To Mod or not to mod

Learn2turn:)

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For myself I would love to do engine ecu mods but being in Cali I don’t want to deal w getting flagged. Getting too old to remove all mods every other year just to pass visual. Let alone now will be checking Ecu for modified program. Now my mods are focused on eye candy and aesthetics. ?
I am sorry you are restricted from the joy you are rightfully entitled to.
Fuck that life!
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type_ramen

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For myself I would love to do engine ecu mods but being in Cali I don’t want to deal w getting flagged. Getting too old to remove all mods every other year just to pass visual. Let alone now will be checking Ecu for modified program. Now my mods are focused on eye candy and aesthetics. ?
so you're saying all these Cali car YouTubers doing cosmetics/widebody kits are all on stock tune? Sorta missing the half the point of "going all out"
 

oak

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I am sorry you are restricted from the joy you are rightfully entitled to.
Fuck that life!
It sux I’ve always have tuned my vehicles and have modded many high end exotics and my daily drivers have always been able to get a “work” around smog. But as with all the new smog regulations and serious crack downs it’s just a matter of time til they’ll be on your shit. Mark my words. Time is not on engine tuning and modding side.
 

MrTuckers

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So if I move to Cali I don't have to buy underwear anymore? Sounds like a money saver to me!
CA too sensitive about so many things that it pisses me off just thinking about it. They want everyone in this entire state to go electric and buy those fart-silent, paper-airplane on wheels Titslas.

Sure those things have more torque and some guy earlier today gunned it from the light and I kept a pretty close distance to it in my V6 Accord, but you're driving something that doesn't feel alive and doesn't have the fun factor that's probably going to get old pretty fast.

You can already tell I hate those Titslas. I'm glad I have a fossil-fuel powered Type R and I'm enjoying every minute of my ride everytime I step in it and go for a spin. If CA ever bans our types of vehicles, I can always move to a smog-test free state and still keep my Type R if it ever comes to that. Oregon sounds like a nice place to take the Type R out for a drive out in the country and wilderness.
 


chester

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Glad your both enjoying the Phearable stage 2 tune.

To the OP: the best bang for the buck modification is going to be a Hondata Flashpro with the Phearable stage 2 tune.
There after, an intercooler would be a great supporting mod.
If you still want more power there after, a PRL HVI with a PRL downpipe would be a great addition.
Exhaust won't yield a large gain in power.

Hope that helps!
Why do you suggest Hondata instead of Ktuner? I saw the dyno sheets for each one on your website. I overlaid them, and the Ktuner had noticeably more torque in the 2k-4k rpm range. They were very similar above 4k. Based on this, I would think Ktuner is the better choice.

Honda Civic 10th gen To Mod or not to mod pherable Ktuner vs Hondata small
 

phearable

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Why do you suggest Hondata instead of Ktuner? I saw the dyno sheets for each one on your website. I overlaid them, and the Ktuner had noticeably more torque in the 2k-4k rpm range. They were very similar above 4k. Based on this, I would think Ktuner is the better choice.

pherable Ktuner vs Hondata small.jpg
Comparing dyno sheets doesn't justify choosing one over the other.
Different cars, different fuel, different days.
 

chester

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Comparing dyno sheets doesn't justify choosing one over the other.
Different cars, different fuel, different days.
Thanks. So ignoring dyno sheets, why did you suggest Hondata instead of Ktuner?

For background - I'm a new CTR owner and will likely be going with one of your tunes in the near future. I'm still trying to figure all this out.
 

phearable

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Thanks. So ignoring dyno sheets, why did you suggest Hondata instead of Ktuner?

For background - I'm a new CTR owner and will likely be going with one of your tunes in the near future. I'm still trying to figure all this out.
We didn't specifically recommend one over the other.

They both work well.
Hondata does have some features that Ktuner doesn't have like over the air jail break, custom traction control, flex fuel support and more.
 


davemarco

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I am fully modded with all engine bolt ons, a custom tune, lightweight 18 inch wheels, and some suspension upgrades as well (Whiteline ALK, RV6 Rear Sway Bar). I do sometimes regret modding for a few reasons:

- The balance of the car is way different with 383 whp than it was stock. I had my tuner stretch the throttle mapping out across the entire pedal range in a stock-like manner, but it definitely still requires that I manage my throttle carefully in turns to maintain stability. On the stock tune, it was set up in such a way that you really just get on the power (such that it was) in turns without much thought or effort.

- I find that the amount of occasions that I have to really let it rip are minimal, since the car now goes from 30 to perma-jail in no time flat. Not sure that I'm really getting my money's worth.

- Moving to 18 inch Titans with Cup 2's definitely elevated my ability to corner faster. Unfortunately, I feel like it's come at the cost of driver confidence. With the stock wheels, my steering feel and turn in were immediate and heavy, and the car felt like it was glued to the road. With the 18's/Cup 2's, my steering feel is much softer, particularly on turn in (it feels like it stiffens up further away from center). The car often feels less like it's glued and more like it's gliding across the pavement (both in curves and when traveling in a straight line). I have no doubt that a better driver would take the increased cornering speed and deal with the rest, but since I'm just a novice who does back roads for fun, the reduction in steering weight and directness scares me.

- Torque steer with 18 inch wheels. It's not too bad, but even with +45 offset, I still get some decent side to side tugging when I do WOT pulls on the highway. With the stock wheels, I could usually lay into it (even on my custom tune) without any issue.

- I ended up with a Remus exhaust for sound early on, since it was super hyped. Not sure what the others sound like, but I'm not hugely into it at anything over 20% open. Exhaust on this car feels like a wasted mod.

- If I ever want to trade it in, I'm in for days and days of annoying part removal. I like the R, but in truth, I'd much rather exchange it for a dedicated sports car and a daily (something like a Lotus Emira and a Corolla Hatchback manual). Regardless of what I'd trade it for though, the fact remains that I can't just immediately take advantage of a good trade deal.

Overall, the car definitely has a lot more pep and better cornering ability at the limits. I've just realized that as someone who doesn't really track the car, I was probably better off just leaving it as it was.
 
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gxl

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Agreed, there are some mods that just aren't worth it for a daily driver who is not planning to track it or do much sustained high performance driving. Performance wise, i'm done. Feel wise, i'm pretty much done too. Maybe a change in steering wheel or shift knob if i'm feeling an itch.
Other than that, maybe some cosmetic pieces for sh*ts and giggles.
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