11 Car Upgrades To Spruce Up Your Ride

Your car is your pride and joy, but don’t you ever get bored of the same old ride? Would you like to give it a little something extra, without spending an arm and a leg? 

There are a ton of car upgrades you can make to bring the look and feel of your vehicle into a new realm. Here are the best ones:

1. Exterior Paint

The exterior paint is the first thing people see when they pull up next to your ride, so why not pick a color that speaks to you? There are so many shades out there that reflect different emotions and personalities.

Today’s trends are towards bolder colors, with rich reds, deep blues, and bright yellows coming into popularity. Try silver or white if you want to go for something a little more traditional.

Another latest trend in exterior paint is matte finishes. These give your car an edgy look and help to keep it from getting too hot when parked in the sun. 

2. Aesthetic Window Tinting

Tinting windows are one of the best ways to add value and uniqueness to your vehicle while protecting your interior from the sun’s harmful rays.

Window tinting is a simple, non-intrusive addition to your car that can drastically change its look for the better. Many people opt for dark windows because it makes their vehicle feel more open and spacious. People also tend to associate darker cars with luxury and wealth. Auto glass repair and replacement companies like Discount Auto Glass offer a wide range of window tint options.

The ideal window tint varies from car to car, so it’s up to you to pick the right shade. Generally speaking, darker is better – unless you’re looking for a more subtle look for your ride.

3. Custom Wheels

You can’t go wrong with upgrading your vehicle’s rims to something that reflects your style and taste.

There are several different kinds of customizations that you can make to the wheels, and they all serve their purpose in making your car more fun and exciting to drive.

Adding a new coat of paint or powder coating to your existing wheels is an excellent option because it isn’t a pricey upgrade and can still give an all-new appearance to your vehicle. These types of wheel treatments are also resistant against chipping and peeling, so they’ll stay looking nice for many years.

Another popular upgrade is buying a new set of wheels altogether. You can find much larger or smaller wheels than the stock rims, ensuring that you get precisely what you want. Alloy or forged alloy rims are also popular today because they provide strength while reducing weight. They’re also pretty cheap to maintain compared to other types of wheels.

4. Exhaust System

Adding a new set of exhaust pipes can give your vehicle an edge over the competition. If you’re done with all of the same old sound coming from underneath your hood, try upgrading for an all-new experience.

Many kinds of exhaust systems are available, whether you want something high-tech or simple and traditional. You can either install an exhaust system yourself or have it done professionally.

When choosing the material of your exhaust, you have various options to choose from like stainless steel. It’s popular because of its resistance to corrosion and easy maintenance. Several heat shields can keep your car’s under-carriage safe from getting burned by hot exhaust gases.

5. Wood Trim

Adding wood trim to your vehicle’s interior is similar to adding custom exterior paint in that you’re giving it a unique look and feel that no one else will be able to recreate.

Wood comes in all sorts of different colors and finishes, so it’s easy to get creative when dressing up your car. You can stick with something ordinary like maple or cherry, or you can pick something more exotic like zebrawood or teak.

If you want the wood to be invisible, go for something like carbon fiber onlays for a truly unique look. People will wonder how you got such a pattern into the material. You can also go with something more planned, like a zebra-striped design that’s dramatically different than what you’d see in nature.

6. New Seats

Getting new seating is one of the most impactful ways to change your car’s interior around while still keeping comfortability and functionality for drivers and passengers.

If you don’t mind coming in for comfort, you can swap out your seats for something much cheaper. Replacing the upholstery on your existing seats is a great way to add some color or pattern, making it distinctive from the rest of your car’s interior.

For those with deeper pockets, you can upgrade to something more luxurious. Leather seating is just as comfortable as your old upholstery, but it looks and feels much different. It also requires little cleaning and upkeep because of its resistance to spills and stains.

On the flip side, you can get seats made from carbon fiber to save weight while also adding functionality. These seats are an excellent upgrade for those who plan to do a lot of track racing in their vehicle.

7. Backup Cameras

Another upgrade you can make to your car is a backup camera system. It’ll allow you to get a clear view of the area behind you while reversing, ensuring that you don’t hit something or someone while reversing into or out of your car’s parking spot or driveway.

There are two main types of backup cameras: wired and wireless. Wireless systems tend to be cheaper and easier to install, but wired systems are considered more reliable and offer better image quality.

Both types of camera systems work by sending a live video feed of what’s behind you, giving you a good view of the area while backing up your vehicle. They attach easily to an existing mirror and can be attached with adhesive or power-mounted in a custom installation.

8. Exterior Lighting

When it comes to exterior lighting, you have an almost endless number of options for picking out something unique and stylish.

One upgrade is to add color-changing LED lights to your car’s grille, headlights, and taillights. Because they’re powered by electricity, you don’t need to worry about draining your battery power or replacing batteries. You can easily plug them into the car’s 12V power outlet and then attach the lights with either adhesive or zip ties.

Another upgrade that can be made is changing out your factory headlights for updated projector units. These give off significantly more light and offer a broader range of visibility.

You can even go with something like an HID conversion kit if you want to customize your car’s exterior lighting. These conversion kits come with everything you need for installation, including all the necessary components to convert your stock halogen or xenon bulbs into something brighter and better for visibility at night.

9. Upgraded Audio Systems

No matter whether you’re a fan of dancing, drumming, cartoonish characters, or regular old rock music, getting an upgraded audio system for your car is a great way to make the interior more enjoyable for yourself and passengers. Replacing factory speakers with high-end aftermarket ones is usually inexpensive and significantly improves your audio enjoyment.

These replacement speakers aren’t just great for sound quality. They’re also a lot louder and come with more wattage than regular factory ones, making it possible to use them as the primary source of interior audio without worrying about overpowering nearby residents or other drivers on the road. 

10. New Dashboard

The dashboard in your car is the part that sits in front of you and displays all your vehicle’s details, like speed, RPMs, fuel level, etc. You can either replace it entirely or change individual components to make the dashboard unique.

For example, if you want something better-looking than what comes with your factory dashboard, you might want to shop for custom aftermarket inserts. These vinyl overlays attach directly over your factory dashboard and give it a more stylish appearance with the look you want.

One of the most popular choices is carbon fiber, which has become increasingly popular because of its use in high-performance sports cars. Another upgrade you can make is the car’s steering wheel. You can find leather or suede steering wheel covers that match your desired interior design and give you a more stylish appearance than what comes with your factory model.

11. Engine Upgrades

Finally, if you’re a car enthusiast who’s really into modifying and optimizing your ride for better performance, then engine upgrades can be a great way to do it.

Though they don’t come cheap, these modifications are faster and more powerful than their stock counterparts. Because of this, they allow cars to go from 0-60 much more quickly.

Since they’re the parts that turn your car’s engine, performance air filters can also improve airflow and help increase horsepower, which makes it possible for cars to go faster.

For those car enthusiasts who want to take their engine modifications one step further, there are even companies that create turbo kits and supercharger kits that fit onto the car’s factory engine. It’s one of the most expensive upgrades, but it can also help dramatically increase a vehicle’s power output and speed.

Final Note

Car upgrades can be a great way to make your car stand out – no matter what kind of car you drive. You can make a custom appearance with aftermarket products, improve the car’s overall performance for better driving speeds and handling, or just get something that looks good.

Whatever you choose, just remember to stay within your budget and do plenty of research before buying anything, so you know you’re getting the best product for what you want.