So I am relatively new to the concept of actually doing things to my car, but I have made a priority list in my head. I was wondering what some of you more experienced folks think of it, and perhaps some pointers you could give me so I can start trying to find the general theme that I want to portray with my vehicle.

Before I start though, I have a 2000 Honda Civic EX Sedan.

I have a slew of minor projects, none of which I really know how to do currently. For the most part they are things like HID headlights, new brake light assemblies, new windshield as a i have a 14' crack running through it courtesy of a dump truck, tinting, getting my licensce plate to stop rattling etc.

The next major body improvement project I am considering getting is rims, although I haven't settled on brand or design at all. I think I was looking at 17's or 18's, nothing too extraordinarily flashy, just nice looking.

After that, looks wise, I would like to get a body kit of some type I think, nothing too out there, just something that sets my car apart a bit from the thousands of others around here. I was thinking skirts, front bumper and grill, and rear bumper. Since it is a sedan body, i don't want anything that is just screaming look at me, so much as I would like to make it flow well, and make it obvious I love my car. Does anyone have any suggestions for something like that, or is that a bit too personal and weird?

 

I am kind of new too. My first mod was a GReddy Evo2 catback. Then I saved for two years for high-performance rims and tires. Two days ago I ordered my AEM V2. I think most folks do exhaust and air intake first. Whatever floats your boat, man.
I am not into body kits. I want a total sleeper, I am unable to throw in an opinion for that.
Welcome to the forum. There are dozens of posters here that REALLY know their stuff! I have learned so much here. You might also want to subscribe to a tuner magazine, just to read up on new products and such.

 

haha. I hear ya on the sleeper, I used to really want to do that, but now that I have decided that I really want to keep my car for a while, I want to make it as comfortable as possible on the interior, and as attractive as possible on the exterior.

I did decide yesterday that I wanted to learn about air intake or is it induction? and cold air intake's. I don't have alot of urge to race around in my car, I have enough problems not getting tickets as it is But I would like to do a little bit on the performance side of things.

My car just went over 100K miles, and I am expecting that the transmission will go out within the next 40K or so. I will probably try to upgrade it at that point, maybe get the motor changed out as well at the same time. -shrugs- But I will need to learn alot more before I try to venture into that area.

Thanks for the help so far !

 

Seeing as how the car is already 7 years old, I wouldn't spend much money, time, or effort on looks. But that's just me. Cars don't last that long here in Chicago unless they're garage-kept and driven seasonally. Rust, collisions, potholes, and electrical corrosion kill most cars in well under 10 years here. There are other places where people can easily get 15 years or more out of their Civic and still have it working/looking good.So, even if it wouldn't be mypreference, there's nothing wrong with making your older car work better for you by upgrading parts that would oftenbereplaced anyway. I'd just weigh the odds of how long you're gonna have the car.

First, fix what needs fixing, like the windshield and the rattling plate. Do whatever maintenance needs to be done, like the timing belt if it needs it. Somethinglike replacing old sparkplugs is good to do, due to the potential savings on gas these days versus the minor replacement expense.

Tires need replacing pretty regularly, so that and rims would be one of my first considerations. I wouldn't go bigger than 16s on a '00 sedan. They will be one of the best sizes for a good combination of looks, ride, and handling. For a little better ride and less cost, you could even go with 15s.

When it's time to replace the airfilter you could throw on an intake. When the suspension wears out, you could replace the bushings with poly and upgrade to adjustable coilovers. When the brakes wear out you could upgrade to 4W discs with slotted rotors and performance pads. When the exhaust rusts out, you could upgrade to a flow-thru cat and a catback system. If you damage the front airdam, upgrade to a lightweight ABSlip kit.

 

wow, you can't get better advice than that from kommando,

but instead of just getting a lip kit, i would stick to your idea and get a full body kit as long as it is properly shaped with your civic and painted right away to stay away from the rice look. i have an abs mugen lip and it does look good, but i gotta say that a lot of other people have the same thing, and you said that you wanted to stand out just a little more.

but i have to emphasize the shaping the body kit with the body. my brother purchased a full kit, and we had to shave off a lot of the edges to make sure that it doesn't stick out from the chassis of the car. we also painted it the same color as the rest of the color with several clear coats. so as long as you do the body right, it definitely won't look bad.