Here's a couple thoughts (long)....

[Roar]

Hey guys, I just found this post but I noticed a funny recurring issue. And before I begin, I'm not trying to offend, I own an LX myself...
It just seems to me that it is VERY easy to spend tons of money on the Accord for a nominal performance gain. I could see going for a free flow air filter and maybe drilling some holes in the side of the housing....maybe doing plug wires and exhaust too for power. For handling, get some used 15 in. alloys on the cheap and spend your money on nice tires. That will give the largest handing gains for the least amount of money. Tires are the root of your car's lateral 'g' potential.
If you want to go further than that, just BUY ANOTHER CAR!! Not to put down the Accord, I love my car, but it comes to a point where you can either spend $3,000 on getting 130 hp out of your LX and making it corner a little better than a stock Accord or you could spend $2,000 on a cheap used first gen. Mazda RX-7, Toyota MR2, Datsun xxxZ, etc. With any of those cars you will have great performance (compared with the Accord) right off the bat. My '82 RX-7 only has 100hp, but it cost me $2,500 with a rebuilt engine and has superb handling, rear wheel drive, four disc brakes, weighs 2,300lbs, and does 0-60mph in around 9 seconds bone stock. My Accord has 98hp, weighs close on 2,600 pounds and could never touch my RX-7's handling.
I have autocrossed my Accord (finishing first in class against a bunch of Audi 4000 quattros!!) and have even run a track event in it at Laguna Seca when the RX-7's brakes went out. It's a fun car, but don't go overboard and don't make it what it isn't! On the other hand, I do admire loyalty to a particular car and understand that for most of you guys, absolute perfomance isn't necessarily the issue. I just go crazy when I see that people are willing to spend so much $$$ on cars like the Accord. BTW... if you haven't done one, a $500 performance street driving school will make your car faster (through your driving) than $500 worth of accessories. And it will stick with you through whatever car you drive!! Just some thoughts guys...I'd love to hear your responses!

[Sean]

hmm so i geuss having performance on par with say a camaro just isnt worth the money ?? plus the good gas milage ?? i dont get it man.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by Roar

1.For handling, get some used 15 in. alloys on the cheap and spend your money on nice tires. That will give the largest handing gains for the least amount of money. Tires are the root of your car's lateral 'g' potential. If you want to go further than that, just BUY ANOTHER CAR!!

2. you can either spend $3,000 on getting 130 hp out of your LX and making it corner a little better than a stock Accord or you could spend $2,000 on a cheap used first gen. Mazda RX-7, Toyota MR2, Datsun xxxZ, etc. With any of those cars you will have great performance (compared with the Accord) right off the bat. My '82 RX-7 only has 100hp, but it cost me $2,500 with a rebuilt engine and has superb handling, rear wheel drive, four disc brakes, weighs 2,300lbs, and does 0-60mph in around 9 seconds bone stock. My Accord has 98hp, weighs close on 2,600 pounds and could never touch my RX-7's handling.

3. don't go overboard and don't make it what it isn't! I just go crazy when I see that people are willing to spend so much $$$ on cars like the Accord. BTW...

4.if you haven't done one, a $500 performance street driving school will make your car faster (through your driving) than $500 worth of accessories. And it will stick with you through whatever car you drive!! Just some thoughts guys...I'd love to hear your responses!

Ok folks I have broken down his post into numbered points. Feel free to pick a number and speak your mind,....you know I will

[Neuspeed87lx]

just going out and getting a new car is fine for some people ...but most of the people here like their accords because there origional... modding ANY car is expensive.....no matter what ...

[Roar]

As far as Camaros go, I don't consider them to be among the better all-around low budget performance cars. Does anyone here have a different opinion? They are not really known for being good handling cars without extensive mods and the power for one that is affordable is not really all that great for the one thing it can do well---drag racing. Anyways...
The other thing is I am not saying everyone should go out and buy NEW cars... I am saying that people might be better off financially to buy a complete, cheap japanese sports car rather than spend the same money to ATTEMPT to turn their (or my...I am an accord owner) four-door, family hauler that was designed for soccer moms to take their kiddies to school in, into a the sportscar it will never be. I'm not bashing mods in general. I would like a few myself. I'm just saying that it seems people go overboard when more than about $1000 is spent. It's just not worth it.

