Welcome to another @74customs article, today I’ll be discussing and solving a common problem in today’s crazy economy!
Turning the car you have into the car you want can be extremely expensive. So today I will show you how you can maximize your vehicle’s gains all while minimizing the costs!
I am going to hope/assume that you have dealt with all of your maintenance. Having your maintenance done will be super beneficial. Ensuring that your car will be working in near-ideal condition is critical. By doing so you will mitigate the chances that loss of power or catastrophic failure will happen.
1)The Build Sheet
The first step to saving money and modifying your car is having a clear goal in mind as well as some realistic boundaries/expectations!
A build sheet is a list of your vehicle with modifications lined up to help you achieve a goal with your vehicle ensuring all your supporting mods are being installed in the correct order without wasting money on unnecessary modifications!
You can purchase one custom-built for your vehicle, budget, and build plans Here!
There are a few things you need to consider before you start planning:
- End Goal.
- Budget.
- Timeline.
- Your engine/chassis and its integrity.
If you need some guidance on where to start I’ve got plenty of lists for modifying your car but here are two you can start with:
Top 5 Budget Suspension Upgrades
How would having a goal save you money?
Having a clear goal in mind with a proper plan ensures that you are buying the correct modifications in the correct order to achieve a goal while also keeping you from mistakenly buying modifications you don’t need or rebuying parts that are similar or lower quality but did not do the job correctly the first time.
Doing this ensures you create the vehicle you want while also ensuring your hard-earned money is spent well!
“The more specific the goal, list, and parts the better”
It comes down to a goal in mind and a great plan with your all your mods lined up! What that does is it will accomplish the things you want while giving you a budget and plan you can visualize.
2)Budgeting
If you aren’t willing to save money don’t expect to have a cool car…
Although budgeting might seem daunting it can be quite simple! Whether you need to put 50 dollars away every paycheque or save the money you spend on coffee, patience, and discipline are the keys to saving money, especially for your car!
This can be seen as the second section of your build sheet. During the planning stage, you will have decided your overall budget and timeline. Now that all your mods have been laid out you can save up money to buy those mods and start making progress towards your goals!
Budgeting and creating a build sheet before or during the process of building your vehicle will help you tremendously with your modifying process to ensure that you have the best bang for your buck without falling off track and spending more money than you need!
There are ways to make money with your car so stay tuned for that!
3)Buy the Expensive Stuff
Now, I know this sounds controversial but hear me out I know what I’m talking about I promise ;). Buy the expensive things, do not sacrifice quality for cost! When it comes to saving money, having to rebuy parts will be extremely controversial; there is no need to buy cheap parts!
“Quality lasts”.
Buy quality parts, there is virtually nothing that you can cheap out with on your car without sacrificing something; looks, weight, durability, or performance could be lost individually or altogether if you decide to buy a poorly crafted part.
This is why buying good parts the first time will save you money. It follows the same track with having a goal and streamlining your modifying process.
It would be very unfortunate if you had to rebuy apart because it did not serve you properly the first time!
4)Utilize Free Modifications
I’ve even created another entire article on the different free modifications you can do!
This is such an important step and an overlooked one too! These free modifications will help you to become familiar with your car’s mechanics, and the way it drives and also ensure that you will maximize all of your current performance!
Check out Free Car Modifications
Utilizing some or all of these modifications is crucial in being able to maximize your gains while pinching pennies!
5)Sell the Unused Parts and Re-Invest
When you modify your car you are likely removing parts to install new ones! If you have read through the free modifications article, one of the big modifications is weight reduction. That means you’ll have leftover parts you have removed, which you could potentially sell.
To make sure you can sell these parts, ensure they satisfy all of the things on the following list:
- The removed parts are worth value even though they have been used.
- In good condition (not broken/worn out).
- Cleaned off and looking well maintained (not as important but it can help increase value a small amount).
If the parts check these boxes and you don’t intend on reverting your car to stock soon you should sell them! Once you have sold the parts, you now have extra cash to put back into your car’s build plan.
Some of the places that are popular for selling car parts are:
- Kijiji.
- eBay.
- Facebook marketplace/groups.
- Craigslist.
However you are not restricted to just these websites, there are virtually endless options for selling used car parts.
6)Learn to do it Yourself
- Mechanics are expensive to hire and can charge a lot. If you want a mechanics shop to install parts on a modified car it could cost you even more because of “potential inconveniences”.
So what better to feel like a true car enthusiast while also saving money and installing your car parts yourself?
Chances are there will be multiple tutorials out there that you can follow online. If you still don’t feel comfortable you could always ask a friend, family member, or other enthusiast who is comfortable working on cars to give you a hand.
What about tools?
Tools can be expensive but they don’t need to be. Here is a list of tools you will need to start working on cars:
- Sockets and Rachets(Metric and Imperial sockets).
- Screwdrivers (it’s good to have a variety).
- Pliers (Having variety is helpful once again).
- Wrench set (Metric and imperial).
- Adjustable wrench (nice to have).
- Hammer.
- Multimeter.
- Code reader/Scanner.
- Jack and jack stands (you can use the jack from your car).
- Safety Equipment.
So how can you get these for cheap? While buying new tools will be extremely helpful it is also ridiculously expensive so another viable option would be buying second-hand tools!
Yep, buying used tools can be a budget-friendly way to obtain some great tools. If buying all of these is still too expensive, you could always borrow from a friend or family member. Just bring it back for a good reputation.
Specialty tools
Sometimes your classic wrench set isn’t going to get the job done! When it comes to specialty tools there are two budget ways to acquire these tools:
- Renting/borrowing from your local auto parts store.
- Buying a near-brand new tool second-hand for much less.
Many auto parts stores will carry some tools that you can borrow! You will likely have to make a deposit but once you return the tool you will be refunded, the shops do this to avoid theft.
But if they don’t carry the tool you need or a vehicle-specific tool, it will likely be sold second-hand somewhere in which you can get nearly brand new tools for less than their retail price.
This will get you heading in the right direction for modifying/working on your car yourself. Learning to do this will save you money in the long run, and again, what better way to feel like a true car enthusiast while you are at it!
7) Sponsorships
If you own a unique vehicle or frequent a track it might be easier than you think to find a sponsorship for tools, gas, or most importantly car parts.
Check websites and companies that are a common aftermarket parts maker for your vehicle and shoot them a professional and serious message about why you think a sponsorship deal would be good for them.
A company doesn’t want to hear about how broke you are and why you can’t buy parts so explain how you frequent a track set records (if you do) or carry a good reputation (if you do) and see what they say. You are likely going to need to represent the company with clothing, stickers, or a livery but that likely won’t be much of a problem.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article, I hope you found it helpful! if you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the information or methods feel free to ask in the comments. Also don’t feel shy to reach out VIA email or any other social media platform if you want to talk to me privately!
If you liked this article you would like FREE PERFORMANCE MODIICATIONS FOR YOUR CAR!
