I need more hp for my '97 civic

just what the subject says, more hp, btw im only 16 so if u mention
any parts try and keep it in a reasonable price range thanks

 

Hi,
Pick up a copy of "Import Tuner" or "Modified Mag" before doing
anything. Since you are most probably on a budget and any mod over
$1,000 is out of your price range, You are limited to the usual intake
tube / air filter, header, intake manifold, and muffler mods. You can
buy a K&N cold air intake kit, and a performance exhaust kit from MBRP
performance exhaust for under $900 if you shop. Check out used parts.
Many do the initial tuning then decide to upgrade. They end up with
perfectly good parts like manifolds, cold air intakes, headers and such
that they will many times sell for a song. This will most probably give
you a little over 10 hp more on the wheels. That is on the wheels NOT at
the crank shaft. This is about an 8% boost in real hp. There are some
electronic tweaks that can be done to the engine control unit to up
this. You need to find a good tuner in your area and talk to him.
Hot rodding a pocket rocket is not cheap. My advice is to make sure
your Civic is in top original condition before doing any modifications.
I'm assuming this 97 has over 100K on the clock right? Anyway, this
should give you a place to start. Remember, these engines are real high
tech. They are already pushing more then an HP per cubic inch in stock
form. This was, and in many cases still is a pipe dream for domestic
cars like the 5.0L mustang which eeks out barely 200hp at the wheels in
tip top shape with a 302 cubic inch engine. That's about 1/2 as
efficient as the stock engine in a Civic.