How to Change the Body of Your Car

Beyond a few tiny tweaks available from the factory, most new cars are virtually indistinguishable from cars of a similar model. If you want your car to stand out from the crowd, you will need to make some modifications to the body. Body modifications range from the very simple to the incredibly complex, and from the relatively cheap to the ridiculously expensive. How you modify your car is up to you, but there are a few common modifications to be considered.

  • Change the way your doors open. For instance, many high-end sports cars have doors that open up instead of out, and some older cars still showcase the "suicide" door, which was a door that opened from the front instead of the rear. Swapping your stock doors for something more interesting is a sure way to draw attention to your car.

  • Add a spoiler to the rear of your car. A spoiler has two primary benefits -- the first is that your car looks sportier and unique, and the second is that as air travels across the spoiler, it creates downward pressure on your rear tires. This increased pressure improves your vehicle's handling at high speed.

  • Lower the suspension on your car. A car with a lower profile creates less wind resistance and handles better. It is worth noting that you cannot simply lower the suspension on its own; you will need to invest in low-profile tires and wheels and will likely need to swap your old suspension for something stiffer.

  • Bring your car in for a custom paint job. This is one of the easiest modifications since it changes very little about the actual car, but can completely change the way a car looks. A new paint job can range anywhere from a full, one-color replacement to complex stencils, stripes or other patterns.

  • Remember the little details. It is easy to see the impact that side skirts, spoilers and paint jobs can have on a car, but many owners overlook the small stuff. For instance, changing out your headlights and mirrors can make a large contribution to the overall aesthetic of your vehicle.