6 Car Mods You Can Make On Your Own

by Staff | Last updated 10th December, 2019 | Posted in Contributed Posts

Many people are happy to take the stock issued accessories in their cars and be happy with those. They get the job done and if the car goes from Point A to Point B without exploding in a fiery ball, that’s considered a success for many people.

But for those who like to customize their ride, purchasing a car is just the first step of many to perfecting the vehicle. There are plenty of changes that can be made and parts that can be upgraded.

Some people head to the shop, but no matter how great your mechanic is, he’s always going to be more expensive than doing some of these customizations yourself.

Even if you’re just getting into car customization, there are a few upgrades you can make on your own with the help of the instructions (provided they are any), YouTube, and other resources.

For beginners or those looking to take their mechanic level up a notch, here are a few upgrades that you can do at home in your own garage.

 

The Backup Camera

Yes, not exactly the flashiest upgrade for your car but having a backup camera has gone from unique feature to becoming the norm in most vehicles. If your car doesn’t have one, then you can take care of it in a few simple steps.

The trickiest part about installation is figuring out the wiring and making sure it doesn’t protrude out in the open. We recommend using a screwdriver to help you hide those wires so they don’t get caught on any wayward hands or feet.

Soon, you’ll be backing up and parallel parking with greater ease.

Head Unit

Your head unit can do plenty of things, from mirroring your phone to providing GPS navigation. Many even come outfitted with a DVD player for all those times you’re stuck waiting in your car.

Head units come in all sorts of shapes and sizes with various specifications, so finding the right one for you may be the hardest part. Other than that, installation on these technological advancements is pretty simple to handle.

Surprisingly, many head units work better with older cars as newer models tend to have oddly or unevenly shaped dashboards. But if you’re up for a challenge, you could certainly give it a go.

Speakers

It doesn’t matter if you’re not the biggest music fan, the average person can instantly notice the difference between a low-quality and a high-quality speaker system.

You’ve got lots of options when it comes to speakers, from installing an entire system, a coaxial speaker, or just mounting a sub.

Each speaker is different and mounting a shallow mount sub is much easier than mounting a traditional sub. You’ll want to make sure you’re using high-quality cables and wires as well in order to bring out the best sound quality.

Wind Deflectors

Perhaps one of the easiest mods you can make, wind deflectors are inexpensive changes that will improve your car’s overall performance. You might see them called rain guards online or in stores.

They make your car more aerodynamic and cut through the wind more effectively. Once again, it’s better for you if you go with a higher quality model instead of cheap plastic guards you might find.

Brake Pads

Brakes aren’t exactly something to write home about, but they are incredibly important for the long-term health of your car. Not only is it easy, but it’s also pretty cheap and can be done in an afternoon.

If you’re going to change your brake pads, we recommend doing something more than simply pickup up a new set at your local auto store. Make sure you find some that are best for your vehicle in order to stop it effectively and predictably.

Engine Control Unit

We all want to get the most out of our vehicle, and a huge part of that is efficient gas mileage. You’re certainly familiar with some basic tips about how to better your gas mileage, but there’s another, sneakier way you can do at home.

Your car has an engine control unit (ECU) which controls the fuel-air mixture in the engine. Its stock issued and many manufacturers tend to set this well below the engine’s true capacity as a safety measure.

By reprogramming the unit, you can easily open up your engine to all new sorts of performance, one of which is improved gas mileage.