There are plenty of ways to customize the look of your car, but most of them will leave you with a cool looking car and an empty wallet. You don’t have to break the bank to make your daily driver look a bit cooler. Here are seven cheap and easy ways to improve your vehicle’s look.
1. Deep Clean Everything
Nothing looks less cool than a dirty car. Take the time to clean your ride inside and out, including under the hood. We’re talking a deep clean here, every nook and cranny of your car — under the seats, in the lines of the dashboard, in the trunk, under the floor mats, and under the hood. Cleaning your car makes it look brand new and it costs you next to nothing, especially if you already have cleaning supplies at home.
2. Upgrade Your Headlights
While you might need your regular headlights when you’re driving on regular streets, you don’t need to stick with boring white when you’re showing your daily driver off. A headlight conversion kit can change up your headlight color from white to yellow, blue, or even purple, and you can pick up one of these kits for less than $100.
You can even get lights to upgrade your hood insignia with a light behind it, to make it pop when you’re showing off in low light.
3. Install a Dash Kit
After years of being exposed to the sun, your dash probably needs a little bit of TLC to restore it to its former glory. While you can replace the dash complete, that can be expensive and time-consuming. Instead of wasting your time and money, consider covering your dash with a dash kit. These sit on top of your existing dash or trim, and come in a variety of different finishes, from wood and chrome to carbon fiber and brushed aluminum, and can breath new life into your sun-bleached dashboard.
4. Upgrade Your Muffler
Your stock muffler is designed to make your car as quiet as possible, but why would you want to hide the purr of that power under the hood? Of course you can go from cheap to super expensive, but you can also upgrade your muffler for less than $100 to improve performance and give your daily driver the voice it deserves. Rev the engine and hear it roar!
5. Repair The Exterior
Nothing messes with your car’s aesthetic more than dents in the fenders and scratches in the paint. Take the time to repair any damage to your car’s exterior. Find the paint color code for your particular make and model, and find some aftermarket spray paint or touch-up paint in the exact color. Dents can be tricky but for small ones, you might be able to pull them out with a suction cup. Clean up the exterior and it will change the entire look of your car.
6. Tint The Windows
You don’t have to pay a ton of money to have your windows professionally tinted. It can actually be pretty cheap. All you need is a couple of rolls of tint and some patience. In addition to making your car look cooler, it can keep the interior temperature down and protect your dash and seats from the harsh rays of the sun. Just make sure that your tint isn’t so dark that it’s against the law — each state has its own set of rules for how dark window tint can be.
7. Upgrade the Insignia
The stock manufacturer insignia will tell anyone who looks which company made your car but other than that, it’s pretty boring. Why not spring for a little bling? You can get sparkly, bejeweled, or even light-up insignias that fit on your hood or trunk to give your car a touch of personality.
Don’t Break the Bank
You don’t need to break the bank to make your car look cooler. Try a few of these cheap tips and tricks and see how much better your car looks afterward.
