Hey,

I am getting ready to buy a 03-07 Accord and needed some help on engine choice. I was wondering the differences between the motors, like weight specs (if the handling is very different between having a 4 or 6) and advantages to each.

I am currently selling my RX8, so just wanting something with more room... but that still handles well and can move down the road decent. Also, wondering how much power both engines can handle since I want to do some mods (w/automatic tranny setup).

Also, how can I tell if the 3.0 is a hybrid or non-hybrid.. can I tell by the VIN and/or badging? How does the hybrid engine compare? I also see in 06' from the engine stat thread the 3.0 gained ~4hp.. where's that from? Sorry for all the Q's... just needing some help before I make a purchase.

-Rob

 

You can find most of the specs you requested on MSN.com in the auto section.

Maintenance would be on my mind if I were you. The 4cyl has a timing chain (03 and newer models) meaning you don't have to change it. The V6 has a timing belt you will have to change around every 100k miles. The price if you cannot do it yourself will be in the $400 - $1200 range depending on what part of the country you live in.

I don't think the V6 is very "modification-friendly" either. You can't put headers on it - and I don't think there is much aftermarket support.

 

Thanks for the input!

The V6's I am looking at right now have between 50k-70k miles on them, so they would have a little bit till that belt change... is good to know about!

Anyone have any mods done to a V6? I have seen some exhaust and intake setups out there, but was curious of what all can be done/is available to the 3.0 setup.

 

There are turbo kits out there if you look for around 4-5k, but they are good quality and you may even find that the pipes are ready-fit. wat i have mostly seen is a "kit" that is spec'd out to have the right length and diameter of piping but also fits the altima and other similar v6's. The downside is, you probably will have to find your own intake manifold because patterns of cylinders differ between brands. As well, Megan (which is not generally a good brand) makes race headers I believe. They are not emissions compliant nor do they come from a trusted name. However, it is very difficult to screw up a stainless pipe (which is all headers are). Also, brembo makes a gran turismo brake kit for 2400 or so. that is great if you are going to be accelerating and stopping a lot, as brake fade will not have as much effect. There are also good coilover kits out there: Tein, D2, Koni, Skunk 2, Bilstein, Tanabe, and H&R are all good products with something for that model I believe (v6). Last but in my opinion the most important, are the tires. If you get an accord, the first mods I would do besides the standard intake/exhaust are tire replacements. This is because hondas generally come with relatively standard touring tires. Tires make a huge difference in performance. depending on th tire, you may get a boat-like ride or even a cement filling-loosener. A good set of tires in a 225/50/17 (which I believe is the right size) can cost anywhere from 600-1000 bucks. IN my opinion, thuis is where u do not chince out. Tires are the only part of the car that touches the road, and as such, you should choose them accordingly (no pun intended). IN my opinion, good tires are yokohama advan neovas, toyo t1r, and pirelli pzero rosso. The great tires however (in my humble opinion), are goodyear eagle f1 dsg3, and continental contisportcontact 2. IN my opinion as well as porsche, ferrari, and even bugatti, the BEST all around tire is the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT PS2. These tires are standard on all porsches, on many ferrari's (some f430 scuderias), and on the bugatti veyron ( the 1001 hp beast). Those are my suggestions. All of them would put you back about 10-12k in total. But thinking about it, buying a 10k car w/ a v6 and making it have 400hp (ridiculous I know) for a total of 25,000 is ridiculously cool.

P.S. One other thing for suspension. Sway bars make a HUGE difference. Get some. They can be found anywhere. And for the record, the only piece of valuable aero work on an accord is a front splitter. IN theory a well designed one can completely eliminate understeer. In a fwd car however, it may cut it by as much as half (which is incredibly noticeable) if it is well designed and solidly mounted.

The best of luck,
Jason