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1999 CivicHonda spruced up the Civic for 99 with minor appearance changes front and rear, plus a revamped dashboard with amber lighting and rotary...
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Honda spruced up the Civic for 99 with minor appearance changes front and rear, plus a revamped dashboard with amber lighting and rotary climate controls in place of sliding levers. Two additional models were added in midyear. The 4-door VP was produced in limited numbers and included air conditioning, keyless entry, and special paint. Also a limited-production model, the 2-door Si got a 160-horsepower engine, 5-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, a rear spoiler, and low-profile tires on 15-inch wheels.
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74 Reviews from Epinions.com
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1999 Civic
Author's Review
Before reading and subsequently judging this piece, please read my review at http://ereferall.epinions.com/auto-review-730C-295E3143-3994D761-prod5
to find out what an <AAR> review entails. This will not be a general automotive review. Instead, it will be a review based on what I best know of the Civic- its aftermarket capabilities.
With that in mind. . .
Relating The Title
It has been said that no two snowflakes are alike. Im not going to argue the fact. If so, then one might compare the Honda Civic to the snowflake. Granted, there are plenty of stock (read: unmodified) Civics rollin on the streets. Im not concerned with them. Im looking more towards the aftermarket scene: the kids with their Civics in the car wash parking lot. The Gen X-ers with their Civics at shows. The teens with their Civics, racing on the extension. Thats the scene Im concerned with. And if you take one look at that scene, youll immediately notice something: none of them are alike. Whether it be engine modifications, body mods, or a killer stereo, differences abound in these Civics. Why? Because its ridiculously easy.
Drumroll Please
Thats why the Honda Civic receives my rating of a AAR: 10. The most customizable car around. Heres why:
Off the Line
A stock Civic is far from a racing machine. Sure, the new DOHC VTEC Si version has some balls. You line it up next to a Mustang, though, and its dust. If you want to take that Mustang, some changes must be made. Fortunately, though, its remarkably easy to make those changes.
Hondas, particularly Civics, have outstanding second party representation. Companies like DC Sports and Jackson Motorsports cater almost exclusively to imports / Hondas, and other companies like HP Racing and Neuspeed can offer a lot to Honda owners. If theres a part you want, you can find it.
And you have so many options, as well. You interested in just a bit of bolt- on speed? You can easily and affordably grab a set of headers, an exhaust, and an intake. Youll notice the change. Still too slow? Go for internals, like a new camshaft, pistons, and rods. Theyre all readily available. Still lagging behind? Grab a supercharger, turbo, or nitrous kit. You wont have trouble finding them.
Thats the beauty of the Civic engine. Its so easy to buy parts for, and just as easy to operate on. Every part of the engine is nicely laid out in front of you, and even the most novice of mechanics can install their new intake. Its a thing of beauty, I tell you.
Lookin Fine
Ok, so maybe speed isnt your thing. Either the tickets are too costly, or you dont have the nerve. Thats ok; its understandable. Trust me, though, you can still have plenty of fun with your Civic.
Make it a thing of beauty.
Stock, Civics look nice. They have a nice shape, so subtle curves, and an inherently sporty look. Theyre easily a 5 or 6 out of 10; a nice- looking average car.
Make em a 10.
There is just so much available for the exterior of a Civic. Where to start?
Clear tails and bumpers are available for every single make and model of the Civic, and add a chic look to your car. Theyre quite affordable, too, compared to clear lights for other cars.
Body Kits are always an amazing- and quite custom- addition to your car, and no car has more body kits available than the Civic. Body kit sites like Erebunicorp.com, AndysAutosport.com, and Wingswest.com offer some of the possibilities.
Of course, if youre throwing on a body kit, you need some rims and lowering job to accompany it. There are limitless numbers of rims available in the necessary 4- lug Civic, so your options are infinite. In addition, you can easily go the spring-lowering or coil-over- lowering route, with an assortment of ride heights available. You can read my piece on suspension techniques at http://ereferall.epinions.com/auto-review-377C-746B2E6-39AE0695-prod2. In addition to offering the car a hot slammed look, lowering also adds to the performance factor- it makes for significantly better cornering.
