Help me with the next mod!

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That's the problem with FWD, and it's hard to beat.

Sway bars and some tuning can really help that thing go from ponderous to eager, but they can take a while to get set up properly.

Remember it's sometimes better to start out with something RWD and perhaps a bit lighter to make it easier on yourself.
 
It's not FWD. There are plenty of "light and quirky" feeling FWD cars (Civic Si, Mini Cooper, Golf GTI, etc.).

OP, the problem is that the whole car -- including a whole bunch of stuff that you can't really change, like suspension and steering geometry -- is set up to be something completely different from what you want. Modding is good for when your car is already in the right ballpark and you just want to alter a few things to make it perfect. If you try to mod a car to do something completely different from what it was designed to do, you're going to spend a lot of time and money and end up with something that is mediocre at best.

You probably feel like you don't want to ditch your current car after you've invested so much in it. I completely understand: I've been there and done that myself, as have a lot of friends of mine. But, just to pick an easy example, a 2006-2011 Civic Si -- even bone stock -- is WAY closer to what you want than your Accord will ever be. That's not to say it's a "better" car, of course; it's just better suited to your purposes. I can promise you that if you try to mod your Accord to bring it to parity with something like a Civic Si (or whatever other car you end up with), it'll cost enough money that you'd have been better off selling your car and using the mod money to help you buy the other car.

And we haven't even gotten into the fact that stock cars are almost always MUCH more reliable than modded cars.
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Originally Posted By: jtaylor
I really want to improve the fun to drive factor. that's the biggest thing...it just feels so heavy and serious...not light and quirky

But what is heavy and serious? The Buick only feels heavy and serious until I don't want it too, that means pushing down the go pedal a little more. Granted you are not going to through it into corners, like a Civic SI, CTSV or any M cars (just to name a few) but it is just like a GTP or the last genearation SHO, so it does OK.

No reason a small six lbs of boost blower couldn't do the same for your car. It just comes down to how much are your willing to spend.
 
It just so happens I am looking for the next thing to do to my 328... It is tricky, though, once you get as far "invested" in a car as I have, because in my case it absolutely has to be streetable 7mo/yr, with a minimal effect on comfort. Granted, my suspension is tweaked greatly before a track day (I am not crazy enough to run -3* camber, or extremely stiff settings on coilovers, on the street...), but I am at the point of greatly diminishing returns. Cannot drop anymore weight without losing safety (i.e. CF doors), and I can stuff 13" wide wheels in the rear with a few degrees more camber so traction is not an issue.
Beware, it is an addiction...
 
I was disagreeing with your statement that FWD is the source of the OP's problems. I know the Accord is FWD.
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NP, I really missed that.

It's really more a function of weight balance and polar moment of inertia. The entire mass of that car is concentrated around the hood and you will have a really hard time tuning basic physics out of the equation. Plus it sure isn't a lightweight car either.

Despite their defenders the overwhelming majority of FWD cars have the same issue. Even my 98 Neon R/T which was revered as one of the few FWD cars that can really hustle around a road course would do a vicious snap spin if you braked hard while cornering and unloaded the rear tires.
 
The problem inherent to.FWD is that 50% of the tires do 100% of the work (braking, turning, accelerating) and there is always a limit before one overpowers the other. Add a limited slip differential and a highly tuned chassis and you can minimize but never get rid of these problems.
 
True, but OP isn't complaining that his car understeers too much or otherwise doesn't corner well enough. He's saying he wants it to feel lighter and more involving.
 
Originally Posted By: nleksan
The problem inherent to.FWD is that 50% of the tires do 100% of the work (braking, turning, accelerating) and there is always a limit before one overpowers the other. Add a limited slip differential and a highly tuned chassis and you can minimize but never get rid of these problems.


Absolutely.

And in my old Neon if you put in an LSD it amplified the understeer/push! You can't win when the deck is stacked against you.
 
Understood, and I admit there are numerous FWD cars that I find immensely entertaining to drive, including: Mini Cooper S, SVT Focus, VW GTI, etc.
However, FWD also limits practical power output to around 300bhp. I am sure there are exceptions, but I would not want to drive a Civic making as much.power as my 328 on the street. Yet my 328, with 440rwhp and RWD, is perfectly capable on the street and never feels unsafe (a combination of knowing the car, 20 total brake pistons clamping 15"/14" f/r rotors, a Quaife LSD, and of course 285 width Michelin Super Sport tires).
A friend's Civic with a K24 swap and a turbo kit at 25psi on the other hand is terrifying, so much so that I refuse to ride in it anymore as even 4th starts yank the steering wheel. This is with an LSD. I do not know how he uses it as his daily driver.
The ONLY rear wheel drive car that I have driven that truly terrified me was a modified 2005 Viper (intake, tune, cams, headers, test pipe, exhaust, suspension). With 13" rear wheels (BBS) wearing 335 width tires, every time I touched the gas pedal I thought I was going sideways. I have not driven a Viper since. Even an SL65 AMG with the full Fabspeed engine package (intake/downpipes/exhaust/intercoolers/injectors/pulleys/cat-delete/trans-tune/engine tune and de-limiter) felt composed and relaxing compared to that terrifying Dodge!

That is why when I modify the car, I completely redo every bit of suspension and braking before adding anything beyond intake/headers/exhaust to the engine.
It is not only much more fun and immediately noticeable, it also makes the car much more.ready for the power bump.

However, for the OP's car, I think something along the lines of pulleys/intake/headers/exhaust/tune will give him a nice bump in "pep" without draining the bank. It is a Honda, I am seeing Ceramic Headers for $400, a Mugen exhaust for $475, pulleys for $80, etc.
I WISH I saw prices like that for my car... They tend to be 4-8x higher...
 
Why don't you enjoy the Honda for what it is, a GT car; and save up your money for a fun little sports car you can play with instead of trying to make the Honda into something its not?

You can get an older Miata for cheap, and tune them for cheap, and have a very nice handling car.

Sounds like more of what your going for.
 
Save your money. Look around. We're still in recession, and unemployment is still high. Save 6 months worth of expenses in the bank (at least). Spend $$ to take a class to laern more about what you do, if that will allow you to commend a higher salary/hourly rate. Put your money into rentals.

Expect the best. Prepare for the worse.

Hopping up a car is only going to drain your bank acount, and for what? To get that same feeling one gets at aged 14 when he wins a bicycle race?

The best Men have a fat income, fat savings, and can sustain life without a job for 6 months. Now THAT is impressive. These men make the best husbands, fathers, and are stand up guys.
 
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