What aftermarket modification is the biggest waste of money?

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/18/2015 at 21:53 • Filed to: None

As simple as that. What aftermarket modification costs the most, but you get the least in return?

Personally, I don't see the point of lip spoilers.

DISCUSSION (76)

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:54

stickers. I've spent like $200 on stickers and only got max 15 hp

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:54

May not cost a lot to do but doing that debadging seems to cost you in the end. It makes it look like your car was in a wreck and replaced with cheap aftermarket parts that just lacked the oem badging.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:55

SILL PLATES

They do... nothing

Kinja'd!!!

PushToStart > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:57

aftermarket headlights and taillights can get pretty pricy, especially when you consider that you'll get literally zero performance benefit out of them... (that said, it can really help the aesthetic, so I'm not saying they're 100% pointless.)

CB > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:58

Kinja'd!!!

Fuel savers of any kind. They're all bullshit.

whoarder is tellurium > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:58

DIY open air cone style filter kits: Suck that hot air in! MOAR SOUND!!11

and

Axle back exhausts: MOAR SOUND ... no gain

505Turbeaux > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:58

there is no doubt that the return on these is in the negative

Kinja'd!!!

GeorgeyBoy > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:58

I would say aftermarket rims, with some exceptions.

Anon > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:58

Kinja'd!!!

Three words: Fake. Carbon. Fiber

lonestranger > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 21:59

I'm so happy that the first Google result for "fuel shark" is Torch's article.

CB > PushToStart
02/18/2015 at 22:00

Fun fact: the really expensive and really bright fake HID/xenon/whatever bulbs that you can pay $30-$60 CAD for will last you about three to six months, according to customer testimony.

revrseat70 > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:00

that's basically the definition of ricer modding. Things that cost a lot with very little return for performance. However, you are assuming that what you consider a return is the same as everyone else. My answer to biggest cost with least return would be body-kits, Rims, or going super nit-picky with changing interior materials. But to someone else, they think performance modifications are pointless because they see no track time. To those people Big brakes, rotors, suspension, and religious lightening is pointless and performance mods are just for sound.

jkm7680 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:00

Sucky, I usually get 100000-10000000000hp gains on a good day with Vtec stickers. On my A4.

Cherry_man1 > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:00

Plasti Diping anyting.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:01

I must have gotten some cheap Chinese knockoffs then. "****1 star, would not buy from again!****"

 V8 Rustler > Anon
02/18/2015 at 22:02

Carbon fiber inside an SN95... Absolutely disgusting.

jariten1781 > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:03

Haha...pretty much anything on a daily driver. It's just throwing away money if the car is going to be on cruise control or in stop and go.

It's all a waste (but I do it anyway).

No Prius Needed > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:03

Kinja'd!!!

This

mcseanerson > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:04

THE TURBONATOR!

Kinja'd!!!

Not only the money you waste on it but the cost to repair the damage from all the shrapnel sent down your intake when this piece of junk grenades.

ZacMS > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:04

Anything body kit related is pretty much worthless.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:05

body kits, paint, window tint, rims, wings that don't actually do anything.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > PushToStart
02/18/2015 at 22:06

I've done a lot of research here. The 'HID market' is flooded with crap. $50 for bulbs, harness and balasts? Yeah you have crap. Even full headlight setups from spec D and spyder are considered poopoo.

My headlights are a full retrofit. Two brand new refloctor headlights (half off thanks to a rock auto inventory error (one rang up for only $1.46 and the other $88)). The projectors, bulbs, ballasts, etc came out to around $400. Lots of time and effort. But personally I think they look great and definitely work 10x better than regular reflector halogens. Plus the high beams are blisteringly bright for when I take back wood drives in heavy deer country.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Cherry_man1
02/18/2015 at 22:08

The smell of plastidip gives me an erection.

Seriously though, I'm indecisive enough that I can dip something, get sick of it in 3 weeks and do it a different way or back to stock.

Vicente Esteve > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:10

Lambo Doors

Kinja'd!!!

Cherry_man1 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:11

Wat?

I say keep things stock. Better Resale/Trade in Value later.

Justino6969 > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:12

I don't remember exactly, but on Jalopnik or Oppo at some point I saw ferrari side mirror caps for a couple grand or something.

Edit: Here's one link
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/revozport_mirr…

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Vicente Esteve
02/18/2015 at 22:12

That poor Tahoe...

dogisbadob > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:16

Aftermarket radios in expensive cars with special wiring. They look tacky and you lose many of the OEM features.

Most aftermarket rims are poor quality. The only aftermarket wheels worth buying (Rays/Volk, etc) cost 5-10x as much as OEM.

Most coilovers suck, too. Terrible ride quality, no handling improvement. The only ones worth buying (Koni, Bilstein/HR, KW, etc) cost more than most people are willing to spend, cost far more than OEM suspension, and often more than the car is worth.

Drilled rotors are also a scam. The outgassing they mention doesn't happen anymore (it was a problem when they still used asbestos, but those days are long gone). What does happen, though, is cracking due to stress concentration around the holes and uneven heat distribution. The only drilled rotors worth a damn are DBA, and drilled OEM rotors from Porsche and BMW. DBA's holes are cast into the mold, and the OEM drilled discs' holes are filleted. Both options are hideously expensive.

Aftermarket headlights are junk also. CAPA Certified is a crock of shit. The only (non-sealed beam) headlight assemblies worth buying are OEM and from reputable manufacturers (who are also OE suppliers, as it turns out) like Hella, Bosch, ZKW, Valeo, Koito, Stanley, Cibie, etc.

Vicente Esteve > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
02/18/2015 at 22:18

Deep inside, you want it.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Vicente Esteve
02/18/2015 at 22:19

Not with the tasteless mods.

BATC42 > Cherry_man1
02/18/2015 at 22:19

Well plastidip allows that since you can rip it off whenever you want.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:20

Let's use what a previous owner did modification wise to my M3.

Aftermarket projector beam headlights and clear corner makers that are 2000x worse looking than OEM

Black plastidip on the roof and wheels (still looks good IMO)

LED underlights on the front bumper and side skirts

Carbon fiber tape around the shifter and on the leather(!) inserts on the door panels

Disgusting aftermarket head unit that couldn't possibly be better than the stock one using Harmon/Kardon speakers

Removing M3 badging on the trunk leaving me to put new ones on and having them spaces too far apart (dammit, me)

I think I've covered everything. They decided to do all that rather than changing the shocks, struts, or even changing the leaking water pump. The car is also bone stock on the mechanical front.

Zohaibman72 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:20

I tried applying a Oppo sticker onto my hybrid camry

it just dissolved in the air

Axial > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/18/2015 at 22:21

Depends on the car. I'd like a set, simply because my sills are covered in carpet and it's difficult to clear them in parking lots where I can't open the door all the way. Normally I avoid the issue by just stepping into the car, but if it was wet out I usually want to clap my feet first to reduce the amount of crap I track in.

BATC42 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:21

Yeah, those things are pricey. IIRC, my parents insured their Passat headlights since those Xenon HID are so expensive. I think a bulb is aroudn €300 and a full headlight is something like €600.

Kailand09 > GeorgeyBoy
02/18/2015 at 22:22

Why, might I ask?

I mean I get super expensive replacements, but what if someone simply doesn't like the look of the OEM wheels?

Cherry_man1 > BATC42
02/18/2015 at 22:24

Huh

GeorgeyBoy > Kailand09
02/18/2015 at 22:28

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Non oem wheels could hurt resale value. Yeah I guess there are exceptions but in the end aftermarket wheels just take your money for little benefit.

Zohaibman72 > Kailand09
02/18/2015 at 22:30

I agree with you, OEM rims can look awful.

Espeically base model rims on cheaper cars. The hubcaps are just plain dinner plates, gross.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/18/2015 at 22:32

The OE head unit on your car was an Alpine unit, and the "Harmon/Kardon" speakers are Nokia's.

Zohaibman72 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
02/18/2015 at 22:32

I'm fine with debadging some stuff (like the model name in chrome and stuff), but when you take off the manufacturer logo, it looks cheap.

Looks like the cars they use in insurance commercials.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:35

Personally, I don't see the point of lip spoilers on FWD cars.

FIXED!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
02/18/2015 at 22:35

I knew the stock unit was Alpine, didn't know about the speakers though.

What the hell in the stereo system is Harman/Kardon? The amplifier?

signintoburnerlol > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:38

When it comes to GM, any of the billet stuff that you can pointlessly add to your car. It's hilarious one they make in billet for the Camaro.

A billet strut tower cover? Heh....

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/18/2015 at 22:38

The badge. I shit you not.

Zohaibman72 > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 22:39

Kinja'd!!!

Whatever these lights are called.

They are extremely ugly, it's like the one single step to make your car look like a cheap and tasteless.

The only exception to this is the IS300/Altezza and only because it's OEM, it was designed with it in mind. It looks terrible on anything else.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BATC42
02/18/2015 at 22:39

they do get really pricey. those bulbs are probably Phillips which are the top of the line, last forever, best light, etc.

