Originally Posted by +fireamx

Welcome to the forum Justin, and congrats on your purchase. I have an 02 Honda with over 206,000 miles on it, so I wouldn't worry much about a well taken care of Mercedes engine.
Your friends Dart has a Fiat engine.....nuff said.
For a big performance increase, I'd suggest a NeedsWings CAI. Not cheap, but is a proven 4/10's of a second improvement over stock. You may want to practice a little bit with your 6-speed before racing anybody. (It takes some getting use to).
Enjoy.