For all you car lovers, car modification possibilities can seem endless! There are so many different legitimate car modifications, both performance and aesthetic ones, that you can choose from to customise your car. But there are also many bogus ‘modifications’ out there that have some drivers fooled – thinking they will speed up their cars, but in reality they’re just throwing their money down the toilet.
Have a look at some of our favourites below. If there’s a bogus mod you want to share, please leave a comment below.
1) Garish or Fake Body Kits
Custom body kits can play a part in reducing the weight of your car and also in improving its aerodynamics. But when you get a body kit, especially one for cheap off e-bay, the chances of it doing anything to speed your car up are minimal.
2) Huge Mufflers
Trust us when we say… size really does matter. And unfortunately there’s too much overkill going on. Many UK drivers believe that having a larger exhaust on their car will increase its speed. Unless you have a complete exhaust system upgrade, getting a bigger muffler won’t do anything but annoy people around you.
3) Adding Stickers & Fake Car Badges
This is quite possibly the most ridiculous car speed hack myth you’ve ever heard (except maybe painting the callipers red). Obviously, a car sticker won’t be able to increase your speed. The only thing it will do is point out gullible drivers to real car enthusiasts. The same goes for false badging. Putting a Porsche badge on your car won’t make your engine sound like one.
4) Cheap Performance Chips
We understand that everyone wants to improve their car’s performance, but as you understand, real improvement costs real money. Unfortunately the internet’s loitered with cheap knock-offs. One of these common fakes are performance chips. You’ll probably find that your £15, plus postage and packaging, won’t get you any extra speed. In fact, it might even do more harm to your engine than good.
Unless you’ve got a little bit of cash saved up, you’ll find it extremely difficult to make any significant performance upgrades, especially when it comes to your powerhouse.
5) Excessive Wings
The spoiler! You know as well as us that most wings on road cars are purely aesthetic. A lot of drivers don’t even understand how downforce works. In fact without analysing the airflow first, adding a wing will probably do nothing but increase weight and drag. Although, when combined with other mods, a wing is capable of increasing downforce and helping improve control, and therefore speed, on a track car, 90% of road vehicles with wings don’t benefit from them. In any case, bigger does not necessarily mean better.
These are just 5 of the most common car mods that won’t affect your car’s performance. In fact, the only thing they will affect is the cost of your car insurance. So if you are getting any upgrades for your car, be sure to contact us about arranging a modified car insurance policy to get the most competitive price possible.