Today's Custom Car Trends Might Surprise You
By Teresa Ambord
When you hear the term, "custom car" you might automatically think of a souped-up Mustang or Camaro with a gas burning V-8, or an expensive factory-built sports car. These days, Honda Civic seems to be the hot car to load up with aftermarket parts.
You probably think of Honda Civics as good family cars, reliable and affordable. But for a person with a taste for hot cars, a Honda seems ho-hum--unless that person lives in southern California where some heavily customized Honda Civics are running quarter mile races in 12 seconds.
Other family cars are also showing up on the racetrack, including the Saturn Coupe, Dodge Neon, Mitsubishi Mirage, Dodge Contour, and Nissan Maxima. Believe it or not, these cars are not slouches on the racetrack, sometimes cornering as well as cars that cost three times as much.
Why the Change to Family Cars?
To a large extent, these cars replaced the Mustangs that used to be cheap to buy and to customize. When the price of Mustangs soared, people turned to more reasonably priced, but less flashy cars. As this trend caught on, aftermarket companies and tuner shops caught on too and responded by stocking an abundance of performance upgrades for the engines, and cosmetic equipment to sharpen up and personalize the exterior.
According to experts, these cars are far more durable and practical than the hot rods of earlier decades. A souped-up Dodge Neon that tears up the racetrack on Saturday can double as your commuter car during the workweek.
Exterior Customizing
So, where do you start if you want to customize your car? Spoilers have always been a favorite add-on. They are made of plastic or fiberglass, and bolt to your trunk lid. Ground effects body kits are also gaining popularity for those who want to personalize and beef up their cars. But don't try to install these yourself or you might end up with leaks or rust.
Another popular (and inexpensive) trend is blacked-out or clear headlight covers. Just be careful because they may block too much light. And before you do this, you'd be smart to check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles to make sure you don't run afoul of the law.
Other customizing favorites include: two-piece mesh grilles, plug-in neon light accents, and special seats.
High Performance Engines
Cars built since the early 80s usually have electronic brains intended to eek high fuel economy out of low-octane fuel. But you can boost performance by plugging in a reprogrammed engine-controller chip. Of course, you give up a little of that fuel economy and will need to switch to premium fuel.
If you don't mind the trade-off, a chip can boost your engine performance a minimum of 10 to 20 horsepower. No special tools are needed to install the chip, but you might need a lower-temperature thermostat to facilitate engine cooling. Before you install one, check with the manufacturer to see if adding it will affect your warranty or violate emissions laws.
Custom Car Magazines
Want more information? Check out these magazines. They're loaded with ideas on how to turn that family sedan you inherited from Grandma into a hot, custom car that will make you proud.
