[R.I.P]

It was June the 11th 2009, the day when i bought my first Car (with my Dad’s help). After visiting markets in Delhi and Chandigarh, we finally zeroed down on a vehicle. It was a 2001OHC VTEC with 76,000 KMs on the odo. My Dad just told me “Take this one” and i agreed without any second thought.
The first couple of weeks the car was with my cousin in Chandigarh and his feedback was pretty much simple. “It is your best investment till date, i raced it with a corolla and it just flies(especially on road bumps”. I got hold of my “old lady” in the third week and haven’t looked back since. Got basic ICE upgrade as the installed one was not working. Got additional driving lights installed with primary lights getting an upgrade to Philips rallye 110/90.
[FONT=&quot]The first 5,000 KMs were spent helping me get used to this “big” car. It was a pain using it in Shimla. I scrapped it from all but one corner in just a few weeks and it seemed i needed to get back to basics.

By the time it crossed 86,000 the first round of modifications and replacements were needed. First to go was the clutch system followed by the radiator and the front suspension with bushes and mountings (Yes, i had broken the mountings). Next were stage 1 modifications with FFE and K&N air intake.

[/FONT]







































As the New Year came near, i was contemplating another road trip: Shimla-Manali-Delhi-Mumbai-Pune and back. Roadmap was downloaded, costs estimated, co-driver was ready, leaves granted by the company and i was off.
Day 0, 23th December, 2009: The car had been serviced with only the engine oil to be changed. Out went Castrol magnatec and in came Mobil 1 super synthetic 0W40. In the process however, the local mechanic scraped my left rear bumper and i was left with a hanging side bumper.


Day 1, 24th December, 2009: Finished my work at office, took the car to the mechanic to ix the bumper, met a friend who was accompanying me to Manali and finally left Shimla at 1500Hrs. I reached Manali in about 6.5Hours with the help of very light traffic and my need for speed.
Day 2, 25th December, 2009: Manali to Delhi via Chandigarh covered with 3 hours wasted near Punjab border with another hour wasted in getting alignment in Chandigarh. Finally reached Gurgaon at 2200Hrs. Slept late with all the planning of leaving Delhi early to reach Mumbai the same night seemed to have gone down the drain. The biggest crisis of all, The combined liquid cash in out wallets and ATM was around 3000 only. Our biggest concern, Toll.





To be Continued..........

[R.I.P]

Day 3, 26th December, 2009: we leave Gurgaon at 1030Hrs. Roads were a dream, instead of a right we take a left just before entering Jaipur and waste another hour and a half encircling the whole city to finally get to the right. By the time we reach Udaipur, its around 2000Hrs and total cash in our wallet is Rs.400. A quick scouting for an ATM helps and we push along quickly crossing Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat thanks to all the investment on the roads of the state. Further down and we touch Mumbai in the early hours. To our despair, we get stuck in the long queue of trucks and finally had to travel down the opposite side after spending a couple of hours in the sun. Cross Navi Mumbai to get to Pune expressway and call my cousin to tell him that we are a few hours away. First they don’t believe us(Nobody knew about this but we two drivers), but when we tell them that we are on the expressway and need directions, they are dumbfounded. By 1500Hrs the next day, we reach Pune and finish the first leg.





















[FONT=&quot]The return journey was less hectic as my cousin and our friends came along till Delhi for the trip. All along the journey, The Old Lady worked flawlessly. The high revs, constant pushing and relentless driving, still she behaved well. Not troubling me even once. I did pamper her with some shell Premium fuel and even Speed97 but most of the journey was done on regular petrol.[/FONT]







Pink Floyd cafe at Pushkar


Concluding part next........

[harjeev]

Crongats buddy
the 1st vehicle is always a charm and one generally always tends to remember the experience. I still remember when I bought my Hyundai Accent exactly 10 years back. Kept it for 8 years and did countless trips travelling most of noth india by road before finally bidding goodbye to her after driving her for 125k kms!!!

