Car Customisation

The whole team here love car customisation. We take great pride in restoring and repairing diamond cut alloys as wheels like this can really change the look of a car. Here are some of our favourite customisation tips.

Fit Better Quality Brakes

We don’t need to tell you how important having good brakes are for your car. What brakes will suit you and your car really comes down to how you use your car. If you only take short journeys around town, then the brakes your car came with will suffice.

Another important element is how you use your brakes. Some people are a little more brake happy than others. If you use your brakes more than others you will experience brake wear and tear and this will render them less effective in the long run.

Maybe you like the idea of owning a car that’s capable of high performance. If that is the case, upgrading your vehicle braking system might be a good option. If you have professionally tuned your car’s engine to accelerate faster and generally drive faster, a better grade of the brake would be required.

There are many parts to a car’s braking system that you could upgrade. Pad’s, callipers, brake lines and rotors are all areas you could upgrade. Just ensure you make upgrade decisions that work well with your vehicle.

Install An Up to Date Sound System

There’s nothing quite like cruising along on road trips with the sounds blasting out. Getting prepared for a long road trip is an exciting prospect.

Ensuring you are comfortable, have plenty of food and drink is essential. But, a great sound system is a bonus accomplice. Prepare your favourite artists and songs on your road trip playlist. Your tunes for your road trip will be better experienced with an up to date sound system!

Most sound systems that come with new cars these days are pretty good. However, there are those that are a little tinny and cheap.

Modern cars have adapted to embrace new technology which certainly beats having your favourite compilation cassette tape getting chewed up by your car’s stereo! So, if the sound system that came with your car is the original and is not so good, consider an upgrade.

Drive in Comfort and Style

Having a sporty or custom looking car is the aim of the game. We’re guessing that you will still want to take it on long journeys, adventures and road trips.

Long trips mean hours sitting down and if your car’s seat isn’t comfortable, you’ll arrive at the other end with a sore bum! There’s nothing worse than sitting in a bucket seat that was designed for a racing car. Might look great but not very practical.

If you are looking to upgrade your car’s seating then you will find a plethora of choices. Different colours, materials, shapes and sizes. Something sporty or something comfy? An important decision to make. 

If you are only planning on changing the drivers or front seats then your seat purchasing decision will be fairly straightforward. Do you have children?

If you do and you are planning on changing all seats then your decision will be more complex. There are certain safety laws that you will have to adhere to so be sure to research and investigate in depth.

You can do your best to take the utmost care of your prized car. It’s always in pristine condition and you receive many compliments on just how good it looks.

During the weekly washing of your car, a ritual that keeps it looking in top nick, you find something that really disappoints you. It disappoints you because of the care and attention you invest in your car. But, unfortunately, some things cannot be helped.

Stone chips are going to happen no matter how careful you are. It’s a shame but unless your car stays parked on the drive, it’s inevitable.

So let’s cover some tips and advice on how you can fix these annoying stone chips.

First, let’s start by saying that you love taking your custom or vintage car out for a ride. If you have knowledge of the roads you’ll be driving on then you’ll know which ones are more prone to loose stone chippings. Obviously, you want to avoid the roads that have a lot of loose stone chippings.

Another important thing to think about is that most stones are thrown up in the air from the back of a car. If you have a lot of stone chips you may want to not drive too close to the car in front.

There are many things that you can do to avoid getting stone chips including having a protective film fitted on your paintwork. Stone chips do not look good and can lead to rust over time.

So what if you currently have stone chips on your car, what can you do?

Here are some tips for you:

Carefully clean the chip with some alcohol or solvent. This serves two purposes, it protects the inner paintwork from becoming rusty but will also make the new paint bind better to the chip indentation.

You want to make sure that all dirt, dust and residue is removed from the chip. You may on occasions need to use a very small wire brush to clean deeper. If you can see signs of rust then clean thoroughly and apply a special rust stopper.

Bear in mind that your car’s paintwork may consist of an undercoat, topcoat and in some cases a metallic finish and a clear lacquer. A lot of paint touch up kits consist of thick paint which makes the job a lot harder. We have found that the smaller nail varnish style of pots work the best.

Apply a base coat. Use a light base coat for light paints but you can get away with any colour of your topcoat is dark paint.

Apply the main coat. Build this up using 5 to 8 very thin layers of paint and be sure to leave about 60 minutes in between the different layers.

Once you have finished applying the 5 to 8 coats gently rub down with some wet and dry sandpaper to take the new paint below the surface of the old paint. Blend in the new paint with the existing paint using a circular motion.

Lastly, apply the metallic or clear lacquer top coat.

So, you’ve fallen in love with car customisation and modification. You spend a lot of your time buying cars that are in bad condition. You restore them then customise and turn them into mean machines before selling them on.

Many young people enjoy customising their cars. It’s worth noting though that there are laws on what you can and can’t do with modifying cars in the UK.

Car Customisation

Customising a car is a fun pastime but it’s not fun if you break the law, end up with a fine or even worse have your car taken away.

Whatever modification you want to make to your car it would be wise to consult the UK traffic act to see where your proposed customisation fits in. You want to ensure that after the modification, the car is still seen as roadworthy and also compliant with the law.

Laws of course change all the time so make sure you check the traffic act anytime you decide to modify your car. 

Car Insurance Implications

Another important thing to note is making sure your insurance company is aware of any modifications that are made to your vehicle. These modifications may impact your insurance premium and failing to disclose this information may make your insurance policy void.

Let’s discuss some specific modifications and the impact they have with regard to the law.

Under car lights or neons seem to be a growing trend. They look fantastic at night but are they legal in the UK. Well, kind of. Some are and some aren’t. The laws and the rules on under-car neons are very strict so it would pay to seek additional advice on the matter.

Popular Car Customisations

Window tinting is another popular car customisation. Not only do tinted windows look sleek, but they can also protect from sun glare when the sun is low in the winter and keep out a lot of the sun’s heat in the Summer. Some window tints like very dark tints could be breaking the law.

There are actually different rules for window tints depending on whether it’s for the front, rear or side windows. Again, consult with a legal professional who understands the laws governing car customisation.

If there’s one thing that can turn heads, it’s the sound of a meaty exhaust as a car revs as it passes down the street. Big exhausts are another popular car modification choice.

Many car owners fear that their cars won’t pass their MOT with a big exhaust fitted. But, the size of the exhaust is not tested in an MOT, the technician will test for emissions not the exhaust’s size.

It is worth noting that many of the large bore exhausts are actually illegal in the UK so again be sure to check with a legal expert.

Young Drivers

Many young drivers like to be fancy with their number plates. If it’s a personal number plate you’re looking for then you’ll find that there are specific guidelines on what you can and can’t do.

Your best bet is to find a registered number plate provider who has a good understanding of the laws that govern number plates.

This will give you the peace of mind to browse their product selection with the knowledge that whatever number plate you purchase will comply with the laws.

As we’ve reiterated in this post, whatever modification you intend to make, check with a legal professional before you spend your hard-earned money or waste your time getting it all fitted.