“If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Friday, May 16, 2008

Interior Makeover Ideas

From the outside, we now move to the inside. Only those that enter your car can see the inside but it is nevertheless important that you go out of your way to make it presentable. The factory original design is good, but over time it tends to become boring. A car owner probably spends about 2-3 hours and maybe even more inside his car every day. It already acts as a third home (next to the house and the office, of course), and it is but right that you make it as homey as possible, partly for other people but mainly for yourself. There are myriads of ways to customize the look of your interior. If all you want to do is restore the original look, you can do so as well.

Anyway, the best place to start when giving your interior a makeover is the floor. This is the part that easily gets dingy. Here is what you’ll often find on the floor of a stock car: sound deadeners, carpet and a mat. All these three can get damaged easily. Rubber floor mats can crack and break apart under weather extremes. The carpet easily gets dirty, and if you smoke inside the vehicle there is a chance that you’ll see cigarette holes on the carpet. If you forget to take off your golf shoes you’re also likely to do some damage. The deadeners can also lose its effectivity over time. Read on so you’ll get an idea what to get for your vehicle’s floor.

Cargo liners ($50 - $350)

These are rubber pads that have raised edges that fit over an entire section of the car floor. The raised edges prevent water and dust from seeping into the floor. The surface features anti-skid plates that prevent sliding, even the back is ridged so that it does not slip. Most cargo liners in the market are resistant against automotive substances like motor oil, coolant and fuel as well as other liquids like soda and coffee. It does not crack like ordinary rubber mats because the rubber material used is weather-resistant. The icing on the cake is, cargo liners are very easy to clean. You can just take it out any time and you can just sweep it, hose it down, brush it or whatever it is that you do to keep things clean.

Cargo Liners
Custom Floor Mats ($13 - $280)

I know what you’re thinking. Why is it so darn expensive? Well, for starters, the materials used are premium grade; they’re probably 10 times better (and costlier) than your stock floor mats. These are very durable mats; in fact it may even outlive your vehicle, as long as you clean it periodically of course. They are custom-made also. That means it is configured to fit a section of your car’s floor perfectly. The color, shape and design is also completely up to you. If you support a sports team, a school or a particular group you can advertise that fact on your floor mats. And to think that they are placed over a car floor primarily to keep it from getting dirty.

Custom Floor Mats
Auto Carpet ($50 – $450)

If your car’s interior smells like a wet dog, then it is already time to re-carpet the floor. No matter how much you vacuum the carpet, you won’t be able to completely get rid of the dirt. Also, it’s not as if you can hang the carpet to dry when it is wet. A wet carpet is a hotbed for all kinds of germs. If you get a new carpet, not only will you be making your vehicle nice-smelling, you’ll also protect your kids from diseases. I suggest you run to the nearest carpet “fitter” now.

Auto Carpet

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