A ladies’ guide to tricking out your ride

A ladies’ guide to tricking out your ride

Ready for a car that reflects your style and pizzazz instead of driving around in the “mom mobile” or the “wife’s errand wheels” – but buying another car is out of the question for a while?

Ladies, if you can’t change your car, change how it looks … trick your ride! I’m speaking from experience. I was getting bored with my wheels. I mean, just because a woman is a wife and a mother doesn’t mean she can’t have some style and attitude exuding from her car. So, I decided to shake things up a bit. I decided to trick out my ride.

I got some cool ideas of what I wanted to do and found some easy-to-use instructional videos and manuals for the more involved projects. Then, I set aside some time, made several little changes and … wow!

And if I can do it, so can you. Give it a try!

Start by determining what you want to do to get the look you want. Make changes that match your style. For example, if you aren’t a fuzzy dice type of gal, then a pair of fuzzy dice should not be dangling from your rearview mirror. But if you’re more of a crystals person, then by all means, dangle a small crystal or two from the mirror.

Emphasis on the word “small.” Less is more with the crystals. Trust me on this. My cousin had a crystal in her car so big, she was blinded every time she made a left turn in the sunshine. Yikes!

Ok, ladies. Check out these cool upgrades you can do to your car. These are just a few ideas to get your imagination going. Some things are little additions or subtractions that can make a big difference.

Seat covers and floor mats. Here’s a simple change that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money and is easy to install. The pattern, color and texture can help you express yourself and get the look you want. You can go all the way and get customized, hand-stitched leather seat covers. But that’ll cost you.

There’s also a variety of colors, patterns and textures of floor mats. Yeah, you’ll put your feet on them. But hey … you’re going for a look here!

Seat belt covers: Style unrestrained. Find a look that’s right for you. Again, it should go with the color and style of your new seat cover. BONUS: The seat belt cover keeps the belt from cutting into your neck, should, waist and hip. YES!

Dashboard and steering wheel covers. You have options here too: leather, vinyl, that carbon fiber look and the wood look. Make sure it doesn’t clash with your seat covers. Dashboard cover kits are usually found at an aftermarket store. You will want your steering wheel cover to follow the look of your new seat covers, but not clash with your dash.

If you can coordinate the bedding, linen, and towels in your home, you can do this. It’s just a matter of deciding what you want.

Give your interior a colorful glow.  Add a colored bulb to the interior dome light of your car. To me, it’s like adding a different polish color on your nails. Different color, different look. But if you rely on this light to see when it’s dark, you’ll want to be extra careful of your choice – or opt out of this one.

Trunk liners – Put more than junk in your trunk. Put in a fashionable fabric liner in your trunk or car’s hatch storage area. It’ll be the surprise inside.

A splash of color on your windshield wipers. Add color, pop and style to your window wiper brackets. There are a lot of awesome colors and style you can pick.

Bling out your tires. For all the ladies who like a little sparkle on their rides, this one’s for you. There is a spray which gives your tires that touch of twinkle and bling. Read the instructions carefully on this one.

Get racy with your pedals. A set of racing pedals will add that chrome finish that you like so much. Auto stores usually sell these.

Do any of these and add a vanity plate, and you will be stylin’, ladies! Vanity plates allow you to let a little bit of your personality show on the outside. I got vanity plates last year, one of the coolest things I did for myself and my car.

There are tons of other things you can do to trick your ride, DIY-style. Once you’ve figured out what you want, map out what you are going to do first. Then, buy what you need (items to be added, like those racing pedals – you know you want them!) and get some easy-to-follow manuals and videos. From there, it’s full speed ahead!

I found terrific manuals and videos, and some accessories, online at Auto Body Toolmart. Why shop at a bunch of different places to get what you need for your DIY project when you can just go online while lounging in your pajamas with a glass of wine? If you’re anything like me, you are all about one-stop shop without giving up quality and without breaking the bank.

Ok, ladies. On your march. Get set. Trick your ride!

Lula McKee is managing editor of MommyBrain.net.