Car DIY

Fitting A Head Unit

admin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:34:14 +0000

When you get a new car one of the first things that you want to change will be the head unit, simply changing this will dramatically improve your sound system so it is definitely worth the upgrade. When you have chosen a head unit you will need to firstly remove the existing unit in order to be able to get it working. Be sure to read the instructions provided as the actual installation may vary slightly depending on your specific vehicle. (more…)

Fitting A Replacement Air Filter

admin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:28:04 +0000

One of the simplest modifications you can do to your car is to replace the standard air filter, it will fit into the same air filter box so there is no need for any tools and it will be very discreet so no one will be able to tell unless they take the top off of the filter box!

A common mistake that many people fall for is to completely remove the air filter, this is one of the stupidest things you can possibly do. The air filter is designed to prevent dust, dirt, leaves and any other foreign objects from reaching sensitive parts of your vehicles engine. If these were to get into your engine they would make the engine wear faster or un-driveable in some cases. (more…)

Fitting A Racing Style Fuel Cap

admin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:28:24 +0000

This modification varies on the car manufacturer as they all come in different shapes and sizes. This is a simple task which wouldn’t take much effort if you know what you are doing. There are other alternatives if you don’t fancy dismantling your car, you can buy stick on covers that can be fitted by absolutely anyone but be warned – the finished effect will not look as good if you put the little extra effort in replacing the whole fuel cap. (more…)

Tinting Windows

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:04:42 +0000

If you have decided that you want to tint your windows then you have two options, you can buy pre-cut window film which will be the exact size for your car or you can buy rolls of it which you have to cut to size yourself. The problem with pre-cut film is that there is no room for error, make a mistake and you have to but a new window tinting kit. (more…)

Fitting A Sunstrip

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:43:35 +0000

Many people think that it’s a lot harder than it is to fit a sun strip, before you start you should make sure that you have a friend who can help you as it will make your life easier. You have to be careful on the laws regarding sun strips, you have to ensure that it doesn’t obstruct the windscreen wipers from working correctly or it could fail when it goes for its yearly MOT. Not only will it fail the MOT but if your windscreen wipers catch the sun strip there is a good chance that it will peel it off.

There are two types of sun strip so you firstly have to decide which one would suit your car better. The first one is a sun visor strip which is fitted to the inside the car, you can see a problem from the very beginning – the interior mirror. On most cars this mirror is bonded to the windscreen so removing this is out of the question. If you have ever tried to fit a sticky sheet of plastic around an object you will know how hard it is. (more…)

De-badging Your Car

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:59:18 +0000

When you get your car it will be plastered with badges advertising the make and model of your vehicle, some people take them off because a car will look a whole lot better with a smooth tailgate or body panels without the awful plastic badges. Some cars will have side strips to avoid getting the doors dinted in the event of banging them, these can be removed fairly easy if you know the techniques to do so. De-badging your car can be done in 3 steps. (more…)

Fitting An Alarm

admin — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:19:14 +0000

When it comes to fitting an alarm you need to ensure it’s done correctly in order to get the full potential out of it. The process of fitting an alarm can depend on the alarm itself, that’s why we will identify the key points in case yours differs slightly. If you stick to this article you will be able to fit any alarm but you may have to exclude some sections. (more…)

Fitting Door Mirrors

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:47:13 +0000

Another simple to fit essential modification is the DTM or M3 style door mirrors. Available in a range of colours you can be sure to find the perfect set for your car, you can choose from a carbon look, chrome or primed ready to be sprayed the same colour as your car. If you’re on a budget there are still options available which won’t break the bank balance.

When shopping for door mirrors you have the option to go for a universal fit or model specific. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a universal fit means easy fit, it often means the opposite. All cars are different in the fact that some door mirrors have curved base plates to blend into the curves of the car’s front wings, all universal door mirror base plates are flat which means they may not fit flush or look as good as they should. People tend to go for this option because they can be considerably cheaper then car specific door mirrors. (more…)

Is That Really Your Dad’s Car?

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:53:54 +0000

Many people have found a great way to dramatically drop the cost of their insurance, especially for young drivers. This is by getting their mum or dad to insure the car in their name and add them as a named driver, this will reduce your premium to a certain extent but the insurance brokers aren’t stupid. They know that your middle aged dad won’t be running around in a heavily modified car. Many companies treat applications with named drivers with more care to avoid this happening as it can be very costly to the broker.
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Car Insurance : A Necessary Evil

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:49:02 +0000

When it comes to getting a car, the very first thing you always check is the cost of the insurance premium based on your individual circumstances because sometimes it can be just as much as the car itself. Insurance companies base your quote on your age, gender, address, motoring history and then take the car into account so you can never know how much it will be. The general rule of thumb is that the lower the engine of the car, the lower the premium. You have to do a complete check of the vehicle you’re planning on purchasing as there are some 1.6 litre engines that have higher performance than a 1.8/2.0 litre engine as they are highly tuned and will be expensive to insure.
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