Some Modifications are Best Left to the Imagination
We’d all love to own the coolest car on the block, but some mods leave us (and our wallet) worse for wear. From tinted headlights to fake hood ornaments, here are some of the biggest mistakes to touch your car.
Eddie Maloney from North Las Vegas, USA on Wikimedia
1. Neon Underglow
The Fast & Furious franchise is likely to blame for this one, but that doesn’t make it any less strange. While it’s not uncommon to see amber or yellow, other colors score you the wrong kind of attention—from law enforcement. Red and blue underglows are pretty frowned upon since they’re used by police, and that’s just one more reason to avoid splurging.
2. Scissor Doors
We won’t lie, scissor doors look awesome on high-end sports cars. The same can’t be said of your average model. Not only do these doors look completely out of place on everyday vehicles, they’re also more susceptible to wear and tear depending on your care.
Aroma at German Wikipedia (Original text: aroma) on Wikimedia
3. Fake Vents
Amazing sports cars need hood vents to lower engine temperatures and improve fuel efficiency—that Toyota Corolla doesn’t. The only thing worse than how they look is how useless they are.
4. Oversized Spoilers
Giant spoilers aren’t as cool as some drivers hoped. Nevertheless, that won’t stop their appearance out in the wild. Real petrolheads roll their eyes at these monstrosities, recognizing them as expensive, pointless modifications.
5. Tinted Lights
If you thought tinted windows were bad, just wait until you see tinted lights. Well, you probably won’t—that’s the point. These dangerous mods make it even harder to see incoming traffic, especially in low-light conditions. They’re also illegal in some states, but that hasn’t scared people away from the body shop.
6. High Suspension
High suspensions can look cool on a pickup truck but they’re hardly worth the cost. With all that money for such little pay-off, it’s best to keep your truck exactly where it is. You’ll have an easier time handling it too.
7. Colored Exhaust Smoke
It’s not that colored exhaust smoke is the worst mod on this list—it’s just a pointless upgrade. Some drivers might think it looks cool to burn out with red smoke, but it’s more of a messy nuisance (especially for gender reveals).
8. Flashing Brake Lights
We’re just trying to keep each other safe, guys. Why mess with your brake lights? They’re not only dangerous but they’re also illegal in most places, which is ironic since they look exactly like police sirens.
9. Phony Performance Badges
Fake badges are only funny if you stick them on everyday models. Call us crazy, but it’s funny to see drivers with a sense of humor about their PT Cruiser. However, sticking these on basic models to fool the general public? We’re not on board.
10. Fake Hood Ornaments
Hood ornaments were how you spotted truly affluent drivers—but that was back in the day. They barely exist today, and it’s pretty easy to spot impersonators on modern vehicles. You may want to think twice about investing in one.
11. Shiny Hub Caps
Spinning hub caps boil down to personal preference. Though they’re cool to look at, they don’t contribute to performance or tire protection, and their authenticity costs an arm and a leg. Of course, you can always splurge on phony ones but most drivers spot them a mile away.
12. Xenon Blue Headlights
Today’s headlights unfortunately adopted this blinding bulb, and drivers are pretty sick of it. If it wasn’t bad enough to lose visibility on the road, some drivers today still opt for LED headlights over normal bulbs. No wonder people hate night driving.
13. Whistle Tips
No Honda Civic needs that kind of roar. We hoped these pointless (and annoying) bolt-ons would’ve faded away by now, but they still haunt suburban streets in the middle of the night.
14. Rolling Coal
Colored exhaust smoke might be messy but it’s nothing compared to rolling coal. For those unfamiliar, it’s when you install smoke stacks on a pickup and belch black smoke into the air. This gaudy pollutant got so bad that most jurisdictions banned it.
15. Fuel Line Magnets
No evidence suggests that fuel line magnets actually work. However, that hasn’t stopped swindled drivers from installing these things to boost performance. Take it from us—don’t bother.
16. Tinted Windows
While we can’t deny that some tinted windows look cool, they’re ultimately a bigger hassle than they’re worth. Between legality issues and dangerously dark tints, the only thing you’ll see through blackout windows is the cops.
17. Full Race Seats
Oh, you thought LED lights were bad for visibility? Say hello to full racing seats, the modification some drivers can’t live without. On top of their unfortunate appearance and discomfort, they also reduce visibility on the road. Talk about a lose-lose.
18. Booming Sound Systems
We’ve all cranked some tunes on the open road, but most of us don’t need a deafening sound system to do it. Many drivers opt for so-called improvements on their car stereos, and all they’re left with is a bass-heavy sound system that makes our ears ring. It’s also incredibly dangerous to blast music so loud you can’t even hear what’s going on.
19. Chrome Exteriors
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen chrome exteriors—but they’re out there. They’re also expensive, especially when done professionally, and never really fit on everyday models. It’s best to ditch this mod at the body shop.
20. Interior “Upgrades”
From roll cages to bedazzled stick shifts, most interior mods are anything but. It’s perfectly fine to leave the car as is without ruining the aesthetics or adding ultimately dangerous “modifications.”
