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Acura Integra GSR Customizing and Modifying
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My RE730s, which I still use on the street (2.5yrs old) cost me $86 ea. and they still don't squeal on the street. I also auto-xed on them for a full season (15-16 events) in '00. I really liked them and did pretty decent with them but the Falken Azenis is the king of street tires right now because of their pretty stiff sidewall. I see people improving almost 1 full sec. on a 50sec. autox- course with them after they switch from other street tires.
Thomas: if you can resist local auto-x club racing where you go to school, then you 're a better man than I am :=)
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Today I get in the car and per the instructions I can do hard stops. Did a few medium ones first and then a couple of hard almost emergency stops.
In a few words I 'm not that impressed with these pads. I really don't see a difference between the Metal Masters and the Ultimates.. yet. Maybe this weekend when I auto-x I 'll be able to see the difference. I hope! Otherwise I spend $60 for nothing because my MMs still had plenty of life in them.. I remember though when I went to the MM over stock, there was a noticeable difference on the street.. so I was expecting to notice a difference with the Ultimates too, but like the guy at Cobalt Friction said, the HP+ are a little more aggressive than the Ultimates. Maybe the Ultimates need to break in a little longer, don't know. I also think it's time to bleed the brakes because it's been over a year since I put fresh fluid in. I think I see a very slight difference where the pedal doesn't travel as much with the Ultimates but the braking distances or stopping power doesn't seem to be any better to me. The funny thing is I got Hawk HP+ for my '01 Civic (reason being is they don't make too many pads for the '01+ Civic yet) and the Ultimates for my GSR. I think it should 've been the other way around :=) stupid me!
I got the HP+ and not the HPS for the Civic because a few times I had to do emergency panic stops/slow downs on the highway in my 160mi. daily trip to work. Trucks and cars cutting me off at 75mph or accidents, and mainly truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel and coming into your lane or drifting onto the shoulder, etc. So I really believe I need the most stopping power for my daily driver (got Brembos on it too). I should be putting the HP+ on the Civic this Sat. Have had them for almost a month but fixing all the problems with the GSR was my priority so I can get back on track with it..
Also got new Kumho Ecsta V700 on the GSR yesterday. Drove around the country back roads to heat cycle them and will let them sit till the weekend.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Went to my usual back country roads and really opened it up. The car really handles high speed sweepers a little better now that it's lower than before (total drop is about 1.6-1.7", 1/2" more than before) and with the higher spring rates. There was no body roll at 80mph going through some nice long sweepers and curves. I figure I was breaking in the new Kumhos too before this weekend's auto-x, if I can make it that is. My wife is talking about going to her sister's in PA by herself to relax and wants me to stay behind with my son! What a nerve. I haven't raced in 2.5 weeks and she trying to ruin it for me this weekend! :=) That would make it 3 weeks without auto-xing and I don't know if I can bear it..
As far as the brakes go, I 'm pretty sure I need to give them at least a couple of weeks more or 1 auto-x event and then they should start feeling like they should. I was also thinking of getting new Brembo rotors just for up front because they 're not that smooth and I can see some grooves on the surface, but most likely I 'll wait till next spring to do that.
