EcoModding an EK Civic Hatch! New to the Forum!

[RLochard]

My name is Ryan and I'm in Indianapolis, Indiana. I've owned a bunch of Civics over the past few years. I had a BMW that I daily drove that the engine blew in so I bought a Civic to drive back and forth to work. Amazed by the fuel economy I wanted to start EcoModding. My BMW E46 now has an all aluminum LS1 w/T56 6-Speed swapped into it. Modifying cars has always been a passion of mine but with the Hondas I've wanted to do a different kind of modding. Not that stupid rice burner ****.

The Civic that I've chose as my Ecomodder build is a 1999 Honda Civic CX Hatchback. Basist of the base models. No AC, No Power Steering, Nower Power Windows or Mirrors, No Cruise Control, Etc. I really wanted to get my hands on a Lean Burn HX model but couldn't find one that's not a total POS.

For my EcoModding Adventure I'm going for Aesthetics First and EcoFunctionality Second.

Plans For The Car:

Install ScanGauge II

Inflate Tires to 40-55 PSI

Install Lowering Springs-Get the car sitting Lower giving it a more aggressive tuner look while also reducing air traveling under the car.

Tint the Windows- More Aesthetically Pleasing and I don't feel like I'm in a fish bowl.

Install New Headlights- Restore the look of the car so it looks like less of a late 90s Piece of ****.

Install SI Style Grill-Looks Better than the base model Grill

Remove Side Mirrors- Reduce Wind Drag Created by Side Mirrors. Safety is First so I'll be Installing a "Wink" Mirror along with "Blind Spot" Mirrors on door panels.

Upper & Lower Grill Blocks- I've seen people on here use cardboard and duct tape as Grill blocks. I've also seen someone use plexi glass for a stealthier look. Since Plexi is so brittle I'll be using Lexan Polycarbonate (Racecar Windshield) to cover the SI Grill and Lower Grill. This should improve overall aerodynamics But not be incredibly noticeable. Once again, I want to EcoMod but also keep the car looking cool.

Install SI Style Front Lip- The SI Lip should reduce the amount of air traveling under the car but this design being that it protrudes out may not be beneficial to my EcoModding but it will help the overall look of the car.

WAI/HAI- Hot Air Intake- I've got a few ideas with how I want to go about the HAI but nothing is set in stone yet.

I know there's a lot of die hard EcoModders on here with a ton of knowledge. I know there's a lot of die hard Civic fans out there as well. I'm open to all suggestions and advice anyone can give along the way! I'll be uploading pictures of my Modifications every time! Thanks!

[Daox]

Welcome to the site Ryan. It sounds like you have some good ideas for your first few mods. We look forward to seeing them!

[M_a_t_t]

Welcome to the forum. I'm pretty close to you (Anderson). If you add yourself to the ecomodder map you'll be the third person in Indiana
https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1047848

[jcp123]

Hey there! You got the bodystyle Civic I wanted to have.

Also, an LS-swapped E36 or E46 was a thought I was obsessed with a month or two ago!

Good luck with your build. These Civics are slow but sweethearts to drive. Slickest manual steering I've ever experienced, smooth revvy engine doesn't have much to give, but is begging you to use it all. Nice ride/handling balance.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your car progress. Sounds like you are leaning the same way I am, still want to have something "car guy cool" at the end of the day. Now that it's cool, I'm gonna have to think about my grille block as well...

[California98Civic]

Welcome. I drive a '98 DX coupe, so we have a lot of the same hardware. Before you delete mirrors, consider Indiana law. I attracted more police attention than I wanted with both deleted. I never have trouble with just the passenger side mirror deleted.

I had a WAI for several years and then deleted it for a SMOG test. For reasons too boring to describe I was delayed in reinstalling it. Then I decided it was maybe not as helpful as I had thought.

Three great and simple and stealthy engine mods: alternator on off switch with a deep cycle battery, injector kill switch, and a power steering delete. Two great and low key aeromods: an airdam and a stealthy grill block (put the block BEHIND your SI grill).

Some modest weight reduction can be stealthy too. AC delete is over-rated. Just don't use the AC unless your are in DFCO or other prime conditions for running the AC.

You gotta get a good fuel economy gauge.

Oh, and taller wheel/tire combos for taller overall gearing.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Haven't seen an EK hatch for a long time.

