New Honda Owner-with questions

[hatrack]

Hey everyone-

I just picked up my first honda..a 93 civic ex coupe. Given the prices of gas lately it seemed the best bang for the buck. with 218,000 miles i've driven it about a week or so and getting a return of about 32mpg in combined driving. (city/freeway). I couldn't be more thrilled! Anyways, I've been reading and looking @ forums during that time and i have a few questions and perhaps a few leads or idea's as to where to look for stuff.
First..why are people always swapping engines? Whats wrong with the d16z6 engine? Given mine has that kind of mileage and runs great i'd assume it just from a hp standpoint?
Vtec..some honda's i've driven over the years really seemed to have a big power change when vtec engaged..this engine seems to only slightly change. Normal?
The shifter seems kinda sloppy. I'm sure i can put a new bushing in it,but i prefer a nice crisp feel. Any suggestions?
Carpet is nasty..I want to replace it. Anyone have a company or brand they recommend?
Driver front seat is torn..and pass side is stained. I dont want to put a cheap slip cover over them, and i dont want to have a mis-matched interior..i.e front seats different from rear seats. I dont mind removing the seats and changing the covers but are there any seats that i can use with perhaps some or no modifications?

I appreciate any info ya'll can give me. I've been a tech for 13 years now and have mostly ford and subaru experiance..so this honda's kinda new to me. But im looking forward to all the possible things i can do with this car to personalize it and make it "mine". If anyone has questions regarding the other brands i'll be more than willing to help ya out. Thanks!

 

[BrutalB83]

There's nothing wrong with the D16Z6. In fact, it's one of the better of Honda's single-cam offerings. It just doesn't offer enough the same amount of power as the dual-cam VTEC engines do, so that's why they're frequently swapped out.

Single-cam VTEC is a lot less noticeable then dual-cam VTEC. Since you've only got one cam, VTEC is only operating on the intake side of the motor. It's more about maintaining good fuel economy at higher RPMs then providing a power bump.

Replacing the shifter bushings is the best thing you can do to achieve a "crisper" feel.

Not sure on the carpet, but lots of seats from other Honda/Acura vehicles will bolt in rather easily. You can use seats from the Del Sol, all the different Integra models, other Civics, etc. Most of those are bolt-in swaps or just require swapping the rails, so nothing complicated that would require fabrication. Look around on E-Bay or local classifieds and see if you can find anything that you like.

Hope that helps...