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alright guys, i'm 16 get my license in Feb. i want a civic for my first car. i'm a big fan of them. i found one local what do you guys think of it? thanks

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...ealer_id=69600

 
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Welcome to the site. That thing looks clean!

My first car was a 1961 VW Beetle.

 
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thanks for the welcome iv been on here just not posting. i know it looks clean. i think im going to email them and see how much the want. right now i have $1700 saved and kbb is $4500 for it. what do you think? good for moding?

 
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Looks like a clean ride, but here's the ugly truth of the 01-05 civics: they don't respond well to bolt on modifications. The only real way to make it "fast" (and I use "fast" as a relative term) is to dump money into it through a turbo or engine swap..

 
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Not good for modding the engine, but everything else is game.

 
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yea, i know. im not looking for speed right now im looking for looks, in the future ill do a swap or turbo though.

 
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^ lol synchronized posts!

 
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Looks good, but i'd be iffy on the 120k miles

If the paint is in good condition, and engine, then its worth the 4500

First thing is to restore the headlights though...

 
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yea, i wanna do the easy mods first. lower, tint, head unit, headlights, tails, you get the drift haha.

 
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Please dont get altezza's, 95% of people here will smack you in the back of the head

 
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hell no bro they look gay i like the blacked out ones. but idk id look at mem. rides to get an idea of color scheme. i go to votech and collision can paint it half price of normal.

 
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cool, as long as you know. I'd invest in a good suspension setup, do it right the first time. At least a good set of springs with proper struts

 
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any suggestions? regardless i get this or not ill be getting one in the spring (:

 
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tein s-techs and tokico blues. I personally liked that setup, but I couldn't pass up on the deal I got on my coilovers

 
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i dont know if "lowering" is exactly easy or cheap. lol infact, its the exact opposite. difficult and expensive.

 
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eh, it's easy and can be relatively inexpensive.. $650 for the setup (s-techs and tokico blues), and it's an easy DIY install

 
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starting from camber kit and all the normal maintenance items to be discovered when you first look at the suspension or the coming thread on thuds and thumps and clunkings and clickings and clankings due to mileage.
General maintenance first, then start dreaming

 
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here is a word from the wise. from a person who had a decent disposable income.

if i had to do it all over again, this is what i would do:

keep the car stock for a while. drive it. learn how it responds and how it drives.

save up enough money for lowering. do it properly the first time. dont cheap out. you will be spending about 1200 if u install it yourself.

1000$ coilovers, 100 camber kit, 100 alignment.

i know 1200 sounds like A LOT, but it isnt. ive WASTED much more than that on suspension.

i first got eibach sportlines + stock. i thought to myself, "****, who cares what the forum advises me, ill just ride them for a while n change out the struts when they blow.

4 months later they blow. i wasted my more time reinstalling my sportlines + tokico blues.
they rode fine for about 4 months...but i became annoyed at how much MORE of a gap i had in front than in the rear. i had a good 3 finger gap in front and a 1 finger gap in rear. WTF... OCD KICKING IN...

so i saved up for some eibach ground control paid with koni yellows. cost me about 900. i REINSTALLED them. spent more money and time. and got another alignment. now my car sits with perfect stance: 1finger gap all around.





after u do suspension you will appreciate how DIFFERENT it is...and how much better of a car it is.


then i would do practical things like:

stainless steel brake lines
retrofit (relatively cheap now a days)
better tires and/or rims+tires

then bam. do the subtle things...if u dump too much money in it and rice it out you'll regret it later on.


ive dumped wayy too much money and now i wish i kept it simple.

 
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I actually like his logic better. Do it that way. Drive it for a year stock-ish.. You can still do tint, sound system, HID retrofit, aesthetics like that. Performance-wise, leave it. Once you get a feel for how the car is, then notice the difference, you will appreciate the, albeit subtle, differences. Yes, I know I pretty much reiterated everything he just said, but let it be. Repetition is key to making a concept stick in someone's head.

 
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Yep, this is the guy who's got the dam gills on his car, take his advice

 
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oh, and as it sits right now, I have about $12,000 worth of mods on my car, not including the many things I've swapped out, changed for better parts, or even the spare engine I have sitting on the side of my house, waiting for this engine I have to die.

 
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If that engine ever dies....
You're better off having a spare tranny or two :P

I've had my car for about 3 years now, and currently, I've put only about $600 into my car

$500 into audio system, and another $200 into detailing, waxes, and claybar, etc.

I haven't even touched anything else yet, I am tempted though.

 
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hater!!!!

damn i hate those gills.

 
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Hahaha
I'm just giving u shyt because u have too much rice.

You're a good example for the nubies

 
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damn i thought it was like 100 to lower it ha. i get what you guys are saying though. and thats how it will proly go according on my $7.40 an hour plus if i get this ill be making payments. but i def wanna get a sound system, exhaust, and tint first off.

 
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lol.. It'll cost $100 if you wanna re-do it because the ride quality is ****..

for real though, quality springs alone will run you prolly $200.

 
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Tint first, Deck 2nd, speakers 3rd, amp+sub 5th

THEN start with I/H/E if you want to.

All the interior aesthetics comes first. You want to be as comfortable and enjoy your ride.
Trust me, all the rest can come later.

 
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yea, what else you need besides springs? i should know this im in ato tech at votech ha.. and kenney i get what your sayin bro

 
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struts, springs, and a camber kit will be a good starter suspension setup

 
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thats alot of money. isnt there a cheaper way to lower it?