Question of the Night: What is the universally least-offensive car mod?

"boxrocket" (boxrocket) 09/15/2015 at 01:36 • Filed to: question of the Night, qotn, mods, aftermarket

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Sorry for the late post. My next-door neighbor’s sons got in a car wreck and he needed to vent and get some advice. The kids are OK, but the asshat driving the Avalanche while drunk and uninsured that hit them is looking at a long time behind bars, though that’s no consolation, and doesn’t pay for a new car or the substantial medical bills for the boys.

Tonight’s question: what’s the least-offensive (that is, most-acceptable) car mod, something that a grandmother in India or a child in Idaho could equally appreciate? Something relatively simple and not so overly complex they need a specialist to do it.

I’m going with tastefully-sized aftermarket wheels (and perhaps better tires, because better tires are important, so get them both done). Custom/aftermarket wheels are in worldwide demand, and are usually (when done tastefully, legally, and without compromising the safety or integrity of the vehicle) a harmless way to make one’s vehicle a bit more personal, more unique, and perhaps complement a vehicle’s style more than what the factory’s designers had in mind. I loved the Moda R6s I had on my Volvo, for example: not too big, not too small, and just the right amount of straight lines and curves to look good, and IMHO enhanced the look of my car.

How about it, Oppo? What mod seems most acceptable for just about anyone to do to their vehicle that others might notice?

promoted by the color red > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:37

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Recaro/Sparco seats.

boxrocket > promoted by the color red 09/15/2015 at 01:43

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I appreciate a good set of Recaros, and any other good racing seat, but it might be difficult to explain to either of my pear-shaped grandmothers if I had to drive her somewhere.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:46

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LS1 swap

Svend > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:47

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Does their insurance not cover uninsured drivers?

I hope they’re not too badly hurt.

I think wheels are the most tasteful accessory if done right. Though so many people choose a wheel they like but don’t factor in how it’ll look on the car.

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:52

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Fart cannon

Amoore100 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:54

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Nice Volvo ;)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 01:55

5

OEM wheel swap, wheels from another model from the same manufacturer.

Toby F., Manager > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 02:19

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Not the car itself, but I believe the universal “mod” improvement that can be appreciated and simply attained by anyone is that of the driver - as a result of experience, training, practice, etc.

BATC42 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 02:20

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My grand mother (87 yo) loves my car because she is well seated in it and is maintained properly because my seats lean towards the Recaros you can find in many cars. They’re far from being proper bucket seats, but they provide some nice lateral and back supports. Granted, a proper bucket seat might be a whole lot harder to get in and out of.

(Not my car, but I have the exact same interior, the seats are very similar to the genuine Recaros that came in the Peugeot 406 coupé)

El Rivinado > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 02:23

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Any sort of CD changer/radio with Ipod connectivity in an old car. I know it's a mod that costs a couple grand, but nobody really seems to mind when you put those mods into a car.

BoulderZ > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 02:41

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It’s after midnight here, and I’m listening to the music I chose for my brother’s memorial service when he was hit and killed by a drunk driver in late June. The relevant aggrieved parties need to stay on top of court proceedings; “substantial” time behind bars is far from guaranteed in the US, which notoriously undervalues drunk driving offenses. I am admittedly assuming you’re in the US. The family needs to get an excellent lawyer in their corner, now, and prepare for a very long haul. I’m waiting for an update on the latest court date negotiations this Wednesday, and prepared for two years, or more, of legal action.

For the mods question, I think wheels and tires (done reasonably), is probably the best, especially if it comes with related suspension and brake upgrades. Close second from a nice stereo system, perhaps? A clean interior and good paint go a long ways with non-enthusiasts, too.

citizennick > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 03:17

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Sadly I see more bad wheel choices than good. There’s a Fusion in town, really slick sport package with the factory smoke taillights. They replaced the otherwise nice wheels with something similar to this. No upgrade in size of course, stock tires and offset.

Bytemite > BATC42 09/15/2015 at 03:54

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That is not like the Recaros at all...

Those seats are one of the least bolstered, wide and flat seats that I’ve seen in a modern car.

real127 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 04:58

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Model designation delete.

McMike > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 05:21

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You don’t even know it’s there.

duurtlang > BATC42 09/15/2015 at 06:16

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As the owner of both a 406 coupe with the factory provided Recaros you mentioned and a 306 convertible with seats that look similar to yours I second this. The 306 seats are nicely bolstered and most definetly not flat/wide as that other mentioned. If you want flat/wide, try my father in law’s Dodge Magnum RT. Now there’s a car designed for obese people.

edit: the 306 seats might not be as similar as I thought. Picture of actual seats, crappy quality picture taken by previous owner.

duurtlang > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 09/15/2015 at 06:18

1

This! Aftermarket wheels almost always look bad, imho. OEM wheels usually don’t.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 06:29

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A small lip spoiler. I’ve heard of people wanting them just so they can see where their trunk ends, for which they’re pretty useful.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 06:47

0

Dechroming.

jariten1781 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 06:56

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Anything visible will have detractors from the stock is sacrosanct crowd. Including wheel swaps and light tinting.

