my 06 oz has abs

 

You're young aren't you?

 

First mods? Well, depends on your budget. Show is cheaper than go. If you want performance mods, you are wasting your time without a budget of $5k or more, and really this isn't a sports car. Body kits are cheap, but paint is not. Expect a kit + paint to be ~$1500.

Other things to look at are custom wheels, springs, taillights, hoods, anything carbon fiber, seats, dash kits, etc etc. Some things you will find on ebay, if you are lucky these days. 02-03 stuff is started to go away it seems. It was never very popular, and they are on the 3rd gen of lancer in the US now.

 

First mods on a used car:

- good tires
- engine tuneup (oil change, spark plug change, spark plug wire change, timing belt change)
- detailing job on interior (nobody wants other peoples dirt)

After that, if you want aftermarket parts, decide what you want to focus on. Show, speed, handling, etc.

 

I would focus on the condition of the car and previous owner(s) much more than the year. The 02-03 and the 04+ are nearly identical mechanically. If you are sold on the look of one or the other, find a few candidates and then delve into the car's past. I would also go for the OZ Rally due to the aesthetic appeal, just remember there's nothing about this car that says "Rally" aside from its name