[RLochard]

Originally Posted by jcp123

Hey there! You got the bodystyle Civic I wanted to have.

Also, an LS-swapped E36 or E46 was a thought I was obsessed with a month or two ago!

Good luck with your build. These Civics are slow but sweethearts to drive. Slickest manual steering I've ever experienced, smooth revvy engine doesn't have much to give, but is begging you to use it all. Nice ride/handling balance.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your car progress. Sounds like you are leaning the same way I am, still want to have something "car guy cool" at the end of the day. Now that it's cool, I'm gonna have to think about my grille block as well...

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Yeah I’ll upload some pictures of the Bimmer later. But yeah I want the car to still have a cool factor but try and get as many MPGs as possible. That’s why I’m going to use Lexan for my grill block etc so it’s not incredibly noticeable.

[RLochard]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Welcome. I drive a '98 DX coupe, so we have a lot of the same hardware. Before you delete mirrors, consider Indiana law. I attracted more police attention than I wanted with both deleted. I never have trouble with just the passenger side mirror deleted.

I had a WAI for several years and then deleted it for a SMOG test. For reasons too boring to describe I was delayed in reinstalling it. Then I decided it was maybe not as helpful as I had thought.

Three great and simple and stealthy engine mods: alternator on off switch with a deep cycle battery, injector kill switch, and a power steering delete. Two great and low key aeromods: an airdam and a stealthy grill block (put the block BEHIND your SI grill).

Some modest weight reduction can be stealthy too. AC delete is over-rated. Just don't use the AC unless your are in DFCO or other prime conditions for running the AC.

You gotta get a good fuel economy gauge.

Oh, and taller wheel/tire combos for taller overall gearing.

I checked out some of your stats and you’ve done some impressive things with your coupe. I’ve got the ScanGauge II for my gauges. Indiana Law just states that I need to have a mirror that the driver can see 200ft behind them so my 5 panel wink mirror does the trick. As for the WAI I’m going to make one because right now it’s about 30 degrees in the morning any my IAT is about 45 degrees driving and it’s a cheap mod anyway. For my Upper Grill Block I’m actually going to put it in front of the SI Grill that way it not only reduces the air traveling into the engine bay but also has some aerodynamic benefits as well. I got the idea from the salt flat top speed cars. I’m making a lower grill block as well and I’m also looking into some weight reduction like lighter wheels and maybe back seat removal. I’ll upload pictures of pretty much everything.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by RLochard

I checked out some of your stats and you’ve done some impressive things with your coupe. I’ve got the ScanGauge II for my gauges. Indiana Law just states that I need to have a mirror that the driver can see 200ft behind them so my 5 panel wink mirror does the trick. As for the WAI I’m going to make one because right now it’s about 30 degrees in the morning any my IAT is about 45 degrees driving and it’s a cheap mod anyway. For my Upper Grill Block I’m actually going to put it in front of the SI Grill that way it not only reduces the air traveling into the engine bay but also has some aerodynamic benefits as well. I got the idea from the salt flat top speed cars. I’m making a lower grill block as well and I’m also looking into some weight reduction like lighter wheels and maybe back seat removal. I’ll upload pictures of pretty much everything.

Great plans. The main benefit from a grill block is keeping airflow out of the engine bay. Doing that makes the air travel around the nose more. There will be relatively little benefit from a block in front of the Si upper grill panel. So if you want to show off your Si grill piece, I think putting the block behind it will fit your needs nicely. But I understand going for max aero benefit too! It is what I do. My lower block is almost total. And if you set it up so you have forced air ducting straight to your coolant radiator (not AC, of course) you will make the OEM cooling system a little more efficient. One trick I use is I have a hole in my lower grill block in front of the radiator, and I moved my license plate so I can block the hole with it. I also set it up so I can position the plate over half the hole, or none of it. In your winter, such a set up would improve warm up time. Keep an eye on your coolant temps. I have an alarm set for 206* coolant temps on my UltraGauge. I also control temps with DFCO deceleration, since the waterpump turns whenever the crank is turning.

In the conditions you describe a WAI is proly gonna be a greater beneift, especially if you are heavily blocking your gills because there will be less cool air circulating in the engine bay, probably.

Good luck.

[RLochard]

I’m going to start an actual build thread for my car but since we’re on the topic of the grill block I’ll show you how I did mine. I just finished it.

Here’s a picture of my cardboard templates and traced out on the Lexan: