What small/mundane car modification is most satisfying to you?
Last week’s According to You was a bit of a downer, so how about we clean your automotive palate with a quick hit of sweetness and satisfaction?
There’s always one modification that provides the satisfaction of a quick hit of sugar from a soda or a pre-packaged treat. Or perhaps a bag of potato chips, if sweetness ain’t in your vocabulary. For me, without fail, that quick hit comes from the ability to yank out traditional “hot” incandescent lights for “cool” LEDs. These lights come in various sizes, outputs, and levels of legality. Understanding what can/should go in a particular location is a passion of mine.
No really, walk with me away from my keyboard so I can prove it to you:
The Ford Ranger presented in the above two photos has LED lights almost everywhere, as I buy them in bulk on eBay Motors, enjoy them in my cars, and hand them out like Halloween candy to classic car owners. Red for the rear, yellow for the front, warm white for older interiors, cool white for newer cabins, and even green for the turn signal indicators. Come one, come all … have I got a cure for what ails ya!
Make note of the singed lamp socket in the first photo: This is commonplace for vehicles with hot incandescent bulbs and inadequate ventilation. That burnt-out plastic is surprising considering this Ranger is from 2011, has low mileage, and is infrequently driven at night. But this proves why switching to LEDs not only looks better, and saps less juice from your charging system, but it also keeps old wiring from cooking itself to death. This is a worthy modification, and boy do you get a quick hit of satisfaction making it happen.
So the question comes back to members of the Hagerty Community: What small or mundane modification is most satisfying to you?
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You asked for simple changes…being old school, I love the feel of a wood shift knob (a real stick shift) so that’s the first thing I change. Have turned a few on a wood lathe to get exactly the shape I want. And what goes better with a wood shift knob than a woodrim steering wheel–on pre airbag cars of course! Or maybe not…
I had an over-hour commute one way and a nice full-size comfy sedan, with just an AM/FM Radio and CD Player/Cassette. Even in 2003, you could still get a tape deck in your new Luxury car.
Wanting good tunes for the commute, I added a SiriusXM Reciever that fit nicely in the ashtray cubby. I could easily look down and see to change stations but hide it out of sight for a clean look. After seeing a Mitusish Mirage from the factory place the antenna on the dash, I decided to do the same. Just a little one-inch square on the dashboard, in the corner of the windshield it was perfect and I always had a great signal.
My favorite mod is strictly cosmetic and addresses my number one pet peeve – ugly, unpainted black plastic. It’s ugly and makes the vehicle look like the manufacturer was too lazy to finish the car’s styling. Favorites in order of preference is body color, gloss black, or even some DIY carbon fiber look trim. Almost anything is better than unpainted black plastic.