Need Help Getting Started

[thegodfather]

I have a 2002 Legacy L Wagon. it is basically stock except for the in dash CD player which is just a basic Panasonic CD player that i got to replace the Tape player the car came with. I want to mod my car but i have no expierience. I am 17 so i have a very tight budget. I am thinking that i should start with some basic easy cheap mods. what do you guys suggest. i really ahve no clue where to start and appriciate your guidence.

[IwannaSportSedan]

Well, the first thing would be to maintain the car, oil changes, brake pads, alignment, tires, coolant flush, spark plugs, etc. Check the manual for maintenance schedule items.

 

Check stuff out thoroughly if you don't know how the car has been maintained in the past, even if the maintenance schedule says that *insert parts here* should have been checked many miles earlier.

 

Once the wearing parts and general maintence parts are either verified to be in good shape, or replaced if not, THEN start thinking about keeping the car in good shape in terms of the interior and paintwork, depending on the condition. perhaps have the windows tinted if you want (will help save the interior from sun damage, keep inside cooler, IMHO looks better.)

 

After all that, then perhaps wheels, if you want different ones (most obvious appearance & performance mod you can make, but could be slightly expensive for you, if new tires come with them...)

 

Other than that, it really depends on what you want. Appearance stuff? Performance? Utility and Usefulness mods? Audio System? Skid-plates and rally equipment? It's your call.

[RockyMtnGT]

What ^he^ said, so you aren't stuck on the road somewhere. Personally I would look around for a set of used wheels, maybe off a 2002 Legacy GT. Other things to consider would be tint($150), stereo upgrades(150+), a headlight/fog light upgrade($100+) or a high flow air filter($50).

[thegodfather]

well thanks for you speedy answers i will look into all those maintence things first. a quick question i know this sounds stupid but what are skid plates and what do they do? also i was reading about clearing headlights and i had one small concern about this: would this confuse other drivers because they are used to the yellow/orange turn signals? and if would there be a way to rather than have them white make them something like blue or green that way they wouldn't be ugly and boring but at the same time they would stand out to other drivers on the road? thanks alot for your suggestions

[TSiWRX]

thegodfather,

 

First, welcome.

 

Next, skid-plates - they're typically metallic shields, and thinking of actual "shields" will give you a good mental picture, which bolt on to the undercarriage of the vehicle to protect its underside vitals from being damaged by off-road (typical usage is off-road) debris.

 

If you clear your headlights, and want to stay completely legal, this can be a small challenge/problem.

 

To be completely legal on US roads, a pair of front amber reflectors is a must. Typically, however, even the the most highly enforced areas, unless your driving or your vehicle somehow otherwise attracts unwanted attention from enforcement, you will not be cited for the absence of such reflectors.

 

In terms of forward-facing lighting, you will find that most areas will specifically disallow any blue/green/red-colored lamps - with the same restrictions going for strobes. Typically, this is highly enforced, especially in metro areas, due to the fact that these colors, facing the front, are usually reserved for emergency-service vehicles.

 

Many on the Forums here are in favor of using "coated" bulbs, which appear clear or bluish-silver when the side-markers/turn-indicators are off, but turn on to reveal road-legal amber color. You can easily find the proper application for our lamps in most automotive stores under the Sylvania SilverStar brand name. Other such applications and brands are easily available at most on-line stores.

 

-A

[thegodfather]

thanks man i always have to be weary of legality because my parents are both lawyers lol they have all sorts of ways about finding out about the law but i will head on over to the auto store and look for these coated bulbs as soon as i can start driving again (i am on restriction cuz i had an accident *no...not the pee your pants type) i may google them in the mean time to see what i come up with and get an idea for the cost

[TSiWRX]

Almost forgot!

 

You can also look for LED replacements for the above bulb applications - they'll be "clearn" when off, but will flash and turn on in amber, too.

 

 

-A