I think I 'll have problems going to the car wash now. The car is lowered too much for that high steel track they have because it was touching a little before in the front and I 'm sure it won't make it over that now.. I may have to wash the car by hand! god forbid I did some physical labor :=)
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
And I guess I'm still flying high from our 10th and final (of the season) Solo II points event on Sunday. I'd have to say it was my best autocrossing day yet. I finally beat that damn pesky Subie Impreza (if only by 0.037 secs., to be exact) to win STS for only the second time this year. I knew I was closing the gap on him last week, by getting within 0.1 sec of his best time, but it was a dirty run (1 cone) which bumped me from second back to 4th or 5th place - ouch! This past Sunday, we were neck and neck all day, and actually had him by 1/10th of a second going into our fourth and final time run. Even still, I was sitting in second place (at (60.2xx) because one of the other STS regulars came out of no where and had a 59.8xx. As it turns out, I was gridded right behind Tom (the Impreza driver) so he started his fourth run right in front of me, and improved his best time by nearly 1.5 secs w/ a 59.395 to claim 1st place for brief moment. And then I came through the finish lights about 20 secs. later with a 59.358 (improving my best time by nearly 1 sec.) to grab the lead and stay there. Whew, I was really amazed... I have to say that my fourth and final run was some of my best driving yet (notice I didn't say "perfect") -- I managed not to make any of the same mistakes I had made on my previous runs, didn't make any new mistakes, kept really tight lines while not hitting cones, and was practicing more patience than I knew I ever had (there were lots of really tight sections). I didn't believe I had nearly a full second improvement in me, so I really surprised myself. What makes this even more gratifying is that this particular course was setup by a national and many-a-time trophy winning driver in our region, and it was designed to take on more of a look, feel, and characteristics of a national event, because they wanted to give those folks going to Topeka a good practice session. So, by a long shot, this course was far more technical than what we usually run, with lots of very interesting and different looking gate configurations. It really challenged all of us to find the fast, smooth and flowing line from one section to the next. I very much enjoyed it.
My class has a PAX of .820 (vs .789 I think in STS) and I paxed 12th 3 weeks ago at the NYR SCCA. So that was the best event I ever had plus I came in 8th out of 122 cars.
Last week was a totally different story. I had lowered the car too much (almost 2"!) and handling sucked. I really think it's the Konis. They can't take more than 1.4-1.5" drop plus the high spring rates must make it worse since they can't properly dampen them. I also found out that (with my setup) lowering the rear even or more than the front results in even worse handling, with my setup anyway. I came in like 40something and people I used to beat did better than me (not in my class) or they had closed the gap a lot. I lost at least .75sec. with this lower setup PLUS my old caster problem is back!! It won't leave me alone. I 'm really POed at this race shop that told me I had a bent LCA. On the 4th run I heard a loud bang coming from the front and the car went back to the way it was. On the way home the car was once again unstable on the highway, steering wheel was crooked again and it was pulling. Some think that the front right upper control arm bushing(s) (there are 2) maybe be moving or a bolt has snapped out of place causing pushing the spindle (and wheel hub) backwards, so now I 'm going to have that checked out hopefully by next weekend. I have raised the car back up again by about 3/8" or more and it seems to have good turn-in now like before. I 've come to the conclusion that the Konis really do need the extra shock travel and the higher I go the happier they are. I would assume that once they 're revalved I could go a little lower because they was an STS GSR there that was lowered a lot but had revalved Konis. He said Koni told him that once the shocks are revalved he 'd be able to lower the car a little more without hurting anything. His front tire were exactly even with the fender and he had 1 finger gap in the rear. His car handled really well. So I set the height back up where it was when the car felt good and PAXed 12th and hopefully I can pull the same #s again this Saturday. No more lowering for me until I can fix my caster and get the shocks revalved.
Some of the SM Civics we have around here (very fast, with B18C/C5 motors) have very expensive full coilovers where when they lower the car, there's a valve on each (double-adjustable)shock that compensates for that and they can adjust the travel to be the same or more! Some had RJ coilovers & Krux (or Crux). They 're pretty much full race coilovers. Those Civics handled like go-karts. No matter how fast they were going, they 'd turn on a dime and looked very neutral too because I saw them braking in the middle of turns and kept their line. I guess we get what we pay for and right now I have a bastardised coilover system with off the shelf single adjustable shocks
Been doing some very technical reading and I finally understand that the shocks are the most important suspension component when auto-xing. Not the springs, not the sway bars, but the shocks! I 'm thinking instead of revalving the Konis to sell them and spend some bucks on some decent double-adjustable shocks. The average is $1600 but some allow you to revalve them and rebuild them yourself but revalving should not be needed as they come valved according to your springs with a high and low (like 400lbs low and 600 high or whatever you ask for). It's a lot of money though and I 'd probably buy an LSD first.. Hmm, forget that, I think I 'm done. I 'm buying my brother's ITR and racing DS from now on. I think it's the only logical thing to do, otherwise I can see myself spending another $3K for LSD and good shocks and I still have a GSR. Casey, talk some sense to me!! :=)
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
A set of 4, used and in good condition could run you upwards of $600, provided the seller knows what they've got on their hands. These are really nice wheels, and they're pretty light for being cast pieces.
