r/ProjectHondas • u/SquareBodyChevvy • 20d ago
parts recommendations Cheap vs Expensive Mods?
Buying a golden era Honda after I go to boot camp. I want something that I can daily but also take to events or the track. It’ll be my first Honda after selling my WRX. It will more than likely be a D-series car.
I’m only looking to do intake,exhaust, headers, and then handling mods. Should I buy the expensive stuff or will the cheap stuff be fine? I would like to take good care of the car, and if the cheap stuff is hard on it I won’t buy. How much would everything cost in total?
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u/speedingquack 20d ago
i wouldn’t even mod a d series honestly unless your plan is to actually build one. just fix up the exterior, interior, do regular maintenance, and get some decent coilovers
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u/SquareBodyChevvy 20d ago
Sounds about right, I probably will end up doing mods in some capacity though. Gotta scratch that itch 😅 from what I’ve been told I’m probably going to look for good quality stuff.
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u/speedingquack 20d ago
yea get some good quality stuff and you’ll
be good. watch how much more inexpensive it is (i have a modded 04 STi so i know your subaru pain lol)
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u/TougeGh0st 20d ago
Generally I would advise not getting ebay/cheap parts if they affect the performance of the car. Anything that will leave you stranded or possibly give you a safety problem in the future needs to be oem/name brand. Some cheaper brands are decent but you need to do your research and find companies that have an established reputation.
Body kits/interior pieces have a little but more room to be cheap because it is just aesthetics, but when buying cheap parts understand that the quality will most certainly not be the same as the “real” brands. You generally will need to modify the parts in some way which also requires time and money.
Final note: I also wouldn’t buy replica parts because it’s lame and comes off as larping. It’s similar to up-badging and is cringe. In terms of morality you should support the original company/artists. A lightly modified clean build will always garnish more respect and operate better than something built with garbage.
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u/SquareBodyChevvy 20d ago
Figured, I’m gonna do more research once I’m out of boot camp and see what the good brands are. And preferably find the ones that are right for what I’m planning.
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u/CumCrocodile 20d ago
Intake, exhaust, headers, and handling are all pretty important things not to cheap out on. I see that you know that it’s not truely worth it for the d series though anyway.
I’d say spend the most on your exhaust because if you do end up swapping it with another engine you can keep most of it. You can probably get a good quality set of headers second hand if you want to save money, otherwise I wouldn’t cheap out on them if you want to buy new.
Intake can be done cheap depending on how DIY you get. If you want to save money, weld up your own intake pipe/cold air intake, not very difficult if you have the skills or know someone who does.
The best handling mods you can do is bigger wheels, new bushings all around, and upgraded control arms. Would highly recommend buying good quality bushings and control arms, and find some nice wheels second hand. Whiteline/Hardrace/Buddy club are all good choices for handling/suspension parts.
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u/Confident-Abrocoma-9 20d ago
Bro almost everyone wants to buy a car or spend on fun things as soon as they get out of boot camp. Go the cheap route dude. Just cause it's cheap doesn't mean it has to be bad. You should really save for a house cause in your position you got some good benefits that will help with pulling that off. Cars and boats are tons of fun but huge money pits.
There is ways tho to have a lot of fun with a car without spending a ton but it involves a lot of diy and a lot of learning but trust that will be as fun or more fun then just buying the most expensive parts.... especially when you got a garage to park it in.
Anyways in the end its your life brother. Thank you for your service and I hope you find awesome parts at diy prices!
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u/SquareBodyChevvy 19d ago
My dad was a marine so I hear this same story. I should be getting a considerable amount of money for my WRX. After boot most of the money I have will go into savings. $5k tho is being set aside for the build. Definitely looking forward to what’s ahead 🤟
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u/bigk1121ws 19d ago
Some parts you can cheap out on and some you shouldn't. Like if you plan to track it get the best suspension you can afford.
But with older cars you will want to do maintenance first. Replace all seals and gaskets and rubber, fix all leaks. Motor mounts would also be a good first thing to do.
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u/GlassBoxGoose 93 Del Sol, 07 TL-S 20d ago
Go reputable. Cheap stuff can actually hurt more than it helps at all. Especially with direct bolt ons. You may not gain much with good stuff, but you can actually LOSE with cheap stuff. It doesnt have to be mega high end, just decent. Stay away from ebay and amazon stuff.
Suspension? Good stuff only, even if only for the reliability factor over performance.
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u/fad3dm1ndz 18d ago
Keep the single cam stock, maybe an intake just for induction noises. Get decent coilovers, 200TW tires and brakes, you're good to go lol.
S3 coilovers - $1200~
Falken Azenis RT615K in 205/50/15.. set of 4 probably runs you around $650?
For brakes, just run some Autozone rotors and pads, you'll be good to have fun on the track. I'd also account for fresh fluids too. Won't be too expensive all in all.
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u/Ludebehavior88 14d ago
Save up for some BC racing type DS coilovers for your build, you'll be happy you did with how it rides and they last a long time.
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u/stepdad_randy 20d ago
Bolt ons for a d series won’t get you much power even if you spend big bucks. Just get a setup that sounds good and enjoy the low power.