So what else is available? Name it. Generic additions like fog lights and interior decorations are always a nice choice, and a custom paint job makes for a fantastic piece de resistance. You Civic styling options are limitless; go crazy.
Sounds Divine
Now, whether you took the performance route, the styling route, or both, you still have another possibility: the stereo. You can easily work a killer stereo into any motif, and why wouldnt you? If its a strictly- show car, a nice stereo adds a touch of thoroughness. If its your daily driver, the stereo adds some killer tunes. So why wouldnt you opt for it?
After all, its not like its very difficult. You can put a stereo in just about any car with relative ease. However, with the Civic, it becomes remarkably easy.
The Civic offers up a double-din dash opening. What that means is that you can either get a double-din deck, a deck and an EQ, or a TV screen (amongst other options, of course). Lots of versatility there. Its quite easy to get your factory deck out of the opening; just remove some trim, unscrew the ash tray and some retaining bolts. You can slide your new deck into the audio orifice just as easily, and youre good to go.
If you dont like the stock speaker placement, you can do something about that, too. Q-Logic makes their Q-forms custom kick panel enclosures (see review at: http://ereferall.epinions.com/elec-review-7351-9E7C292-392C8DC1-prod1) for the Civic. The kicks offer brilliant sound quality and imaging, and are a must for any show car. In addition, the ample trunk of the Civic offers plenty of space for an adequate subwoofer layout and amp rack. Youd be surprised how much you can nestle into a trunk, all the while still leaving room for groceries or spoils of shopping.
Theres not too much to discuss with the stereo beyond the fact that you can do whatever you want. Its easy to disassemble your Civic, whether it be for custom placement or just to run wires. If a crazy stereo is on your mind, dont hesitate to drop one in your Civic.
One Of A Kind
The Honda Civic; thats the rub. I figured Id open up my <AAR> series with the all- time supe- up champion. Lets face it- based on parts availability, ease of installation, and effectiveness, the Civic cant be beaten. If youre getting into the import scene, theres no reason not to go for a Civic. Some may say that theyre too common; well, theyre common for a reason. Theyre the best. Go ahead, go try it out. . .
. . . you could even consider it your Civic Responsibility.
<AAR> Honda Civic: The Snowflake of the Automotive World
| Author's Rating: |
|
Pros: Limitless Supe-Up Capabilities, Affordable Parts
Cons: Very Common On The Import Scene
Before reading and subsequently judging this piece, please read my review at http://ereferall.epinions.com/auto-review-730C-295E3143-3994D761-prod5
to find out what an <AAR> review entails. This will not be a general automotive review. Instead, it will be a review based on what I best know of the Civic- its aftermarket capabilities.
With that in mind. . .
Relating The Title
It has been said that no two snowflakes are alike. Im not going to argue the fact. If so, then one might compare the Honda Civic to the snowflake. Granted, there are plenty of stock (read: unmodified) Civics rollin on the streets. Im not concerned with them. Im looking more towards the aftermarket scene: the kids with their Civics in the car wash parking lot. The Gen X-ers with their Civics at shows. The teens with their Civics, racing on the extension. Thats the scene Im concerned with. And if you take one look at that scene, youll immediately notice something: none of them are alike. Whether it be engine modifications, body mods, or a killer stereo, differences abound in these Civics. Why? Because its ridiculously easy.
Drumroll Please
Thats why the Honda Civic receives my rating of a AAR: 10. The most customizable car around. Heres why:
Off the Line
A stock Civic is far from a racing machine. Sure, the new DOHC VTEC Si version has some balls. You line it up next to a Mustang, though, and its dust. If you want to take that Mustang, some changes must be made. Fortunately, though, its remarkably easy to make those changes.
Hondas, particularly Civics, have outstanding second party representation. Companies like DC Sports and Jackson Motorsports cater almost exclusively to imports / Hondas, and other companies like HP Racing and Neuspeed can offer a lot to Honda owners. If theres a part you want, you can find it.
