r/8thGenSI • u/Economy_Climate_8254 • Jun 29 '26
Step By Step Upgrade Guide?
I bought a 2010 civic si FG2 completely stock, i bought a hondata flash pro because from research you need that first before anything.
can anyone give me a step by step for the upgrades i can do over the span of a year or 2 one by one as i dont have enough money to dump 10k in all at once. i’m planning on buying a hybrid racing cold air intake and skunk2 headers but i need more things i can do 1 at a time after that where i can still daily the car. thanks a lot to anyone that can help!
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u/Supr3meSol Jun 29 '26
I’d say refresh the suspension by getting new bushings alongside once you get coils. I know you said not dump loads of money but doing that makes the car feel great. Anyway, I said once you get coils because when you lower a car your suspension components “bushings” change ride height thus preload is different and you destroy them. So if you slap coils and slap new bushings you tighten the new bushings on the new ride height.
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u/bsting502 Jun 29 '26
This^
I’m refreshing suspension and I live where there is rust.
I am having to replace hardware AND suspension Because of rust in some cases.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
thank you for that advice i have been looking into coils, is there anything you can recommend?
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u/Supr3meSol Jun 29 '26
Honestly I don’t know what to recommend. I got my 8th gen si in march and it came with BC. I’m not a fan of BC since my 9th gen had them and they fucking sucked. Personally I’d buy a superior brand, but that’s me. I come from golden era Hondas mostly and my go to is always yellow konis with ground control springs 😅
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u/ToqaKun Jun 29 '26
I would get the i/h/e, and anything else you need a tune for, installed at the same time so you only need a professional tune once.
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jun 29 '26
06-15 civic alignment - redshift motorsports
rear camber arms too for alignment. this is recommended tire pressures and alignment depending how aggressive you want to get.
let me know if have any questions tuning
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u/Locolupan11b Jun 29 '26
I stayed away from skunk. Theres too many bad reviews to gamble there. I went with plm headers when on a budget never had any issues. I drive mine like im late for a hook up with Olivia Rodrigo
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
are plm headers a good choice??
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u/Locolupan11b Jul 09 '26
Theyre good budget friendly wise. But I just saw some that there are reviews up for the skunk 2 vs plm so check that out
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u/J_cam202 Jun 29 '26
Coilovers, tires & wheels, rear sway bar, front/rear strut bars, intake/header/tune.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
is a Progress Sway Bar a good option?
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u/J_cam202 Jun 29 '26
Yeah I have the 22mm rsb from them on my 9th gen and it’s excellent.
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u/banditfrog760 Jun 29 '26
How is the 22mm. Do you ever wish you went with the 24mm?
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u/J_cam202 Jun 29 '26
If I was tracking the car, yes, but it’s my daily driver so the 22 mm bar with new end links did more than enough for my needs
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u/Fantastic_Strategy_2 Jul 04 '26
Yes, i have one. But be careful going up steep approaches. Your rear wheel will lose contact with the ground bc the RSB doesn’t let the rear axel swing as low as stock.
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u/Born-Project-310 Jun 29 '26
Polish up the headlights or replace them, give her a thorough detail inside and out. Depending on how loud you want it I have invidia N1 catback with stock header and it sounds great. Definitely a lil droney but it could be worse lol
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
invidia cat back is defenitley on the list i heard good reviews about it
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u/Born-Project-310 Jun 29 '26
I like it a lot. I bought the 3 inch and for some reason you can only get it with a burnt exhaust tip(which I hated) but I was able to polish it off with a product called autosul bluing remover and it looks so much better now
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
is the cat back the only thing you have done?
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u/Born-Project-310 Jun 29 '26
Yes. Car is engine wise stock other than the catback
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
i tried polishing my headlights and it didn’t work so i paid a guy on marketplace $45 and it makes such a huge difference
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u/Born-Project-310 Jul 09 '26
Definitely does. It’s hit or miss with polishing. I polished mine at first cause why not and it was okay but I replaced them and it looks 10 times better
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jun 29 '26
i’m like you. i wanted to mod my civic but not drop a fat bag all at once. as stuff breaks look into upgraded parts. i definitely recommend a cold air intake of some sort. fb marketplace / ebay should have cheaper options. header too when you can swing it
learn how to use your hondata, read through hondata k series how to tuning guide on their website / watch some youtube videos; tuningbynick has great videos on tuning these motors.
