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@nicalbright's ASM 15' SI Sedan Build Thread
@nicalbright's ASM 15' SI Sedan Build Thread
What’s up everyone? My names Nic, I'm 24, and live in North Carolina. I’m new to the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen forums, but not so new to Hondas. I’d describe myself as an ex-Honda owner who has finally made his way back to his roots. Follow me on my journey in this long-term timeline and build thread of my newly acquired 2015 Honda Civic SI sedan in Alabaster Silver Metallic.
Instagram: @nicalbright
Purchased June 24th, 2015
Intro
When I began building cars at age 15, I began my journey with Hondas, as a lot of young kids do. Cheap, easy to learn on, and fun to drive. I owned four pretty embarrassing Hondas over the course of a year, but my last ownership of a Honda was back in 2008. It was a Red EM1 that was coming together nicely, as I had just started getting into the definition of “clean” and quickly growing tired of the typical "loud car, buy everything available on Ebay" phase. The car had a few brand-name parts including a new Greddy Evo2 exhaust, some Skunk2 and Buddy Club bolt-ons, a Password JDM intake, and was set to receive a new paint job to clean up the dulled OEM paint. The night before the scheduled paint job, a man that had apparently spotted my car on a local forum called me offering me a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 off of his grandfathers car lot as a trade offer for the Civic. He wanted it for his son’s 16[SUP]th[/SUP] birthday, but was short on cash and only had the Jetta to offer. Two hours later we met, did a couple of test drives, and my hand shook his before I even knew what was happening. That night was the night I said goodbye to the Honda world. Ever since that day I’ve been a “Euro guy”, owning and building numerous Volkswagens and taking extreme pride in each of them. My most recent build, a 2006 Volkswagen GLI was my pride and joy. However while it was my favorite build to date, it was also the most unreliable piece of machinery known to man. This is ultimately why I’m now here (and HAPPY to behere I might add) in the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen forums. Lets take a look back and get everyone caught up to speed.
My two most recent Volkswagen builds
1999 Jetta GL
2006 Jetta GLI
New Beginnings, Bad Impressions, and Hard Decisions
A month or so ago I finally landed a job with a company that I had been yearning to begin a career with for over two years. I was overwhelmed with excitement and couldn’t wait toget and get started after accepting their offer. Monday morning arrived; I hopped in the car, and headed out for my first day on the job! Half-way to work as I’m drinking my coffee and cruising along, the inevitable happens.. My car died.. right in the middle of the interstate. First day on the job, and I’m gonna be late because of the stupid car. Fantastic first impression, right? Now we fast-forward a week and the company has had pity on me and given me a new start date because “life happens.” So now the following Monday rolls around and it’s time for my first day again. As I’m driving along attempting to plan my first day (now equipped with a new fuel pump I might add) I’m rudely interrupted by the warning of the temperature gauge and the car dies AGAIN. Guess who now needs a new water pump? This guy. The new job is now suspicious and questioning whether or not hiring me was a good decision, as you could imagine any good company would be. Fast-forwarding again to my fourth day on the job. I’ve re-gained trust in my accountability, the car is fixed, and everything seems to be going well. I leave to go home that night, go to start the car, and boom. Dead. Guess who now needs the in-tank electronic fuel sending module? Pick me! Pick me! I need it! Luckily I had the next two days off this time. Close call. A day later after getting the car back home, I sat on my couch in a total funk hating my current situation. I had a hard, but logical decision to make. I began thinking “What’s the most reliable, best "bang for your buck" vehicle with adecent aftermarket support that I can grab today for $25,000?” After a few hours of research and narrowing down the list to a new Civic SI and a very gently used Subaru BRZ, I was at the local Honda dealership with two of my Honda-lifer friends ready for a test drive.
First Date
Upon arriving at the dealership, I had intended on scoping out a White Civic SI sedan, however I noticed a Silver one in the back peeking out of the plastic wrap that was still on the hood and roof. I was intrigued. I hadn’t seen too many of them in this color floating around, so I figured "Eh, might as well check it out." We unwrapped the car and honestly my first impression was not great. The shape, the taillights, and the lack of HID’s turned me off immediately. I did a brief walk-around and hopped in for the test drive. The second that I sat in the car my mind began to change. Ice cold AC, super comfortable seating, advanced dash and electronics, carbon fiber trim, leather stitched knob and wheel were all great features, not to mention the modern Black and Red color combo. My mind started racing with wheel setups, lip kits, accessories, and everything in between. As I left the parking lot I was surprisingly in total “chill” mode. I didn’t fear for my life or fear breaking down at any giving second like I frequently did in my GLI. The car lacked in power compared to the Volkswagen obviously, but it was fine. Everything was fine. I arrived back at the dealership and got out of the car. I walked around assessing, critiquing, hating, loving, and contemplating the “Pros and Cons” of the car for over a solid hour in the 102* heat. At 2:30PM I sat behind the wheel and decided that “Yep, I want it and I’m not going to leave unless I leave IN it.”
