Editor's note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect ImportMeet.com's stance on a given topic.
Let me be the first to say, I really love to modify my vehicle. I tend to look at a stock car as a blank canvas, ready for an owner to spread paint and make it their own. One of the main reasons that I mod is so that my car can be unique amongst a sea of similar models of that car. It has become my creative outlet and a way to express myself since I was 16 years old.
Although modding can be satisfying and it allows you to have freedom with what you do your car, it can also be very expensive. Many siginificant mods are at least $500-$1000 not including installation (if you don't want to do it yourself). Simple bolt-ons like a header, exhaust, and intake can easily exceed $2000 for quality parts (Titanium exhaust, name-brand header, quality CAI, etc.).
This isn't to say that these parts aren't worth the money, it's just that it can be difficult to swallow the initial investment for the minimal gains. Most owners want to use quality parts and do it right the first time, but sometimes this involves savings up to buy the parts or using the dreaded credit card. I have had also heard of people that, in the pursuit of 10 extra horsepower or the latest suspension mod, go into debt because they had to have it. This can be a slippery slope and takes away some of the fun of modding when you have to pay for it over the next year(s).
Another downside to modding is that very rarily do the mods you perform to your vehicle add anything to the resale value when you go to sell it. This isn't to say you couldn't part the car out and sell it stock, it just makes things more complicated when selling. The flipside is that sometimes, if tastefully done, the mods can give the car the extra flare that really makes the new owner need to buy it. Many times the set of wheels you sourced for the car have to stay with it because the new owner really loves the way that they look.
Despite all of the downsides and the knowledge that mods are a poor financial investment, many of us continue to spend money on our cars. In my opinion, to justify modding, I sometimes have to look at the money that I am spending as a hobby and not an investment. Nothing is more exciting to me than receiving the latest mod that I have been researching for the last 6 months and have spent my hard earned dough on.
Even though I know that modding isn't the best way to spend my money, I will continue to do so as I truly love to make my car unique.
-Matt
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1 Comment
I’d say how much money you’re willing to devote to a project vehicle really depends on what you’re hoping to get out of it. If it’s just a vehicle to get you by the next year or so then yeah I would say don’t bother droppin the money on it. But if it’s something you’re wanting to build up and keep long term then really the sky’s the limit on how much you invest as long as you of course keep it within your means without interfering with the more important life expenses.