When upgrading their Honda Civic, there are three basic things that most people would like to do for performance, style, and appearance. The first is a body kit. Next, most people want to add personalization to the interior. Lastly, we want to talk about engine modifications. You may want to do these updates in any particular order, depending on your personality. I started with my engine. I want my car to be a “sleeper”. When I add a body kit, I will have the muscle to back it up. But it all depends on you. Let’s start with the body kit for your Honda Civic.
If you have a pre-1988 Honda Civic, body kits were made, but they are hard to find. There really wasn’t a lot of internet so the market was limited to the bigger cities or Japan. Today, you could search for a used Mugen kit and probably find one on the internet. For later Civics, there are a couple of good options. Stillen and Greddy offer quality components. When purchasing inexpensive components, remember that you may need to modify the kit to achieve proper alignment. For example, the exhaust may not be in exactly the right place. Your Civic rework time can end up costing you as much as a higher quality kit. I have looked at the kits that you can buy one piece at a time due to my budget. Adding the front air deflector to keep the car on the ground, side skirts, and a rear apron at the same time can be a bit imposing on your pocket.
Interior modifications may not impress anyone while driving down the street, but if the car looks good on the outside, you’ll want that Civic sharp on the inside. A broken seat or other imperfections are a good place to start. Most people start with the radio. But if you have a newer Civic or Accord and the radio is already pretty good, what can you do to add your own flair? Add some meters. You can add a pillar support gauge the A-frame that supports the roof. A company called Lotek makes good indicators.
When you add the gauges, you now have interior styling and you can better control your engine instead of relying on a red warning light. The first thing to do is get a smooth intake. These not only look good in the engine compartment, but they also help the car breathe better. There are several to choose from, but I lean towards K&N products. They fit perfectly and are completely washable. Be careful, you can here the engine breathing when you step on the accelerator! It’s so good!
Hope these have given you a good starting point on what you can do with your Honda Civic, Accord, or Prelude. Customizing your car makes it your car, not just another Honda.