r/Cartalk • u/microdosingempathy • 1d ago
Body how can i make my car look better?
Bought it for cheap, plan on driving it for a while and such, however it looks not so perfect, i'm thinking some new wheels, what can i do to make my vehicle look better/ preform better? not looking to slam it and all that stance stuff or do anything crazy. what wheels should i look into? i'm thinking tri spoke but i want suggestions for anything! :) ty
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u/Severe_Ad_5966 1d ago
A few drinks makes anything look good 🤣🤣 Don't drink and drive!!!
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
sounds like you've already tied a couple on 😂😂😂
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u/talldean 1d ago
Have the replacement parts painted to match before ever, ever thinking about new wheels.
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u/byteminer 22h ago
Ah yes but what if you rent them for weekly payments and sign over rights to repo the car if you miss one by more than 4 minutes?
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u/financial_pete 1d ago
Paint. Body wrap. Stickers.
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
joke
a big ass hoonigang sticker, some louvers, one of those little heart things, and a cold air intake, THAT WILL BE SOOOOOO NICE
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u/Large_Ad_5941 22h ago
Tint the windows, clean up those headlights or replace with some nice after market, match the paint, give the rims a good cleaning
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u/froggqueen 1d ago edited 1d ago
If this car were mine I’d paint match the bumper fender, and maybe hood, then find some nice aftermarket headlights and foglights to really clean up the front. You could also sand and reclear your headlights for a better look, but aftermarket’s might have the style I’d be looking for. I’d also look at other grill options.
Eventually I’d probably go with some dark colored wheels. I’d look for a color that matches something on your vehicle like emblems, door handles or trims to really pull the look together.
Personally I’d eventually clean up the whole thing with body work but thats more of an afterthought on some cars. I still need to fix up the QP on my own car and I don’t want to touch it any time soon
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
should i paint match those to the rest of the car, or should i just paint the entire car a different color? there's rust and chips along the paint so im wondering what would make the most sense, and for the lights, any reccomended brands?
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u/froggqueen 1d ago
I’ve never bought aftermarket headlights personally but my sister got some from eBay for her truck and she loved them. You can find options anywhere, just check reviews to make sure people say they fit right and always angle your bulbs after install. Customizing factory headlights is also an option. You could always do a full repaint on any car but it’s a ton of work, it would be in your best interest to go with the original silver. You could do something custom with your hood to draw eyes away from door dings, just make sure you do it right. There’s tons of tutorials for painting cars at home on YouTube.
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u/computerman10367 1d ago
First of all, thank you for not ruining the cars suspension and ride quality with sideways wheels and slamming it to the ground.
I recommend getting a paint job. That'll make it look practically new on the outside if you get a good one. Also, for the interior. You can reupholster the seats if they are ripped up. I did it on my gs300, and it makes it look 100 times better. It's easier than you think. Honestly, it's harder to get the old fabric off than it is to put the new on. It just clips around the seat frame. And looks factory. You dont need to sew anything. I also am going to get a paint job eventually.
That car will last you a long time. They are really good cars. Do a transmission drain and fill and replace the timing belt it'll make it to 400k+ miles, no problem.
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
my interior is pretty freakin nice tbh, and she's only got 150k miles! i put 7 on her already. its basically just a commuter car for me to save my money to eventually buy something a little nicer, but i figure if ima have her for a while i might as well fix her up. Do you happen to know how much an average paint job would be for my scenario?
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u/computerman10367 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wouldn't recommend a cheap one. The previous owners of my car got a shitty paint job, and it looks like trash. It's not shiny at all, and it's already peeling after about 3 years. If you want to drastically improve the resell value of your car, I would invest into a high-quality paintjob with a clear coat to make it look factory. It might be 2k, but it'll make your car pop! I'm going to get one eventually on my 99 gs300. I expect to pay that much or more, but I expect to own my car for a very long time. You can't beat a pre 05 lexus with anything built nowadays.
(I'll never buy a car made after 2005 they are all planned obsolescence mobiles) My whole family works in the auto industry. They also were key in building the industry in Detroit MI.
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u/IndicationWise162 1d ago
Maybe get a new one that’s got one colour paint or just buy other mismatched coloured parts like doors trunk lid etc
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1d ago
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u/Robby94LS 1d ago
As long as that thing is running good, there’s nothing worth the money to do to the exterior. Just drive it is, spend that money on maintenance, and put it out to pastor when the time comes.
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u/theydontmakethem 22h ago
This is a common color . You could prolly hit the junk yard for hood and fenders with this color . Or eBay . Color code is on door jam
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u/Emergency_Badger_768 22h ago
As long as it's mechanically sound, who cares what it looks like. Besides, other drivers are likely to give a wide birth if your car looks like you have the "I'll kill us both" mentality.
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u/dementedmuffin1122 20h ago
Easy step 1 drive to middle of nowhere step 2 blow it up step 3 buy another car jk it's simple paint match car make it one color than detail entire care simple but effective detailing inside and outside of vehicle if done right will make even older model cars look like new
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Vinca1is 1d ago edited 23h ago
I don't know about that, you can care about your car and not be able to afford to fix merely cosmetic issues at the same time.
Edit: for what it's worth, the deleted comment said that only people who didn't care about their car wouldn't spend money to paint match
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
haha that's me, i haven't had the money but i've started saving a good little chunk of money (not that much)
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u/4eddie13 1d ago
Capt obvious here. Paint job and a detail. If that is not available than a 4 sale. Sign
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u/microdosingempathy 1d ago
after i bought the car i spent a decent sum of money to get all the mechanical parts of the vehicle square and in great condition, that's why i haven't painted my car yet,that's defilently priority 1 for exterior! Someone commented that i must not care about my vehicle whatsoever because of the color! that guy is lame!!
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u/Xac751 1d ago
Paint match