Unfortunately, with the lightness comes a certain detriment to strength, which is why I had to replace 3 of 'em over the course of 210,000 miles/3 years. Win some, lose some.
Also, talking about wheels, what are all of the advantages/disadvantages of going from a 17" wheel to a 16" wheel? I know that advantages would be the ability to go to a good tire (azenis), a higher effective spring rate and braking ability, and faster acceleration due to less rotating mass, right? Disadvantages include none because my 17" are heavy and the tires suck because they don't have grip, and they roll over on themselves during all kinds of turns.
Again, thanks for the help ^_^
cheaper tires
lower unsprung weight
no speedometer/gearing changes
It's your money, but I'd try to find a light 15"x7" wheel and mount the stickiest 215/50-15 tire I could afford on it. You'll see more of an improvement in overall handling, braking and launching going this route than what you'd get from a set of 16-inchers.
The only thing 16"s will do for you is look bigger, and what looks god/bad is always subjective, anyway.
The wheel bearings on your Integra are under enough stress already from cornering without the added weight of 16" wheels and tires.
With the 16", I can afford the new tires, no problem. So, what I get from your post, the main advantages to going to a lighter/smaller wheel are better braking, acceleration, cheaper tires, and the car won't be forced to deal with the major forces generated by using a heavy wheel, right?
Also, of the tires I listed, the Azenis, paradas, and 712's, which are the best for street use? Thank's for the help ^_^
Yes -- definately dump the 17"s somewhere. They're killing your ride/handling/acceleration.
For street use, 16"s will be fine, and far better than the 17"s, but they would probably be a liability if you ever went to auto-x.
Out of the tires you listed, go with the Kuhmo ECSTA 712. It's a great tire for the money, and is easier to live with on a daily basis than the other two.
Happy driving!
The front brace provides a more-noticable improvement in handling than the rear, just because it helps to reduce steering wheel deflection.
If you want to check some braces out anyway:
http://lightningmotorsports.com
http://coximport.com
I already know that's it's burning a little oil and the car has been sitting a lot which is not good for the motor. When he starts it up it smokes (black smoke) for about 10min. Probably because of all the gunk and gasoline deposits that accumulate and harden up while the car is sitting without being used for long periods of time. The smoke does go away though, so I know it's not the rings or something like that. Just junk that needs to be burned.
BTW, he surprised me and showed up at the Porsche club this past Saturday. He has new Azenis on so I beat him by over 4secs. Well officially 2+ secs because I hit cones with all my best runs which I normally don't do. He doesn't realize that when you don't auto-x as much you forget how to do it. He thought there was something wrong with his shocks :-)
He went first and his best was about a 61.x out of the 4 morning runs (we got 7). He says to me that there 's no way I 'd be under 60secs in my first couple of runs. So I go in the 2nd heat and my first run is 58.0x. I couldn't find him anywhere for like 1hr. I think he was hiding. I managed a 56.7 and his best was high 60's. My official without cones though was my 1st run at 58.0! I don't think I ever had an event where my best run was my first one! Darn cones. First time for everything :-) Probably because I never take the Porsche club seriously because I can never win a trophy there. They only have 1 class, called X, for everyone that doesn't drive a Porsche. So there were about 50-60 cars in X class including carts, prepared, modified non-street legal cars, you name it. Even with my 58.0 I think I managed to come in 8th or 9th. My 56.7 would 've placed me probably 5th or so. The best part was they cooked burgers & hot dogs for us and had coolers with ice cold Heiniken & Amstel! There's nothing like drinking a really cold beer when it's 90deg. and you 've been in the sun all day.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Well, just last week I placed my order for some GC coilovers, 400# front, 450# rear. Should be able to get them on the car some time in Oct. Then I'll be all set for our region's last event (non-point event, just for fun) of the year on Nov. 17th. I imagine I'll have to learn to drive my car all over again. Really glad I decided not to do this change in the middle of the season -- that probably would have been a disaster and would have really hurt my chances for finishing in the top three overall. This way, I can try getting used to the new setup by going to a few winter events in the area, and then be "somewhat" ready at the beginning of next season. Have you got any words of wisdom for me before the install, Harry? Right now, I really don't think I'll change the ride height very much, if at all. I still have about a 2-3 finger gap all around between the fender lip and the tire. This gives me a decent amount of shock travel and about 1 degree of negative camber all around as well. And I don't find myself bottoming out or scraping the bottom of my header on steep driveways. Will I need to start wearing a weight belt to protect my back and kidneys from the stiffer ride?
