Without having much experience in this, I have always wondered how much it would cost or what the best way would be to get a little more quickness out of my '94 Integra LS. I figured this board would probably have a lot of suggestions.

What's the first/best "bang for buck" power upgrade to get on an Integra? Header? Intake? Exhaust? Turbo?

Would like to still pass smog tests though. I'm pretty much just a casual driver and this thing wouldn't ever see the track or anything like that.

 

I heard headers are the best bang for the buck, but I dunno how they would do without intake or exhaust.

 

First off, welcome to HAN. Enjoy your stay with us. :thumbup:

My first suggestion would be to upgrade chassis bushings, dampers / springs and most importantly, brakes. All of these will allow you to carry more speed through corners, and have reliable braking power during sustained mountain assaults.

Following that, it's time to decide what kind of power you're looking for. An intake and exhaust will net about 5 to 7 hp peak on a stock LS motor, but will also help improve mid-range power.

If your smog checks are not as stringent as California's, you may be able to run an aggressive cam like Crower's "403" cam (part no. 620403). While this cam requires upgraded valve springs and lighter retainers, it will boost the power peak another 12-18 hp, depending on tuning.

From there, you get into stroker kits, headwork, etc.... both of these are technically illegal, but in a state with lagging smog checks, you can pass the emissions test, provided you tune properly and run a modern catalytic converter.

And on that note, don't gut your stock cat. Doing so fouls the air, and creates exhaust flow stagnation, which robs power considerably....


That oughta get ya started... h:

Once again, welcome.

 

Tires. There are lots of smog legal intake and exhaust upgrades out there. If it has a CARB #, it is street legal in Cali, if it is legal here, it is legal everywhere because we have the worst smog laws in the country, and they are going to get worse if AB 2683 passes. If you see this and vote in California, e mail your assemply and senate reps

 

I just passed CA smog last week, with the mods listed in my sig.

Had to go to a test-only station, where they test at 15mph and 25mph. Came close to the HC limit at 15mph; all other categories passed with a lot more margin.

I was very happy. :woowoo:

 

I would have to say catback exhaust, most people feel a diff when they install that. And of course a turbo will have the biggest impact but thats probably not your best bang for the buck cause its a lot of $$$$

 

in terms of hp, probably nitrous

 

"I just passed CA smog last week, with the mods listed in my sig.
Had to go to a test-only station, where they test at 15mph and 25mph. Came close to the HC limit at 15mph; all other categories passed with a lot more margin."

how do you know if you have to go to test only to smog or a reg smog station..would i pass visuals with a Sk2 IM..im in the bay also

 

Yes, but if the anal rententive smog tech sees the nitrous solenoid or supply lines, he'd probably fail ya right there. Furthermore, get stopped by the police with the system connected, and you'll have lots to talk about with the officer. h:

Hence my suggestion of mild-ish cams and internals. Paired with CARB certified parts externally, the liklihood of failing the visual part of the CA smog inspection is drastically reduced.

 

Darn.... typed in a longish reply, and IE crapped out on me.

Whether you need "smog" or "smog - test-only station" will be shown on your registration notice. Smog is every two years, I believe.

In preparation for the smog check, I went to the CARB website and downloaded the exemption notices for my AEM CAI and the Greddy 4-2-1 SS header. I printed these out, just in case.

The testers opened my hood, and possibly recognized that the AEM CAI and the Greddy header were OK. One of the guys got on the ground to look under the car, possibly to see if I had a cat. Passed visual, then on to the test.

Searching for IMs, it looks like the Skunk2 IM is OK. You might want to print out the .pdf, just in case.

Good luck! (and hopefully IE doesn't crash right now)