5 Affordable Ways to Customize Your Car

It's sometimes easy to think you need to have a mechanical engineering degree, or a lot of money, to work on your own car and make it look and drive superb. Although you should have some mechanical know-how before you unbolt engine covers and start removing things, there are plenty of things that you can do with a few tweaks - inside and outside your car - and with limited knowledge and on a limited budget. Here are our favorites. 

Window tinting can be done for less than $100 dollars, and you can choose from a wide range of colors. Tinting film is widely available and can be performed as a do-it-yourself project in one afternoon. However, if you want to create a darker interior or you want to make it difficult for outsiders to see you be sure to check the laws in your area. Tinting your windows too dark may be illegal and could cost you a serious fine if caught by a cop.

One of the cheapest ways to add personality to your car without changing anything that's already there is by buying a custom license plate. There are plenty of interesting license plates you can purchase from the DMV or DVLA in the UK, but private plate services like Absolute Reg (who are UK based) offer rare and unique plates for a low price. Whether you want to add your own name, an interesting phrase, or your favorite band, you can definitely find a way to represent that on the front and back of your vehicle.

A component of the car that has remained basically unchanged for 100 years, its customizability may be limited, but it can be done for a small fee. A steering wheel cover is an inexpensive way to develop a tailored look and feel for the driver, and it can be used to match the interior of the rest of the vehicle smoothly. Choose from a variety of patterns, colors, and materials that will cater to anyone's tastes. If you have an older car, you can even replace the vehicle's stock steering wheel with an aftermarket one for cheap, as well.

Buying a stip of LED lights is incredibly cheap, and is often used to light up a room in different colors to change the ambiance. Thanks to the also recent price drop of HID lights, you can replace your halogen headlights with a conversion kit for less than $100. If you want to go a bit farther, you can brighten your vehicle's exterior with fog headlights. While you're at it, why not put a few LED strips in your cabin underneath the dashboard? The Sylvania ZERO Interior LED stripe can even change between 16-colors - so you'll never be bored with your interior!

Want to match your steering wheel cover with minimal effort and charge to your wallet? Custom-fitted floor mats and seat covers can often run you less than $100 dollars, especially if they're made of cotton and not leather. Ensure that your floor mats are of good quality and water-resistant, so they last against rainy days and long winters. For seat covers, they should be comfortable and have some degree of cushion. Although black does look nice for seat covers, be aware that they can get really hot during the summer.