Here's another thing I have discovered. The more I lower the firmer I have to set the Konis. Even at 3 finger gap, the Konis have to be set higher (because of the higher spring rates I 'd assume) than what you're used to. At 3 finger gap, they seem to work best 1.25 turns up front and 1.5 turns in the rear.
Another thing I 've discovered is that the car likes to fishtail more when it's raised higher. So yesterday at the Mclub we got finished early (only 60 cars), around 2:30 and they said we can do 30-45 min. of fun runs. So I wanted to try new things, so I lowered the car down to 2 finger gap in the front and 2.5 in the back (so 1/2 finger all around - or 2 turns on the ring that sits on the threaded sleeve). Kept the same shock settings - 1.25F/1.5R and my times were about the same but didn't fishtail at all this time. The car felt pretty neutral, even pushing a little. So then I said screw it, I went to 1.5 turns in the front and all the way stiff in the Rear which is almost 2 full turns and on my first run fun run with those settings I beat my best time .5 sec! The car felt more planted and the shocks better matched for the springs. I tried again 1-2 more fun runs and couldn't drop it. It was a very fast course with 3d gear twice! I got up to 75mph, but it also had 2-3 tight turns and chicago boxes with a tight slalom at the end. Now this worked very well for the big sweepers but I had to fight the car a little more in the tight parts of the course.
So to recap, 2.5 finger gap in the front & 3 in the rear seems to work better on tighter courses where more suspension travel & better turn-in is needed, and 2F/2.25-2.5R is better for faster courses and big sweepers. I think I will leave it at the last height setting and see where that takes me. With that setting I was 1/10s slower than the '02 325is (w/coilovers) that I usually beat or he beats me. He 's my main competition at NASA. Those Bimmers turn on a dime when they have coilovers and adj. shocks. Plus they 're RWD and they get some beautiful rotation, it's sickening :-) My next auto-x car is definitely going to be RWD. I drove an older MR2 and I was just amazed how well it handled with perfect rotation and no pushing.
I also think that our shocks definitely need to be revalved. We can go for a while with our off the shelf Konis but eventually if we want to be really competitive we have to revalve them or get better ones. I 've seen STS GSRs with revalved Konis and ~400lb coilovers and they handle really well, better than my car. Once I get mine revalved, hopefully in the winter, I 'm going to order probably 550lb for the rear, since I have 475 in the front now. I wanted 450 all around or 425F/450R when I first called GC, but they were back ordered on 400F, 425F, 450F/R & 475R, so I ended up with the 475F & 400R which was the only ones they had in stock other than 500+. I called at a bad time when they were cleaned out by people getting ready for the Nationals & divisionals they told me.
So I think you 'll have to experiment yourself Casey because what works for me may not work very well for you, especially because you have a different ratio than me. This guy that races in the PRO class and owns an SM '92 Civic hybrid told me that he was watching me out there while he was working and it seemed to him that I didn't have enough dampening. Now this guy had no clue what my suspension consists of! He just overheard me talking to other people that I was stuck at the same 55.4s (I was pretty consistent, but managed to drop it to 54.9 on my last run by downshifting right before a very tight chicago box so I had more speed coming out of it) and he joined in the conversation. So I 'm convinced that we 'll do a lot better with some custom valved shocks. Shocks is really the most important part of the suspension in auto-x. When I put the Konis on, I was immediately 1sec faster back then when I was on stock shocks & H&R OEs.
Yes, you 'll definitely have to change your driving a little and learn the car again. You may not see good results right away. We may be able to dampen the 400lbs ok, but your 450 and my 475 is questionable, especially in my case where my Konis have seen 3 full seasons with almost 60 events. Let us know how they work out!