Best of luck with your experience and have loads of fun.
Cheers

[R.I.P]

On returning, i noticed that the tyres were about to finish with the last couple od thousand KMs left. Asked Nikhikb2008 about options and he suggested Advan Neovas or Conti CPC2(Thanks Nikhil). I chose Contis as Advans are summer tyres. Further, i got the OEM rims painted at autopsyche, gurgaon. Latest Pics attached:













With these CPC2’s being changed at 96,000KMs, my sights were set on the next level of mods. I PM’ed quiet a few BHPians with only Shan2nu and Domnic replying to my messages (Thanks for your inputs guys).
I am not a drag car person, I want more of a rally car and since most of what i had read was centered around increasing straight line speed, i could not help but start this thread(Mods please shift this thread to appropriate location if necessary).
Well, guys i am planning another road trip, this time from Shimla to the city of modded cars(as on BHPian puts it) Bangalore or Bengaluru. I had contacted Karthik and Sanjay from Racedynamics and have scheduled a few jobs as of now. First on the list however, is a windshield change for better visibility, Sun film protection all around, replacement or should i say installation of both side view mirrors (OEM as no other option available here, suggest alternatives if any). Bodywork is still my least priority hence will keep it to bare minimum.
Things planned at RD with inputs from shan2nu:
1. RD ECU
2. Lightened flywheel and crankpulley
3. Stiffened suspension or a suspension upgrade(rear suspension still not changed)
Some mods suggested by Dominic:
a) First have a compression test done if all above 165psi with 10psi variation proceed
b) import or locally procure a d16 or b15 vtec head with distributor
c) port the head and flow it
d) With the head get an OBD1 p28 D15 CRX computer
Further i was also thinking about brakes ugrade, would it better to upgrade rear drum to disk or front disk to cross drilled/petal disks?
With my road trip about to start in a month’s time, i would appreciate inputs from everyone on anything and everything i should get done. My main needs are:
1. Reliability as this is my primary car
2. Stability at speeds above 120KMPH
3. Better cornering
4. Better acceleration
5. Better braking if needed
Budget around 40K but can be increased

Fingers crossed
R.I.P.

[pranavt]

Originally Posted by R.I.P

Things planned at RD with inputs from shan2nu:
1. RD ECU
2. Lightened flywheel and crankpulley
3. Stiffened suspension or a suspension upgrade(rear suspension still not changed)
Some mods suggested by Dominic:
a) First have a compression test done if all above 165psi with 10psi variation proceed
b) import or locally procure a d16 or b15 vtec head with distributor
c) port the head and flow it
d) With the head get an OBD1 p28 D15 CRX computer
Further i was also thinking about brakes ugrade, would it better to upgrade rear drum to disk or front disk to cross drilled/petal disks?
With my road trip about to start in a month’s time, i would appreciate inputs from everyone on anything and everything i should get done. My main needs are:
1. Reliability as this is my primary car
2. Stability at speeds above 120KMPH
3. Better cornering
4. Better acceleration
5. Better braking if needed
Budget around 40K but can be increased

Fingers crossed
R.I.P.

The OBD1 P28 is also an ECU, just like the RD that you're planning to buy. The RD is made in India by Race Dynamics and is configured/tuned with their own software. The P28 can be tuned using a multitude of softwares like CROME (Free or paid), Ectune, Neptune, Hondata (need to buy the Hondata chip), Moates Demon (Chip + buy software like Ectune or Neptune). So you decide between the two, you don't need to buy both. A P28 can be procured from the US for aroud 6-7k all-inclusive. Then software can be free (CROME), or paid (all usually cost around 10k INR - Ectune, Neptune, etc). For prices of the RD, you can contact them.

Buying a D16 (I assume you meant the whole engine) or just the head (B15 is what it's called in India. The head is a D16Y8 head internationally) will entail overhauling most components. There's no point buying a head only to have new valves being ground down by bad valve guides or running a cam that has been abused with low oil pressure and bears scar marks. Further, overhauling just the head will easily cost you around 12k or thereabouts, depending on what parts you need to buy and what you plan to re-use.

Going to rear discs will cost you around 35-50k INR. Not from personal experience but from reading accounts and talking to Ford ROCAM and Viper who both upgraded to Wilwood discs.

Don't skip the rear suspension. Especially on a car that has done so many kilometres.

[R.I.P]

Originally Posted by harjeev

Crongats buddy
the 1st vehicle is always a charm and one generally always tends to remember the experience. I still remember when I bought my Hyundai Accent exactly 10 years back. Kept it for 8 years and did countless trips travelling most of noth india by road before finally bidding goodbye to her after driving her for 125k kms!!!

Best of luck with your experience and have loads of fun.
Cheers

Thanks man for all the wishes.