Thing is you wouldn't know the difference between mine (morimotos) and the Philips unless there was a side by side comparison. Though mine likely will crap out before the Philips would. 3 years vs 4 or 5 years. Plus the projectors have different properties but mine being the baseline solid quality but not stupid expensive make some excellent light.

Kinja'd!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
02/18/2015 at 22:41

The fuck, BMW?

That's a bigger what the fuck then the switch to turn the HiFi on and off, why the hell would you want to turn it off?!

BATC42 > Cherry_man1
02/18/2015 at 22:42

That's the all point of the thing. Otherwise you'd be better off doing a regular paint.

Kinja'd!!!

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/18/2015 at 22:46

C.R.E.A.M.

Shit recordings sound even shittier in HiFi.

BATC42 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:46

I don't knwo how long the one we have are supposed to last, but they are as old as the car, which is close to 15 now.

And it's a real shock whenever I my car just after the Passat, it's like you're blind.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Zohaibman72
02/18/2015 at 22:47

I'm pretty sure they're called Altezzas after the Lexus/Toyota that used them first.

PS9 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 22:47

You have to list them down the side of the fender like sponsors. Otherwise you'll see no gains.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > PS9
02/18/2015 at 22:50

See I went the outline of a dragon route. Maybe that's my problem. Ooh! what if I line the inside of my hood?!

Zohaibman72 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/18/2015 at 22:50

I googled it with "Altezza Lights" But I wasn't 100% sure.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Zohaibman72
02/18/2015 at 22:51

That's all I've ever heard them be called.

Kailand09 > Zohaibman72
02/18/2015 at 23:07

I'm even not a huuge fan of my alloys that were stock with the car...

Kailand09 > GeorgeyBoy
02/18/2015 at 23:08

True I suppose. But if you're keeping the car long enough, depreciation will be worse than that.

I suppose it depends on how long one plans on keeping the car. Selling OEM wheels you can probably end up only a couple hundred bucks out (if any at all) and get the style you prefer.

And easily decrease the un-sprung weight, which is always nice.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BATC42
02/18/2015 at 23:09

Damn that's like LED territory for life cycle there. I'm impressed

not for canada - australian in disguise > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 23:16

BLOODY ALTEZZA LIGHTS AGHHHHH

excuse me while i rage in the corner.

roflcopter > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/18/2015 at 23:16

I honestly would have thought the same thing when looking at the mass of different HID bulbs/ballasts available. But I decided that spending 10% to see if something will work out is better than spending the full 100% up front, and so far my gamble has paid off. I have an RX8 that came with projector HIDs stock, I first got a set of bulbs/ballasts to throw in my foglights so I can really light up the road when I want to and was surprised with the quality so when it came time that I wanted to go with a slightly different color on my main low beams I grabbed a set of bulbs from the same company. 4 years later both sets are still going strong and I would recommend the brand to anyone looking for a set, I believe I paid less than $70 shipped for both ballasts and 4 bulbs. DDMTuning is doing something right in my book!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > roflcopter
02/18/2015 at 23:27

truth be told my foggies are a $100 kit from HIDdepot and they've worked great. sure they take a little longer to warm up but no biggie.

Though interestingly one bulb went out, so I swapped the left with right and they both came online. Doesn't make sense but I'll take it.

Ultimately I think the biggest difference is age. Sure side by side a $20 bulb will look difference from a $100 one. But when will that ever happen? And if Mr $20 lasts, what's the issue?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 23:32

lip spoilers look cool though! I love mine!

Personally, I think the biggest waste are expensive suspension setups, especially on cars that don't need them

Yes they're great for tracks, but I'd much rather blow $3K on a set of pilot Supersports, and have something that I can use daily!

BLCKSTRM > GeorgeyBoy
02/18/2015 at 23:34

You could almost say wheels likely aren't a waste, but rims almost always are.

Steve in Manhattan > jkm7680
02/18/2015 at 23:40

Sparkly paint.

wafflesnfalafel > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
02/18/2015 at 23:41

Unless it's a Mercedes S class or 911.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Zohaibman72
02/19/2015 at 00:18

In MINI circles back in the 00s, I heard they were called bazooka lights.

BATC42 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
02/19/2015 at 00:46

Keep in mind they are Xenon headlights. I don't know if we talking about the same thing of HID lamps then. They are designed to last the lifetime of the car. And as far as the regulations go, in Europe, having Xenon headlights means that the car has to have an automatic levelling system for the headlights, as well headlights washers.

I've checked the prices, for the Passat, the headlight housing alone costs around €480 each (made by Hella), and the bulb is between €230 (Philipps) and €350 (Lucas).