And you have so many options, as well. You interested in just a bit of bolt- on speed? You can easily and affordably grab a set of headers, an exhaust, and an intake. Youll notice the change. Still too slow? Go for internals, like a new camshaft, pistons, and rods. Theyre all readily available. Still lagging behind? Grab a supercharger, turbo, or nitrous kit. You wont have trouble finding them.
Thats the beauty of the Civic engine. Its so easy to buy parts for, and just as easy to operate on. Every part of the engine is nicely laid out in front of you, and even the most novice of mechanics can install their new intake. Its a thing of beauty, I tell you.
Lookin Fine
Ok, so maybe speed isnt your thing. Either the tickets are too costly, or you dont have the nerve. Thats ok; its understandable. Trust me, though, you can still have plenty of fun with your Civic.
Make it a thing of beauty.
Stock, Civics look nice. They have a nice shape, so subtle curves, and an inherently sporty look. Theyre easily a 5 or 6 out of 10; a nice- looking average car.
Make em a 10.
There is just so much available for the exterior of a Civic. Where to start?
Clear tails and bumpers are available for every single make and model of the Civic, and add a chic look to your car. Theyre quite affordable, too, compared to clear lights for other cars.
Body Kits are always an amazing- and quite custom- addition to your car, and no car has more body kits available than the Civic. Body kit sites like Erebunicorp.com, AndysAutosport.com, and Wingswest.com offer some of the possibilities.
Of course, if youre throwing on a body kit, you need some rims and lowering job to accompany it. There are limitless numbers of rims available in the necessary 4- lug Civic, so your options are infinite. In addition, you can easily go the spring-lowering or coil-over- lowering route, with an assortment of ride heights available. You can read my piece on suspension techniques at http://ereferall.epinions.com/auto-review-377C-746B2E6-39AE0695-prod2. In addition to offering the car a hot slammed look, lowering also adds to the performance factor- it makes for significantly better cornering.
So what else is available? Name it. Generic additions like fog lights and interior decorations are always a nice choice, and a custom paint job makes for a fantastic piece de resistance. You Civic styling options are limitless; go crazy.
Sounds Divine
Now, whether you took the performance route, the styling route, or both, you still have another possibility: the stereo. You can easily work a killer stereo into any motif, and why wouldnt you? If its a strictly- show car, a nice stereo adds a touch of thoroughness. If its your daily driver, the stereo adds some killer tunes. So why wouldnt you opt for it?
After all, its not like its very difficult. You can put a stereo in just about any car with relative ease. However, with the Civic, it becomes remarkably easy.
The Civic offers up a double-din dash opening. What that means is that you can either get a double-din deck, a deck and an EQ, or a TV screen (amongst other options, of course). Lots of versatility there. Its quite easy to get your factory deck out of the opening; just remove some trim, unscrew the ash tray and some retaining bolts. You can slide your new deck into the audio orifice just as easily, and youre good to go.
If you dont like the stock speaker placement, you can do something about that, too. Q-Logic makes their Q-forms custom kick panel enclosures (see review at: http://ereferall.epinions.com/elec-review-7351-9E7C292-392C8DC1-prod1) for the Civic. The kicks offer brilliant sound quality and imaging, and are a must for any show car. In addition, the ample trunk of the Civic offers plenty of space for an adequate subwoofer layout and amp rack. Youd be surprised how much you can nestle into a trunk, all the while still leaving room for groceries or spoils of shopping.
Theres not too much to discuss with the stereo beyond the fact that you can do whatever you want. Its easy to disassemble your Civic, whether it be for custom placement or just to run wires. If a crazy stereo is on your mind, dont hesitate to drop one in your Civic.
One Of A Kind
The Honda Civic; thats the rub. I figured Id open up my <AAR> series with the all- time supe- up champion. Lets face it- based on parts availability, ease of installation, and effectiveness, the Civic cant be beaten. If youre getting into the import scene, theres no reason not to go for a Civic. Some may say that theyre too common; well, theyre common for a reason. Theyre the best. Go ahead, go try it out. . .
. . . you could even consider it your Civic Responsibility.
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