Last of the VTEC Screamers - 2010 Civic Si daily funmobile

love seeing all these other 8th gen owners coming out of nowhere! 

Pdahondas88 said:

Very nice ScottyB, I just picked up my 2010 Sedan a few weeks back. Also stock, it has 130k miles, and seems to have been cared for. It was hiding on Craigslist with no photos and about a 10 word description. I pull up to find a 40+ guy with a 99 SI and an 18 SI sedan in his garage. I knew I found a gem as soon as I saw it!

So far I’ve done Hardrace front LCA/Compliance bushings (check your compliance bushings, they’re likely shot or close to it) fluids/filters/plugs, Hawk HPS and centric rotors all around with ATE fluid. I have some Ingalls cam bolts to add, and I’ll do a rear sway bar and align it.

I only have photos of working on it, but once I get it detailed I’ll be a lot happier with it.

Looking  forward to watching your progress!

oh man - you've got just about the ultimate Honda combo there between the S2K and the Si!  i would have paid stupid money to get a hold of your color if one was available at the time I was in the market...my absolute favorite.  looks fantastic and yes, you found a super rare owner that no sane man should turn down!  its so hard to find one that has had a good ownership past.  i'd love to follow the progress on yours as well.

i have no doubt my LCA bushings are toast.  i'm looking at doing the Moog RSX equivalent (p/n K200799) which is said to be much stiffer but still a long lasting OEM component which I thought might be a good fit for my daily driver needs.  how do you like the Hardrace parts?  I'll have to look into them more.  that'll happen sometime late next year after tires likely go on sale in the spring and i'll blow some of my budget on that.

i'm looking at the Progress 3-way adjustable rear bar but i'm VERY tempted to try out a 14-15 Si bar.  they're dirt cheap and a nice 3mm increase in size.  i'll see what shows up on craigslist i guess.

mr2s2000elise said:

Does this Si, and the 2014 TSX K24 the same motor?

These cars use the K20Z3, which is very similar in architecture to the K24 but use different deck heights and heads.  The K20 head uses a shorter manifold and has huge ports, among a few other small differences.  Its a very popular frankenstein upgrade to put a K20 head on a K24 block and make big N/A power.

ApexEight said:

Greetings from Sandy Springs! I picked up this '08 sedan back around February after my BRZ  was T-boned at an intersection. They are truly great cars. Love what you've done with yours so far! Mine has about 178K miles and has had nothing but tires, brakes, oil changes, and a clutch job. It's still going strong!

heyo, you're practically a neighbor!  nice grab.  how do you like it compared to the BRZ?  love the twins but i had to have an easily accessible, functional back seat with 4 doors.  

Thanks and frankly you're just breaking it in.  easy 300k mile engines or better from what i've seen.  i'm sitting at 97k currently and will do the valve adjustment when it warms up, but otherwise its the same as you - basic maintenance and fluids.  when did your clutch go, and did you just do an OEM replacement?  the engine is so responsive, i'm seriously considering just keeping the stock flywheel and clutch when they eventually wear out instead of going with something lighter.

I miss the cool factor and sporty feel of the BRZ, but have really come to appreciate the Si as a complete car. The chassis and VTEC have not gotten old, still very fun. PO did an OE clutch job due to mileage/wear. I agree, the stock system seems very well suited to the car; little rev hang and the throttle response is acceptable. I don't plan on touching the engine beyond the custom exhaust I had a shop weld up on the cheap. I was also set on the RSX Moog compliance bushings; they are spherical, but with a dust boot, so street car friendly, but I'm planning on competing in HS next year, so those are a no-go. Pretty sure I'm on all original bushings, and the compliance bushings are definitely shot. Looking at doing full OE replacement LCAs, lower ball joints, outer tie rods, and steering rack bushing. I would love a Progress 24mm, but don't want to spend so much. Pretty sure I'll also go with the 9G rear bar lol. Too cheap to pass up. Need these bushings to go with it https://www.amazon.com/Moog-K90395-Sway-Bar-Bushing/dp/B000HQ0TX0

