Cdubs

So im 16 and for my first car i am getting a 2003 honda civic hybrid from my dad and it is an automatic transmission. My parents said thats the only option for me so i cant sell it and buy another car or anything like that. Is there anyway i can make it look less ugly and maybe make it a little less gutless? This might be a stupid question but i cant stand driving such a slow and unattractive car lol. Any help/ suggestions will be appreciated!

ezone

Hand the keys back to mom and dad before you destroy their decent car.

Buy a car of your own.



There are a whole bunch of reasons I say this.
A parent (that is also a real "car person") should be able to understand it.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

I'd drive anything if it's free to be totally honest. People care too much about what others think of them. To be 16 and be handed a car is like winning the lottery

06_typeS

I've always liked the look of the hybrids. Just think of the gas mileage you'll get. Grab yourself a set of coils a 16" wheels. Then you'll be set.

MindBomber

You can add side skirts, wheels, lower it, put on a better suspension just like a non-hybrid.

SlimRisk

I had to buy my own car be thankful

Cdubs

Well its technically not free i do have to pay a thousand bucks for it but thats still a steal i know. Thanks for your help guys. Does anyone know of any 16" wheels that wont lower the gas mileage too much if i swap them? Because i heard it can affect the gas mileage considerably.

LiquidArrogance

Want to trade for an '02 EX 2dr?

06_typeS

Your worried about gas mileage and your driving a hybrid? Wheels won't make a diff. Post up pics.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

man i would kill for an 03 hybrid. thats the best year for them. not really that much you can do, maybe a custom intake for sound. the front bumper, side mirrors, and rear deck spoiler are all functional, so i would leave those alone. you can get the civic coupe underbody spoiler kit for the sides and rear from handaaccessories.com but the front wont fit the hybrid bumper. you can also go lighter on the rims. stocks are around 14 lbs, so anything lighter (preferably forged) and no bigger than 15 inch will help mileage and looks. go with some nice tires next time around. stick with LRR low rolling resistance for best mileage, or get a regular tire for better performance. you can still do suspension upgrades like mild lowering (1 inch for better mileage and handling), bigger rear sway bar, poly bushings, etc. you can also switch to a lighter battery like braille to cut some weight and remove stuff in the trunk (a spare over 6 yrs old is useless anyway other than holding up the trunk floor). there are a whole bunch more efficiency mods you can do also if thats your thing like pull the dome light fuse, keyless entry module, radio, and some of the redundant exterior lights. switch to jdm honda hid headlamps if you can find em. dont use the fan if you dont have to. basically anything that you can cut and still enjoy the car will give you better mileage and better response. put a new hybrid battery in thats more powerful than stock (http://www.hybrid-battery.com/hch/replace.html) and give it a good tuneup with auto-rx.com in the engine. and some lubecontrol.com products in the oil and gas afterwards with redline or amsoil synthetic 0w20. they are nice little cars to start but big gains can still be made.

Cdubs

Haha i wish i could but they said i have to keep it...

Cdubs

Why are 2003s the best year? And thanks for all the suggestions im going to look into the rims and tires and stuff.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

that is the first "civic hybrid" honda put out. normally this would mean more bugs, but as it turns out the 2003 gets vastly better mileage than any other newer model due to an older software in the ecu that uses more of the IMA battery pack during driving. this means it will fail sooner, which is why honda became more conservative with later models, but the battery pack is pretty cheap to have rebuilt or replaced. the body style of the 03 is also better than 04-05 and far better than 06+ as far as aerodynamics and useful features. if you do some checking, many guys have been able to get close to 80mpg from the 2003 hybrid but only around 45-50mpg from 06+ hybrids when driven carefully. check out ecomodder.com if you are interested in learning better driving techniques or adding mods that improve gas mileage. not all of it is for everyone, but im sure you can pick a few that fit.

Cdubs

Im starting to like this car afterall haha

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

some more info. also there are quite a few threads and pics about the hybrid around here.

http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/ar...=2003112038102

coupedeill

I didnt give my parents much credit when I was 16 either but a slower car thats reliable and cheap on fuel is perfect for a first car.Listen to what the OP are sayin, you're way ahead of the game compared to most your age...****, i had an 86 buick skyhawk as my first car. Pumped a lot of gas to buy it too but I rocked it like it was a Rolls Royce. Rusted up, faded paint, slow as hell but I kept it maintained and clean and still pulled chickens. Its all about how you present yourself...sorry to get all preachy on ya there, good luck with the mods! Looks like gearbox got you in the right direction.

Cdubs

What do you guys reccomend if i want to tint the windows?

mac25

welcome to the forum bro!

you can buy tint for like $15 at most autostores, i havn't really looked into it because my car came tinted from honda, but i wouldn't think it wouldn't be hard, probabley time consuming and you'll probabley mess up a few times but for the money and since your car doesn't already have tint why not try it.

almost any car can be made to look better and you've got a steel of a deal. i had to work on the third floor of hell to buy my car and it set me back $9.5k.

Cdubs

Thanks what about a good cd/mp3 deck and sound system to install ?that is fairly affordable?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

simple and cheap alpine deck will sound great, even with stock speakers. i wouldnt go nuts with the electronics like amps and subs because it will drain the hi voltage battery pack faster and give worse mileage.

Grey Ghost

I am glad you have a change of heart. That is a great car! And no need for speed right now. Cops will not waste a second to write speeding tickets especially to younger drivers....

Click this link to go to tirerack.com its already set up for your car: http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_gara...ilterBrand=All

WHEELS
Some 17 inch wheels (Look at the ASA AR1 on tirerack.com) wrapped with a 45 series tire would be a good start. Not too flashy, but looks good. Do not buy ZR rated tires. They do not last long at all and you'll end up buying tires more than you'd want to. Your car will look really good on this alone.
STEREO
I swear on a good stereo, like Gearbox said, a simple Alpine deck is plenty good. Get one with a USB connection, and play all the mP3's you want. Dont forget to take off your faceplate and hide it when you park.
TINT
be careful to abide by the laws on this item.
LIGHTING
Fog lamps will give a sportier look on your car. Amber round shaped lenses look good IMHO... Avoid glass lenses. You can check the DIY section for install information. Get some hyper white bulbs for your headlights for a clean HID look at night. This combines quite well with yellow fog lamps.

I hope you post pics as you progress. Best of luck to you

a.sasaki15

Dude you should be thankful for getting that car from your parents. I didn't like my Civic at first either but I love it now after making couple changes. I put interior white led lights (map light and dome light), aftermarket halo headlights and grill, and 17 inch Drag 33 black rims and Potenza tires. I had to take over my civic (long story short I was the cosigner of my sisters civic and she messed up) and it was filled with dog hair and dog odor. It was a nightmare but after taking great care and making changes to the car, I love this baby! I get a lot of compliments on it. It's now hard to believe its a 11 year old car that used to be filthy inside. Save money and do simple mods.