Modify my ride

Make a plan beforehand. If you're planning on pimping out your ride, it's a good idea to make an overall plan, taking the way each of your upgrades will affect the others. Some aesthetic changes will clash against each other. Even worse, you can run out of space to fit all of the pieces on your car. Run all of the ideas past a car expert before making any financial commitments to them. Paint your car. A fresh coat of paint is arguably the most transformative thing you can do to a car's appearance. If all you're looking for is a better look, you might find a paint job does everything you want it to. Cars can be painted with specialized spray paint in your garage. Due to the value of your vehicle, it's very important to be slow and consistent with your paint.

• If you're painting the car from home, don't forget to give your car a primer coat beforehand.
• Car modification garages can offer more intense paint jobs with graphics like flames. These are very stylized, but make sure your car model is worthy of the flair before you commit to something so flashy. Graphic flames on a Toyota Camry won't get you the sort of attention you're looking for.

Get tinted windows. Tinted windows add fast class to a vehicle. The mystery factor and privacy of tinted windows can make even an average car look posh by comparison.

• By replacing factory parts, you may void your vehicle's warranty. Check with the manufacturer before proceeding.

Replace your head and taillights. Your headlights and taillights draw a lot of visual attention, as they're designed to be reflective. Changing them for a snazzier design is relatively inexpensive by car mod standards. The subtle difference it makes to your vehicle's appearance won't go unnoticed by those who know where to look.

• Make sure your taillight modifications are road-friendly. Although you can change your car's look by replacing the lights on it, you still want to make sure they comply with road regulations.

Reupholster the seats. While a lot of car modification focuses on the outside presentation, you can revamp your experience on the vehicle by changing the seating. Most stock car seating is cloth-upholstered. For a fashionable touch, replacing this with leather seats is very luxurious.

• If you go with leather seating, make sure you take care to maintain it as leather demands.