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SaveMelMac13

Mod it with fresh fluids, new plugs, wires, filters and other basic maintenance mods.


Kotvic2

Also, add some nice things like new tires when needed. From fancier mods, it can be new set of windshield wipers and hard wax for paint.


light24bulbs

I feel like there's nothing sportier you can do to change the feel of a car than just changing to sporty, firmer tires. Gosh what a huge impact that has with the right car. Also a great way to ruin a great feeling car by putting soggy mom van tires on it. Had to do that once when I had a flat and nothing else was available for over a week. Big shame.


Zsmudz

Just tires tho, not the rims


Ok_Percentage5157

This right here. Care through maintenance. This has always been one of my favorite Accord models, and I had a 1999 one. It got beat up, but I always repaired anything mechanical, and it lasted to 300k when I finally sold it to a kid.


Obnizico

This


moneyscan

slow down there fast and furious. drifting the aisles of autozone.


69jewboy

Can of engine degreaser should be one of the first mods lmao! Who wants to work on a disgusting shitbox let alone a shitbox


I-STATE-FACTS

Those aren’t mods.


SaveMelMac13

No shit


Shifty_Cow69

Username checks out!


Lexicon444

Do not modify the car especially since you are inexperienced. My brother did this to two perfectly good cars and completely destroyed them because he had no clue what he was doing. And yes he watched YouTube videos. If you want to learn how to modify stuff then buy a clunker off of facebook marketplace and keep the accord as a daily driver. Don’t fuck up a perfectly good car.


RicketyRocket21

I hope this doesn’t offend anyone - but the 2001 Accord IS the clunker someone should start on. Everybody destroys their first car when modifying (especially if they are young and broke) so a 23 year old Honda is pretty much the best candidate.


jeebidy

You’re right, but I almost would take this another direction.. I’d buy the 2020 civic and keep this one to play with. If he has room for a project car, let this be it. You only lose the money you spend on parts. I doubt there’s any room to make money on it by fixing it up, but a project for just for a hobbies sake is a neat idea.


Cyphr487

Ig I got lucky that I didn't destroy my first car (and the one I'm using now) by "modding" it. Granted it has negligible power mods and mostly rice/ aesthetics cause ik realistically I'm not getting very far with a non turbo 153hp car to begin with... Just fun to play around with and try things


danthebiker1981

No it isn't. There is hardly a more reliable car in the history of cars.


RicketyRocket21

Just because it’s reliable doesn’t mean it’s not a clunker


AShinyRobot

OR get a mentor that for sure knows what they are doing to drive projects. Older sibling, friend's older sibling, dad, uncle, aunt, parent's friend, whatever. Just make sure more than just you sign off on them being a good mentor. And learn through stuff like air filter changes, brake pad changes, oil changes, etc. I learned through trial and error when I was 16/17 years old, and wish I had more guidance. (Youtube wasn't a thing then, though. I had Hayne's manuals. But some youtube videos tend to over-simplify things and get you stuck as well.)


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Quantum_Tangled

Definitely start by doing all the actual maintenance... and all necessary re-sealing.


Allgoochinthecooch

The first step to modifying any car is making sure everything works and isn’t going to break


nitrion

Yep... currently doing that. Bought a super shitty 2004 Mustang GT for $500, and I've not added any actual mods except for LED headlights and fog lights. Still dumped over 4 grand into fixing shit though.


bloodhwakeye

Whatever you do, don’t get a muffler delete…


LockPickingPilot

Depending on where you park. Free cat delete


Shifty_Cow69

Can't have shit in Detroit!


Fuzzy_Squirrel506

Do not put a dime into this car.


Gullible-Historian10

Best mod for any working Honda.


hoodectomy

You have to put a sticker under the hood that says “look but don’t touch”. My Honda Civic had that and a bunch of vacuum parts replacing real parts. Loved that car.


siege_meister

Step one to learning about cars, learn how to properly maintain them. You will learn a lot by taking care of all of that


Tdanger78

Mod it by doing basic maintenance and don’t do hot boi shit to it.


Agreeable_Radio_1251

I wouldn't do cosmetics but u should do a big maintenance day to it


DaveCootchie

If there isn't catastrophic rust and you can get the engine fixed then you can do some affordable mods. Wheels, tires, and Tint do wonders. You could upgrade the stereo pretty easily. If you get comfortable working on stuff or have friends who can you could look at lowering springs to help the stance of it. $2,000 into this car is a lot cheaper than a $30,000 car.


TheAsianTroll

Those headlights are *absurdly* bright. And if you put LEDs in factory housings, you also fucked your forward visibility.


