I found it fun because you can still customize with rims and carbon fiber, a cat back exhaust if you feel like being that kid but that wont bury you in a money pit like an Evo will. An exhaust and tune ended up being a $2500 bill since you can't just get a tune without a fuel pump, air box delete and boost controller at minimum. Then the cost of the tune itself and finding someone you can trust locally. Keep it simple to start and you'll be happier.

Ralliart is ftw. Then upgrade to an Evo when you're really ready. OR get a Civic to start, I like mine. Killer gas mileage, cheap parts and very mellow.

 

What kind of civic is that?

 

Based on this, something like a base, non-turbo Lancer, Mazda3, Civic, Jetta, etc. Nothing turbocharged, nothing sporty.

 

It's a '97 DX.

 

I'm liking the 2000 civic si .. Looks pretty good!

 

I'd say start off with a DSM :P same engine (a little weaker and not "evolutionized"). I had a 91' Eagle Talon TSi AWD. Great first car!

They are cheap and you can at times find a well taken care of one for around 2-3k. Parts are hella easy to find for and changing/modding it out is even easier. They handle amazingly in winter and on track and I think it's a great start to get into an Evo, because it has the 4g63t engine. You can learn a lot from this car. Just make sure you get the ones with the 6 bolt engine. Usually all 90-94's have the 6 bolt.

 

I don't mean to knock you or anything but I had a Gst and it was nothing but a problem. Every stupid annoying little thing that could go wrong did. Trans is weak and you still have the turbo setup unless you got a gs.

Maybe I just happened to get a bad one, idk.

 

Like I said, 6bolt/1st gen talons/eclipses are the best choice. Sure the tranny is a little weak, but that only really needs to be solved once you get into the 400+ range of power. 7 Bolts have a very, very bad rep. for crankwalk in the Eclipses and Talons, but the 6 bolt is far more reliable. I had my Talon for 3 years, bought it when I was 15 as a learning car and for use in winter because of the AWD and incredible handling. I loved mine, and eventually learnt how to do the timing belt within 45 minutes, correctly. Repairing the engine in these cars is far easier than any vehicle I have worked on at my work.

 

I have kids around your age. There would be NO F****** way I'd let them drive my Evo, let alone own one. It's not the top speed I'm worried about, it's the torque/hp/idiot friends/idiot revvers/cops/breaking parts I'm worried about (in that order).

I had 2 1995 Civics DX's that I modded. I loved them. I wish I still had one as a DD. They had GREAT gas mileage, 45mpg in stock form, and took to modding pretty good. I think they're a great platform to learn to mod with.

However, when I was 16, I would have loved an Evo!!!

 

Get something that costs $5000 or less. Any 92-00 civic, integra, 240sx, scion tc, celica, maybe even an rsx. I think you should be looking for cars in this price range. Most of them are reliable, mods are cheap and they look very nice when taken cared of and modded properly. Start small and move your way up. You'll gain experience and a sense of appreciation for automobiles for what they are.

 

A 2000 Civic Si is still more than enough to do something stupid, but it's certainly far less potentially bad for you than an Evo.

Personally I like them and was considering picking one up as a fun, cheap DD for kicks, but the ones on sale within a few hundred miles of me are usually in questionable shape, being either poorly modded or with a salvage title. I can't really complain about the mileage, since its already a 12+ year-old car at this point and will certainly have over 100k miles in almost every case.

 

this!

Im glad I was never fortunate enough to be blessed with a fast or newer car is HS. Would have gotten me into loads of more trouble and probably serious debt.

Get something reliable and gas thrifty and save up money (IE Civic/Camry/Integra), so a couple years down the road purchasing and evo will be the least of your worries.

 

If my son - he's 10 - is bitten by automotive enthusiasm, this is my planned course of action. Actually it's a moot point, as he has no interest in cars. And, IME, as automotive enthusiasm shows itself at a much earlier age, he never will. Not outside some superficial orientation and that doesn't seem to be his thing. Regardless, I'll buy him a low-powered sh/tbox that can turn and stop effectively - 2.0l Golf/Jetta, Civic, Fit, etc. When he can outdrive that, it's time for a faster car and so on. That's the route I took, though not necessarily by choice.

 

Its still possible. I didn't LOVE cars till i was about 15. Before then all i knew was I liked the old mustangs and all the money i've been saving is going towards a first car. and boom at 18 i dropped my whole 5k on an '03 OZRally, and just like that i'm hooked i love driving and working on my car and my friends cars.

 

I had no interest in cars until my buddy took me for a ride in his new 04 Evo (in 2005) then it was all over, sold the Grand Prix, bought the Ralliart, then a GST and my Evo.