It never failed. Throughout my three year tenure as a car salesperson, I would routinely see young folks bring in their cars to trade, cars that were tricked out with all manner of aftermarket wheels, dams, skirts, spoilers, sound systems, custom interiors, all of which amounted to thousands of dollars. Soon thereafter I would witness the look of abject shock on their faces when told that the ten thousand dollars’ worth of mod work they had done amounted in little more than a one or two thousand dollar trade in.
Sorry, but while it may be appealing to you, the notion that many other folks are going to want a 1991 Acura tricked out to the gills is a fairly imaginative one. It just isn’t going to happen. If you insist on making such sweeping alterations to your vehicle, then be prepared to hang on to it for a very long time, or to receive very little in the way of cash for it if and when you decide to sell it. Don’t look at aftermarket parts as an investment that you will ever recoup. At the end of the day, pouring your money into the fire is only a slightly less entertaining proposition than attaching them to your car.
That being said, can you modify your car and not take a financial beating later on? Of course, there is no law that says “Thou shalt leave thy car stock”. Make some changes, and make it uniquely yours. The trick is to not make any change that you cannot undo when the time comes to trade in the old sled.
Among the car modifications that won’t hurt (and may actually help) the value of your car:
Rims or custom wheels of high quality and appropriate size. Let’s face it; most stock wheels are pretty darn ugly. A nice set of custom rims can improve your car’s overall aesthetic quite nicely.
Navigation systems. These are becoming almost standard equipment, so the addition of such is a welcome one.
DVD players, sound systems, or satellite radio. See above.
Leather seats. Aftermarket leather is in many cases nicer than stock leather interiors. A well done leather finish can add much in the way of appeal and value to your car.
Sunroofs or moon roofs can also add value, provided they were installed by a qualified tech, not your cousin Bubba and his three magic hammers.
Of course for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and the fact is that most mods done to cars nowadays are fiberglass monstrosities that would make the T-Birds from GREASE roll over in their collective cinematic graves. Just a few of the more infamous:
Overpowered stereos or boom box systems. If they are that obnoxious at the stop light, who actually thinks normal people would want to pay cash for the privilege?
Aftermarket superchargers or turbochargers. You only install these for one reason. How do you say “rode hard, put up wet”?
Loud exhaust systems and lowered suspensions, because they violate not only good taste but most likely the manufacturer’s warranty.
Paint jobs of an unusual or textured finish. This makes it all but impossible to repaint or touch up or match in the event of an accident.
Some also suggest avoiding illegal window tints, however, most tinting can be reversed or removed for a nominal cost. My last car had illegal tint, but the police ignored me for three years….until the evening before I went out and traded it. Fortunately the cop had a sense of humor and let me off…it is a fairly useless thing to get ticketed and fined for.
So enjoy your car, make it your own, but don’t go so far that somebody else cannot eventually make it their own as well.
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