Whether you are an automobile aficionado or a simple car owner, you wouldn’t be able to deny the effect that customization can have on your vehicle. This is especially true for a city such as Los Angeles, where your car is your prime source of comfort and entertainment amid frustrating levels of traffic.
Think about it. What other auto modification can bring out your personal style via your car, make your vehicle stand out in the crowd, and even enhance its value in the process? With these aspects in mind, the benefits of car customization become clear as day.
Two Porsches with Xpel Ultimate
But since car customization is not as widely practiced as engine maintenance or tire upgrades, there are still a few myths that are widely believed by car owners. If you are currently looking to customize your car through a few well placed changes, learning about these false legends is highly crucial.
To help you dispel some of these most common falsehoods, here are 6 car customization myths, busted for good reason.
1. False: Car Vinyl Wrap Can Hurt Your Auto Body
Starting with the most popular car customization methods, it is widely and falsely believed that car vinyl wraps can affect your auto body negatively.
The truth: Car wraps actually protect your car’s exterior and keep it good as new.
Modern car wraps are made out of premium vinyl with high quality adhesive. This commercial grade adhesive is safe for every car’s painted exterior, and can be attached without harming it in any shape or form. Due to this structure, car wraps save your auto body by acting as a shield between it and external elements such as scratches and abrasions.
In addition to that, car wraps can also be removed whenever you want. This process can be completed by any experienced auto body expert by using targeted heat application. When the car wrap is removed, all that your car needs is some cleaning to become good as new.
With these reasons in mind, it is safe to say that car wraps bring an added level of safety to your vehicle that is otherwise not available to a stock car. They also provide you with virtually unlimited customization features that you can change on a whim according to your own discretion.
2. False: Custom Front Bumpers Are a Bad Investment
Bumpers are one of the most affordable ways for car owners to bring some customization to their vehicle. But they often get a bad rap due the belief that they are easily damaged and wear out within a few drives.
The truth: Custom bumpers are made out of highly durable material that can sustain shocks for a long period of time.
Custom bumpers are mostly manufactured using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. This is a high quality and sturdy material that is far from brittle, and can easily hold its own against pressure, shock, and abrasions.
Due to this quality, these bumpers can fend off damage to your car that can otherwise be inflicted by bumps, curbsides, stones or obstructions on the road. This is especially true for lowered cars such as modern sedans or hybrids, which are more prone to this kind of damage even in cities such as Los Angeles.
Unless each one of your drives consists of running over obstructive stones for more than half the day, a bumper can protect your car for years on end. If you still want extra protection, you can invest in a bumper lip to add another affordable yet protective layer to your car.
3. False: A Paint Job is Better Than a Car Wrap
When compared to car wraps, paint jobs are often deemed as the superior car exterior option. This steers car owners away from vehicle wraps and makes a case for paint jobs.
The truth: Car wraps often provide more benefits than a paint job, and come with added protection.
While a car wrap may seem like a cop out as compared to getting a proper paint job, that is not the case at all. Even premium sports car owners and popular celebrities now turn towards car wraps as their go-to exterior customization method.
The reason? As compared to a paint job, car wraps provide more customization options including but not limited to sheen, shade, and reflection. Premium car wraps also provide high quality aesthetics that can often surpass typical paint jobs.
A full vehicle wrap makes the perfect gift !
Due to being an external layer, these vehicle wraps also offer added protection to your car’s body. With it, they also offer you more flexibility to change your car’s look in the future. Whenever you get tired of your car wrap, you can simply peel it off to reveal your factory paint job in its original condition.
All of these benefits come together to prove that getting a customized car wrap is just as effective as an auto body paint job, and even more so in certain areas.
4. False: Lowered Cars Equal Compromised Performance
Lowered cars are a dream for almost every auto enthusiast. While many modern sedans and premium cars come with a lowered suspension, this modification sometimes gets a negative perception due to allegedly compromised performance.
The truth: Lowered cars offer better performance than regular suspension.
Since lowered suspension allows your car to become closer to the ground, it disrupts the oncoming air drag that can slow your car down. With it, lowered suspension also enhances your car’s handling and contributes to a smoother driving experience on city roads such as the ones in Los Angeles.
Lowered cars also provide you with better aesthetics and allow you to boast of that fresh-off-the-race-track look. This effect is evident on most car types and models, especially sedans and hybrids.
With that being said, you do need to be careful with handling your car on damaged roads or driving over curbsides. But with attentive driving and the addition of affordable elements such as bumper lips, you can manage these precautions like a pro.
As a result, a lowered car provides you with better driving and enhanced looks, which automatically contributes to improved performance.
5. False: You Can Install Car Wraps Yourself
Almost all premium quality car wraps are manufactured by 3M, which is considered the pioneer in vehicle wrap technology. Since these products can be sourced through the provider, some people assume that it paves the way for a DIY job.
The truth: Installing car wraps is not an easy job. Doing it yourself can disrupt your vehicle wrap’s look and waste your investment.
While installing simple decals is a literal copy-and-paste process, performing car wraps installation is a whole different animal. It requires extensive experience, immense precision, and a know-how on handling the delicate vinyl material and its commercial adhesive.
Taking care of the process by yourself can cause air pockets and bubbles to form under your car wrap, with the adhesive also bringing various issues to the table. Even if you have some experience in working with decals, these issues are enough to throw you off and cause you to lose all the money you spent on the vehicle wrap.
Since an auto body expert has extensive experience in installing vehicle wraps, they can handle all of these requirements in an optimal way. By seeking the help of a professional, you can get the optimal look that you want out of your car wrap without frustrating yourself with the installation process.
6. False: Customizing Your Car Decreases Its Value
Despite the investment that goes into customizing your car, some people believe that it can negatively affect your car’s original value. This often holds back those customization enthusiasts who want to make their desired changes but don’t want to lose their original investment into their car.
The truth: Certain car customizations can actually increase its value, especially when you are selling to an auto enthusiast.
Many automobile aficionados who buy a stock car often add up the cost of their required customizations on top of a car’s asking price. This often causes them to bargain on typical car listings just so they can make their desired modifications afterwards.
If you list your car with modifications such as car wraps, bumper lips, and even lowered suspension, it can help you attract the attention of a buyer who wants most – if not all – of these customizations in their vehicle. This can help you sell your car above the market price of a non-customized model in Los Angeles.
With that being said, there are stipulations to this phenomenon. For instance, a customized car often reduces your potential buyer pool to auto enthusiasts who would appreciate the modifications you have made instead of looking at them as an added burden. You may also need to wait for a longer period of time to find the perfect buyer for a customized car.
But when you are able to do so, you can sell your car at a higher price and get your money’s worth due to your customization. This means that while there is some hint of truth to this myth, it is built on a misconception that could keep you from enjoying the larger benefits of a customized car.
Now that you have cleared up these common myths, you can freely make your required customizations to your car. To make sure you are making the right decision, don’t hesitate to reach out to an auto body expert. By understanding your needs, they can help you choose the customizations that are the best fit for you.
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