Modified cars, as it turns out, are extremely cool. From full-scale time attack or safari builds down to the simplest everyday mods, something about making a car unique just makes it more interesting. We asked for your favorite car mods this morning, and here are some of the best answers.
Wheels (and the tires that are attached to them).
Changing the wheels can totally make (0r ruin!) the look of the car. Changing the size and compound of the tires along with the wheels can do dramatic things for nearly every element of the car’s performance. If you pony up for lightweight wheels it’ll also reduce the unsprung weight which gives even more advantages.
A good set of wheels and tires isn’t cheap but dollar for dollar it’s one of the best mods you can buy.
Mighty Car Mods did the math, and the results are clear: the best performance bang-for-buck is tires and wheels. With just a few nuts per corner, you can decrease unsprung weight, increase grip, and improve the looks of your car.
Submitted by: As Du Volant
These are not hardcore Jalop answers, but for an average daily driver car: 1) tinted windows, 2) aftermarket speaker upgrades, 3) a hitch receiver
Window tint is a vastly underrated car modification. As a former station wagon owner, sometimes your car just has too much glass — and becomes a greenhouse on hot days. A tasteful tint will keep the worst of the sun at bay, but still let you see other drivers at night.
Submitted by: spookiness
-Stage 1/1.5 ecu tune. Utilizing the stock engine hardware. Just wakes the damn car up, especially turbo engines.
-Tires, love my Vredestein Quatrac 5's!
-Rain X windshield fluid and good wipers like BOSCH
Modification “stages” often vary between manufacturers and models, but a Stage 1 tune is generally accepted to be “no physical parts changed, just a new ECU map.” Not only does that make it cheaper and simpler, it’s also totally reversible when you sell the car (or take it in for warranty work).
Submitted by: EvilGreenMan
Wheels in +1" over stock plus a tasteful lowering (usually an inch or so).
Never the wrong answer.
Bigger wheels can be heavier, but that’s not a given — a lightweight wheel design, just an inch larger in diameter than stock, can still make for some considerable weight savings. A slightly lower suspension can lower your center of gravity for better handling. Beyond that, though, a taller wheel and a reasonable suspension drop can just look better. Isn’t that a benefit on its own?
Submitted by: MrPrevention
Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is something to seriously look into if your car didn’t come with it.
CarPlay and Android Auto are one of the greatest interior amenity innovations in modern cars. Not only do they generally seem more up-to-date than the maps included in a car’s factory navigation system, but the ability to change your Spotify playlist on the fly is a lifesaver. Sometimes your vibe just shifts mid-drive, and the music must shift accordingly.
Submitted by: OMG, TTA!
My answer is very specific to my case but may apply to other people tracking moderately heavy cars: brake cooling ducts.
I’ve been taking my Z4 to the track for 3 years and struggled every single time with brake fade. I changed pads and disks multiple times to no avail, until I finally decided to get rid of heat instead of resist to it.
It cost me about 70$ and a pair of 3D printed intakes that I designed to finally fix that issue. One month later I was tearing around the track in 100°F temperatures with consistent brake performance using OK-ish pads. That changed the entire experience which is now 100% focused on my driving instead of the fear of eating it at the end of the straights.
Things like wheels and tires will work for nearly any vehicle, but sometimes you need to look at what your car specifically needs. For the Z4, it’s brake ducting. For my own FR-S, I needed to swap out the transmission synchros to improve cold-weather shifting. These modifications can be the most noticeable, since they directly affect the things that uniquely impact you and your car.
Submitted by: Texa
A dashcam! The shittiest dashcam is still better than no dash cam! Given the cost of a camera & how much it can save you in the event of an accident, it makes no sense to *not* have one in your car.
I have 2 in each of my vehicles (front + rear facing), as well as a backup when I’m renting or driving something that’s not mine.
I’ll contend that there’s a point where a dashcam is simply too cheap to function. In my old Jeep, I had an extremely cheap Amazon dashcam. In the heat of a New England summer, the glue holding the camera together melted off — the whole thing fell to pieces on the dash. A dashcam can be an absolutely worthwhile investment, but only if it is an investment. The cheap ones are just cheap.
Submitted by: Nekkid_Snek
Paint protection film. All other modifications there’s a downside. When you do them the benefits obviously outweigh the drawbacks but it won’t increase your car’s value at all and it might actually be a negative when you go to sell the car. PPF protects the car and keeps the covered parts looking like brand new. If it’s done right there’s no downside.
I have a friend who, without fail, will have paint protection film professionally applied to any vehicle he owns. I, by contrast, do not have a single panel on my car that doesn’t look like it’s been hit with a shopping cart. This somehow includes the roof. Do as I say, not as I do, and make sure your paint stays in good shape.
Submitted by: savethemanualsbmw335ix
The parts you touch on the interior are a good thing to change out if buying a used car. I recently decided I needed a cheap truck, so I found a rust free 05 F-150 for $5K. 190K miles but runs great. Once I drained and refilled every fluid, I turned my attention to the yucky interior bits. It had cloth seats that showed multiple stains. Found a place online that sold replacement leather seat upholstery for about $600. One weekend of sweat equity in stripping off the old fabric and working on the leather covers completely revitalized the seats. I also replaced the bottom foam on the drivers seat for another $120. Covered the steering wheel with a Wheelskins cover for $50. Then cleaned the hell out of every knob, stalk, control, etc. A few hours with a detailing brush and some Griots interior cleaner, and the entire interior now looks brand new. Truck had rubber floors from the factory, so no nasty carpet to address.
Made so much difference in my enjoyment of driving the truck. Now I can’t look around, see a stain, and wonder what caused that.
Think about how much time you spend in your car every year. Every gum wrapper that falls somewhere you can’t find, every dime that’s just out of reach under the seat. Now imagine that, every year, since the car first rolled off the assembly line. It’s no surprise every interior is grungy, but a vacuum, a brush, and some elbow grease can restore a lot of that former shine. Just don’t expect the new car smell back.
Submitted by: leftfield6
Auxiliary lights. They make most cars look cooler and they also improves night driving.
Upgrading factory headlights to HID or LED bulbs, as long as they’re properly aimed to as not to blind oncoming traffic, can greatly improve your nighttime safety behind the wheel. Tinting fog lights yellow can help cut through actual, thick fog. Neither of those, however, look as cool as a line of Hellas along your roof or grille.
Submitted by: Ecklesiastik