Originally Posted by pranavt

The OBD1 P28 is also an ECU, just like the RD that you're planning to buy. The RD is made in India by Race Dynamics and is configured/tuned with their own software. The P28 can be tuned using a multitude of softwares like CROME (Free or paid), Ectune, Neptune, Hondata (need to buy the Hondata chip), Moates Demon (Chip + buy software like Ectune or Neptune). So you decide between the two, you don't need to buy both. A P28 can be procured from the US for aroud 6-7k all-inclusive. Then software can be free (CROME), or paid (all usually cost around 10k INR - Ectune, Neptune, etc). For prices of the RD, you can contact them.

Buying a D16 (I assume you meant the whole engine) or just the head (B15 is what it's called in India. The head is a D16Y8 head internationally) will entail overhauling most components. There's no point buying a head only to have new valves being ground down by bad valve guides or running a cam that has been abused with low oil pressure and bears scar marks. Further, overhauling just the head will easily cost you around 12k or thereabouts, depending on what parts you need to buy and what you plan to re-use.

Going to rear discs will cost you around 35-50k INR. Not from personal experience but from reading accounts and talking to Ford ROCAM and Viper who both upgraded to Wilwood discs.

Don't skip the rear suspension. Especially on a car that has done so many kilometres.

The RD ECU is around 30K which is comparatively expensive. But what about tech support. living in shimla, i am virtually excluded from the world so need a very robust system. the D16 or B15 is still way too complicated and i would like to leave that alone.
as far as braking is concerned, is'nt it a good idea to first improve the front brakes and then go in for rear ones e.g. any big bike.

can you suggest a good suspension setup?with some price pointers as well

Further do you think any other work is needed on the body or the engine since it is completing 1,00,000. i intend to keep her with me for a long time.

[pranavt]

The RD ecu is usually calibrated and tuned by RD's authorised tuners or Karthik himself, so the support won't be any better just because he is based in India. If he cannot get to your location or you cannot take your car to Mumbai or Bangalore, you're still in the same boat, just with a different ECU.

The Honda ECU is used by me on my ITB'd VTEC and on Jitu's 430bhp B16 VTEC, and Viper's 250-300 bhp B16 VTEC three extremely "difficult" setups, one NA and two FI. So the ECUs are as robust as possible and have been proven on our setups very well. Internationally, the Honda ECUs are chosen over other famous standalones like AEM because of their potential and proven results.

My previous post was deleted as per my request, so I'll post again about the head. The head in your OHC VTEC is also a D16Y8 head, so you can skip buying a head and upgrade valvesprings or the camshaft if you desire.

The OHC's brakes are quite good, so you can skip upgrading them. At the most, go in for aftermarket brake pads or just buy new OEM pads which should cost around 800-1000 Rupees.

For suspension, check 2 threads created by me, one of them is about my own car and the other is about improving the OHC's handling. They should offer you a good insight since it has contributions from others too, some of them from guys who have also got custom suspension setups. I have got OEM shocks stiffened and Eibach springs which give great handling. Read my review in my thread.

Will comment later since I'm out and typing on my cellphone.

[pranavt]

Figured you won't be able to see my profile, so here are the 2 threads:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-now-itbs.html - This is about my car. First few pages about the suspension, pg 5 onwards my ITBs and ECU.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...igh-speed.html

[R.I.P]

Originally Posted by pranavt

Figured you won't be able to see my profile, so here are the 2 threads:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-now-itbs.html - This is about my car. First few pages about the suspension, pg 5 onwards my ITBs and ECU.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...igh-speed.html

Thanks for the links man. as for the suspension, i am thinking of an overhaul. since i would be more interested in a rally car setup, can you suggest some pointers in this direction costings, availability, etc.

[NOS Power]

Originally Posted by R.I.P

Thanks for the links man. as for the suspension, i am thinking of an overhaul. since i would be more interested in a rally car setup, can you suggest some pointers in this direction costings, availability, etc.

Rally car setup means stiffer shocks atleast. So no point overhauling the OEM shocks. Either stiffen them as Pranav did or go for replacement shocks from specialist manufacturers.

Stiffening OEM shocks is the cheapest way, but be advised that this job is to be done by someone who has been doing this for quite sometime. Why? Because suspensions are very sensitive to the car. A difference in oil thickness between the front two shocks or say different length due to improper welding can lead to undesired results. The effect of one improper suspension component can lead to premature wear and tear to other parts connected to the wheel, namely, arms and linkages, springs, tie rods, bearings and even the driveshaft.