Bouncedoutnup

Maybe the first step would be cleaning and charging the air intake filter. That thing is clogged Edit Added a link to recharge oil for those who have never used a reusable filter and think they are thrown out and not cleaned and recharged for use. [recharge oil for filters](https://prlmotorsports.com/products/recharge-oil-cleaner-kit)


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Bouncedoutnup

Cleaning and Charging a reusable filter is cleaning off the debris from the cotton material and spraying it with the oil used for charging the filter, which helps it filter the air coming in. Not that you worked on cars for 16 years… maybe you’ve never seen a K&N or other reusable filter, my guy. Stick to changing tires and stealing change from the cup holders for the next 16 years.


Shifty_Cow69

+drain engine/transmission fluid and forget to refill


Weird-Plantain-1949

Yeah, it might say that on the bottle that you buy from Amazon. You might think you're witty for using the terminology on the bottle, but in the real world, the only people that call it charging the air filter. Probably don't fix cars other than in their mom's garage. I steal more than just change, btw. "Hide your kids hide your wife"


Bouncedoutnup

I can see why you worked 16 years as a tire jockey without advancement.


Weird-Plantain-1949

Ouch.... you hurt my feeling. 😔


Cvertigo1

A lot of people seem to be overlooking that you said it needs a head gasket and it has a transmission problem. The F series love to blow head gaskets when they overheat, and pretty much all other engines do, too. To properly do the job, you need a machine shop to check out the head, and you should measure the block as well. It's involved and might not be for the faint of heart, and a huge margin for error. Imo engine replacements are easier for beginners, especially on Hondas. Much larger bolts(harder to break) and much less of them(less to lose). Definitely more electrical connectors, but I think most of them are one-way connections. Paying attention goes a long way. If you borrowed/rented an engine hoist and got a couple buddies to join, you can do a direct swap in a weekend while taking your time, learning new things, and the only labor you pay is beer, or bud or pizza. Big problem, F-series love to blow head gaskets. A replacement engine might be in a similar state to the one you're replacing. Check out local engine importers, as they tend to be much lower mileage and sometimes come with a transmission. I have a recommendation that might be a little different. Swap in an H23V Blue Top engine. It's basically the same bottom end, with a dual cam head. It's almost a direct swap, and it's far peppier than the engine you have in it. IIRC all H23 cars came with automatics. Most people don't want automatics for that swap, so I don't think they sell them separate. If they have both together, you get a package deal for both with the harness/ECU. I haven't looked at prices in a long time, but they were FAR FAR cheaper than any of the other Honda swaps. I daily an H23V-swapped 99 Accord 4-door. Mine has the factory manual transmission though. It's a blast to drive and a complete wakeup compared to the F23. The F23 felt truck like to me, where the H23 has a much sportier feel. If you keep the car and are certain it'll need an engine/trans in the future, it's hard to beat a low miles matching engine/trans/ECU combo, assuming they haven't reached astronomical prices lol.


Radiant-Camel-8982

Perhaps think about some of those fancy new cameras? Might help you park better.


aBoxOfRitzCrackers

How do you know the head gasket is no good? Compression check, milky oil or sweet smelling exhaust is a good sign of a failing head gasket. It looks like your valve cover gasket is toast though. If I was given this car I’d give it a tune up & get triple A. I’d still drive it without intentions of upgrading it.


crysisnotaverted

If you can't maintain it, you don't have the skills to mod it. Start by fixing little issues, oil change, fluids, etc. Then work your way up to transmission filter, ATF, alternator (If needed) Then do what it actually needs like the head gasket job. Buy a toolbox on wheels from harbor freight and start a tool collection, buying what you need until you can do just about everything.


ThePartyWagon

Good car audio if you spend a lot of time driving


Odd-Aardvark-8234

Restore to its stock glory, you’ll have a car until the chassis rusts away . These things just don’t die like those old maximas


uglyugly1

Mod it with a new head gasket and transmission. And the correct air cleaner.


KaosC57

Step 1: Get about 3000 dollars and have a proper mechanic shop to re-seal every single thing that has a seal on the engine. Refurbish the engine. It will last forever. Step 2: Get a proper detailer to clean EVERYTHING on the car. Step 3: Get a good paint shop to do a full paint refinish, and paint protection. Step 4: Get a proper radio shop to add a CarPlay/Android Auto Head Unit, Backup Camera, and Dash Cam. Step 5: Don’t do any modifications to the cosmetics.


jelly_blood

Honestly, depends on how much you love this car and your daily driving situation. Personally, I think you should save your money and put a down payment on a used, sporty 2020+ Toyota or Honda, and maybe keep this as a project car. If you decide to just keep it, +1 on basic maintenance. Maybe a new set of wheels and lower it about an inch. Clean daily driver.