ApexEight said:

I miss the cool factor and sporty feel of the BRZ, but have really come to appreciate the Si as a complete car. The chassis and VTEC have not gotten old, still very fun. PO did an OE clutch job due to mileage/wear. I agree, the stock system seems very well suited to the car; little rev hang and the throttle response is acceptable. I don't plan on touching the engine beyond the custom exhaust I had a shop weld up on the cheap. I was also set on the RSX Moog compliance bushings; they are spherical, but with a dust boot, so street car friendly, but I'm planning on competing in HS next year, so those are a no-go. Pretty sure I'm on all original bushings, and the compliance bushings are definitely shot. Looking at doing full OE replacement LCAs, lower ball joints, outer tie rods, and steering rack bushing. I would love a Progress 24mm, but don't want to spend so much. Pretty sure I'll also go with the 9G rear bar lol. Too cheap to pass up. Need these bushings to go with it https://www.amazon.com/Moog-K90395-Sway-Bar-Bushing/dp/B000HQ0TX0

i'd say at your mileage you're doing great and some fresh joints will make it drive like new.  good to know about the RSX bushing and classing but i've already crossed the bridge into uncompetitive classing as it is, ha.  fresh OEM stuff should be a nice difference.  are you going to campaign the car in the Atlanta region or Middle GA?  i've done a few rallyx events with Middle GA in my old 2.5RS (which were lots of fun and well run) but that's been it so far.

interesting to hear your take on the BRZ/Si.  always been curious about the comparison being that they're obviously different drive configurations, but very similar in raw metrics and their engine styles.  can't go wrong with either really, both can be a thrill in the right environment i'm sure.

Following this because I am looking hard these once this snowstorm passes.

I'm looking to run with the Atlanta region. I've never actually autocrossed with them before, only smaller organizations, but I want to compete locally, so I'll step up to SCCA. 

I've been hoping to get some information about autocrossing one of these in street class.

Can they hold their own against the Fiesta ST?

ApexEight said:

I'm looking to run with the Atlanta region. I've never actually autocrossed with them before, only smaller organizations, but I want to compete locally, so I'll step up to SCCA. 

its a great region to run, tons of turnout.  not a ton of consistent players in HS if that's what you want to run, so you can have a great season if you get to most events and drive hard.  i haven't run with them for at least 10 years due to moving but it was always a pleasure to drive their events.

Floating Doc said:

I've been hoping to get some information about autocrossing one of these in street class.

Can they hold their own against the Fiesta ST?

they're still a good fit to win in HS.  there were 3 in the top 10 in HS and 3 in the top 5 in HS Ladies at Solo Nats this year.  regionally you have every chance of getting on the podium on a given weekend against the FiST, IMO its a driver's race and sometimes course dependent.   and as a bonus, you don't have to worry about flipping it over!

forgot to post in the beginning but one of the first few things i took care of on the maintenance end was the PCV valve and the idler pulley.  the PCV was clattering like crazy and the idler had a lot of bearing noise.  both were easy and cheap fixes.  as a head's up, figure by 75k miles both are likely worn out.

can't seem to post videos here so here's what a bad PCV sounds like, just pinch the air lne to confirm

here's what my junky idler sounded like...basically a roller skate.

more road tripping over thanksgiving to see family 2 hours away.  did an easy 30mpg combined at an 80mph cruise and counting some Atlanta traffic.  fit all our luggage plus a dog and a bike rack on the hitch.

so much room for activities

got a wash to take it through the winter months.

oh and i got beaned by an old guy in a Tacoma while sitting at a red light.  nothing too major, he just rolled into me when he took his foot off the brake while not paying attention.  insurance is taking care of a new bumper.  looked like no damage at all on his truck, lucky.

Dammit - now you guys have me looking at these!!!

Found one with more mileage than I really want but the price was really good. Might have to give it a look over!

