Your car and your home have a lot in common. Both are big purchases. Both (hopefully) are yours for a while. And it’s important that both reflect the person who owns them. For some, that last part can be tricky.
Driving around Houston, you usually don’t have to look very hard to find someone who has modified their car. Some people do it for performance. Others do it to make their car look cooler. However, these modifications can actually hurt the value of your vehicle, and, in some cases, might even be illegal.
Before you consider modifying your vehicle, make sure you know which modifications could harm your car’s value, or worse, get you a ticket!
Loud Mufflers
We’re all for freedom of expression, but you might want to think twice before installing a larger/louder muffler on your car. While they can make your car more powerful and more fuel efficient, many people also consider them obnoxious. These can eventually hurt your car’s resale value, and earn you some annoyed looks from neighbors and passersby.
Aftermarket Rims/Wheels
In most cases, there’s nothing wrong with taking part in a trend. When it comes to your car, however, you might want to think twice. Adding spinners, spikes, or chrome wheels to your car might look good now, but when it’s time to trade-in, your car can wind up looking dated and unappealing to dealers or potential buyers. Such modifications can be easily switched out, but doing so creates yet another expense that you might not want to deal with later.
Modified Lights
In most cases, the manufacturers know what they’re doing when it comes to light strength and placement. While putting stronger lights on a truck or off-road vehicle can be a good safety precaution, in general, aftermarket lights can both lower the resale value of your car and even earn you some expensive fines from the police!
Stronger headlights have their uses, but colored lights are another story. In the state of Texas, all motor vehicles are required by law to have two working headlights that emit white light. Additionally, they must have a DOT (Department of Transportation) or SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) seal of approval on them.
Aftermarket colored lights that aren’t properly certified won’t just cause you legal trouble. Cheap lights fade quickly and can cause water to leak into your car’s chassis, resulting in some major repair bills!
Giant Spoilers
On the right car, and scaled to the correct proportions, a spoiler can look very stylish and functional. Unfortunately, aftermarket spoilers are often the exact opposite. An oversized spoiler (or wings) can look extremely awkward on a smaller car, and act as a giant red flag to police officers trying to catch speeders. Not to mention, aftermarket spoilers are rarely on a used car buyer’s wish list, which will negatively impact your trade-in rate when it’s time to sell.
Consult the Pros
Not all modifications or upgrades are bad for your car or its resale value. If you’re looking to upgrade your parts or maintain the ones you already have, trust the ASE-certified technicians at Colony One to steer you in the right direction. To get started, just bring your car by the shop, give us a call, or request a service online today!
(Click here to see an official list of illegal car modifications from the Texas Department of Transportation.)