Hi & welcome,
I'll start the ball rolling with my own personal views, which are just that, my outlook on modding cars.
You have what is near as damn it a base model car and I do appreciate that modifying has to start somewhere and the learning curve is a steep one.
However, I'll give you some of the negatives involved in your quest. I'll even leave my speech about brakes, suspension etc out of it for now, as well as the need for a suitable exhaust system etc, etc.
You will need to declare the modification to DVLA so your car is registered as having the larger engine. You will need to declare this modification to your insurance company, this will have a rather harsh impact on what is most likely a reasonably high annual fee anyway. Of course you could ignore that advice, plod on and hope you never get found out, at least until your next MOT anyway. If however you have an accident where a fatality occurs and your car is not strictly legal, you will look back and remember these words.
My advice would be to price up a car with a larger engine, get insurance quotes and compare the cost differences.
I do not want to deter people from modifying cars, it's a great passion to get involved in. I just think that there is a severe lack of reality out there and sometimes dreams need to face reality.
If you do go ahead, do not ever cut corners to save money. If you want to do something, plan it properly, save up the funds and then complete it. Don't upgrade some parts and neglect others because wishing you had spent a bit more time or/and money when you're wrapped around a lamp post is way too late.
