The world of car modifications – not just here in the UK, but around the globe – is certainly an “interesting” one. And by “interesting”, we mean… sometimes decidedly wild. And really, that should be no great surprise. A lot of us take considerable pride in our cars, and might go as far as to modify them as a way of expressing our personalities.
One of the first things that anyone will mention in any discussion of cosmetic modifications to cars, though, is the insurance side of things.
In short, if you modify your vehicle in a manner that enhances its performance or takes it a significant distance away from the manufacturer’s specification, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay more for insurance. Even worse, you could risk any existing car insurance policy you have being invalidated if you fail to tell your insurer about any modifications you intend to make.
Can even merely visual changes to a vehicle pose these insurance risks? Well, yes, particularly as such popular alterations as tinted windows and spoilers won’t necessarily have a purely cosmetic impact. The AA has a more detailed guide to what you need to think about when it comes to car modifications and your insurance.
So, putting all the above mundane stuff to one side – what cosmetic modifications do we reckon you should consider making to your vehicle? Below are a few of our favourites.
1. Car door lights
Let’s start with something a little low-profile, not least to demonstrate that a car modification doesn’t have to be extravagant in order to be epic.
As the term suggests, these are lights that project a design or motif on the ground when someone opens the door of a car that incorporates them. While some cars have door lights like this as standard, it’s possible to purchase custom car door lights online, projecting all manner of designs such as animals or car marque logos.
2. Wheels and tyres
This is a good example of a potentially very striking cosmetic change to a vehicle that can also present some practical issues, to which you must be vigilant.
Fitting wheels that are larger than those your car originally came with, for instance, could bring a risk of these wheels being taught on the wheel arch when you turn the car. New wheels can also alter how your car handles, which is another reason why we would urge you to only have wheels and tyres fitted to your vehicle that are approved by the car’s manufacturer.
3. Tinted windows
There’s no doubt that tinted windows on a car can look cool – so of course, we had to include them in this list. But it’s also true that they aren’t just an aesthetic enhancement; tinting can be helpful, for example, in filtering out potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, and slowing down the rate at which your vehicle’s upholstery fades over time.
Again, though, there are practical factors to think about when it comes to this particular car modification. You should be mindful, for instance, that while tinted glass might make driving on a particularly sunny day easier, you may struggle to see the road as clearly when it gets dark.
There are also certain regulations that apply to tinted vehicle windows, and if the tinting of your own car’s windows breaks the rules, you run a risk of getting slapped with a ‘prohibition notice’, penalty notice, or court summons.
4. Fluffy dice
You don’t need to invest much time or money in order to have a really impactful, and fun, visual modification to your vehicle – you could literally just hang something from the rear-view mirror.
We’ve suggested a set of fluffy dice, but there are all kinds of other ornaments that you could try – just take a look at the relevant category for them on Etsy. And of course, make sure you choose something that wouldn’t be socially embarrassing or even distract you while driving.
5. Personalised number plates
There’s a booming market for personalised number plates these days, and rightly so. This is an eye-catching car modification that shouldn’t affect your insurance premium, and here at Advanced Reg, we make it quick and straightforward for motorists like you to find a custom plate that they love.
Again, though, there are certain rules to bear in mind for how to display your vehicle number plates, with failure to comply potentially attracting a fine of up to £1,000.
Are you in the mood to discover your dream personalised plate today? If so, our convenient online search feature is ready and waiting for you to browse our database of over 50 million registrations.
