Custom Cars – How to Customise Your Vehicle
As the plethora of magazines, websites, hints, tips and videos on YouTube testify, customising cars and kit cars is an increasingly popular hobby the world over. With a huge amount of after sales in car finishes and accessories, customising and kit cars have become a large, addictive motoring genre, which can suit most budgets and is a hobby which can be taken as far as you fancy, from small changes to a whole custom build. Street cars or race cars can be modified to improve both styling and performance, depending on your intended final use of the car.
Customisation can take all sorts of forms, from paintwork, decals, accessories to engine replacement, with full body kits available, or instead you can take the road of a full kit car to truly create the vehicle of your dreams. You may choose to undertake the work yourself, or employ one of a select few engineers who will fully consult with you and discover exactly what you are trying to achieve whilst creating a beautiful professional finish.
Planning your customisation carefully and thoroughly is absolutely crucial, as it can be a very time consuming and expensive hobby, and of course you want to get the perfect result without having to undo any important technical work. Decide which aspects you want to customise:
Engine
Of course the engine will go a long way towards improving the performance of your custom car, making it faster, more reliable and more pleasant to drive, but unless you really do have all the information at hand and the skills to use it, this really is a job best left to the professionals. You can also modify braking systems and exhaust systems, again improving performance and reliability.
Upholstery / interior
Adding in a new, custom designed interior, be it a restoration of the cars original interior or a full design job, can really add luxury and comfort. Modern gadgets can be quite intriguing in classic cars, and a striking interior will definitely stamp your personality on your car
Exterior / paint / bodywork
There are many ways in which you can customise the exterior of your vehicle. Custom paint and decals in striking and bright colours are very popular in the custom world, as are body kits to add shape and definition. You can also customise tyres, mirrors, plates and more, all of which will completely alter the image of your vehicle. A custom show is an excellent starting point for inspiration. Do talk to those in your chosen supplier as to what finishes are available, and the practicality and longevity of your chosen work.
Engine Tuning click here for a full list.
Trim Specialists, Upholstery and Coachtrimmers click here for a full list.
Paintwork and Refinishing click here for a full list.