Yeah, here’s Part II of our soap opera: customizing for love. Anyway, where were we? Okay, back in Part I, we discussed about how you can pimp your ride for a hot date. That’s why we’ve added one of our favorite episodes of Xzibit’s show. In any case, if you regularly watch that, you’d somehow realize that most of what they add to their “clients’” vehicles are not-your-ordinary gadgets and what now. Hell, that’s what makes their rides pimpin’.

But then again, some of these add-ons aren’t that practical; especially if you’re trying to save up money for that hot date of yours. That’s why, for the most part, you should at least try to make your car neat, comfortable, and hospitable as a basic (read: common sense) feature. We’ll work on the sexy part later. You see, your car is a reflection of yourself; how you take care of it is how you take care of things around you. So make sure your ride is presentable. But first, if you don’t have enough cash and time for upgrades, here are some quick tips on preparing your car for a hot date:

• Clean your car beforehand, not the night of. That goes for both the interior and exterior as well.
• If you can, buy a car scent/perfume that’s unique. You see, scent gives off a powerful memory imprint. So make sure you car smells better than just an old pine tree.
• Prepare your playlist beforehand. Make sure you’ve got good tunes on your radio that you and your date would surely like.
• Additionally, keep all those parking tickets, receipts, and trash away from your glove compartment. (Now that your glove compartment is empty, use that space wisely. We’ll leave that up to you)

Well, those are the basics. That would at least make your car comfortable-and not yet that sexy. Okay, when it comes to that part, we need to clarify things a bit first. Your car should be sexy, not sleazy. It should look attractive and pleasing, and not like some porn stars have been bangin on it for weeks.

And so, if you’ve got the time and the cash here’s where you could start:

The Lights

This together with your radio is what makes the overall mood of your car. So if you want to, you can add additional interior LED lights to your car for further accentuation. There are numerous sites that offer these accent lights. If you want, you can base your design on the Premium Attitude concept car.  But still, remember NOT to overdo it. Your interior lighting shouldn’t look like a freaking electro-tanning station.

The Seats

Alright, this could be a bit expensive, yet totally worth it. A good set of upholstery could survive a lot of dates-gone-bad. Just so long as you don’t let them tear them apart. If you can afford leather, go ahead. If you can’t, just go ahead and buy car seat covers from respectable dealers. That’d save you a lot.

The Entertainment System

Okay, this one’s really going to be impressive. Whether it is a roof mounted DVD player, a headrest monitor, or even an expensive infotainment system, all of these things is already a plus. Although we don’t think that portable DVD player isn’t that hot… But in any case, it’s how you flaunt these things.

These are only a few things that you could modify or install in your car so you could make it a bit more attractive whenever you go out on dates. But still, it all boils down on how suave or pleasing your personality is. So with that, we wish you good luck!

Remember: It’s a date, not a car date. Lol. :p

Back in our previous issue, we talked about customization through style. As you all know, every commercial car that comes out of its own manufacturing site looks exactly the same. Part by part, each model with their respective make looks exactly alike. Despite what manufacturers say about a car having it’s own personality, it’s still its own personality–and not yours. That is why you try to add something more personal to your car.

May it be in the form of decorations (like hood ornaments and bumper stickers), gadgets (e.g. flat-screen TVs, an infotainment system, sound systems, etc), or even things that may require a second-thought (e.g. lava lamps,  fondue machines, disco balls, whatever). And the more you add stuff, the more your car gets an identity that it shares with yours. That is, it gets “customized” to your own tastes.

(And that’s what last issue was. Now on to this issue…)

However, there is another way of customizing your car. And that is, by altering, upgrading, or modifying its performance. Some people may want to save up on gas for example. They may opt to change some engine parts like replacing its air intake system or by adding a better set of headers. On the other hand, if someone wants more speed, he or she could add a spoiler (given that he or she could drive through the auto bahn), a turbocharger, or perhaps even some nitro (if it’s legal). Either way, the point is you can significantly change your engine’s performance just by adding custom parts for your car.

There are so many custom parts that would improve your car’s performance, and most of them are quite expensive to begin with. But don’t worry, we’ll be tackling some parts that could boost your car’s performance and at the same time leave you enough change for some chinese take-out. But while we’re still here, it’s better if you could think and plan way before you’d even browse through the net’s numerous auto parts store. Ask yourself what you’d like to improve on with your car. Would it be its engine’s performance? The suspension system? the handling? or all of it?

Always.

Always.

Always plan ahead.

There’s nothing more frustrating than realizing that you don’t have the right amount of cash in the middle of an upgrade. So think first of what you’re planning to upgrade, the parts that you’d need, how much they cost, the mechanic who’d install it, and most of all, how much cash there is in your pocket.

So there you have it. We’ll be discussing more about customizing your car’s performance soon. But for now, get a piece of paper, and plan ahead!

“Sometimes, all it takes is a bit more effort… and performance.” - Chief Ed.

“That’s what my girlfriend said.” - Brad, frustrated lover/writer