Beautiful car man! My buddy had an 8th gen and they're fun cars. 

Get a Flashpro and drop your iVTEC engagement point, it's amazing.. 

NGTD said:

Dammit - now you guys have me looking at these!!!

Found one with more mileage than I really want but the price was really good. Might have to give it a look over!

that's how it goes on these forums...having GRM and Craigslist tabs open at the same time is like playing with fire.

don't be too scared by mileage, i would put more stock in trying to find one that hasn't changed hands too much and has been serviced regularly.  a lot of people see the Honda badge and just treat it as an appliance.  they're well built but some of their issues are exacerbated by neglect (poor clearcoat, 2nd/3rd gear grind, running the oil low which results in timing chain wear for example).

the good news is that i think a lot of long-time owners are now feeling tired of their 8th gens and trading in on the new 10th gens.  i see a lot of them listed at dealers now instead of private sales.  don't be afraid to look at lots and toss the sales guy a number.

spacecadet said:

Beautiful car man! My buddy had an 8th gen and they're fun cars. 

Get a Flashpro and drop your iVTEC engagement point, it's amazing.. 

thanks!  10-4 on that, i'm biding my time to grab a Flashpro.  i don't intend (sounds like an innocent word but time will tell if i lose willpower) to modify the engine much if at all but a tune is something i'm planning to do.  the main question is whether i spend the money to tune it in stock form or if i should do some bolt-ons at the same time to take the most advantage of the time/money put into the tune.  i just have to be careful with the latter option since i do some big highway trips with this and don't want a buzzy/droning car or it defeats part of my intent for having it.

Following... 

Mr. Lee said:

Following... 

Yeah, I'm still here, too. I'm really curious about how these drive on an autocross course.

There were 3 FA5s in the Top 10 of HS at Nationals this year. https://www.scca.com/events/1990310-18-tire-rack-solo-nationals

12th place, Justin Tilus, is actually local in GA. He'll be moving to STX though I believe. These are good autocross cars and I enjoy autocrossing mine. They really have it all: good chassis, great motor, good interior, build quality, practical, and with low running costs. The two  big things are prices of acquisition and insurance, for what they are.

what about changing the clutch?  

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Not sure what you mean.  I don't think it's a fun job to do....

factory 20mm rear sway bar from the 9th gen Si inbound for installation along with a Moog K90395 sway bar bushing/bracket kit.  i think i'll grab a pair of zerk-fitted Moog endlinks too while i'm in there.

the current stock bar is 17mm so i'm hoping this makes a nice little difference in rotation at the limit.  one of the monster 24mm Progress Suspension bars sounded gnarly but i think the value of this setup is hard to beat for a street car.  $60 to my door for the bar and $12 for the bushing kit.  I'll be at about $125 total if i do the endlinks.  we'll see how much i inflict bodily harm and property damage on myself during the installation process but i'm still dumb enough to be hopeful that it'll all go smoothly.

forgot this fun shot from early on before i put the lowered struts/springs on, during a random home depot run.  Honda bros make hardparking a family affair!  cool guy and i told him i approved of his color choice.

Your Si is definitely better looking than the blue car behind it! Nice project, perfect car for a family do-it-all.

Well let's see, I'm supposed to meet a guy on Saturday to look at his 09 Si half way between Ottawa and here.

1st impression is that dude is Scammy McSammer, since he sent me this PM saying that for a $200 deposit, he would take the ad down, etc.

Let's see what happens.

NGTD said:

Well let's see, I'm supposed to meet a guy on Saturday to look at his 09 Si half way between Ottawa and here.

1st impression is that dude is Scammy McSammer, since he sent me this PM saying that for a $200 deposit, he would take the ad down, etc.

Let's see what happens.

Good luck and don't get stabbed!

