First mods for a '99 Protege ES?
 

I've had this Protege ES (Auto) for a couple years now, and I'd like to have a little fun with the car now that I can afford to. The car came with 43k miles and now has 78k. It came with a stereo system, white rims, and a high-performance air filter, or so I've been told. I don't believe there are any existing engine mods, but it's interesting to note that the car had Z tires when I bought it, so maybe the previous owner was trying to do something.

What are some good performance-oriented mods for starters? Obviously, I'd like to get the most bang for my buck, so cheaper may be better. I can attach pictures of the car and what's under the hood if that would help...

Edit: I'm interested in making it Manual transmission, for starters...not sure what that entails.

my first mods to mine where and intake and exhoust. but the AT to MT swap would be very expencive

The best bang for the buck mod for a Protege is a set of sticky tires, IMO.
They're never gonna be the quickest cars off the line, but they come into they're own in the twisties.

Accentuate the positive, and set up the suspension. :)