[Epistemology]

I don't know a lot about the specifics, but you might not want to just jump into this project without some understanding of vector analysis.

You need to know how much force is going to be exerted on the area, then you need your "bandaid" to be able to withstand that force (and the angle of the force, et cetera). A scientific calculator with functions like tan will make this easier. You'll need to figure the weight of the vehicle (technically, the force of gravity and momentum), force applied by positive and negative acceleration, etc.

You could just "wing" it, but for a job of this scope, I think it would be fun to fix your car and learn something about applied physics in the process.

Less abstract: Aren't Honda Civics unibody vehicles? Unibody vehicles are a lot more sensitive to rust problems and bad repairs (making knowledge of forces applied much more important).

It might be fun to put the Civic on a frame (making it body on frame-like).