While it might not be feasible for you to buy a sporty new vehicle right now, you can still customize your own car to get a fresh look inside and out. With tons of aftermarket customization options out there, it's easy to make your old vehicle feel like a brand new ride!
Add Some Pizzazz to Your Car's Exterior
There's that old adage that you can't judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to cars, appearance does matter. The way your car looks can affect the way you feel when you drive it, and fun customization options can help give your old car a whole new look.
Window Tinting Provides Mystery
There's something exotic about a car with tinted windows, and you don't have to drive a sports car to get that mysterious look. Window tinting can even be a do-it-yourself project when you use tinted window film. Many companies offer inexpensive pre-cut window tints that you can apply to your car windows to achieve a custom look.
Note: Before tinting your car's windows, make sure window tinting is legal in your state.
Decals Offer a Fun Look
One of the easiest and least expensive ways to add custom style to your car is by using exterior decals or graphics. You simply choose the look you want, whether it's roaring flames, barbed wire, or cherry blossoms, and apply the decal to your car. Most decals do not mar your car's paint, and many companies offer decals that are fully customizable. There are even totally free car decals and stickers.Car stickers, which can be applied to the bumper or window of your vehicle, also offer an excellent way to personalize the appearance of your car. You can get car stickers in a variety of styles and brands, including the following:
- Family car stickers
- Roxy car stickers
- Volcom car stickers
Be Seen with Custom Exterior Lights
If you can change a headlight with help from your instruction manual, you can give your car a totally new look in the space of an afternoon. It's easy to find aftermarket headlights, brake lights, indicator lights, and fog lamps that can make your car more visible and distinctive after dark.
More Exterior Customization Options
For the ultimate in vehicle customization, you can purchase body kits to completely transform the look of your car. Body kits include spoilers and other trim pieces to give your car a sporty, custom feel. Installing these kits can be a little tricky, so depending on your experience level, this might not be a do-it-yourself job.
Another option for serious exterior customization is custom tires and rims. Just as a pair of shoes can completely transform an outfit, your car's look can be dramatically changed depending on how you outfit the wheels. Changing tires and rims can be a complicated process and is another customization option that might be best left to professionals.
Interior Options to Customize Your Own Car
You spend a lot of time in your car, and it's important for the interior of your vehicle to reflect your personal style. Try out some of these ideas to make the inside of your car feel trendier.
Personalize the Gauges
When you're sitting in the driver's seat, the dashboard gauges are one of the most visible features in your car. You can change the look of your gauges with aftermarket gauge kits. These kits replace the existing gauges to provide an exciting new look. Some of these kits include lights to change the appearance of your dashboard at night. Installing can be tricky, but the result is worth the effort.
New Lights for a New Look
Lighting can dramatically change the atmosphere of a car, and with aftermarket lighting options, you can give your old car a new, sporty look. The manual for your car includes instructions for changing the bulb in your dome light. When you want a new look, simply replace the existing bulb with a colored bulb. You can also install neon lights below the seats or behind the rear window to add an even more personalized appearance.
Audio Customization Options
Music is another way to set the mood in your car, and a good car stereo is a must for any music lover. You can purchase various stereo components and have them installed at the shop, or with the right tools and a good set of instructions, you can install your new stereo yourself. A new CD player or MP3 unit will make your old car feel brand new again.
Other Interior Accessories
You can replace almost anything inside your car, from the floor mats to the gas pedal to the seats themselves. There are dashboard trim kits to give your dash a custom feel and custom shifter knobs to make shifting more comfortable and sporty. If you're handy with a needle, you can even make custom slip covers for your bucket seats. No matter what you choose, any change will help update your car's look.
Get Creative
You don't need a lot of money or a lot of time to transform the appearance of your old car. Just a few of these ideas to customize your own car will help you get a completely new look, and you'll be turning heads around town in no time at all.