Stuff that’s hidden and easily removable is really the only ‘universally accepted’. Think dash cams, hidden fuel cutoffs, better brakelines, etc.

spanfucker retire bitch > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 07:00

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The least offensive mod I can think of is an aftermarket intercooler. As long as it’s installed properly, there’s no downside. Your engine runs cooler and less of a chance of retarding power due to heat soak.

And taste has nothing to do with whether it’s effective or not as you shouldn’t even see it.

shop-teacher > El Rivinado 09/15/2015 at 07:09

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Couple grand? You can get a decent head unit, a wiring harness and mounting kit all for a couple/three hundred.

Now if you’re replacing all the speakers and putting in amps and such, that’s another story.

atrombs > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 07:15

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So unoffensive it often goes unnoticed. Trading the ugly dealer license plate frame for a plain black one.

Berang > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 08:00

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bobbing head dog.

Shoop > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 08:04

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Snow tires

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > duurtlang 09/15/2015 at 08:54

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Agreed. I was going to point this out in my response. There's a reason they're aftermarket...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > atrombs 09/15/2015 at 09:02

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You need a frame on those? I have run frame-free for most of my life (after getting past the tinted cover stage). Crappy plastic frames seem pointless in every case. Mind you, I was shocked when I bought a lovely 15-year-old car that had the original throwaway frames around the third set of plates, which meant multiple owners swapped plates and kept the (beat) frames.

Mind you, I have had white cars in states with white plates.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 09:23

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Window tint. A nice medium window tint job is loved by or invisible to all. They can’t complain about what they don’t see.

I have to disagree on aftermarket wheels. They are a necessary evil for weight savings, but they’re invariably: Gauche, cheap, outdated, and/or ugly. The best aftermarket wheels pick only two of these, the worst hit all four. There are some really bad OEM choices, but they’re rare, so in most cases you can use ones intended for similar-vintage cars with good results.

fairlady78 > duurtlang 09/15/2015 at 09:27

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FoST is an exception to this.

Snowflake monstronsity:

Sexy Sparcos:

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 09:41

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Good tires

boxrocket > BoulderZ 09/15/2015 at 09:44

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That’s what I told him, and to not expect the insurance company to see everything through for him and his family. The incident happened in Florida, while we all live in Missouri, so there’s the need to hire a Florida attorney, plus probably a local one to oversee the follow-up medical care and the car replacement.

boxrocket > Svend 09/15/2015 at 09:47

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He thinks he does, but it all happened just before the weekend and he’s only now hearing back from the insurance company and local police and accident investigators.

uofime-2 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 09/15/2015 at 10:06

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yea, I certainly don’t have use a frame. I threw it in the bin less than 24hrs after getting my car.

uofime-2 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 10:09

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Pretty much any mod can be done in such a way as to make it obnoxious. the best I could come up with with was window tints but then I remembered colored and mirrored tints were a thing, ugh never mind...

daender > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 10:09

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Paint and/or interior work. Having a nice, cleaned-up interior and exterior can do wonders for anyone getting into their own vehicle.

uofime-2 > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 10:11

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hopefully they had the uninsured motorist box ticked on their policy.

I made sure I had that when I got my new policy a little bit ago, there are way to many uninsured people driving around!

B/Xmrrmvr > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 10:29

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Steel-braided brake lines. Best first-upgrade and completely unnoticeable.

wiffleballtony > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 11:24

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I will agree with wheels and tires. I think most cars come with that blah aluminum color and most cars would look better with something else. Plus you can save weight, fit better brakes. Tires are probably the most important mod.

atrombs > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 09/15/2015 at 11:33

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I could probably go without a frame, but I have a black car, and personally I like the thin plain black frame more than I do the edge of the plate.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > atrombs 09/15/2015 at 12:33

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But they’re not that thin. They’re big and bulky with those huge tabs that stick down...

atrombs > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 09/15/2015 at 12:47

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I suppose some can be. I have ones like this on my car, and they blend in with the paint too, so it’s not really that much of an eyesore. To each their own though.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > atrombs 09/15/2015 at 13:33

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The thing that drives me crazy is these:

I’d be much happier with this:

For some reason Americans put up with crappy frames that wouldn’t sell to those elsewhere in the world.

vicariousILive > El Rivinado 09/15/2015 at 15:53

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Try a hundred for a single DIN. If you order from Crutchfiled they give you the wiring harness and mounting free. I did it a couple months ago for with Bluetooth single DIN deck. Works pretty good

touring the brook - now with ZHP! > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 20:36

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This just may be suburbia invading my mind, but I don’t mind tasteful magnets.

The Compromiser > boxrocket 09/15/2015 at 21:50

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Find ‘em on any type of vehicle, in any area of the world. Must be universally accepted and not at all offensive, right???

Guys?

Hello??

functionoverfashion > atrombs 09/16/2015 at 09:41

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I’ve never had a license plate frame of any kind on any car, ever. What am I missing?

functionoverfashion > boxrocket 09/16/2015 at 09:53

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Others might not notice, but tinted windows really make a car look better. Pretty simple, not crazy expensive, and applicable to nearly any make/model.

Drives me crazy that I can’t get my wagon done locally, it’s the #1 thing I’d change about my car if I could more easily.

atrombs > functionoverfashion 09/16/2015 at 09:59

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Probably nothing. I just happen to like the look of a slim black plate frame.