For some car enthusiasts customizing their car is a way of expressing their personality. The 16 to 24-year-old car owners are especially keen to do this with 7.9 million of them modifying their car every ear. They spend $7.2 billion a year expressing their individuality.
What kind of inexpensive car modding could you do to sweeten the ride? Read on for 15 great ideas and upgrades to get you started.
What is Car Modding?
Any change you make to your car after purchase is a mod. Aftermarket upgrades could be as simple as adding an accessory. It could also be as sophisticated as changing a production engine for a custom one.
Making a mod to your car is a way of expressing your identity. Your car becomes unique to you. The style options are limited only by your imagination.
1. Floor Mats
Your car may not have floor mats. If it has floor mats they may be the boring mats that came with the car when it was first sold as new. Adding or changing the floor mats can make a big difference to the look of the car and also help you give the car a longer life.
2. Steering Wheel Cover
A super way to add individuality with little cost is to add a steering wheel cover. The color options and materials are huge and prices start from just a few dollars.
Make sure that the cover does not reduce your grip on the steering wheel. Safety has to be the first priority for any mod. Many covers will actually give you even more grip and control of your steering wheel.
3. Trunk Liner
Does your trunk look tired? Do you sometimes need to use your trunk for things that leave it messy? Cleaning out your trunk after trash has spilled out in it is so frustrating.
Make a modest investment in a trunk liner and you can protect your trunk from damaging contents and freshen up a worn-out appearance. Many trunk liners provide great storage solutions too.
4. Seat Covers
Improve the appearance of worn-out seats with seat covers. This instant upgrade is low cost and yet it looks like you’ve replaces all your seats. The range of designs available for seat covers allows you lots of opportunities to personalize your car interior.
5. Phone Holder
What do you do with your phone while driving? If you keep it in your pocket, are you tempted to get it out if it rings? That could spell disaster.
Distracted drivers accounted for the loss of 2,841 lives in 2018. Many of these were as a result of using a mobile phone while driving. If you can safely use your phone as a satnav but avoid more dangerous distractions having a phone holder may help.
6. LED Lighting
Fitting interior lighting to your car can enhance the in-car experience. LED lights can highlight features in the car, light up the area under your dash or paint the interior with beautiful colored light. The color choice is wide.
7. Tinted Windows
Tinting your car windows can add a cool appearance but it’s not all about style. There are some great benefits too.
The tinting reduces the glare through the windows. UV light is filtered by tinted windows so there is less glare when you drive on a bright day.
Tints can reduce the amount of heat that passes into your car. A cooler look might also mean a cooler temperature inside. If you like the look of tints you can learn more.
8. Car Wrapping
Have you considered a new paint job and then recoiled at the cost? A cheaper alternative is car wrapping. It’s an effective way to transform your car exterior but at a fraction of the cost of a re-spray.
You can wrap the whole car or use a partial wrap to create accents. Just wrap the side mirrors and you will still have a unique car. Go further and include the hood, spoiler and any other part of the car.
9. Audio Upgrade
Your existing audio system can be upgraded to an awesome sound system. Even a modest upgrade in speakers can enhance your listening pleasure. The full subwoofer in the trunk upgrade means your friends will hear you coming before they see you.
10. Nice Dice
Dice hanging from your mirrors is a classic car modifiers feature. It can work as a nostalgic nod to an early classic car modding trend or as an ironic self-mocking statement. Either way, it’s cheap and cheerful.
For the real thing, the dice need to be furry.
11. Dome Lighting
Do you find your interior light unexciting? It’s time to upgrade your dome light so that your interior is bathed in light whenever you need to create just the right mood.
12. Shift Mod
Modify your shift and change the feel of driving your car. It’s simple but effective. Shortening the distance between the shift knob and the fulcrum of the gear shift makes it feel like you have more control and that the gears are more responsive.
13. Headlight Covers
Covering your headlights with a thin film can make them look sleek. The cool new look won’t affect the effectiveness of the lights. The cool look is simple to install and cheap to boot.
14. Emblem Upgrade
The emblem fitted to your car is part of the branding of the motor company who made the car. You may be proud of the brand but you can emphasize it more by fitting a custom version. Upgraded emblems can add color, unusual features or simply more bling.
15. Paint Your Rims
For very little money, you can paint your rims. If you find it hard to find an exact color match, choose a color that complements your car. The new-look will be unique.
Car Mods
Car modding can be both cheap and effective. Whether you do it yourself or have it done professionally, it can be your way of expressing yourself through your car. Enjoy planning your upgrade, making it happen, and of course the ride.
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