To move the story along, I haggled and compared prices with the managers, shook a few hands, and told them I’d be back in an hour. My two friends and I drove home in the GLI, swapped out my wheels, pulled out the floor mats, the trunk mat, all of my tools and personals, threw the stock intake back on, and drove it back to Honda. The Volkswagen was officially tradedin! I took a few pictures, signed a few papers, and walked out the door with my new 2015 Honda Civic SI sedan for $22,900. They even tossed in the OEM mud flaps and wheel locks that they said weren’t included for that price, so that was even better. I now had a brand new car, a few added extras, a few good parts to re-sell from the Volkswagen, as well as 3-piece wheels with new tires that can hopefully find a home on the SI later on down the road. Life was good today.
Week One
First full day of ownership and I’ve walked past it in aparking lot twice now, forgetting that it’s mine (LOL) So far so good, though. Although I really miss my GLI (and having a boosted car in general) I haven’t regretted my decision. Sure, I spent a ton of money that I would have rather not spent, but atleast it’s on a clean, reliable vehicle instead of on constant repairs for an old one. This has been a great investment thus far.
The “Mod Bug”
As any car enthusiast knows, the hardest part of a purchasing a new/unmolested car is to avoid getting bitten by the “mod bug” that comes with it. Well I’m certainly no different, and my house is full of them. In the last 24-hours, I’ve been creeping in all corners of the internet researching, photoshopping, planning, and “Adding to Cart”. So far no purchases have been officially made, but tomorrow is another day..
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What’s up everyone? My names Nic, I'm 24, and live in North Carolina. I’m new to the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen forums, but not so new to Hondas. I’d describe myself as an ex-Honda owner who has finally made his way back to his roots. Follow me on my journey in this long-term timeline and build thread of my newly acquired 2015 Honda Civic SI sedan in Alabaster Silver Metallic.
Instagram: @nicalbright
Purchased June 24th, 2015
Intro
When I began building cars at age 15, I began my journey with Hondas, as a lot of young kids do. Cheap, easy to learn on, and fun to drive. I owned four pretty embarrassing Hondas over the course of a year, but my last ownership of a Honda was back in 2008. It was a Red EM1 that was coming together nicely, as I had just started getting into the definition of “clean” and quickly growing tired of the typical "loud car, buy everything available on Ebay" phase. The car had a few brand-name parts including a new Greddy Evo2 exhaust, some Skunk2 and Buddy Club bolt-ons, a Password JDM intake, and was set to receive a new paint job to clean up the dulled OEM paint. The night before the scheduled paint job, a man that had apparently spotted my car on a local forum called me offering me a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 off of his grandfathers car lot as a trade offer for the Civic. He wanted it for his son’s 16[SUP]th[/SUP] birthday, but was short on cash and only had the Jetta to offer. Two hours later we met, did a couple of test drives, and my hand shook his before I even knew what was happening. That night was the night I said goodbye to the Honda world. Ever since that day I’ve been a “Euro guy”, owning and building numerous Volkswagens and taking extreme pride in each of them. My most recent build, a 2006 Volkswagen GLI was my pride and joy. However while it was my favorite build to date, it was also the most unreliable piece of machinery known to man. This is ultimately why I’m now here (and HAPPY to behere I might add) in the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen forums. Lets take a look back and get everyone caught up to speed.
