My first car...

[JakeR]

Hi everyone,
I'm 17 and got a 5 door 1.2 phase 2 as my first car. I would love to do it up, nothing to make it too fast for insurance reasons at the moment, but also I don't want to go OTT with body styling. I've got a list of things I want/need to do atm:

Things I Need To Do…

Fix sunroof leak
Switch wheels around for tread levels
STICKERS!!
New plates (3/4 front, std rear)


Things I Want To Do…

Smoked/Clear side repeaters
New mats
Silicon tubing (engine bay)
Aero-windscreen wipers
Colourcoding inter/external
Paint detailing: -bullets
-callipers
-badges
RS grille
Silvervisions (all round)
Front fogs
Upgrade stock door speakers


Things I Can’t Afford To Do…[yet!]…

Alloy Wheels
Coilovers/Lowering springs
Reclining buckets in the front


Other ideas?..

Trophy spoiler
Veryveryveryvery subtle rear tints
Shorter areal




I really would love to inspire a few people from this thread, as I am a perfectionist and a certified loon, but also I want to use it as a record and progress tracker.

Comments, critisisms and ideas always welcome!!

Pics up tomorrow so you can see the wee beastie in all her stock glory

 

[TonkaTruck]

Personally I would keep it OEM and clean.

Save the money for something better in a few years time when insurance is affordable.

 

[.GAZ.]

Keep it standard and meticulously clean, will look 10x better than putting shoddy wheels etc on it.

Congratulations, you'll always remember your first car.

 

[JakeR]

Yeah I did think about keeping it basic, but I got the car cheap from my gran and it has around 36000 miles on it (03) and I am told it isn't worth much, so I thought why not try and make something of it. Keeping it fairly standard to start off with all the mods being done cheaply (but well by myself and some slight more mechanically inclined friends). On the meticulous cleaning front, my dad has just bought a polish/buffer to use on his work car (jag xjl) so I think I shall be recruiting him for the monthly full cleans.

Is everyone thinking to keep it OEM? If so I think that is the way I am going to have to go, don't like to upset anyone

Cheers for the comments guys

 

[DanEdser]

it's your first car your 17, do what you want with it! enjoy it

 

[Goodj]

Take your plans and throw them away

Instead, start new scheme called "Driving my car", if you start chucking money at it:-

1) you'll probably end up with a bigger insurance bill
2) you;ll be even more gutted if you end up prangining it which, statistically, you're bound to. (I'm hoping this is not the case, of course)

PS: It's a 1.2 Clio, all you'll ever make of it is a shopping trolley

My first car was an entriest-level Corsa Diesel. It didn't even have a glovebox. Instead of trying to give it any kind of "cred", I found the money was much more useful when spent on diesel.

 

[Daz.]

You've just started driving and you want to make your car more noticeable and illegal at the same time.

Do yourself a favour and just blend in for at least 12 months. It's also a waste of money on a first car as you'll soon get bored of it.

 

[Barnett]

Ignore everyone who's saying leave it as it is. It's your first car, naturally you want to play about with it! (as i do with mine) your plans sound great (except stickers, i personally hate them but it's your car) I wouldn't recommend going and throwing thousands at it but all the things on your "things i want to do" list would be fairly cheap and make the car look much better! if i was you i'd do everything on the want to do list and get some lowering springs. Enjoy your car! Don't let people on here put you off. They're only opinions afterall!

 

[JakeR]

Ignore everyone who's saying leave it as it is. It's your first car, naturally you want to play about with it! (as i do with mine) your plans sound great (except stickers, i personally hate them but it's your car) I wouldn't recommend going and throwing thousands at it but all the things on your "things i want to do" list would be fairly cheap and make the car look much better! if i was you i'd do everything on the want to do list and get some lowering springs. Enjoy your car! Don't let people on here put you off. They're only opinions afterall!

Thanks for that! I was beginning to loose hope. I think I shall definitely stick to the cheaper mods until December when I get my 1 yr NCB and see how everything is then...

 

[oFreestyler]

Not much different, i got my 1 year no claims in August and not much has changed lol

 

[JakeR]

Here is the car in question:
Engine bay needs a bit...well a lot of a clean.

 

[Rubicon_]

I know the feeling of wanting to mod your first car i was the same. From experience though you will regret it unless its just little things.

As said best spending the money on more important things.

Nice car as well.