The safer (pricier) way is to go for aftermarket shocks. A lot of manufacturers have shocks and springs available for Jap cars.

[R.I.P]

Originally Posted by NOS Power

The safer (pricier) way is to go for aftermarket shocks. A lot of manufacturers have shocks and springs available for Jap cars.

well going through the posts across threads I haven't heard of many options. D2, eibatch, are a couple I heard. which one would be better in my setup. has anyone got them for this kind of setup? please give direction guys

[pranavt]

Only companies that do shocks for OHC are HotBits and Pedders. For springs, you have Eibach, HotBits, Pedders and perhaps a couple more. For coilovers, we have HotBits and DMS.

In the rally scene, people usually modify the mounts on the car and the shocks to make them compatible. But this is a high-risk job, so if you decide to go with something like Koni or Bilstein, be prepared to handle this. The chassis is based on the EF Civic (4th Gen), so it would be easiest to use parts made for that car, then adapting and modifying as necessary.

Springs usually cost around 12-14k INR.
Shocks will cost around 25-30k INR.
Coilovers can cost anything from 55k-2L INR depending on the brand and the setup.

[R.I.P]

Originally Posted by pranavt

Only companies that do shocks for OHC are HotBits and Pedders. For springs, you have Eibach, HotBits, Pedders and perhaps a couple more. For coilovers, we have HotBits and DMS.

In the rally scene, people usually modify the mounts on the car and the shocks to make them compatible. But this is a high-risk job, so if you decide to go with something like Koni or Bilstein, be prepared to handle this. The chassis is based on the EF Civic (4th Gen), so it would be easiest to use parts made for that car, then adapting and modifying as necessary.

Springs usually cost around 12-14k INR.
Shocks will cost around 25-30k INR.
Coilovers can cost anything from 55k-2L INR depending on the brand and the setup.

Well i can afford some of it if not all right now

anyways people at RaceDynamics dont seem to be interested in doing business with me since they have been ignoring my calls. So i am also on a lookout for a good tuner based in Bangalore since ill be there for over a week.
You were right pranavt that nobody these days seem to do business via email.

[R.I.P]

well the Old lady crossed 1,00,000 Kms this weekend.

The front windscreen was too scratched and was giving me a lot of problems especially during night driving. Last saturday i went down to chadigarh and got it replaced at windshield experts. the service was painfully slow but the executives there were very helpful. Next on the agenda was sunfilm as the heat was extreme(soaring at 42C)

i also went around harmony honda(A.S.S.) for a basic checkup and for ordering both side view mirrors. i had observed that on turning the car to extreme right, noise was coming from the front. after a test drive the mechanic deducted that the noise might be due to the wider tyre(195/60/R14) undercutting the body. further he said that the steering assembly needs replacement.

i have heard that the OEM steering assembly is problematic and tends to give problems. Is there any aftermarket alternative to this? Guys please help a.s.a.p. as i need to order it in case of no other option.

also presently i am running Mobil1 super synthetic 0W40. should i change to 15W50(due to the extreme heat) before going down to Bangalore or should i change it in Bangalore. I changed oil at 96,000 Kms.

[Sprucegoose]

Hey R.I.P,
first things first. RESPECT man. [for the monster drive]
I love long drives too.

I'm running Pedders Sports Ryder suspension + 205/50R15 Yokohama S.Drives on my OHC 1.3.

I love the handling of my car. [can't comment on other setups as i don't have any first hand experience or knowledge on them.]

I'd suggest since you stay in Shimla, you should get a full set of bolt on coilovers as the chances of getting a faulty piece will be less.

As for the engine swapping, I'd suggest again go for the least complicated solution [basically an NA engine that provides the power you want with minimal mods] as again the support in Shimla probably isn't too good. [This again is conjecture].

I've not got any mods apart from the aforementioned suspension upgrades, an FFE & an air filter. I'm comfortable driving at 100 - 120, I love the mileage i get & funding is a problem.

PS: I'd rather have an all round well balanced car than one setup for pure straight line speed.

One more thing I was reading somewhere that the Realtime 4WD of the old Civic EF will be bolt on for the OHC as they are based on the same frame. That would be cool, especially if you are upgrading the engine.