Table of contents
Introduction
Modifying cars is the gateway into this amazing hobby. When I was 16 and had my first car, I had no idea how deep I would dive in. Shortly after receiving my first car, I learned about car meets. I went to my first car meet and saw all makes and models of cars modified from the ground up. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to modify my car. I took to the internet to learn as much as I could about the best car mods for my Acura CL.
As a high school student, money wasn’t exactly plentiful. I had a weekend job at a sandwich shop that funded my hobby. However, as you learn rather quickly, car mods get up there in price. I would put parts in my online shopping cart and see nothing short of thousands of dollars needed to get the parts I wanted. Thankfully, the modern age has brought more affordable options to modify your car. In this article, I will dive into the best cheap car mods to get you started on your car modification journey.
Best Cheap Car Mods
In my opinion, the best cheap car mods will fall into the $300 or less range. When I was modifying my 2001 Acura CL, I would look at it as how many paychecks I needed to afford the mod. For example, when I bought my H&R lowering springs, it took me about two paychecks to save up at my awesome $7 per hour wage. This budget included the spring compressors I had to rent from O’reilly’s.
While none of these mods will complete a build, they are a great gateway into modifying a car. The car mods in this list are easily doable at home or can be installed at a relatively low cost. Furthermore, these particular mods fit a wide range of vehicles, making your search even easier.
1. Govee Interior LED Lights
Govee is a well known name in the LED light world. From home entertainment setups to interior car lighting, Govee has it all. What I like most about the car interior LED light system is the app control. Simply download the Govee app and set the LED lights to any color you desire. Not only does it have limitless color options, but the lights can be synced up to your music as well. For less than $20, you can modernize your car’s interior with awesome LED lighting.
Features:
- App Controlled
- Easy Installation
- Millions of color options
- Low profile
2. Rexing Dash Cam
Dash cams have become increasingly popular over the years for commuters and car enthusiasts alike. For car enthusiasts, dash cams have the ability to capture your scenic drive or track day in high definition. Rexing’s basic dash cam has all of the essential features you’ll need for under $100. Not only does it have 1080p recording but it has a wide view lens to capture everything in front of you.
Features
- 1080P Recording at 30 FPS (Frames per second)
- Auto-Accident Detection
- 170 degree recording view
- Compact design
- Night vision recording
3. K&N Air Filter
K&N filters are a huge name in the automotive world. For decades, K&N has provided enthusiasts with cleanable air filters with the goal of improving air flow. As covered in our cold air intake article, improving air flow is huge in cars, especially those with forced induction. K&N offers both universal filters and vehicle-specific filters to work for any application. With K&N’s reputation for quality at a great value, it is easy to see why this is one of the best cheap car mods out there.
Features
- Universal or Vehicle-specific filter models
- Washable
- Dyno-proven performance results
4. Spectre Cold Air Intake
If you want a complete air intake system at an affordable price, Spectre is your go-to option. Spectre offers intake systems for almost any car. Not only is this an easy modification anyone can install, but Spectre keeps the costs low between $150-$250 depending on the vehicle.
Features
- Polished aluminum intake tube
- washable filter included
- Options for 50-state legal intakes
For more information on cold air intake systems, visit our Cold Air Intake myth-busting article!
5. Lowering Springs
6. Skunk2 Shift Knob
Aftermarket shift knobs stylize the interior of your car, but also benefit your manual shifting. Different weight shift knobs will give you a more precise or quicker throw. For example, when I had my Ford Focus ST, I did not like the factory shift knob. To combat this, I went to Anarchy Motive and got a custom made weighted shift knob. The added weight, combined with a Steeda Short Shift Bracket, drastically improved the shift throw. Skunk2 is a popular brand in the tuner car world, especially with Honda owners. This is a sleek shift knob that will fit great in your personal car!
Features
- Stainless Steel Construction
- Made for 5-Speed Manual Transmissions
- Weight: 1.2 pounds
7. Universal Trunk Spoiler
Universal front lips and trunk lip spoilers have been around for decades. For many, this is one of the best cheap car mods you can do. With some measurements and patience, you can add a nice and subtle upgrade to your trunk lid. I installed a gloss black trunk lip for my Acura CL and it was one of my favorite car mods. This universal trunk lip adheres to your car with double sided tape and has two end caps for the edges of the lip. These end caps provide a finished look to the spoiler. For less than $20, you can add subtle flair to your ride!
Features
- Double-sided tape installation
- Matte Black Finish
- 59 inch length
8. Car Seat Covers
Drivers spend the majority of their time in the interior of the car. Over time, the interior takes a beating from the day-to-day spills, trash, dirt, and more. Seats take the brunt of the beating. Rips, tears, and stains are all too common with car seats. Fortunately, you can defend against this with high quality car seat covers. Not only does this protect your car’s interior, but it provides a nice aesthetic change to your ride.
Features
- Universal Fit
- Multiple color options
- Easy Installation
- Leather construction
9. DC Sports Exhaust Tips
DC Sports has been a premier name in the aftermarket exhaust world. While a modified exhaust may exceed the $300 cap we’re trying to adhere to, there are other options. When’s the last time you looked at your exhaust tips? Are they rusty and gross? Chances are your answer to that is yes. For under $25 per tip, you can pick up a set of DC Sports exhaust tips for your car. These exhaust tips have a bolt on design, but that may not work for your ride. If you need to attach the tips via welding, simply take the new exhaust tips down to a local exhaust shop and they’ll weld them on for you at a low cost. It is a great cheap car mod that will enhance your car’s aesthetic or bring it new life.
Features
- Polished Stainless Steel
- Bolt-On
- 3.75″ outlet
10. Alpine Upgraded Stereo
Its the 21st century, that means you need to have a little tech in your car. If you have an older car, chances are your car audio system is dying or extremely outdated. Luckily, companies like Alpine provide excellent options to transform your car audio system. The Alpine UTE-73BT is designed to provide all of the modern options to your old car at a great price. When upgrading the Wrangler’s sound system, we used this exact stereo from Alpine to give us Bluetooth connectivity and to enhance our sound! With the affordable price and its high performance, this Alpine stereo is one of the best cheap car mods you can buy.
Features
- Bluetooth compatibility
- Microphone included
- USB port for charging and music playing
- RMS Power: 18 Watts
- Peak Output: 50 Watts
Want to go even further with your car audio system? Visit our best budget subwoofers article!
Conclusion
Finding the best cheap car mods is not an easy task. There are lots of gimmicks out there that may just be a waste of money. However, simple modifications like the ones I’ve laid out are used in thousands of project cars worldwide. If you’re tight on a budget but want to modify your cars, absolutely dive into these simple but cheap car mods!
For those looking to go even further with their build, learn more about modifying a car with our project car guide!
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