CHAPTER 11: Bling it on

Jill’s not happy. Jack is fixated about customising his new (pre-loved) car. To be honest, apart from the costs, she’s worried he’ll go completely over the top and she’ll have to endure the embarrassment of driving around in a bling-mobile.

He’s been looking at wild and wonderful options, ranging from a mild engine modification and some chroming here and there, to outrageous ideas like spinners on purple ostrich-skin styled wheels to coloured body foils – with 150 colour choices, from gloss and matte finishes to glitter, chrome and metallic. Seeing Jack is pretty much colour-blind, it’s a given, thinks Jill, that the end result will be quite terrifying.

The reason for his insane desire? His buddy’s just come back from a trip to Dubai, where OTT (over-the-top) is the order of the day. Also, Jill’s convinced that once he’s changed the look of the car, despite spending a whole heap of money on it, the resale value will drop.

She’s dug out some ammunition for her argument, quoting Wissam Azhari, founder and owner of the Foil-a-car concept in the Middle East and Europe. He had said the

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Top TipDon’t ever accessorise your car in such a way that you impact on road safety. For instance, don’t mess with the tail lights by fitting tail light guards. It is vitally important that your car’s tail lights are visible to fellow road users – otherwise they won’t know when you plan to slam on the anchors. If ever in doubt, go and have a chat with your car dealer.

Don’t ever mess with the electrics of the vehicle

Check that accessories don’t impact on the warranty of your car. Certain modifications could negate the warranty on some vehicles

Chat to your dealer and ask for independent advice before fitting something weird and/or wonderful

Don’t even consider an accessory that impacts on safety

Always consider resale value when accessorising your car

20 to 30The percentage by which the value of your car can decline if you mess with the original paint finishing.

colour foils (which Jack wanted) are a better choice than paint. “The biggest advantage is they can be very easily removed. As most clients change their colour as a fashion statement, this is a good option. With a paint job you will lose on the resale value and to repaint will cost you twice as much. In fact, with high-end super cars, the second you start playing with original paint finishing you lose about 20 to 35 percent of the car.” He added that customising a car might be a nice option for when you sell, but it didn’t always increase the value. And while auto-styling could add value, it often boils down to taste. “If you do something that’s pretty far out, it’s a matter of taste and is worth whatever someone wants to pay for it.”

Incidentally, always remember the laws for customising your car vary from country to country. This even applies to issues such as how dark you can tint your windows.

Being a typical guy, Jack did endless research on what he could do to his car and what other guys who have done it

Fast facts

have to say. In the end, he decided maybe he’d just put a subtle colour foil on the car, fit fat 20-inch rims, chrome some fittings, drop the suspension, slap on a rear spoiler, order a custom built exhaust, and fit a racing steering wheel. “Why stop there?” asked Jill grumpily. “Why not stick TV sets in the headrests and put fur on the dashboard as well…”

Actually, she’d had no idea of the choices available to “pimp your ride”. From chrome beading to boot spoilers to bonnet scoops – even chromed skull cup holders! And tailpipes and mufflers and woofers and sub-woofers and performance dump-valves and goodness knows what else.

So she devised a plan: Jack should sit down, make a list of what he wanted – and another of what he could afford.

After much deliberation, it was agreed he’d save bucks by buying sticker decals and asking a buddy to help him fit a super-sized stereo system and some sub woofers; if she paid half for the new tailpipe (his birthday was coming up), and his brother threw in some cash for (lightly) tinted windows as a birthday gift.

Peace reigned once again in the house of Jack and Jill.

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