Pimping Your Ride – Or Making Your Car Look And Drive Better

The popular US TV series Pimp Your Ride, which has been exported to other TV markets in recent years, is a logical conclusion to the popular hobby of auto modification. People all over the world look at their cars and think “I can make this better – faster and better looking, and it will corner better when I’m done, too”. Basically, it’s The Six Million Dollar Man but with cars.

You can modify your car to a greater or lesser extent. Some people will settle for a new paint job and perhaps some new wheels and hubcaps. There may be some improvement in the car’s performance as a result, but the less modification you do, the less the improvement will be – in theory, at least.

There is, after all, such a thing as too much modification. You can tune up the engine, add things and take them away, and even – if you are inclined towards a daredevil approach – add nitrous oxide to the mix. You can add spoilers and tail fins to the car as well, for better road holding, but sometimes the theory and the practicalities do not match.

The basic message is that modification can be a mixed bag. If you know what to do and how to do it, then you can give a previously staid car a new lease of life, or bring an older car into line with some newer models. Or you might just settle for a cooler interior and a louder sound system. The choice is up to you, but please bear in mind that professionals make big money doing this for a reason – they’re good at it and you might not be.