For the love of the upgrade

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine having a face so generic, you literally blended into a sea of complete anonymity. That would be fine if you drew your living from a life of crime, but any decent, tax-paying, God-fearing member of society would like to have some individuality, surely – if not only for your own children to recognize you or for the waiter to remember your order.

Unfortunately, to keep costs down, cars are pretty much all born like that. They roll off the factory floor like cookies coming out of an industrial oven: completely identical. Sure you can choose between eight colors or so, but that’s just like slipping on a different t-shirt. Plus you’ll be guaranteed that several thousand other buyers share your taste and will end up with the same look.

If you never wanted to be born a John Doe, the key to standing out and personalizing your ride is through accessories. It’s a great way to claim ownership of your ride, and it can also provide you with a ton of stuff that the manufacturer forgot to throw in.

If product planners had their way, each car would come with a sink and running water. Problem is, they usually spend countless months fighting with the finance departments on what accessories should come standard in a new model to be able to keep the price competitive. Finding the right balance is extremely difficult; pleasing everyone is downright impossible.

Personally, I picked up a Nissan Navara recently. A fine truck indeed, but precisely because it is, it has become as common as tap water. Plus there’s a bunch of stuff I wish it had. First thing I did was change the bulbs to HID. They’re not just safer, they use less energy and last a whole lot longer. Plus it looks awesome (provided you get them fitted properly and have them correctly aligned) This set me off on a disturbing quest to completely individualize my ride.

Tint is the next step. There are so many great brands to choose from. 3M is pretty much a no-brainer because it is effective and lasts forever. I’ve used the clear film on my car and it has pretty much cut out 85% of the heat, allowing my air con and engine to work more efficiently, saving gas in the process.

Then there’s the rollerdoor for the bed. I’m saving up for a Carryboy version that is supposed to be remote controlled from your key fob. That leaves me the practicality of a proper pick up with the security of a sedan. Now while I’m still scraping up the funds to get it to a level where I would be so happy that I would install a mail box in it and a shower, there’s a ton of stuff on my shopping list.

A performance chip would be nice, plus a Bluetooth enabled sound systems that can pair with your phone for complete hands free use and a reverse parking camera. All these things can actually be retrofitted and there are some great shops out there that can match the factory fitted quality. Problem is, its a bit like boiled peanuts – you never know when to stop. Because as one of the aftermarket gurus always says: if its stock, it don’t rock.