Just traded in my Type S for an SI in NYC area, help/tips appreciated!

n00dLeZ

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I'm from the NYC area and I just traded in my '05 RSX Type S cause it was clearly dying on me. Just got the '12 SI. I'm very new to this so any help and tips is highly appreciated. I was going to mod my RSX a long time ago but I crashed it and spent most of my money fixing it. Now I'm starting fresh with the SI. I plan on modding my car bit by bit. Anyone willing to give me some tips on what I should do, what I need to do, and how i should get started would be nice! As i said before, I'm very new to this! Thanks!
 

webby

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Welcome to the site first off..

There are a few things you can do currently performance wise...and there are also appearance mods. All kind of depends on what you're after. A great list of DIY threads that users have submitted might be of help- http://9thcivic.com/forum/forums/do-it-yourself-articles.67/

A lot of the aftermarket mods are listed throughout this thread.
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/all-parts-currently-available-for-the-9th-gen-2012-civic.3868/

Any questions on specifics, and there are usually review/feedback threads we could point you towards.
 

Nix

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Congrats on the new car. Decide what direction you want to go with the car and then do a ton of research! This forum is super helpful and people will generally offer what advice they can. Are you thinking low/flush wheels or track prep? Or is this your daily driver and you just want more flash and zip? Lots of different ways to go.

Also at least when you spend $$ on your car it is something you can use everyday.
 

Dar-Dar

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I was thinking TL-S. Lol. Welcome to the site and enjoy the new ride.
 

HeelsandEers

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There aren't a ton of options performance wise right off the bat, just like for any new model. Intake and exhaust are about it and of course the reflash. I personally would hold off on performance for a while to see what else comes out. Though if you decide to look into the Full Race exhaust, you can't go wrong there.
 

n00dLeZ

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thanks for the warm welcome guys!

i want to change my exhaust, i kinda like the ultimate racing one i saw in one of the posts. but can i change that first and slowly change everything else, or is it better i change exhaust and some other things all at once. also, the reflash, do i need to get that before i put bolt ons on, or after, or does it not matter? is the reflash a one time purchase that i can use over and over again, or is it a one time use everytime i purchase it? sorry for all the questions, im really new, and sometimes when i research this stuff i get really confused haha. thanks for the input
 

n00dLeZ

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oh and this is my daily driver, not really planning on track but still want to eventually mod my car fully performance wise in the future.
 

Nix

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I believe the current reflash is a one time shot and not a tuning solution. Once Flashpro becomes available from Hondata you should absolutely buy that first, or second if you get something else in the meantime. It made a huuuge difference on the previous gen cars.

I don't think a bolt on exhaust will change too much that you would need to get tuned right away. To get the most possible out of it yes, but you shouldn't hurt anything in the meantime. Once you get intake, exhaust, "header", cams, and anything else you will definitely want the tune. Also with flashpro you can get retuned with the new stuff you purchase.

E-tunez is a great resource. I believe they are around $200 and you get multiple revisions until you are happy with the results. Start with exhaust/intake and if you want to do any handling mods - wheels,tires,suspension,sway bars.

Heres a free intake mod you can do until you decide on other stuff. It works pretty well.

http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/resonator-deleted.4147/
 

webby

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the hondata reflash is a single tune as nix said. You can use it without any other mods and see gains. They will be offering a solution which you can have multiple tunes here in the near future. It was called flashpro on the previous civic. You'd have better results with an intake/exhaust or whatever with the flashpro because you could tune the car specific to those mods you have.
 

n00dLeZ

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hmm thanks for the info and being patient with this noob. im gonna wait for flashpro then. as far as the exhaust goes, i know it shouldnt hurt to change that now, but i was reading that if you get an exhaust and just that, you may sound nice, but youll end up losing power. i was looking at the ultimate racing exhaust by the way, can anyone tell me the difference between the regular exhaust and the downward angle tip? also is the delete really worth it? i read the thread and it sounds like theres some possible serious downfalls.

i dont have a camera to take any pics =\
 

webby

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http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/2012-civic-si-ultimate-racing-3in-exhaust-available.3933/
thread on the exhaust with vids etc. You'd see gains with just an exhaust. You'd just see additional gains with an intake. The tip design is just whatever you'd like it to look like. Some like an angled design while others like a straight cut pipe look. If you live in an area that does emissions testing, you will not pass a sniffer exhaust test without a catalytic converter. It's actually illegal to run catless but people do it because it provides more hp/tq.
 

n00dLeZ

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ive never financed or bought a car from a dealership before, this is my first time, so i was wondering if anyone can help me out. I definitely want to mod my car and am looking into different things, but what should i avoid or what are some tips to avoid voiding my warranty and customer care service stuff?
 

Nix

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For the exhaust, removing the cat may lose you some power down low but the full race exhaust showed gains through the entire range I believe. Also a very high quality piece and it's a 3" exhaust that is not excessively loud. It is also perfect if you want to go supercharger or turbo later. The exhaust is currently "just" a cat-back system with a downpipe ("header") in the works. This way you can get the exhaust on now and decide later if you want to go the catless route. Your car will stink and people won't like you. Also you will have to put your cat back on for emissions testing. Might be a hassle.

(The full race is what I would get)

Full race exhaust thread:
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/full-race-9th-gen-3-exhaust-now-ready.4490/


Car sales thread:
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/car-sales-101-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.4333/



how much did you pay thread:
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/how-much-did-you-pay-for-your-2012-honda-civic.531/
 

webby

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ive never financed or bought a car from a dealership before, this is my first time, so i was wondering if anyone can help me out. I definitely want to mod my car and am looking into different things, but what should i avoid or what are some tips to avoid voiding my warranty and customer care service stuff?
(forced induction) nitrous oxide, a supercharger, or turbo setup would be items to avoid for warranty reasons. Beyond that, an intake or exhaust system would be fine to install. Those things aren't going to blow your engine or whatever (as long as you don't drive through a lake with a cold air intake).
 

HeelsandEers

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Yeah, an intake and exhaust should give you no warranty hassles at all. I would go with the Full Race exhaust, like someone else said. As nice an exhaust as you're going to find.
 
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