Definitely do some good high RPM shifts from 1-2 and 2-3, that's where any synchro grinding will show itself.  "Popping" clutch feel is a worn clutch master cylinder.  Crank the AC and ensure its blowing icy cold (yeah its middle of winter, i know, but still) since these things will go through compressors sometimes.  look for missing trim under the hood and half-installed intake ducting as telltale signs of modification, the intake's pretty convoluted and its the first thing everyone rips out to install aftermarket stuff.  paint clearcoat and weather stripping can suffer badly on ones left outside a lot and not washed well.  you might hear a slight rattle on startup, its likely the VTC cam gear and doesn't really affect anything.  and CHECK THE OIL....these use oil when flogged and lots of people seem to either kill them via hydrolocking (being dumb with cold air intakes) or spun bearings (being lazy and running oil low).  Airbag recall on at least the passenger side but probably both pass. and driver.

all that stuff is a good way to talk them down, and almost all of it is either easily fixed when you get home or not going to strand you.

well the rain cleared out and it got so nice i had to get off my ass and spin some wrenches.  plugged in the 20mm 9th gen rear bar - fit like it's supposed to be there.   i didn't get a chance to take it for a rip yet but i'm anxious to try it out and see if it made much difference.  its NOT anything amazing, considering the "big" bars are 24mm and adjustable.  but again the hope here is to elevate the fun factor and performance to an envelope that's maybe 15-20% higher than stock, but is still daily-driver friendly, reliable, and predictable.  doesn't hurt that this was cheap too, relative to most RSB kits.

parts:

• Honda Rear Sway Bar 52300-TR7-A51 (hondapartsnow.com)
• Moog Sway Bar Bushings/Brackets Kit K90395 (rockauto.com)
• Moog Sway Bar End Links Kit K750125 and K750126 (amazon)

grand total was $107.31...not bad for a pile of new stuff.

upsee daisy onto jack stands.  i never get tired of this angle.

got under the back and got a closer look at things.  the bar sits ahead of the rear axle line and sends the bar ends forward which is different than any setup i've seen on a FWD/AWD car yet.  weird, but super accessible.

despite the lack of corrosion overall, there was no hope getting the endlinks off utilizing the allen key in the ends of the endlink bolts.  Liquid Wrench + vice grips were the only way it was happening.

old n' busted 17mm compared to the new 20mm hotness.  bonus points for the bushings matching my paint.

if you ask Moog "where's the beef?", they'll tell you.  what a difference.  love the zerks.  amazingly the stock links felt smooth and the boots showed no cracks even at nearly 100k miles.

closer view of the size difference.

anyway, figured i'd share and will report back with tales of lift-off oversteer and off-ramp giggles.  

enjoying the upgraded rear bar so far.  feels just right for street tires and the comfort level is indiscernable to stock. 

----------

i hate that facebook keeps being useful in my life but sure enough it earned its place a little while longer when i was browsing some classifieds on Thursday.  been on the hunt for some 16" wheels (the smallest i can go with these brakes) for a couple months now and couldn't find anything that wasn't either grossly overpriced or cheap and trashed.  i want to take a more serious crack at rallyx and need more aggressive rubber (with some actual sidewall height) to do it.  as an added bonus, if i use the 16's as a streetable second set of wheels it will let me replace the current garbage on the stock 17's with stickier, dedicated summer rubber. 

the civic is fortunate to share its lug pattern with a lot of other popular Japanese cars, so i had cast a pretty wide net as was looking for a set of decently straight wheels under $250.  a guy in Greenville SC posted up these MSW Type 14's with 4 nearly new all seasons for $200 and after some initial hesitation that they were legit and not a ruse to take my kidney and leave me for dead, i told him i'd see him Saturday.  they came off his wife's Mitsu Lancer ES and to my surprise were a total score...i guess he just needed some garage space back.   

they need some proper hub spacing rings, a good scubbing, a proper balancing, and the Sears DieHard tires (didn't know that was a thing until now) are a little tall at 205/60-16 but have almost full tread and will be adequate for this season and into winter next year.  the tall sidewall may actually be a blessing, it gets me just about back to stock ride height and i don't think it'll rub anywhere.

