The Honda Civic EG remains to be one of the favorite project cars of many enthusiasts today. Like its successor, the EK Civic, the EG Civic gained the favor of many car tuners for being one hell of a platform.
Sure, it’s not as fast and powerful as the sports cars of the time, but it was reliable, dependable, and consistent – just what you’d expect from a Honda vehicle. As decades went on, this car gained a heavy following, and it remains to be amongst the best project cars to modify.
The fifth-generation Honda Civic just holds too much potential as a platform. It’s like an empty canvas that’s waiting to be painted on. And with the proper modifications, this vehicle’s potential can be truly realized.
Many car tuners know that; that’s why some have tinkered their way with their Honda Civic EGs. No matter how minor or significant the modifications are, this vehicle remains a steadfast springboard for what tuners want to see in a project car.
We know that there’s a lot of ground to cover for Honda Civic EG modifications. That’s why we’ve created this guide! There’s just a lot of upgrades to choose from, and it can be pretty difficult to discern which one’s important to those who aren’t.
We want to help you start with your project car, so here’s a guide that contains the best modifications you can get for your beloved Honda Civic EG.
#1 Lowering Springs
The cars of the late ’90s are notorious for having that nostalgic sporty look that veteran car enthusiasts love so much. That sporty look can be remade with your Honda Civic EG through the use of lowering springs.
These modifications are ideal suspension upgrades if you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to spend as much just to drop their cars.
Lowering springs are great because they’re not that complicated to understand and use. As the name suggests, it simply lowers your car to a preset ride height. Additionally, they’re relatively cheap, compared to other suspension upgrades that’ll cost you over five hundred to a thousand or more bucks.
However, the only downside to lowering springs is the lack of adjustability. You just have to deal with the amount of height reduction offered by lowering springs today.
Recommendations:
#2 Coilovers
Not a big fan of the simple things in life? Are you not impressed with the simplicity that entails lowering springs? Do you want something more complicated but more effective at slamming your car to the ground?
If that’s the case, then coilovers are for you. Just like we’ve mentioned earlier, coilovers are much more complicated than lowering springs, but they do the job of lowering your car. Additionally, it also gives you access to reconfigure your suspension damping.
Well, some coilovers can, but not all of them. There are non-adjustable coilovers out there that allow you to adjust your car’s ride height, but the damping is preset. And also, there are single adjustable coilovers wherein you can change both compression and rebound settings together.
Then there are also double adjustable coilovers that offer you the freedom to independently adjust both compression and rebound.
Coilovers can get very expensive, so if you want adjustability and customizability for your Honda Civic EG, then you’ve better prepare your wallet for some serious takedown.
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#3 Wheels and Tires
Now that you’ve lowered your car with either lowering springs or coilovers, you should now fit in some new wheels to it. Just like shoes, aftermarket wheels add a lot of character to the vehicle.
It provides better aesthetics, and it sure does look good when fitted into a car with a lowered suspension. Now, partner that with some all-season tires, and you’ll be set. New wheels can affect how well your car will react to various road conditions, and new tires will give you better traction and improve the quality of your ride.
Here’s the wheel fitment range that most Honda Civic EG owners run on their cars:
DIAMETER: 15″ – 16″
WIDTH: 7” – 9”
OFFSET: 0mm – +35mm
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#4 Intake Systems
Let’s put aside the suspension and the wheels/tires, and let’s open the hood of your car.
If you know your Honda Civic EG very well, then you know that it’s got a pretty decent power plant. It’s not that powerful, but it produces enough kick to take you to the place you want to go.
Whether you’ve got D-Series engines or, for some reason, you’ve managed to get a grip on some B16A, you’re going to need something that’ll optimize the fuel combustion that’s happening inside your engine.
And that’s where intake systems come into play. Introducing aftermarket intake systems to your car can boost your horsepower output by 5hp to 15hp (or even more). The numbers aren’t astronomically high, but they’re enough to give you a slight bit of an idea of what a boosted Honda Civic EG feels like.
On top of that, aftermarket intakes are efficient with their air filtration system. With the right mix of airflow and air filtration, your engine will receive that extra oxygen-rich air that it deserves, all thanks to intake systems.
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#5 Exhausts
Besides intake systems, you can bring in the help of an exhaust system to bring the best out of your Honda Civic EG. Aftermarket exhaust systems add more flair to the dramatics by introducing an aggressive sound output that adds character to your vehicle.
In addition to that, exhaust systems can further improve your car’s mileage and reduce the backpressure it’s experiencing. The main point of exhaust systems is to assist the departing gasses out of the vehicle.
Some exhausts are loud, while some sound mild. Many exhaust system manufacturers out there will give you the kind of sound output you want. But at the end of the day, they all sound aggressive.
It’s going to be up to you on what kind out sound output you’d prefer for your Honda Civic EG.
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#6 Turbo
The ghosts of the tuner scene are still present in the streets, even up to this day. These spirits have somehow possessed some car enthusiasts, making them crave more power. And since we’ve already covered intake systems, we’re going to assume that the meager horsepower boost that it brings is not enough for you.
So why not sign up for the help of turbochargers to transform your Honda Civic EG into an actual speed demon?
Turbochargers are basically car steroids. It boosts a car’s horsepower output by up to 30% to 40%, which is enough to satisfy some car enthusiasts’ hunger for more horsepower.
There’s nothing more satisfying and nerve-wracking than seeing a hot hatch (or a coupe/sedan, depending on what you own) with 400 or more horsepower run into the streets like a complete psychopath.
#7 Engine Swap
And now for the final act, the cream of the crop, the top contender in the modification dominance hierarchy for the Honda Civic EG: engine swap. The D-Series engine fitted into the EG Civic provides decent power to drive you from point A to point B, but it does lack the strength that most seasoned car tuners thirst for.
Because of that, many car enthusiasts who’ve managed to get their hands on a Honda Civic EG have decided to do engine swaps.
We’ve already stressed multiple times on this guide how great of a platform this car is. Many tuners realized that that’s why they chose to get rid of their D-Series engines in place of more powerful ones.
If money’s not that big of a problem, then opt for a K-swap. K20 engines are from the Hondas of the early 2000s, and they’re far more potent than the D-Series engines of the EG Civic. However, if you want a boost, you can opt for a B16 or even an LS engine from General Motors.
Regardless of the choice you make, prepare to spend a couple grand because engine swaps are costly.
Recommendations:
- K-swap (K-Series engines)
- B-Swap (B-Series engines)
- LS-Swap (LS-Series engines from General Motors)
The mods mentioned in this guide will give you an idea of what upgrades or modifications you need to prioritize to bring out your Honda Civic EG’s true potential. Maybe you’re using the EG Civic to commute.
Or perhaps, you’re made it into a fully-fledged project car that will eventually turn into a speed demon. Whatever the case is, we’re pretty sure that the mods above are the ones you’re going to need to customize and personalize your Honda Civic EG.
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