5 years.

 

[Guitar_stitch]

Throwing mods at it just to mod it based on what worked for someone else with their particular driving style/goals seems like a great way to end up hating your car in 5 years.

Some people are just tweakers who have money and time to experiment. If I had money, I'd throw random shit at my car to see what sticks as well. lol

 

[Pauleo1214]

You say you want to improve the handling of the car, but the car comes from the factory VERY well balanced. What are you actually looking to change with the car? WHY are you looking to change it? If you are a seasoned driver you'll know you want more "x" and be able to communicate what you want more of from the car, and look at finding parts that compliment that goal. If you're new to the car you'll just throw parts on the car, unbalance it, and then get frustrated that you're still slow, or take 10x as long to become a better driver and realize you didn't need to do half of whatever it is you do.

There are probably hundreds of us on this forum that have that exact history with modding cars. I suggest you drive your car, and only make modifications when you find there is something actually lacking with what it's currently outputting. Throwing mods at it just to mod it based on what worked for someone else with their particular driving style/goals seems like a great way to end up hating your car in 5 years.

Thanks for this viewpoint, I do appreciate it. I will admit I probably won't ever autocross. I am by no means a talented driver either!

I LOVE my 2020 SI, stock. It feels way better than my 2013 LX ever did and that was a very good, reliable car. There were things I did not like about my LX however. I could feel the chassis shake at high speeds. While it was peppy, it lacked power. I commute in the DC/Metro area and having that power really helps when you have jagoffs refusing to let you merge, driving slow in the left lane and then speeding up when you try to pass on the right, etc.

When I decided to teach myself manual on a 2008 Fit, the tighter handling and enagement with the shifter made me want to get the Civic Si.

Since my first post in my thread, I've done the following.
1. Mishimoto Intake
2. Rev9 Intercooler
3. Whiteline front and rear sway bars
4. Tanabe front strut bar

Fortunately, I am at a point in my life I do have the disposable income to play around a bit. I can at least say that the sway bars and strut bar were worth the investment; Steering feel is much tighter and I love it. The sway bar really helps keep the front wheels apply the power on turns and it's a new dimension of excitement!

I suppose it would be more beneficial if I was specific about what I want to achieve in my journey. That said, I am pretty new to the world of car modding and am learning as well as discovering new things that I like, if that makes sense.

 

[Chris_19Si]

If you want a little better response after releasing the clutch, install the Perrin rear motor mount inserts. They are very inexpensive and help get the car moving a little quicker. You will feel the difference without adding any noise and vibration to the cabin. Upgrading to a stiff RMM is annoying for a daily driver. Also consider the +1 degree ball joints for the front end with an alignment. That will compliment the front sway bar. These cars love front camber. If you do coil springs, do the ball joints for sure then get the alignment.

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