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When buying a new car, custom upgrades can eat your budget right through. But, at the same time, why not have a car that stands out. There are many ways in which you can customize and upgrade your wheels to turn heads and make everyone you drive past feel jealous, and not break your budget. When buying used cars, all you need is a little imagination and a set budget to make it truly your own. Plus, with a little elbow grease and some TLC, in time you can have the car of your dreams for just a fraction of the cost of customizing it in the store. Today we are sharing with you the best and easiest ways to make your car stand out and look mega cool.
Invest in new lights
Whether you are driving a newer car or an old one, getting new headlights and tail lights is a great way to make your car look refreshed. This is a place where you might consider investing a little bit more money because buying cheap lights will not do much for your car. Plus, those kinds of lights will probably fog up quickly, adding a few years to the look of your car. Maybe you already have good quality lights that have just fogged up because of the age, and you are not quite keen on changing them, or your budget can’t handle an expense like this. Restoring old headlights can make a vast difference and rejuvenate your car. For an even more inexpensive way to refresh your car, replace the light bulbs in the headlights and tail lights to update the overall feel.
Improve your bumper or hood
Dents and bumps are a part of driving – they come with the car, like it or not. But you can prevent dents, at least from the front, by upgrading your bumper. Plenty of reasons to do that. Bumpers can often hide some unforeseen issues that you may not be aware of if you bought a used car, so changing it out can save you from having issues in your future insurance claims. Not only will it serve a purpose, but it will also make your car look tougher and definitely stand out. An inexpensive way to make your bumper look cool is to paint them yourself or have them customized by painting them in a shop. A little bit of paint can go a long way. The same goes for changing the hood – you can paint it a different color than the rest of the car, making it instantly stand out. Or, you can add custom hood panels, scoops or vents. Be sure to add them only if they will improve the performance of your car, otherwise, you risk looking less cool, if you overdo it.
Tint the windows
Tinting the windows is such a small change that can make such a great impact. However, don’t go to your car guy and ask him to tint all your windows! Not only is it douchy and will make you look like an obnoxious prick, but it is also illegal in some areas. However, tinting the back three windows can give a nice effect. Plus, tinting the windows has some great sides (and some bad sides). A good side of tinting the windows is that they will become harder and more sturdy in the case of a break-in. On the other hand, if there is a car accident and you need to break your windows to get out, they will be a lot harder to crack. Another pro for tinting is that it will keep your car cooler since most of the sun rays can’t go through tinted windows. But that only works for the back of your car, while the front, where you sit, remains unprotected. Before making a choice of tinting the windows, get familiar with the regulations to avoid being pulled over and getting a ticket when you don’t need one.
Get custom decals
Decals provide you with the opportunity to put anything on your car. And we mean anything. Let your imagination loose and create whatever was on your favorite Need for speed car when you were a kid, and then stick it to your car. Make everyone jealous of having your childhood dream come true with custom vinyl and decals. But, if your wife is not quite on the same page with you decorating your car the way it fits your every fantasy (bummer), decals can be an awesome way to advertise your company! So, not only are they amazing for the style of your car, but you can also use them as a moving ad. Maybe now your loved one will be more ready to hear you out, now that the whole decal story has a purpose. Combine purpose and style and make everyone happy.
Order custom rims
Custom rims are definitely the way to make your car stand out from the rest. Don’t be tempted to buy some store-bought rims if you dread the idea of pulling up to a light and spotting another car with rims exactly like yours. A great way to avoid being the same as anyone in the city (or in the country) is to make your own rims. Now, this may take some time, while you figure out what you want your rims to say and how you want them to look, but the end result will be well worth it. Apart from having many programs online to help you with the design, if you have the budget and time for it, you may consider consulting a designer to help you achieve your dreams. Maybe you don’t really know what you want your rims to state, and if you find a good designer, showing them an inspirational picture or describing how you want to feel driving your car – they will make something you’ll be happy with.
Get a strong stereo
Older cars generally tend to come with weaker stereo systems that may not please your needs. However, you don’t need to blow through your budget to get the sound quality of your dreams. Sometimes, it may be enough to simply replace the factory speakers with some stronger ones to improve the sound in your car. But, if you’d like to replace the old track player with something that can play your favorite tunes from a flash or an iPod, you may be looking at a bigger investment. After all, your needs are what dictates what you’re going to get. If you commute for a longer period of time each day, than listening to the radio or not having music at all may not be the solution. In that case, having your favorite music on hand can be helpful in a traffic jam or another stressful situation. Plus, you may end up making someone’s day better with you blasting music from your car at a light stop.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve shared all our secrets about having a cool car, you can actually make it come true yourself. Have an hour or two every day to work on your car, invite a friend and make a day out of it, or simply take your car to the mechanic and explain what you want to do, and watch as your childhood dream comes true.