My two most recent Volkswagen builds
1999 Jetta GL
2006 Jetta GLI
New Beginnings, Bad Impressions, and Hard Decisions
A month or so ago I finally landed a job with a company that I had been yearning to begin a career with for over two years. I was overwhelmed with excitement and couldn’t wait toget and get started after accepting their offer. Monday morning arrived; I hopped in the car, and headed out for my first day on the job! Half-way to work as I’m drinking my coffee and cruising along, the inevitable happens.. My car died.. right in the middle of the interstate. First day on the job, and I’m gonna be late because of the stupid car. Fantastic first impression, right? Now we fast-forward a week and the company has had pity on me and given me a new start date because “life happens.” So now the following Monday rolls around and it’s time for my first day again. As I’m driving along attempting to plan my first day (now equipped with a new fuel pump I might add) I’m rudely interrupted by the warning of the temperature gauge and the car dies AGAIN. Guess who now needs a new water pump? This guy. The new job is now suspicious and questioning whether or not hiring me was a good decision, as you could imagine any good company would be. Fast-forwarding again to my fourth day on the job. I’ve re-gained trust in my accountability, the car is fixed, and everything seems to be going well. I leave to go home that night, go to start the car, and boom. Dead. Guess who now needs the in-tank electronic fuel sending module? Pick me! Pick me! I need it! Luckily I had the next two days off this time. Close call. A day later after getting the car back home, I sat on my couch in a total funk hating my current situation. I had a hard, but logical decision to make. I began thinking “What’s the most reliable, best "bang for your buck" vehicle with adecent aftermarket support that I can grab today for $25,000?” After a few hours of research and narrowing down the list to a new Civic SI and a very gently used Subaru BRZ, I was at the local Honda dealership with two of my Honda-lifer friends ready for a test drive.
First Date
Upon arriving at the dealership, I had intended on scoping out a White Civic SI sedan, however I noticed a Silver one in the back peeking out of the plastic wrap that was still on the hood and roof. I was intrigued. I hadn’t seen too many of them in this color floating around, so I figured "Eh, might as well check it out." We unwrapped the car and honestly my first impression was not great. The shape, the taillights, and the lack of HID’s turned me off immediately. I did a brief walk-around and hopped in for the test drive. The second that I sat in the car my mind began to change. Ice cold AC, super comfortable seating, advanced dash and electronics, carbon fiber trim, leather stitched knob and wheel were all great features, not to mention the modern Black and Red color combo. My mind started racing with wheel setups, lip kits, accessories, and everything in between. As I left the parking lot I was surprisingly in total “chill” mode. I didn’t fear for my life or fear breaking down at any giving second like I frequently did in my GLI. The car lacked in power compared to the Volkswagen obviously, but it was fine. Everything was fine. I arrived back at the dealership and got out of the car. I walked around assessing, critiquing, hating, loving, and contemplating the “Pros and Cons” of the car for over a solid hour in the 102* heat. At 2:30PM I sat behind the wheel and decided that “Yep, I want it and I’m not going to leave unless I leave IN it.”
To move the story along, I haggled and compared prices with the managers, shook a few hands, and told them I’d be back in an hour. My two friends and I drove home in the GLI, swapped out my wheels, pulled out the floor mats, the trunk mat, all of my tools and personals, threw the stock intake back on, and drove it back to Honda. The Volkswagen was officially tradedin! I took a few pictures, signed a few papers, and walked out the door with my new 2015 Honda Civic SI sedan for $22,900. They even tossed in the OEM mud flaps and wheel locks that they said weren’t included for that price, so that was even better. I now had a brand new car, a few added extras, a few good parts to re-sell from the Volkswagen, as well as 3-piece wheels with new tires that can hopefully find a home on the SI later on down the road. Life was good today.
Week One
First full day of ownership and I’ve walked past it in aparking lot twice now, forgetting that it’s mine (LOL) So far so good, though. Although I really miss my GLI (and having a boosted car in general) I haven’t regretted my decision. Sure, I spent a ton of money that I would have rather not spent, but atleast it’s on a clean, reliable vehicle instead of on constant repairs for an old one. This has been a great investment thus far.
The “Mod Bug”
As any car enthusiast knows, the hardest part of a purchasing a new/unmolested car is to avoid getting bitten by the “mod bug” that comes with it. Well I’m certainly no different, and my house is full of them. In the last 24-hours, I’ve been creeping in all corners of the internet researching, photoshopping, planning, and “Adding to Cart”. So far no purchases have been officially made, but tomorrow is another day..
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Thanks!
Thank you! Yes, it's almost weird not having to worry, haha!
Thanks! They're Starform Type D's. Not something you typically see around very often, but I like them. Still unsure of how they'll look on the Civic, especially being 17's, but hey that's what test-fits are for! If they don't appeal to me, I can always move them on and go a different route.
