So this is one of those stories I probably shouldn't share but it's one with the message of "don't judge a book by its cover".

So there I was doing my thing, just driving around and this p.o.s. looking Civic pulls up next to me at a light. I'm talking like matte black painted doors, oxidized hood...the whole "I shouldn't be driving" look, and to top it off it has that god awful fart can exhaust. Long story short, light turns green, we gun it. I was surprised I got him on the launch considering my wheel hop is atrocious. Then he started pullin' on me quick. I'm talking stupid fast. By the time I hit 60, he must have been goin 80+. it wasn't till the next red light that we stopped at that he tapped the throttle real quick and I heard the faint sound of a blow off valve under that loud ass exhaust. We pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot and I asked him what the hell he had under the hood, he said h22 turbo, cia, and a custom exhaust that he purposely put a fart can on.

 

What are you mods?

 

absolutely nothing. ive currently ordered some Moog Control arm bushings and am looking into a cia but heres the thing, I need a cia im not gunna get a lean code with because I cant afford a tune.

 

Sounds like your money is tight. But you could take the bottom cover off of the stock intake and replace the filter with an aftermarket one. It works the same as a Cai

 

Don't take the bottom completely off just cut some holes in it.

 

It happens, I raced a 98 or so civic sedan with a K swap and it was turbo'd, the hood wasn't on that was the only way I knew what he had. That thing pulled on me hard once he hit full boost. Until then we were even. I mainly wanted to see how fast it really was. Cause very few around here are fast.

 

I've been beat by a civic in my LSJ. Tho he didn't beat me by much; half a car. He also shut it down when he realized I was pulling back and he would lose if he kept going.
Still. Had respect for the little hatch with a build b18 turbo.

 

Lost to a buddys single cam turbo civic. His car makes 300whp, so I wasn't to disappointed though, he was spinning while passing me at like 70mph haha.

But yes, never judge a book by its cover.

 

good story

 

It happens
Got my ass handed to me by a gutted na civic hatch once
I wasnt mad tho it was a quick car purpose built to go fast rather than daily drive
A couple of relatively inexpensive mods and you can show him some taillights next time

 

Get the mods and kill his Honda

 

An non turbo k swap would kill your car👍

 

Gotta love sleeper civics i've been suprised before too

 

You don't need a cold air intake....

Factory intake, modified box, factory AC Delco filter. Done.

Save up for some exhaust mods, little smaller pulley, and a good tune.

 

Ok, so ive heard about people doing this factory air box mod. does it really make as big a difference as people say?

this is the exhaust layout I want but yeah, im broke....the navy doesn't pay jack.
exhaust:ZZPerformance - 3 inch Stainless Cobalt Catback Exhaust #ZZ-3CBTCB
header/downpipe: ZZPerformance - ZZP Long Tube Header Package #ZZ-LTHDRP

but yeah see here, that's around $1200 in parts alone....id rather make an exhaust out of damn pringles cans and duct tape, I mean hell I've put the spoiler of a 90's svt cobra on my '01 galant...

 

my suggestion would wait! wait until you have the money to do it right the first time. you might buy $1000 worth of exhaust parts a realize that you wished you spent it on something else

 

Yes, it does make a difference, and will give you the same power as those shiney pipes people spend $200 plus for. Actually, I tested my airbox, and it flowed a good deal more than the popular injen intake.

I ran many different intake setups back in the day, and my modified airbox has been the best setup thus far.

Made 300whp with my car, and I run a modified airbox with factory ac delco air filter.

Search around, and I'm sure u will find my threads about it.

 

My best advice is to leave it stock then.
You have to pay to play and if you are already bitching about the LOW cost of a HIGH quality exhaust, than you'll just end up crying when you get further into it.

 

My best advice is to take advice

 

I learned long ago that if a car is plain jane, primered up with no indication of mods to watch it because it likely has all its work under the hood. You'd be amazed how many people judge a book by its cover.

 

Yup. Agreed.

The only visual mods on my car are my enkei edr9's. Other than that, my car looks bone stock on the outside.

 

ive heard so many bad things about the injen intake like how it rubs hoses raw and such cuz its poorly designed. ive read a couple of threads about modified air boxes but they mostly look like this.
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/2-0l...ox-mod-163744/
or they start throwing around pictures saying "now untighten the asdflkjahsdkf nut located on the bbebbbwkjah bolt" and im like well sheeeet, if I knew what that was in the picture id be more than able but im more videos/hands on which makes a lot of these "how to"s kinda hard for me or more time consuming than they should be. (im not the brightest crayon in the box).
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/how-...fication-3890/
this is the only one that even makes the slightest sense to me yet im still lost...

>pay to play
>im broke
imma play any way gerdermit

 

This is my box. I would never waste money again on an aftermarket intake when the factory intake can handle what most can throw at it.

Unless you want some bling bling under the hood...

 

This is very true in fact I took the stock exhaust and put a quieter one. Gotta catch em by suprise

 

Finally a picture that makes sense!
any issues with codes being thrown?