If you're trying to freshen upward your ride, the 2003 honda civic lip kit is probably the single best bang-for-your-buck modification that can be done. Let's be honest, the particular seventh-generation Civic—whether you've got the coupe or the sedan—has a bit associated with a "commuter" look straight from the factory. It's a great car, dependable as a sludge hammer, but it's a little plain. Adding the lip kit changes the entire silhouette of the car, making it look reduce, wider, and a lot more aggressive without you having to mess along with the exact suspension when you don't desire to.
Exactly why the 7th Gen Needs a Lip
The 2001 to 2005 Civics, often called the EM2 or ES1/ES2 based on the body style, have a pretty high ground measurement visually. Even in the event that you drop the car on coilovers, the underside of the bumpers still sits quite high off the ground. That's where a 2003 honda civic lip kit comes into play. It fills that "dead space" among the bumper as well as the pavement.
It's funny what sort of few inches of plastic can get a vehicle from searching like something your own grandma drives to something that in fact turns heads in a local meet. As well as, if you're looking to hide some scuffs or scratches around the bottom of your bumper from many years of daily traveling, a lip is the perfect "band-aid" that actually makes the car appear better than this did before.
Polyurethane vs. The rest
When you start shopping for a kit, you're going to observe a lot associated with different materials. You'll see ABS plastic material, carbon fiber, fiberglass, plus polyurethane. If you're driving this car on the street every time, polyurethane material is the only way to move .
Fiberglass is really a nightmare for an everyday driver. If a person hit a speed bump or a driveway a tad too fast, fiberglass will break like a dish. ABS is okay, but it's stiff and can crack. Polyurethane, on the particular other hand, is definitely basically indestructible. You can literally flex it in half and it'll place back in shape. Given that the 2003 honda civic lip kit sits so low towards the ground, you will scrape it eventually. With poly, a person just hear the "scritch" sound, check for damage, and recognize it's fine. With other materials, you're usually left picking up items of your bumper off the asphalt.
Popular Styles to Look For
Not all lip kits are created equal. You need to choose what kind of "vibe" you're going for.
The Type-R Style
This is the classic. It's clean, it's subtle, also it appears like it could came from the factory. It generally features a simple flaring out at the bottom that follows the lines of the OEM bumper. In the event that you want your 2003 Civic to look "OEM plus"—meaning it looks modified yet tasteful—this is your best bet.
The particular Mugen Style
If you would like something the bit more "in your face, " the Mugen-style packages would be the way in order to go. These normally have more aggressive vents and a crisper profile. They create the front end look much weightier and lower. It's a staple within the Honda community to get a reason; it just works with the particular boxier lines associated with the 7th style.
The HFP (Honda Factory Performance) Look
Locating an original HFP kit for a 2003 Civic these types of days is similar to getting the needle in the haystack, but there are plenty of replicas. This look is very sleek and generally wraps around the particular sides of the bumper greater than the other styles. It's perfect if you're planning on obtaining matching side dresses plus a rear lip to complete the full 360-degree transformation.
The Struggle of Fitment
Here's a bit associated with real talk: unless you're buying the thousand-dollar authentic kit from Japan, your 2003 honda civic lip kit might not match perfectly right from the box. Most of the kits all of us buy are aftermarket replacement replicas, and so they can be a bit stubborn.
Don't get discouraged in the event that you hold this up to the bumper and it seems an inches too short. Just a little trick a great deal of us use is a high temperature gun (or actually a really powerful hair dryer). When you warm up the polyurethane, it becomes much more flexible. You can stretch it, pull this into place, and have a buddy toss a screw within when you hold this. Once it cools down, it'll "remember" that new form and stay put.
Installation: DO-IT-YOURSELF or Pro?
One of the best things about a 2003 honda civic lip kit is that you simply may totally do the installation yourself on a Weekend morning. You don't need a raise or any type of crazy tools. A car lift, some jack port stands (safety 1st! ), a punch, and some self-tapping anchoring screws are usually all it takes.
Most people just use the screws on the ends—inside the wheel wells—and then make use of heavy-duty 3M double-sided tape across the particular front. If you would like it to be "bulletproof, " I'd suggest using a few small bolts plus nuts through the particular bottom from the bumper where they can't be seen. There's nothing worse than seeing your lip fly off on the highway because the record got tired of holding on.
To Paint delete word to Paint?
This is the particular age-old debate. Most of these products are available in an uncooked, matte black finish off. If your Civic will be black or the dark grey, you can honestly break free with leaving it raw. It provides it a good two-tone look.
However, when your car is definitely silver, white, or that classic Honda blue, an organic black lip can sometimes look a bit "unfinished. " Obtaining it color-matched makes the car appear significantly more sophisticated. If you're on a budget, it is possible to get decent results with some high-quality spray paint and clear coat, mainly because long as you spend some time with the particular sanding and preparation work. Just remember that since the lip are at the bottom associated with the car, it's going to have a beating from stones and road debris, so don't tension too much when the paint isn't a 100% ideal show-car finish.
Completing the appearance
Once you put a front lip on, you might notice the side associated with the car appears a little "thin. " That's the slippery slope of car mods. Usually, once you obtain the 2003 honda civic lip kit for your entrance, you'll begin looking from side skirts and a rear lip to match.
A full kit levels out the entire bottom line of the car. It makes the seventh gen look very much more modern. Considering that the 2003 design has those slightly more rounded headlights when compared to 04-05 facelift, the lip kit assists sharpen the encounter from the car plus gives it a bit more "attitude. "
Final Thoughts for the Build
All in all, your car should reveal what you like. Whether you decide to go along with a massive, aggressive splitter or the subtle Type-R design lip, it's almost all about making that 2003 Civic your own. These cars are usually getting older, and you also don't see as much clean ones on the highway anymore. Taking the particular time to choose a nice 2003 honda civic lip kit and setting up it right demonstrates you actually caution about the vehicle.
It's a simple task, it's relatively cheap, and the alteration is instant. Simply watch out for those steep pavements once it's on—your car is formally "low" now, also if it's simply an illusion of plastic! Happy aching, and enjoy the new look of your Honda. It's amazing what a little bit of styling can perform for any twenty-year-old vehicle.