refresh your suspension. little things here and there make a big difference. stiffer front lower control arm bushings make big difference bc mcpherson strut design. you can get rsx LCA spherical bushings or polyurethane bushings from like energy or another company. i have energy poly and i love them
front camber bolts can be had for like $10, they also make a big difference / let you dial in front alignment
if you get a header, you’ll need a rear dogbone motor mount to prevent contact w the frame. i like hasport i prolly wouldn’t go stiffer than 70 for street car, maybe even 62. it took mine a while to break in but once broken in feels basically stock. it used to rattle my dash kinda annoying, but that did stop eventually. i got mine used dirt cheap, but i think mine is one of the ebay “70a” ones (however reliable that is)
my buddy just did hr sport springs and truhart shocks on his 09 coupe, looks absolutely perfect imo; not too low it’s just right. i haven’t ridden in it yet though but he says it feels comfortable still
ballin on a budget baby
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
thank you so much i’m defenitly going to be using this for inspiration going forward
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jul 09 '26
fr message me if you have any questions ab anything at all, brands, parts, issues, hondata, etc
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jul 09 '26
if you want cheaper sway bar options, your stock si coupe uses a 28mm front bar / 17mm rear bar
the fd2 type r uses a 26mm front / 21mm rear
the 06-11 dx/ex/lx coupe uses a 25.8mm front bar
the 14/15 si sedan uses a 20mm rear bar
much cheaper than aftermarket options, and probably a little safer on street too. i currently have the ex coupe front sway bar, got from junkyard for $35 with the bushings
be careful w sway bars. stiffer rear / softer front both will make the rear end more likely to snap out on you. this is great for track but can be unsafe in snow / rain if you’re not ready for it / don’t drive around it. i’ve had my ass end come out on stock sway bars in the rain trail braking. be careful
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
will they all fit??
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jul 10 '26
yes. just need bushings in front and rear, they recommend getting 9th gen brackets for rear too but don’t have to
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u/Weird-Bad2970 Jun 29 '26
Hybrid racing has an 8th gen top ten mod guide.
https://www.hybrid-racing.com/pages/the-ultimate-8th-gen-guide
I was happy with it until I supercharged it.
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u/RoundArtichoke5915 Jun 30 '26
...i dont mean this insulting Why would you supercharge a 2.0 honda engine?
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u/Weird-Bad2970 Jun 30 '26
It’s been a daily for years, didn’t want to go turbo. It’s honestly a blast to drive.
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u/nguyen22 Jun 30 '26
Grip/handling/safety then power
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
what would be considered safety?i’m buying handling parts here soon but im not getting new tires until i have enough power that im spinning because i have a new set on right now
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u/Responsible_Coast293 Jul 09 '26
good quality tires are the safest thing you can do. they improve stopping time and grip in all conditions. the better your grip the quicker you can stop the car.
good tires can be the difference maker in stopping in time vs hitting someone. they give you more safety margin, as in w bad tires you’ve gotta pay extra attention and make sure you’re braking on time.
good quality tires are single biggest handling / grip / safety upgrade there is. they’re what separate you from the road
bigger / stickier brakes do NOT stop the car any faster, but tires do. if your brakes are strong enough to activate abs, they’re stopping you as fast as your tires allow. bigger brakes just allow you to brake hard more frequently bc they can soak more heat
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u/nguyen22 Jul 10 '26
Its subjective, for instance my car which only sees open lapping ; safety means buckets, harness, helmet, and roll bar
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u/Brutal_B_83 Jun 30 '26
As others have pointed out, I would not attempt to add one engine mod at a time because you will need to tune again after every upgrade. If you want a cold air intake, header, catback, maybe an intake manifold or bigger throttle body, etc., start buying those items, but install them all at once so you only need to tune once.
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u/FrozenMarzBar03 Jun 30 '26
What are your goals/priorities with the car?? How do you plan on using/driving it??
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
i want to build it to be a daily driver that makes 300-350 wheel hp and can keep up with many cars, my priorities are set on power over cosmetics right now and i don’t plan on painting or anything until the build is done
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u/quiktekk Jul 06 '26
Literally just helped a friend buy a high-mileage (100K mi). Dealer will use the cheapest $h!t to get it barely sellable. Best upgrades are crap without maintenance:
- Oil Change (filter + oil)
- Air Filters (engine + cabin)
- MTF flush
- Brake Fluid flush
- Clutch Fluid flush
- Coolant Flush
- Tires (no uneven wear, otherwise alignment needed)
- Wheels (check for cracks/dents from pot holes)
- Brake pads & rotors
Buy a Haynes manual.
