It’s not uncommon for people to get bored of their car and to begin searching for ways to personalise it and make it something that represents their personality and lifestyle. There is always the fear that the personalisation of a vehicle can make it look tacky and unattractive, so searching for ways in which you can reduce this risk is important. To help you with this, we’ve listed a number of personalisation options that you can consider without going over the top.
Renovate The Interior
This may seem like a fairly vague suggestion, but that is because there are quite a few things you can change about your car’s interior. When we talk about this, though, we specifically mean the inner sides of the body of the car. For example, things like door handles, the dashboard, the roof, and all the other plastic mouldings inside the vehicle. You can change these away from the generic and rather unsightly dark grey you’d find in most cars today. Consider going for a specific colour scheme for the vehicle, matching the interior to one of the colours on the exterior of the car, for example. You could also opt for a sleek neutral tone, yet one that steers clear of the boring colours you’d find in a car that’s come straight off the factory line. For example, a jet black or pure white can be an eye-catching and fresh look without being unpleasant.
Add Custom Upholstery
You could also look into getting some customised upholstery for the car. Changing the seats in your car is a great way to both update the look and implement comfier materials to sit on. While most seats will be made of leather or faux leather materials, there are still plenty of other options if you’d prefer something different. As well as the materials, you can also get a variety of different designs, in terms of colour, pattern, and stitching to name a few things. There are many reasons to get your car reupholstered, as well as simply to revitalise the look of the interior, and you’ll find plenty of advice online if you want to take on the task yourself. Otherwise, it’s worth finding a talented expert who can take on the job for you.
Consider Using Seat Covers
If you want to change the look of your seats but aren’t able to fork out for the expense of a full reupholstery job, then you could instead opt for adding seat covers to your car. These can help to change the look of your seats without completely removing the materials and paying for new ones to be applied. These are also fantastic options if you’re trying to reduce the amount of dirt and grime in your car, which is especially common for people who have kids and pets. You can choose some great designs for your seat covers, adding a touch of subtle personalisation to the car, and then you can remove and wash them regularly, too. This will keep them looking and smelling fresh for much longer.
Revamp Your Steering Wheel
There are a number of ways you can change the steering wheel of your car. First of all, you could, in theory, replace the whole steering wheel, which can be especially useful if you’ve noticed any issues with steering responsiveness, for example. Although, this isn’t the only reason someone may want to replace it. The use of a steering wheel over the years can leave it looking tattered and worn, and many consider buying a brand-new steering wheel alongside other features such as the gear stick, indicator levels, and the centre console, for example. A new steering wheel can not only look great, but it can also provide you with better control over the car. It’s important to consider getting a skilled mechanic to replace these for you, as doing so without the proper knowledge and experience could be dangerous if you don’t connect everything correctly.
Use A Personalised Number Plate
A common consideration for people when personalising their vehicle is to get themselves a custom registration plate. However, if you do decide to do this for your car, it’s important that you do it correctly. Purchasing private number plates from legitimate vendors is very important, and it’s also essential that you check that plate can be used on your car. A registration plate dictates a number of important things about your car rather than simply being an identifier for law enforcement. A number plate dictates the age of a vehicle and things such as where the car was manufactured. For example, a car made in 2016 in London may have a number plate of LA16 BXN, for example, with the following three letters simply being a random combination to keep each vehicle unique. It’s only really important that you don’t use a plate that makes your car look younger than it is, such as putting a 2022 plate on a car built in 2016, for example.
Add Some Floor Mats
Another thing you might consider adding to your car would be custom floor mats for the footwells. Wear and tear is very common in this area of a car, and thick, heavy-duty, yet beautifully designed floor mats are a popular way to remedy this. These floor mats can protect your car against dirt and water and improve the overall comfort of the car due to their padding. As well as providing added comfort and protection for your car, they can also look great and could be the perfect addition to a newly upholstered interior. Not only that, but they also help keep your car’s floor in good condition, helping to maintain a healthy resale value for the future.
Use Some Extra Lights
There are some laws to follow when it comes to what lights you can add to your car, but internally, you’re generally free to put whatever you want in the car as long as it isn’t distracting for you and other drivers. Remember that the police have a right to get you to turn these lights off if they judge them to be a distraction. When it comes to external lighting, there are some strict rules to follow. Headlights, brake lights and hazard lights must all follow regulations for safety purposes. These can be changed into different shapes and must produce either a white or yellow colour. They also must shine at the correct brightness as laid out in the law. Undercar neon lights are allowed, but you must avoid certain colours, such as blue, green, and red, to avoid being confused with an emergency service vehicle. They also cannot be too bright, the neon tubes must be entirely hidden underneath the car, and you must be able to turn them off separately, too.
Tint Your Windows
A popular option for customising a car is to add a tint to the windows. However, it’s worth remembering that there are laws that dictate exactly how much of a tint you can have on your windows. Knowing how to tint car windows is important, too, as the process can be fairly complicated for those that aren’t experienced with it, but the most important aspect of this is not over-tinting the windows, as you’ll risk getting into trouble with the law. It’s said that, in the UK, you cannot tint your windscreen to the point where it lets less than 75% of the light through. Your other windows can be slightly more tinted, but they still have to let at least 70% of the light through them.
