Pimped Out Cars

Welcome to the Custom-car.us guide to pimping out your car, pimped out cars and car styling in general. This section is for the more modern pimped out car fanatic and is not so much about car performance. In fact it has almost nothing to do with engine performance and engine tuning but it has a lot to do with car customizing to make your car look as hot as it goes. Pimping out your car has a lot to do with car modification, car customization and of course, pimped out cars, even if it has nothing to do with engine power! In this section we'll discuss ways in which you can personalize and customize your car to make it stand out from the crowd. However, despite our age, we're more into customizing cars to look good with style and class rather than what we consider the vulgarity of the "pimped out cars" on M-TV's "Pimp My Ride" series.

A Pimped Out Mitsubishi Eclipse with style!

With this in mind, there are a number of simple things you can do to customize your car on the outside. These range from the simple fitting of aftermarket alloy wheels, fitting HID lights, tinting your car windows and applying stick on decals, that you can do yourself, to the more complicated fitting of front bumper kits, side skirts and rear wings. This will require a visit to the spray painter to match the color of your car. For the more adventurous, we also have the more complex fitting of scissor doors or lambo doors as some people call it, and designing of your own aero kit. This will again require a visit to the spray painter when it comes to fitting and matching your car's color; and while you're at it you might want to get a customized paint job.

But it does not stop there; you can also customize the inside by fitting sports seats or bucket seats, an aftermarket steering wheel and gear lever, as well as aftermarket instrument gages and aluminum pedals. Then of course is the ICE, a cool sound system with a pop-up DVD display or two!

However, there are two crucial things to keep in mind when customizing and pimping your car. Firstly, it's no good pimping your car in bits and pieces by slapping on piece here and another there because you will end up with a car that looks like a monstrosity. You need to have a vision of what you want to achieve with your car. You need a style or a theme that says something about yourself; it is called car styling after all. You could model your car on a muscle car theme for example or a JDM theme or even a motorsport racing team but be consistent with your theme all the way down to the detail on your dashboard, gear lever and other interior parts.

Secondly, where ever possible try to be original. Aftermarket wide body kits are great but are even better if modified with a little style to create a completely unique look. If you want to be even more original, you could fabricate your own body kit as long as it's done with style.

In the following pages we'll discuss various aspects of car customization, from fitting aftermarket alloy wheels to the more complex design, creation and installation of aero body kits. We'll also be discussing car detailing and auto detailing to keep it looking at its best.

Perhaps one day we may even discuss the fitting of those silly undercarriage neon lights and those gross looking wheel "spinners" that detract from rather than enhances the beauty of your car, but it is not on the agenda for now and we make no promises. Let's get on with our car styling and car customizing by fitting lambo doors to our ride ...

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Pimp my… Uno Car modification for the masses

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There is a new movie set to be released today and this quirky film takes the name of the Race-ist. But before you get offended, this film is not about South Africa’s past and its struggle with racist issues. The Race-ist is about cars and…cars. If you are a fan of films that contain fast cars with roaring engines and chase scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then the Race-ist is a film that might tickle your fancy for flashy vehicles and jam packed action. There is no shortage of car modification in this film that’s full of bling and bang and even though some of us might think that these modified cars are just too over the top to be real, do not be fooled. As much as the film contains a little bit of action, romance and comedy, it also contains a vast amount of car visuals where car modification enthusiasts can drool over some sweet wheels and magnificent mags.

South Africa is a major fan of car modification and many of the cars that South African individuals have altered and pimped out could be easily be featured on the MTV series Pimp My Ride. For many, car modification enthusiasts are not merely individuals who are looking to spruce up their car just for fun, they are people who spend their time and money on improving their cars, adding accessories and making them driving machines that can reach speeds that we only imagine in our dreams.

Websites such a Carmods are a prime example of a site where all likeminded individuals can meet and share their car modification tips as well as boast about their latest modifications. Many of these enthusiasts spend thousands of rands monthly on their car as it is their hobby, their past time and even their obsession. Specialised car modification software designs their modifications down to the detail, ready for them to physically add their velocity to their vehicle.

Car modification enthusiasts have had their fair share of problems as they feel that police target in on them owing to the appearance of their custom cars. Individuals who conduct car modification properly and who do not modify their car illegally or drag race illegally feel as if they are being targeted unnecessarily. The truth is that there are a fair number of illegal drag races taken place daily and some of these so called fun escapades can end badly, as we have seen in the famous Jub Jub case. Illegal races continue to race because they know that they can get away with it regardless.

Some who modify their cars wish to do so for racing purposes and many of these cars are raced in places like Killarney Race Course in Cape Town. Others prefer the beauty of car modification and prefer to alter their vehicles in order to please the eye. Car dealers are now more regularly experiencing individuals coming in and opting for more simple cars that they can modify and mould into their own supercar and they say that car modification is becoming more popular in South Africa especially.

Car modification is a way of life for some, a scene of sorts that only some are integrated into. Once your car is pimped up to the extreme, it seems that you are accepted into a secret society, a type of inner circle that only spinning mags and a glittering paint job can enter into.

Car modification enthusiasts feel that they are a misunderstood niche and are commonly portrayed as degenerates with nothing better to do. The featuring of car modification on television and internet has made some individuals understand that this is more than a hobby – it’s a lifestyle choice. Industry experts say that customizing is becoming more popular, especially with high net worth individuals who are keen to make their cars stand out from the rest.

So, if after seeing the Race-ist, you are inspired to get involved in car modification, be sure that what you are intending to do is fully legal as well as safe as any alterations to your car could mean a bigger change that you are prepared for. Car modification may not be for all of us though, as a majority of us drivers who wish to use their cars for commuting purposes only, will be satisfied by hanging an ornament on our review mirror just to give our car that extra kick!