Here's a shot of one of the rears. If I DO like them and want to move forward with them i'll be breaking them down for a full refinish and possibly a color change first because in comparison to a car thats 100% brand new, they look horrible. Current specs are 17x8.5 +14 Front, 17x9.5 +16 Rear. 3.0" and 3.5" polished step-lips with Harley Davidson stubby valve stems and Dark Iron Metallic faces.
Nothing new going on with the Civic as of now. Still sitting on parts and enjoying having a "normal car" for awhile. I dipped the chrome upper and lower grill trims black a few days ago to get a feel for it in comparison to the OEM chrome. Neither really jump out at me more than the other, so it will really depend on what direction the car goes in overall.
Also, she got her first full detail since she was unwrapped!
Interiors still OEM as well. I've been looking for a clean aftermarket knob, but nothings caught my eye yet. I really hate how small the OEM one is, so it's gotta go...eventually.
Also, she got her first full detail since she was unwrapped!
Interiors still OEM as well. I've been looking for a clean aftermarket knob, but nothings caught my eye yet. I really hate how small the OEM one is, so it's gotta go...eventually.
2
Hey guys. Nothing too exciting going on with the build yet. Still figuring out which route i'm gonna take with the car, but until I do so, some personal touches to hold me over! :wigglesmiley:
Bride shift boot! I didn't like the look of the threaded locking nut or the gap it caused between the bottom of the OEM knob and top of the OEM boot, so once I removed the knob and boot, I went ahead and removed this piece. Post-install I wasn't a fan of the undefined/frayed top of the Bride boot, so with the help of a little epoxy, a basic plumbing washer, and some steel wool, I added a DIY brushed alluminum topper to the boot. I then added a dab of epoxy to the bottom of the OEM knob, and attached the topper to the bottom of the knob to give it a cleaner look. Now instead of looking like a baggy Winter jacket around the shifter, its neatly fitted and also accents the other Silver interior trim.
Bride shift boot! I didn't like the look of the threaded locking nut or the gap it caused between the bottom of the OEM knob and top of the OEM boot, so once I removed the knob and boot, I went ahead and removed this piece. Post-install I wasn't a fan of the undefined/frayed top of the Bride boot, so with the help of a little epoxy, a basic plumbing washer, and some steel wool, I added a DIY brushed alluminum topper to the boot. I then added a dab of epoxy to the bottom of the OEM knob, and attached the topper to the bottom of the knob to give it a cleaner look. Now instead of looking like a baggy Winter jacket around the shifter, its neatly fitted and also accents the other Silver interior trim.
Had some free time yesterday, so it was time for DIY "mod" number 2! Full-Red tails :wigglesmiley: I liked the OEM split-level look, but i've always preferred this look on most of my cars. Almost time to pull the trigger on coilovers and some other larger-scale pieces to the puzzle. Stay tuned!
Whats up guys! Long time, no update. Still nothing major going on with the car, but i've managed to get a few things done here and there.
Scored some brand new D2 springs for $50 on Craigslist. Seller claimed they were too short and rattled really bad in the front, but I decided to take the gamble and hope it was just a user error. Came out on top of the deal with no issues and everything fit snug and perfectly.
Among other things I deleted the OEM muffler and ran an axel-back straight pipe, re-using the factory tip to keep the OEM look. I also added a smoked license plate cover with polished plate screw covers from my Volkswagen. All in the details!
I'm currently on the hunt for new shoes for the car. I'm on the fence between having a set built or running a nice, refurbished, old school setup (Advans, Mugen..ect)
Next on the list will be a full LED light swap from headlights & interior all the way to the reverse & tag lights. I'll also hopefully get around to installing the Mugen skirts & wing along with a front lip soon! Stay tuned!
Scored some brand new D2 springs for $50 on Craigslist. Seller claimed they were too short and rattled really bad in the front, but I decided to take the gamble and hope it was just a user error. Came out on top of the deal with no issues and everything fit snug and perfectly.
Among other things I deleted the OEM muffler and ran an axel-back straight pipe, re-using the factory tip to keep the OEM look. I also added a smoked license plate cover with polished plate screw covers from my Volkswagen. All in the details!
I'm currently on the hunt for new shoes for the car. I'm on the fence between having a set built or running a nice, refurbished, old school setup (Advans, Mugen..ect)
Next on the list will be a full LED light swap from headlights & interior all the way to the reverse & tag lights. I'll also hopefully get around to installing the Mugen skirts & wing along with a front lip soon! Stay tuned!
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