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Nominal 270 psi
Minimum 135 psi
Maximum variation 28 psi
Compression measurements are to be made at 250rpm and wide open throttle.
The data on your engine indicates that the compression is fine compared to the specs.
Good luck, and have fun!
You want to make sure there 's nothing inside the car that can move around or fall, like radar detector, floor mats, or any loose items because they 'll end up under your brake or gas pedal or hit your foot and destruct you.
These are things most people bring with them because it's usually a long 7-8hr day
These items are for novices:
1. Hat/cap to protect your head from the sun
2. Sun block 15+
3. Cooler with at least 1/2 gallon of fluids (water + Gatorade). 1Qt of each is what I bring. Water alone messes you up a little. Need sports drink to balance out your electrolytes.
4. Sandwich/Food (have breakfast before going)
5. Air pressure gauge
6. $20 air compressor from Sears or Home Depot.
7. Fold out chair (optional)
8. Water spray bottle or Windex & Paper towel roll to wipe off the shoe polish (#s) from your windows - Optional. Must do it when you get home though otherwise it's harder to take off.
For non-novices, in addition to above:
8. Floor jack - to rotate your tires quickly
9. Torque wrench
10. Helmet
11. Magnetic numbers so they don't use shoe polish or tape on your car.
12. Qt of Mobil 1 oil
13. Craftsman mechanics tool kit - small/avg.
14. Towel (wipe your hands, face, etc.)
15. At least 1 full spare on rim in case of flat so you can still race
You want to get there early and walk the course several times to memorize it. If you 're not running in the 1st heat, watch the other cars race and learn the course, where they go and how they get there, etc. But no matter how much I tell you know it won't all sink in until you 've done it a few times. Plus it's a lot of information to absorb your first time. Talk to other experienced drivers when you get there. Be mentally prepared to possibly finish last in your class and don't let it bother you. It's your first time and you 're expected to do bad. People are very nice there, noone will make any comments or fun of you. Don't get discouraged. You get a lot better the 2nd and 3d time around.
If they have fun runs at the end, do as many as you can (usually costs $1). Seat time is what makes you better. Good luck and let us know how you make out.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
If you go off course more than once (most likely you will), ask for an instructor, a pro or an experienced driver to go with you as a passenger on your next run. Go slow at first to learn the course and go slow with the instructor too. If you go too fast you 'll go off course and miss a gate or turn. If they have a big novice class there, you may end up ahead of a girl with a Cavalier or an Escort :-)
My first time I raced with the Porsche club in '99. They didn't have a novice class and what's worse, they put everyone in 1 class that doesn't drive a Porsche! They call it X class. I was 3d from last (out of 50 cars). Don't remember which cars I beat, but in the Porsche classes I was faster than a really old Porsche 944 with a girl driving it. I was really proud that I beat a Porsche until I started talking to her and I found out it was only her 2nd time.. I went off course 4 times too! It was very long 60+ sec. course and very technical with lots of turns, slaloms, transitions, etc. I only stayed on course when I got an instructor to go with me and showed me what I was doing wrong. I will never forget the screeching of the stock Michelin tires. They wouldn't grab for nothing! Hope you got some decent tires.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Oh, about tires, if the max pressure they can take is, say 45 psi, what should I inflate the tires to before the race? about 40-43 psi?
Thanks again, and I'm so excited ^_^
In my experience, mine is pretty loud, but not annoying. It's a custom 2.5" with a Hayame xt1 muffler. It's deep and not buzzy or twangy, and it's LOUD at WOT. Hope that helps ^_^
I'd check out the Tanabe Racing Medallion -- pretty forkin' loud if you ask me...
Tanabe exhausts are pretty loud too.
If the exhaust is TOO loud you might get tickets from cops in towns that have a noise ordinance. Most towns do and I know people that paid fines for having a loud exhaust.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Of course I overoiled (I knew I 'd do that..) it so I had to let it sit for a while until most of the oil dripped out. I put it back on the intake and waited till the next day to drive the car just in case there was some excess oil there and didn't want to suck it into the combustion chamber.
