My new haro

alrighty..first off, my first post on the board...
i used to ride freestyle, 5 yrs ago, and now am getting into xc/riding at college and hitting some trails...i bought haro v3, '04. for a great price 350 w/deore and alex rims and so on..the componentry compared better than giants and treks that were more expensive, but they didnt have deore, regardless, ill change anyway..my question was what should i mod first after i get into it more? i would like to jump some, nothing requiring full suspension, but id like to do a drop or two here and there...i have a manitou six fork, and i was told to go with a fox shock or a higher manito..what should i do, or ride this for a bit and step up to a better overall frame? and would my v frame last a good while?