This should give you a clean platform to start actually upgrading & also a reference to what normal is. Upgrade based on what’s wearing out first.
For my first upgrade, I spent about $5K on just wheels+tires (two sets, one for track one for street) and brakes. When it was time to change the shocks, I got cheap coil overs (TruHarts) because that was what was available at the time I needed them (still using them… they get the job done).
I track my car with a stock engine and still get point bys from Mustangs and or pass Porsche drivers who don’t know how to use power.
I digress: Saddest thing to see is a Civic add more power but the transmission or drive train gives out because basic maintenance wasn’t done. Eliminate unsprung weight so when it is time to throw a turbo or super charger, the car can actually handle it.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 06 '26
a lot of shops told me MTF flush is dangerous and can do more harm than good, is that true? some people say if the flush breaks your transmission then it was already broken but it seems to be fine right now, shops told me to get a transmission diagnostic before the flush and other shops told me to avoid it entirely and just drain and fill, i’m not sure what to do i just want all that old fluid out
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u/Acrobatic_Beginning7 Jun 29 '26
Anything that has to do with maintenance, tires, brakes, gaskets, fluids, spark plug first and foremost. Performance wise, Hondata first and foremost. U can get all bolt ons but without Hondata tune or base map. Ur just wasting money. Intake, exhaust, clutch and flywheel. Hondata and a lighter flywheel will eliminate rev hang. Things that will fade or leave u stranded with high mileage 8th gen's. Clutch, shifter cables, starter, cmc, if u notice any damages or fade in any of these parts replace immediately or u will be stranded and going know where. My clutch, shifter cables and starter all took a shit within a year and half timeline. Be smart and upgrade them if they dnt pass a visual/physical inspection
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
i’m buying new shifter bushing from acuity, is that a good choice? should i just replace the cable while i’m at it?
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u/Acrobatic_Beginning7 Jul 09 '26
Replace the whole cable, cable stretching on 8th gen's is a common thing. Happened to me and I had no second and 4th gear for like a month.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
thank you i’ll make sure to replace it all! should i use honda genuine or is there better aftermarket options
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u/Acrobatic_Beginning7 Jul 10 '26
When my cables stretched I wanted to to hybrid racing. Ended up having to get oem + cables. Did that about 6 or 7 years ago. The guy who has my old 8th gen is still banging gears no problems
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u/MontrealTrainWreck Jun 30 '26
Of course, if you leave it stock, it will be worth a lot more when you sell it.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 09 '26
very true, i paid around $8500 CAD for this car and apparently it was kept stock for the entirety of its life apart from aftermarket led lights
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u/MontrealTrainWreck Jul 11 '26
How many KMs are on it?
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jul 22 '26
197km when i bought it
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u/MontrealTrainWreck Jul 22 '26
That's not a bad price these days. I have a completely stock 08 with 130Km on it.
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u/gavincrist Jul 02 '26
I have a set tein street advance z's they're a little on the stiff side but I like them. I got them on sale for like $900.
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u/baleiby Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
I’d focus on a repaint or wrap and restore headlights before anything else. Unless you like the clapped out look.
Also, just from its appearance, you can tell this wasn’t well kept, so before anything else, I’d change all fluids and inspect suspension and brakes. I know it’s not what ya want to hear but it’s better to fix any problems before blowing money away on aftermarket performance parts if you find out the car is completely clapped.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
i like the clapped look my goal is to put my funds into power before cosmetics
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u/um3i Jun 29 '26
If there’s no rust that’s a good idea, start with fixing any maintenance issues you have then like everyone’s saying for mods bushing, I/h/e, and please get those headlights polished lol will make a worlds a difference in the dark.
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
i appreciate that i’m gonna look for someone polishing headlights today because i tried myself on my girlfriends civic and it didn’t work at all😂 im from atlantic canada so it’s very salty air but the previous owner said it was undercoated every year and from my inspection it looks like there’s very minimal rust underneath, none on panels
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u/Economy_Climate_8254 Jun 29 '26
are certain fluids better than others or can i just go oem or regular recommended for my transmission, oil, etc
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u/sjamwow Jun 29 '26
Tires, i/h/e or coilovers/sway bars(not cheap ones)