scheherazade wrote: I guess I was really thinking more along the lines of : If I make the hardware changes in my garage, will the car drive to wherever I need to take it to get it tuned, or would I have to get it towed there.
edit : I do feel comfortable replacing part A with part B myself.
Yah, I'm a nub at this stuff.
I've repaired my own car before, but it's really only been replacing busted parts with working parts.
To answer the first question, with Stage II mods or below, a drive prior to tuning isn't always dramatic. For turbo upgrades it is sometimes possible to 'limp-mode' until getting the tuning set, but with great care. A tune should be lined up ASAP.
That being said, at this point I think those types of mods should be the least of your worries.
First, most of the knowledgeable people on this forum have been putting wrench to car for most of our adult lives, and even still we fear the inumerable unknowns about doing modifications on the mechanical or electrical side, and rely on this knowledge base to trouble-shoot problems.
Attempting even a simple downpipe swap yourself is something I would advise against. People who go it alone for a first-year model tuning typically know enough about cars to make ends meet. We consider these to be simple cars to modify not because it is easy, but because we've seen worse.
I didn't know this beforehand, but when you joined this forum you described performance levels you would like to reach that would equate to about 350whp. Though you had never been that fast before, you had seen it on YouTube and it sounded neat on paper.
Again, most of the guys putting down that kind of power have at least some experience with performance car driving prior to a 350whp Subaru/Mitsubishi. This is not 'practical' power. It is way more than you are likely to use where you live. You were in fact amazed at what a 240whp STI could do. You were right to be amazed, a stock STI can blow the doors off of almost anything shy of a supercar.
But that is a perfectly reasonable place to start. As you get used to the performance improvement over your '90s era Honda, you may slowly feel you can handle more power. Having the car 'stuck' in stock mode is like saying the SR-71 is 'limited' by kinetic heating. It is still a very fast, and potentially dangerous car. I know you think you are a good driver, but we are talking about 3-4 times the power of your old Honda. You might not feel the changes of inertia, pedal and steering wheel feel that an experienced driver would know means the car is understeering/oversteering or the tires are breaking loose.
If I sound condescending, it is because for the safety of yourself, your passengers, the car you are driving and others on the road; it is my opinion that giving you 350whp in short order would be like handing a loaded gun to someone who'd seen them used in the movies.
The important thing should be to pick a car that you like to drive. Drive it for a while, study it, and enjoy the performance advantage that these vehicles have over 90% of everything else out there. Note: if a car still excites you on its level of performance, it is because you are driving right on the edge of your abilities and the adrenaline is pumping through you. If the excitement dies, come back and talk about tuning and modifications. For now we'd love to hear about test-drives, the purchase of a new car (pics!), driving experiences.
Buying a car based on what kind of performance it can produce on paper is pretty pointless. The driver is a factor in all of these figures. Its like buying that paintball gun that was so impressive that you couldn't use it.
Similarly, modifications are running the risk of voiding warranties, and reducing your goal of 250,000 trouble-free miles. There will be exhaust leaks, broken swaybar brackets, and the absolutely impossible intercooler inlet hose. You may experience significant fuel economy drops. There are lots of things to consider.
You came here for expert opinions. Sorry if you have to take the bad with the good. But one thing we would not do to the best of our ability is put you in a questionable situation.
. Growing up I off-roaded a lot in my go-cart (you're rolling your eyes I'm sure 
That was my last M/B (which is now in my fiance' computer). That was a great board!