While driving to an autocross club in CT the next morning I noticed the car was a little bit faster but more quiet! I thought it would be louder being that the filter is cleaner and not as clogged, it would suck in more air. I also lost that hissing sound I had in the midrange that I used to love. Most people with an AEM CAI have it and it sounds really cool. I wonder if too much oil on the filter would restrict air flow..(??) but the car seemed a little faster in 1st, 2nd & 3d gear. I didn't notice much change on the hway in 4th or 5th.
Now the reason I 'm posting this is because another GSR racer a couple of months ago told me at one of the events that he cleaned his K&N (has AEM too) and the car got louder and faster at the same time. Mine got more quiet so I think the overoiling may have something to do with it. Mine also didn't have much debris at all on it. Only a couple of very small dead bugs and a few tiny rocks, maybe 1/16" in diameter which I brushed off. I also believe my gas mileage got better because I drove 60mi. each way to CT and usually 120 mi. uses almost 1/2 tank of gas but it looked like I only went through 1/3 tank! Like I used to when the AEM was new.
Casey, have you cleaned yours yet?
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Unless you regularly drive through water deeper than 7" at wide open throttle, you really don't need to be worried about hydrolocking your motor.
If you're concerned about driving with a CAI in the winter months, buy a short-ram intake to use in the wet seasons.
p.s. here's the site for the helmet
http://www.kbchelmet.com/street/tk8galaxy/index.htm
The odds are totally in your favor though of not hydrolocking especially if you car is not lowered like ours, and what are the odds you 'll be driving on seriously flooded streets?
I believe Casey has the AEM CAI as well (cjhannan) and drives his lowered GSR daily. Thousands of AEM CAI owners do it, and if it's performance you 're looking for, there 's no better bang for the buck than the AEM Cold air intake which comes with the K&N filter. I gained 12.4hp at the wheels with it. That is equivelant to 14hp at the flywheel (advertised). Plus I gained another 7.5ft-lbs of torque. A drop in filter usually gives you 0-1hp.
We have to warn you though. Mods can be addictive and noone usually stops at one.. So make sure you have a couple of grand stashed aside before your first mod :-)
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
So how did your first auto-x go? You bought a helmet before you even tried racing to see if you like it?
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
My all-knowing father says that I'm going to lose handling performance by switching from 17" steel wheels with 45series p.o.s. tires to 16" aluminum alloys with the azenis. He says I will be throwing my money away, but, from the short time that I've had these new wheels, acceleration and braking have definitely improved and handling is just as good as with the 17's and the 16" tires are flaking apart
Reducing unsprung weight gives you better handling in transitional moves, and also improves the ride comfort.
Reducing rotational mass provives better acceleration and braking, since there is less intertia for the engine and brakes to overcome.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
will it void any warranties (have the non-extended one) unless i go with comptech? should i wait until after my 7,500 mi check-up before upgrading to a CAI? anything worth having double checked at the 7,500 mi check-up too?
yeah, mods are endless specially for our cars. am not done with my 750 gsxr yet and that's a '91!
A very important mod you should consider is a 22mm rear sway bar. Comptech or Type-R one. The new Comptech 22mm bars are adjustable and have 3 or 4 different settings. Comptech sway bar also come with a lower tie bar that serves as subframe reinforcement and that 's where the sway bar mounts on. The Comptech combo is a lot more $$ than the ITR one of course. It will really help with body roll and handling.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Also, deryckfm, I agree with Harry that an ITR or Comptech sway bars are good, but you should also look into suspension techniques. I have them (front & rear) and they're great. Even taking turns at 5 mph were noticably better. About the CAI, the bypass valve isn't worth it, IMO. There are a few guys in albuquerque, new mexico that have the valve, and they didn't work and they hydrolocked their engines. It could have been that they had a false sense of security with the valve and they went into a lake or something, but I think that the valve doesn't perform as well as advertised. I say get a short ram intake and a heat shield for it and never worry about hydrolock or sucking up anything like cats or small children =P
Adding an intake will not void your warranty. It's only there to get more air into the engine, and the removal for the stock intake and resonator will have no ill effect on the way your car runs.