If you're a Honda Civic owner, there are three basic things that most people do to the performance, style and aesthetics. The first is typically a body kit. Then, most people want to customize the interior or engine housing. Finally, we want to talk about the engine modifications; that's where the added performance comes in.



These enhancements don't have to be in any certain order, depending on your wishes. I started with my interior. I want my car to appear stock, or Original Equipment as they say. With a slick body kit, you have to have the muscle to back it. But again, everything depends on your desires. For starters, lets talk about a body kit for your Honda Civic.

If you have a 2000 era Honda Civic, body kits were made but hard to locate. There really wasn't a lot on the World Wide Web back then, so that market was in the big cities or Japan. Now you can find a used JDM kit probably on the Internet.

For more recent Civics, there are a few good opportunities. K&N and Skunk2 offer components. In negotiating the purchase of components, remember that you have to modify the equipment for the correct orientation. For example, exhaust pipes may not line up exactly in the right place. Also, adding the front air dam to your Civic, side skirts, and a rear valance all at once can be a little bit of a burden on the pocket-book.

Interior modifications may not impress someone while cruising down the street, but if your Civic looks good on the outside, you'll want a strong Civic motor on the inside. A torn seat or other defects are usually a good start. A lot of people start by upgrading their radio. But if you have a newer Civic radio and it is already quite good, what can you do to make your own style? Add some after-market gauges. A company called Lotek makes nice measure pods for Civic gauges.

If you are the handling or performance type, now you have style and you can better control of his car, instead of relying on a red light warning. Another great thing to do is a free flowing air-intake. This not only looks good on the engine, but also helps your Civic's engine breathe better. There are several to choose from, but K & N seems to make a nice line of products. They fit perfectly and are completely washable. Really fun stuff to play around with on the weekends.

I hope this is a good start as to what you can do with the Honda Civic, Accord, or Prelude. Customizing your car is fun and will make it unique, not just another stock Honda riding down the street.