Aftermarket Vehicle Upgrades Take Your Ride From Drab to Fab
We’ve all felt it before – the twinge of envy that surges through us when a sexy, tricked-out ride goes zipping past us on the freeway. You may find yourself thinking, Man, if only I could win the lottery… as that souped-up beauty glides into the horizon.
Good news – you never have to feel that way again! While many of us may not have the budget to buy a super-sleek, customized hot rod straight from the manufacturer, most of us do have the extra dough to make a few aftermarket upgrades. With the wide variety of auto upgrades and accessories available these days, you have quite a few options when it comes to turning your car into your dream ride. But where should you start?
Below, we share some of our favorite aftermarket vehicle upgrades that make a big impact without wasting a lot of green.
Show the Exterior a Little Love
Yep, this first one is simple, but highly effective (and one of the most inexpensive tips on this list). When you have a car that isn’t your favorite thing in the world, it can be tough to muster the motivation to care for it. We promise, though – this is worth your time investment.
Taking the time to buff small scratches out of your vehicle and pull out minor dents can go a long way in making it look new again. You can certainly take your car to any reputable body shop to have this done; in fact, we recommend it if you don’t know a thing about cars. That being said, if you consider yourself to be a handy person, and you feel comfortable, there are kits and tools you can purchase to fix some of these minor flaws yourself.
Combine that with a good wash, polish, and wax, you may not even recognize your car once it’s all said and done!
Get Your Vehicle Professionally Detailed
Again, simple yet effective, and only a slightly larger investment than option #1. While car detailing does focus on cleaning and polishing the exterior of your vehicle, it also places a heavy emphasis on the interior as well, and it’ll certainly increase your car’s curb appeal (see what we did there?).
This is different from running your car through the local car wash and vacuuming out the interior. When you get your car, truck, or SUV professionally detailed, you can expect a full deep clean from the top down. Vacuuming and shampooing carpets and mats, cleaning the grime in creases and under levers, wiping down all surfaces with the appropriate cleaning chemicals, polishing mirrors and windows, and more are all included in a quality professional detail job. If you’ve never had your vehicle professionally detailed, we can guarantee you’ll be shocked – in a good way – by the results.
Tint Your Windows
Now we’re getting to the fun stuff. Window tinting installation for your car not only makes your car look slick on the exterior, but it also protects the interior of your vehicle. Car window tint, as the name would imply, gives a dark tint to your windows, which in turn blocks out much of the sun’s harmful UV rays. While the amount and spectrum of UV light blocked varies depending on the percentage and type of tint you get, you can expect your car’s interior surfaces to last much longer if you have window tint installed.
For this upgrade, we recommend you go to a professional for installation. While there are DIY kits out there, most are made of low-quality polymer film that will crack, peel, and bubble after just a year or two. By going to a professional window tint installer, you can rest assured knowing that your investment will last for years to come. To find a reputable installer, just search “window tinting near me” and you’re sure to find plenty of results.
New Wheels & Tires
Last but not least, investing in a new set of sleek, super-cool new wheels (and tires to go along with them) is a great way to completely transform the look of your vehicle. Whether you want some hot chrome wheels, or a streamlined, all-black look, there are countless options out there for you to choose from.
This is another upgrade that you can pretty easily do yourself, but do make sure you get the correct size of wheels and tires for your vehicle. Your owner’s manual should tell you the exact specs on your wheels and tires. Otherwise, you may find yourself returning them, or shelling out more money for a lift kit or other modifications to adequately accommodate a different wheel size.
Limited Budget, Endless Opportunities
These are just a few of the many aftermarket upgrades you can make to your vehicle, but each one of these things will give your vehicle a serious facelift. And, as a bonus, you’ll still be able to afford gas to put in that hot new ride once the upgrades are complete!