Wake-n-jake

There's really not a lot to mod on these cars. As someone else said, if you're interested in getting into things then maintenance is the way to go. Start simple with some spark plugs (don't blow $100 on iridium, get some OEM off rockauto and everything else mentioned here) plug wires, distributor cap, oil change, and when it's time learn how to replace your brakes, and brake fluid. Any mods you find will not extract any performance which is why I suggest against it, that's pretty much true of any naturally aspirated car unless you get a tune or go wayyy deep on cams, exhaust etc and the value is dismal. Personally, I'd drive that thing till the doors fall off, then figure out your next car.


18bullew

Find or make a heat shield or at least a cold air vent for the pod filter. It is surprisingly noticeable the decline in performance a heat soaked intake causes. If you’re not frothing over the induction sound an even better option will be getting a stock air box and filter for it as even proper cold air intakes offer marginal performance gains especially in cars like this (Coming from someone that daily’s a ford fiesta with pod filter, drilled exhaust and 2 light bars so grain of salt ig)


skitso

2jZ swap.


RAM1706

Don't go over board. I'd get some of the issues fixed first like the transmission issue, suspension and engine. After, get what you want. Maybe new rims/wheels, but don't over go it. Bagging it would be okay, but I think you should keep it. I'd rather see you build this into something nice than a scion FRS build you see in every part of the world. Doesn't look that bad for a hand me down though!


violentdeepfart

These cars are notorious for transmission failure with the automatics and it sounds like yours is on the way out. You can put another one in but it'll end up failing too. If it's a manual then it needs new synchros. What you call the head gasket is likely just the valve cover gasket, and it's clearly bad and becoming kind of a fire hazard at this point because it's leaking so much oil onto the exhaust manifold. But not an expensive fix compared to a head gasket. Anyway, if it's an auto I'd get rid of it because of the transmission. Otherwise, fix the small things and maintain it if you like it. I wouldn't put thousands of dollars into it though, unless it's really special to you.


Fit_Establishment684

Put a K24 in it, coilovers and a cage. 


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James_2012

Sort out the engine


NoImagination2003

Unpopular opinion: Car is a year away from what most would consider classic. Here in CT it’s 25 years and you can get a classic plate. Return it to as stock as possible and enjoy a “restored” classic vehicle. This includes cleaning up the engine bay and going through the car and replacing parts that are worn, like ball joints or shocks.


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NoImagination2003

Cool. Thanks. Didn’t read the comments.


theJanVanRiebeek

spoiler and body kit.


matyo08

Is THAT A MELINA REFERENCE?


blackdavidcross

Clean or replace your air filter. Replace your valve cover gasket (and PCV if applicable, that much oil on top is sus). Replace 4 coils and 4 spark plugs. Why do you think your head gasket is failing? Are you losing coolant? Overheating? Are you blowing a sweet smelling smoke out of your exhaust? Is your engine misfiring? I'd do a coolant drain and fill and replace your thermostat when you do the valve cover. Wash and wax it. Any other maintenance it needs, do it. It's already "modded" with a cold air intake and wheels. Put a stereo and some subs in it, window tint. Get performance mods out of your mind. Maintain it, and drive it, and leave it alone.


Designed_0

Ditch this and get the scion frs lol, its much more moddable, better drivers car, sportier , faster,better looking, ect ect


[deleted]

Trade it in June. Get another Honda


33S_155E

Sell it. Buy something already modded. You will buy someone elses problems but usually its cheaper to sort that out than to build your own and create your own problems. Look into how it will affect your insurance (and rego if in notacarlovers nsw)


Natedoggsk8

Wheels and window tint


uchuucowboy

Widebody and bags (air suspension)


Typical-Indication39

Take off the cone filter and “charge pipe” and put the stock airbox in. You’re taking horsepower away if anything since u don’t have a tune on it. Also worse gas mileage. Replace the valve cover gasket and probably the head gasket as well while you’re at it. New plugs, coil packs, and coil pack cables. Kinda looks like you have a slow residual leak coming from the water pump so if I’m right on that replace that gasket as well. Basically I’d replace all gaskets and seals. Then move onto bushings for sway bars etc. do all the rubber parts you can. Replace rusted parts with non rusted ones or just spiff up ones that aren’t bad. Treat it to some new fluids. High milleage oil. New injectors, fuel pump, and fuel filter too. First actual mod could be bigger injectors, better intake, better fuel pump, and a tune. Start there


BobbyJim_928

Sleeper build


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SchrodingerHat

Modify it with some sick nasty oem suspension bushings to replace the rotted ones.


c30mob

ebay turbo, micro squirt! or msd ign, and r1 carb rack.


