The 6 Best Cars To Modify
By Thomas Bey
AskMen.com
Automotive Correspondent
It isn't easy to find a virgin -- a car that's completely stock.
Most guys bring on the bling with cosmetic enhancements like hot paint, lighting, sound systems, rims and tires, body kits, rear wings, and interior tweaks. Some back up the bling with some zing: beefed suspension and brakes, air intakes, turbos or supercharges, exhaust systems, and even nitrous.
Longtime favorite models for most tuners are Honda's Accord and Civic. Starting with 1980s models through to present editions, these lines have consistently provided a body style to suit every taste and budget. And underneath it all, the drivetrain is reliable and about as easy to modify as making toast.
Honda bits are also beneath the skin of Acura's Integra, with an extra degree of build quality and refinement throughout. Driving an Integra sends the message that you've graduated from Hondas, but you're still in the game.
That's not to say the Honda corporation scores an undisputed trifecta in the tuner world. The Accord, Civic and Integra may be the most common models modified, but there are more great choices out there as well. Here are the best of the others. Thanks to their basic appeal -- and support from the aftermarket industry -- you can match any one of these blank canvases with the bling and zing to make it one-of-a-kind.
All prices are in USD.
1. TOYOTA SCION
You can only get spanked for so long before you reach the breaking point. Case in point: Toyota's Camry and Corolla are equally competent cars when stacked against stock Accords and Civics. Nonetheless, tuners generally give them the cold shoulder. So Toyota created the Scion.
The prospective Scion owner has a choice of three flavors: the tC coupe, the xA five-door sport wagon and the damn-proud-to-be-boxy xB. They each have trendy good looks and beg to be played with. In fact, Scion ads condone modifying them -- even while fine-print legalese cautions you may void the warranty. Best of all, a ton of the Scion features come standard. Used Honda or new Scion? For comparable dollars, the tide is turning in Toyota's favor.
What to pay: Base MSRP is $13,045 for the xA, $16,715 for the tC and $14,245 for the xB. Scion stresses that these prices include shipping and delivery charges.
2. MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE
Years before The Fast and the Furious , the Eclipse was already well known. Along with its lesser-loved cousins, the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon, the Eclipse was a 2+2 sport hatch (basically the same layout as the Camaros and Firebirds of the day). In hot stock or modified form, the Eclipse surprised more than a few American pony cars at the stoplights. The excitement continued inside with a driver-oriented cockpit, unlike the bland dash slabs in many others.
Another unique trait here is the availability of convertible, factory turbo and all-wheel drive models in certain years. Today, there isn't much market share to be had with a two-door hatch, but the Eclipse hangs on. In fact, the new redesign carries on the tradition.
What to pay: $19,399 is the MSRP for the basic third-gen '06, but each generation has its loyalists, and used prices vary. Naturally, expect to pay more for a convertible, turbo, or all-wheel drive.
full story:
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