I have an 2001 Honda Accord 4cyl EX 4-door and I wanted to add some things to my car to make it sound better and perform better. I am not looking to drop in loads of money but a few hundred dollars or so. I want to keep the STOCK look but make it a little bit more fun to drive. Basically i'm looking for some ideas that could make this happen on the cheap side. I'm a college student so money is tight! Thanks!

 

There aren't many cheap modifications that will give you a huge gain in performance. Maybe a bigger exhaust or some suspension upgrades.

Is the car an automatic transmission or a manual transmission?

 

Automatic and the car has only 57,000 miles on it. I was thinking Short Ram air intake, maybe better NGK or Bosch plugs and maybe headers and exhaust(just w/o the fart noise). But first the intake and if plugs would out that too. I just have a hard time getting myself to dish out $150+ for intake. I want a K&N filter for sure but I don't know if i should get a K&N replacement filter, a cheap ram air system and put the K&N filter on it, or buy the cone filter and make my own tubing and fittings

 

And when i say performance just quicker response at the gas pedal and just to be quicker than what it is. I used to have an 06 volvo s40 stock and I'm looking to be able to hang with that or a little better

 

the short ram intake has been shown over and over again to provide no increase in performance.

Your goal of having your older enconbox car to perform the same as a new more expensive luxury car for a few hundred dollars is unrealistic.

Upgrade your stereo and enjoy your ride and gas mileage, IMHO

 

you are right lol. i might just do that

 

yeah man unless you're putting a turbocharger on it or a supercharger, which is a bit of a project and well beyond a few hundred, I agree with crispin. I've tried the whole headers, intake, exhaust thing and it ended up costing me a bit and, in the end, the noise and ear ringing from daily driving at highway speeds (3k rpm at 80 mph) wasn't worth it. I ended up paying to go back to stock, plus the performance difference is so not noticeable.

Honestly, next time I put anything into my car, it's going to be an aftermarket navi, nicer sound system, or getting rid of the rust.

Enjoy the mpgs and the everlasting qualities of the car..

 

If you are not an enthusiast or pro, then turboing or supercharging your car on a budget is out of the question. As been mentioned, bolt-on 'power adder' mods are not worth it. Just ride in comfort and buy a car that's made for speed for your next investment, unless you fall in love with this one and decided to go big. If you decide to go big with the Accord hit me up, I know all the ins and outs of the 6th generation Accords - 98-02.

 

thanks everyone! I appreciate the help