Car modification & car styling

Styling - choosing a theme.

"Doing it in STYLE."

This is typically a matter of taste and many people go in with a halfhearted effort buying a few mass produced parts and get left with something that looks tacky.

Although the cost of styling a car can add up quickly there is money to be made through sponsorship deals and offers of appearances in movies, pop videos, magazines and adverts. If you have established a good reputation as a regular on the show circuit you will find that many companies will offer you work at cost price if you agree to advertise their business and this can be a great way of achieving a £30,000 look for £10,000!

When styling a car make sure you have a theme in mind. Just like decorating your home you need to carefully choose colours that blend or contrast well. The theme is vitally important and will make your car stand out. Look through our member only gallery of show cars for inspiration. Attention to detail and a sense of humour also go a long way. You might base your theme on a movie, a superhero or an alien technology look but make sure it is applied all the way down to the little things like dashboard, gear stick and other interior features.

Inspiration may also come from the world of motorsport where team colours, spoilers and wheel styles are imitated. This can look very tacky if not done propertly so please exercise caution.

One word you should keep in mind is originality. Off the shelf body kits are fairly easily modified and create a totally unique look. I have seen kits from sports cars modified and fitted to typical hot hatches and lift them into a new level. People have fabricated their own wide body kits and made the car look much more agressive and powerful. The more people that have to ask you what car is it the better the job you have done!

Enjoy the attention you will receive. If you are shy and retiring then styling options are not for you. You will be expected to talk to people about your car in great detail at shows, meets and even in the local petrol station. You also need to be patient as people will typically ask the same questions, "How often do you clean it?", "How fast does it go?", "Does it pull the birds?", or the plain rude "How much have you spent on that thing?".

Never ever cut corners and see that any damage or cracking of paint is dealt with promptly or the car will look really tacky on closer inspection.

Under car Neons

"Be a glow worm"

Neon lights come in all manner of colours and styles, including flashing and colourchanging neons, pulsing neons, strobes and should be considered a show item only. Most countries traffic laws require due consideration to other road users and neons are classed as a distraction rather than a safety enhancement. So check the local legislation that applys before you decide to drive around with neon lights showing. In some countries Blue is reserved for emergency vehicles and red can only show to the rear of the car.

Fitting instructions:- This is a simple job that should be completed in a few hours provided you do your homework, get the parts you need and have READ the INSTRUCTIONS that came with your Neon light kit. Plan out where the neon lights are going before you even open the box.

Make sure you are able to turn them off and on inside the car separately from the cars lights legality. You will need a jack, 4 Axle stands or a garage with a power lift, power drill or power screwdriver with drill option, screwdriver and depending on the kit you buy some shrink wrap cable covers or electricians self sealing tape and perhaps you will need to source the electrical cable yourself.

First disconnect car battery as per the instructions that came with your car - this will often reset the ECU and you will lose your stored MPG and other saved settings such as auto windows and they will need to be reprogrammed and you may find you need to enter the radio code so ensure that this is handy. Clean underside of the car with a jet wash to remove grit dirt and grime as this will let you see what you are doing more clearly.

Jack up the car and ensure it is securely fixed on axle stands (never work under a car that is just supported by a Jack,

Lay out tubes on ground first and check the required cable lengths wires should be facing the front of the car. In most countries the tubes must not show to the sides of the car so fit them into recessed under the car and avoid fitting them near the fuel line, handbrake cable or exhaust pipe.

Brackets that came with the tubes should be fitted to the tubes. Holding these up to the underside of the car will enable you to mark the screw holes. (Check you will not be drilling into anything important, mark it with a marker pen. Use a punch to start the hole and drill into the underside of the car remembering that the metal is only a few mm thick. Apply a rust inhibiter to the holes and then using the screws supplied affix the tubes to the underside of the car.

Next comes the power transformer which is usually best fitted to a space in the engine bay out of the way. Be careful to avoid a wet location or anywhere near the exhaust or cooling system. This could also be fitted behind the dashboard or in the footwell area. Connect the -ve terminal to some bare metal in or around the car not directly to the battery. Take a +ve line from the battery which should have a correctly rated inline fuse within around 12 inches of the Battery itself and connect this to the transformer via a switch inside the car to enable you to turn it on and off independantly of the cars ignition.

Next connect the neon lights to the transformer as per the instructions that came with your kit. You may need to solder the connections yourself or it may have a good quality water tight plug attached. If you solder remember to use a shrink wrap over the connection or electricians self sealing tape to gain a waterproof joint. Engine bay and Boot/Trunk neons are also fitted in a similar way and some kits contain interior neon lights as well.

Any slack will vibrate and wear - ensure all joints and cable runs are securely fixed. Use cable ties, and cable clips to fix any slack cable firmly down.

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