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Man stands next to his modified 1995 Chevy S10

5 Car Modifications That Are a Waste of Money

There are many modifications that you can do to a car, especially if you own one of the Japanese variety. But even if you don’t, you can surely find a plethora of car modifications at your local auto parts store. And while some of the modifications like freer-flowing air filters or even some oil additives …

There are many modifications that you can do to a car, especially if you own one of the Japanese variety. But even if you don’t, you can surely find a plethora of car modifications at your local auto parts store. And while some of the modifications like freer-flowing air filters or even some oil additives can help your car a little bit in the performance department, there are many that do absolutely nothing but waste your money. Here are five modifications that do just that.

A massive rear spoiler

We know, cars like the Honda Civic Type R come from the factory with a massive spoiler, so you think that your 10-year-old Corolla deserves one too. But it doesn’t. To clarify, cars like the Civic Type R are specially engineered to make use of the big rear spoiler as the other parts on the car work in conjunction with it to provide downforce in high-speed driving situations. So just tacking one on your Ford Festiva isn’t really going to do much aside from gaining more laughter from onlookers.

A car with a large spoiler | Wikimedia Commons

Undercarriage lighting

We’re pretty sure that this fad disappeared somewhere around the “Tokyo Drift” era (the early 2000s), but if it hasn’t, then do your best not to be part of the problem. Neon under-glow lighting just looks tacky and is probably illegal in most states. So if you don’t want any issues with the police or any other unwanted attention, then we suggest staying away.

Man stands next to his modified 1995 Chevy S10
A man stands next to his modified 1995 Chevy S10 | Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

Lambo doors

Also known as “scissor doors,” are yet another modification that could be dead, however, we wouldn’t be surprised if some cars at your local car meet might actually have them. They were cool in the 90s, kind of, but it’s 2020 and it’s time to leave the Lamborghini-type doors to the Lamborghinis. They never looked cool on a Mazda Miata anyway.

A Dodge Charger with Lambo Doors | Wikimedia Commons

Giant wheels

Yes, we know, car nowadays come stock with 18, 19, and even 20-inch wheels, but there are still some enthusiasts that think it’s cool to put giant 22-inch wheels on their Nissan Sentra. Just to note, putting larger wheels on a small car, or really any car that’s not meant to accept wheels that large are subject to scraping and other possible suspension problems. You might think they look cool, but in reality, they could do more harm than good.

A Camaro with Giant Wheels | YouTube

Whistle tips

OK, we definitely realize that whistle tips are not a thing anymore, but in case they are, we just had to add them to this list. What is a whistle tip? A whistle tip is when an exhaust shop welds more metal into your exhaust piping to make it whistle and sound louder than the weekly gardeners that wake you up in the morning. Is it cool? No. Is it loud, obnoxious, and unnecessary? Absolutely.

Just don’t do it

In case you really were thinking about adding any of these types of modifications to your car, we suggest just not doing it. You’ll be wasting money and if you happen to be paying monthly for your car already, then it’s really not worth it to spend more on parts that do nothing. We suggest to just not do anything and enjoy your car.

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