[Reptile]

Ok i'll do the Camaro thing first because it will be short. The Camaro is the ONLY american car I would even consider buying,and not to drive it daily. As for the rest let me just recopy what I once posted on a raceing story. Alot of people choose not to believe me, however I see that as their problem and not my own. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
"And as for all you people telling me I'm full of BS then that means the only reason I fell in love with any thing non-American made is a lie. If you don’t want to believe me then that is your problem, however I know what I did and I know what that car could do. It is the ENTIRE reason I have any love for any car other than one of the Big 3. It is also the entire reason I now own a 89 LX instead of the 93 LX I could have had just as easily. I am simply in love with these cars because of what that very old and very beaten up little LX-I showed me they could do. I wasn't stupid, I picked and chose my battles. I didn’t race every damn thing I could, in fact I raced it very little. The first time I raced a mustang was because I wanted to have some fun and I figured I was going to get my ass handed to me. I was the one who was shocked when I won. Then I did it a couple of other times and won those as well. That’s when I started to like Hondas and to be honest, that was what saved my LX-I from finding itself a new home very fast. Back then I actually wanted a mustang, I liked and respected them. My Old Friend changed that forever. My step dad told me once that he will never forget the nasty look I gave it when I first saw it. In fact it was what brought us toghether, before that car came into my life me and my step dad didn't get along very well if for no other reason than we didnt know how to talk to one another. My Old Friend changed that and now he and I are far closer than my real dad who once bought me the car I had wanted my entire child hood just to sell it out from under me. However even with that it took that car almost 4 months of driving and a little of racing before I would even admit that it was mine. I used to absolutely HATE any thing foreign, and now because of that nasty little blue car I want nothing else but foreign and my an my step dad have a great relationship. And if you think I’m full of BS for that then you all can kiss my ass and go to hell."

[Reptile]

These are one of the few cars that are worth attempting to make faster and more fun buy bringing their potential to the surface and simply augmenting what they already have. Also for the new car thing.
89 Honda Accord LX= $2500
overhauling and customizing 89 Accord to your personal preference= $10000
The look on the idiots face in the new $20000 car that you just blew past= priceless

[MoonScryer]

I bought mine as the 4th 3rd gen I owned, seeing as it was EFI, I decided to fix it up....that was one transmisson, one junked SEi parts car and several money orders ago. I'm still not done

I can understand the cheap thrill of an old RX-7; I've looked into getting one. What keeps me from it is working on the rotary engine. Sometimes trying to figure out what is wrong with one is an absolute pain. I could try to find a Carolla GTS and go Initial-D all over it, but that would not be the point of having a good handling car that also drives well when not going sideways at 60mph.

Would I choose another car to mod? maybe. I just like the underdog nature of this beast, and the beasts very stout two liter engine. I guess I'll not give that up for quite some time to come. I may buy a newer car to drive, and yes, it will get some of the typical I/H/E and suspension work, but it won't be to the level of my 87 LXi.

[Roar]

In response to Reptile's post... People are misunderstanding me. I am NOT suggesting that you should go out and buy a new car to mod. Obviously, most of us (maybe not all) would do this if we were given the money. All I am saying is that for those of us on a budget, wouldn't it be better to spend the same money that you would use to upgrade your Accord (Reptile mentions $10,000!!!) and buy a sports car that is a better car box stock or lightly modified for THE SAME MONEY?? I'm not even suggesting ditching your accord. I understand the need or want for a four door, reliable car. But if you want speed, handling, braking, etc... you can take the same money you would spend on turning your Accord into a psuedo-sports car and buy a REAL sports car that does everything better in stock condition!!

[GreenMachine]

Alot of us cannot afford a newer car and buying something for $2500, well ya just don't know what yer gonna get, most likely someone elses problem. I now I've sunk to much money into my car to get any amount that would be half worth it. Not to mention most people know what issues there car has and would be scared buying into something else and trying to figure out what issues that car has.
When I can afford something nice I definetly will till then a few hundred dollars here and there to improve my ride is fine with me. Thats just my 2cents

[anchovies]

Does an accord coupe count in this conversation
Anyways, some people just want/like to dump "some" money into their cars for performance and handling. Doesn't matter what car they own. Yes, you can use that USD10k to buy a sports car. When you have that sports car, then spending "some" money modding it, then you'll be thinking to yourself that you can buy another better car for that amount of money you've spent.
The smart thing is to know when to stop that cycle. Make what you have better and be happy with it.

[Grant2k]

buying a cheap used sports car would be nice, but cars are more than an initial cost. you pay $2500 once to take it home. now you have a used car that, even if well maintained, requires more money to be put into it. there is regualr maintanace, registration, gas, insurance, ect. now you are paying all that for 2 cars. you could have spent a fraction of that money on the accord, not a rediculous amount, and brought out some of its potential and have a good fun, reliable car. it may not perform like the sports cars you mentioned, but if you seriously are on a tight budget, which most of us, including myself, are, it just isn't cost effective to have 2 cars.