Are Car Mods Worth It?

Vince Evans was a light mechanic and auctioneer until he went back to his old love, writing. Rather than shouting at North Easterners, he prefers to write about New Jersey used cars dealers.

When thinking of decking out your car you should research to see how much that modification might increase or decrease the overall resale value of the car.

Personalized Aesthetic Modifications

Some modifications like wings attached to the rear of the car or a giant picture of a unicorn paint job might have disastrous effects on the resale value. Okay, yes most people won’t paint a giant unicorn on their car, but the overall concept is true. What is charming to you might be ugly to them. These types of modifications are all flash. They modify the car to fit you. The payoff for these is the personal satisfaction that comes with knowing that you are unique and not like all of those zombies that own the same car.

The problem with personalized aesthetic mods is that the resale value corresponds with the number of people that are willing to buy the car. Because most people are zombies that like to play it safe and not mod enthusiasts, the resale value might take a dive. When you try to sell a mod car to the masses, they sometimes get uncomfortable when they think about owning a car with some kinds of mods. They like normal cars that are a solid red, white, or black. They want the end of their car to be wingless, and they desire to avoid the shame and embarrassment that might arise in formal social situations when people see them climb out of their car at the company picnic. These types of people might not be able to see themselves buying the modified car at market price, let alone above market price. For that reason personalized modifications do not always sell well and should be considered only if resale value does not matter.

The Warranty Problem

Whether resale of a modified car is on the horizon, you should check beforehand if the mod can void the warranty. There are documented cases of warranties being voided because poorly installed modifications led to damage to the vehicle. A voided warranty will lead to a drastic dip in the resale price.

Modifications that Appeal to the Masses.

That being said certain modification when installed skillfully and correctly do appeal to the masses and can increase or at least not hurt the resale value. Replacing that old cassette tape player with a CD player or installing a TV with a DVD player into the back of a mini-van can increase the overall sale price. Soccer moms are less likely to road rage when their kids are occupied with a movie instead of arguing in the back seat. Likewise replacing the ratty seats with new leather can raise the comfort level, aesthetic appeal, and sales price of the eventual sale. It is important to make all mods appeal to a large demographic. Ask yourself what kind of people would buy a car with this modification. If you have a fairly large list of potential buyers, the modification should be safe to install.

Whether the mod is a functional or an aesthetic change, the potential mod buyer should be aware how the changes will affect how used car dealers from New York, Idaho or California will be able to sell your car. The wrong modifications could lead to a larger dip in the sales price than might be expected. And the right one can drastically increase what you can expect for the car.