while i was busy driving up and back through the most depressing corridor of south carolina, everyone else was enjoying a pretty outstanding turnout at the local rallyx held that same day over in Union Point GA at the Durhamtown Offroad Resort.  Atlanta and Middle GA regions have merged their rally programs so this looks to be a really awesome season. TONS of FWD competition in the stock class, which makes me have bad thoughts if i should put my stock springs back on and have fun with them vs. only competing against 1 or 2 guys in Prepared class where i would be right now.  the struggle is real.

next event's a month out, hope to be reporting back with tales of Sears cheater tire domination and many VTEC braps.

was filling up washer fluid, looked over at the clutch reservoir..."huh...wow that's kinda skunky maybe i should flush that"

who wants 100,000 mile coffee?

clutch slave is on the front of the block under the intake mani next to the starter, required a belly pan drop and getting up on ramps, but otherwise not the usual pain in the balls that everything else is to get to....i give it 2 out of a possible 10 sack punches.  simple gravity bleed, took about 40 mins to slowly drip it through until it was clear.

now onto fun stuff!

first rallyx for Blue under the belt and it was overall a lot of positive punctuated with a lot of negative garbage unrelated to the car.

due to my suspension i had to run by myself in Prepared FWD.  

the good - going off of my first 5 runs (more on that later) i think i was the fastest car on normal street tires and about 6th out of 18 overall.  beat a bunch of Mod AWD and RWD cars which felt nice.  surprisingly tail happy.  more than enough power, long 1st gear made it easy to ride the powerband and stretch it out between corners.  never bottomed out, didn't even scrape the front apron although out site is relatively smooth.  suspension held up fine and did a good job of mixing compliance and keeping response.  good brake bias for trailbraking.

the bad- spin, spin, spin.  that Torsen ain't gonna torse if both tires have no grip.  the wheel/tire sizing was perfect, but the tread on the Sears (LOL i really need to get rid of these) no-seasons was just unable to do anything, anywhere and i spent most of the time just figuring out where i could straighten the car out so i could do more than feather the throttle.  i kind of knew that going in, but its really apparent now that without proper tires i'm just going to stay frustrated.  with (A) aggressive snows or (B) a course that was open enough it would have been a genuinely fast car.

my best run:

some snaps from the phone:
don't laugh at that monte carlo....Stock FWD winner and 4th or 5th fastest overall!

AWD of all vintages in attendance

not sure if i mentioned the dust.  everywhere.  everything is dust.  

so, its not really the Event Coordinator's fault here....but the property management at the site just sucked.   we run at an "off road resort" with miles of trails and they deploy water trucks randomly to keep the dust down anywhere they can get to.  well, a water truck just appeared, unannounced, in the middle of our afternoon run group, the last one of the day.  just drove in out of nowhere and souped the course.  they couldn't wait 15 minutes for the rest of us to finish and pack the event up, just F you, good luck everybody else.  

not a chance i'm chipping dried, cemented clay off the bottom of my daily.  i parked it and watched everyone else struggle to slide around on greased clay, so my last 3 runs were DNF.  what a massive bummer.  even the guys on rally tires were reduced to idling around, like this awesome LS-swapped 3 series.

i don't think i'm going back to this location again...and i hate to say that because i want to help keep any local rallyx program alive.  but i can't take that much time out of my weekend to have a phantom water truck just completely swamp the course, because i refuse to run in that stuff.  there's talks of them finding a new site this fall and i'm really hoping its a better one than this. 

so.....back to normal life - all cleaned up and hardparking at Costco.

In reply to ScottyB :

Gah! The first RallyX photo just put together the connection from book of faces! I was who mentioned DeFrees on your post btw... always funny to see the world's crossover...

haha yeah I figured that was you!  us 8th gen guys gotta stick together, there's tens of us!

always fun to connect with people like that.  I've really gotten a lot of great car info out of certain forums and social media, just have to know where to look.  GRM is still my favorite place to get info though!