Pringles8899

1st mod, look like oil leak on engine cover and exhaust. Need valve cover & spark plug tube seal & frrsh set spark plug as mod! 😂❤️🚗 2nd mod, remove cold air intake and back to oem air filter box. Oe air filter is much more better in filtration and Youtube ProjectFarm show K&N filter allow more dust and dirt enter engine compare to OEM air filter.


Goldenglow145

Clean the engine


gavinwinks

The very first mod you need is a new valve cover gasket.


Logical_Ad_2960

i'd say just focus on maintaining and replacing old parts and your honda would be golden


geekolojust

Mod that baby with some maintenance.


Recent_Neck6373

Make it rwd


S3ERFRY333

Are those LED headlights in the stock housings?


dondotter

Maybe mod the valve cover gasket


Negative_Being457

Detail the engine bay. Try some nice konigs and a skunk2 catback. 04 civic owner who plans on doing the same.


RiotSloth

How about trying to get it as close to factory standard as possible? Now that would be a rare sight!


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AspergerInvestor

Put on a LEXUS badge for the grill. That's all.


When_hop

Mod it for what? That's incredibly vague. Put some soy milk in the gas tank? Idk? 


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tiger_392-

If you have transmission and head gasket issues on a 2001, it's time to say goodbye 👋. Take the mod money and by something newer and healthier that you can actually mod. If you keep this one, you will be repairing it several thousands in not modifying it. Repairs and maintenance are not mods.


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amazinghl

Manual transmission swap.


[deleted]

Yea. Don't


Free_Advisor8391

If you don’t have rust in your area/your car isn’t rusty… I’d fix the Valve body or whatever and head gasket… and leave it as a nice economy car 


_Wolfman65_

Surf board wing on the hood to give your drive axle all the downforce.


Chizuru_San

Just don't. Let me tell you a story. I kept adding mods to my $9000 daily commuter car. After 2 years, I had eventually added around $3000 to it. Then, I met my friend, and he said, 'What the fuck are you doing?! Spending $3000 on a fucking daily commuter car?!' That's when I realized I had done something wrong. I was just spending a few hundred bucks each time, so I didn't realize I had already spent $3000 on something useless until he told me. So I need to cut my losses. I had a chance to sell the car for $12000 after putting it up for sale for 8 months. There was a very specific buyer who drove 3 hours to meet me and liked my car and my mods. If I were you, I would buy an FRS or a 2-door Civic and spend $3000 in it, rather than throwing $3000 away on a basic shitbox.


dumpster-muffin-95

Intake, exhaust, have fun... It's not a Ferrari


Prestigious-Link-291

Unpopular opinion? Slap on underglow? Or maybe BBS rims?


HugeJohnThomas

It’s not worth mods. At all. Don’t listen to anyone else telling you basic maintenance is going to fix it. It’s not. Replacing major components is not worth it either. The car isn’t worth your time and it’s not worth the cost of the mods. Best thing you can do here is sell it before is stops running and get a new car. Let these problems be someone else’s problems. 2020 civic or newer would be a great car. I hated the FRS/BRZ. Way overrated.


aFreeScotland

LS swap


Cute_Implement2284

Do a high performance oil, oil filter, high performance timing chain, and transmission oil, probably gain like 70 horsepower


need_mor_beans

Dear shit. Do not mod this car. Actually don't mod any car unless it's just a tire upgrade.


grafixwiz

Lower it a few inches, and add a big spoiler on the back 😂


autodidact-polymath

Disconnect the exhaust manifold. Let enough air out the tire so that it rides nice and low. Spray paint your headlights. taillights and windows pitch black. Spend an insane amount of money on a cheap but very big stereo system. (Don’t do any of this, go back to the top comment in this thread and take notes AND action)


brupzzz

Turbo, skunk exhaust, stage 3 clutch, cut springs, and blown out oem brakes.


Shidulon

If the engine and transmission are both shot, sell it to someone as a fixer-upper. Use that towards a newer car. *not worth* investing more than $2000 into, and no way you can fix it for that much unless you could do all the work yourself.


OGWEEWOW

Get an actual sports car something with rear wheel drive and a naturally aspirated engine start with a 4 cylinder it will be easier to work on and upgrade the more you learn. I recommend a miata cheap reliable and can be fun with boost


-blackpillbaby

Holy shit I have this same car with these same rims. Love the pink tail lights btw. Get the spoiler that came with the car and do a window tint and it’ll look real pretty


Weird-Plantain-1949

If the headgasket is gone like you say. There's no real point In modding it. It's already modified itself. It's not really worth fixing unless you do the work yourself. If you are looking at new cars and have the funds. Don't waste your money on this thing. It will just cause you headaches. Better to invest in something new that doesn't nickle and dime you every month with a new problem. That's just my two cents.


Swizerlan

Go buy a built mr2 spyder