I would suggest an engine swap with either a B18 motor from an Acura Integra or the H22 motor from a Honda Prelude... I know the B18 motor fits well, and I've see a couple H22's in Civic's before but I am not sure how hard of a project that is.You can get used JDM motors from Japan with 60K miles or less for a pretty good price, which will give you an instant power gain instead of spending a ton of money for minimal gains on your stock motor. The only way to get a good deal of power from your stock motor is to turbocharge it, but since it's a 96 I am guessing it has high miles which isnt the best starting point for a turbo set-up. So as long as you are willing to put in the time and money I would highly suggest a motor swap, which is very common on Civics.If you are on a tight budget and cannot afford a motor swap or turbo set up, I would suggest the usual, intake, headers, exhuast etc, but keep in mind you will be spending a good deal of money for very minimal performance gains.Another suggestion is to focus more on suspension/handling upgrades. Unless you are just looking for straightline performance, these upgrades will allow you to corner better and ultimately goes faster on non-straight roads, or decrease your lap times if you are going to the track.Good Luck