Let's start it off by confirming that the Civic was pathetically underpowered. That said, it is also a shining example of how you make a Civic a blast to own and drive. Most of the performance modifications were suspension related, and I had a specific modification path I decided to take with the car.
Having serious power in a car is great...if you also have control. Although the car had a few 'power adder' mods, I quickly ceased pursuing more power. I instead focused on the way the car handled.
The car handled nothing like one would think a Civic would, and was just an absolute blast to drive. Although I am not much one for 'street racing' I did had the pleasure to surprise more than a few owners of new, stock, 'sports' cars. Most anything out there would straight up humiliate the car in straight-line acceleration, and I do not even attempt to deny that.
However, where most people stand on the brake pedal coming up to, and going through, curves...I would stand on the accelerator instead. All cars have a limit, but up to that limit this little Civic would bite into the pavement harder and harder the harder you squeezed down the accelerator. It wasn't a supercar or a racecar ...but it was what it was, a shining example of why people choose to modify 'grocery getters.' This civic would have HUMILIATED my current 335i, with it's stock sports suspension, on a twisty road.
The list of mods when I sold it looked something like this.
Cosmetic
Engine & Drivetrain
Suspension/Brakes
Rims/Tires
Audio
