Customize Your Car

"Watch" this gauge cover

It’s not the easiest job in the world to change the look of your gauges with a new cover, but thanks to US Speedo Exotic Gauges out of Flint, Mich., you’ll be more than satisfied when the job is done.

When you need more power

For extreme power-handling needs, there’s 18-pound UL12 subwoofer from Critical Mass out of Long Island City, N.Y. There’s a good reason the number “5000” is imprinted on the carbon-fiber cone of this 12-inch bad boy since that’s the peak power rating.

Seeing past the sun

When the sun is shining , your car’s visors are indispensible. However, for those regular occasions when that bright orb in the sky is rising or sinking low on the horizon, your visors often provide only minimal glare protection, usually making it difficult — not to mention downright dangerous — to be out on the road.

A carrier for the trunk

Getting stuff from your house to the car and back can take many trips, especially if you’re camping or undertaking some other activity that requires a variety of gear.

The edge of protection

You've probably seen vehicles with a protective strip on the edge of the doors to prevent damage from contact with other vehicles, posts, walls and bicycles. And then again, maybe you can’t see the protective strip, which is exactly what 3M is hoping.

Old car meets new steering

After you’ve upgraded to bigger wheels and tires as well as the brakes to modern specs on your 1960s Chevrolet Camaro or Nova, Ford Mustang, 1963-’82 Corvette or 1955-’57 Chevrolet, what’s next? Everything that’s connected to the steering wheel, of course.

Solar powered signal lights

An all-too frequent type of accident occurs when drivers are unaware of other vehicles in their blind spots, that area not covered by rearview or outside mirrors. Auto Care Products, Inc. has come up with a way of widening the viewing range of your exterior mirrors as well as alerting other drivers in your blind spot that you are turning.

Beat the heat and look cool

We’ve all seen — possibly even owned — one of those universal one-size-fits-all windshield sun blockers that are supposed to repel the heat and damaging UV rays and keep our car’s interior cooler. The only problem is they really don’t fit very well, are clumsy to use and might not be all that effective at protecting the interior. Not to mention the fact that they don’t exactly enhance your ride’s looks.

Fasten your (pants) belts!

Yes, by all means fasten your seat belts, but we’re also talking about belts that hold up your pants.

An alarming development

Here’s a neat package for your automobile that delivers peace-ofmind security plus the convenience of a remote starter and keyless entry.

A jack of all traits

Lifting your car, light-duty truck or minivan in a way that you can safely work under neath is normally a two-step process.

Arms not long enough?

The ever-handy pickup truck isn’t always that convenient. Fishing items out of the bed when they’re just out of reach is frustrating, usually requiring you to drop the tailgate and jump in. And with a tonneau cover installed, you’ll be rolling around on your back in no time flat. As well, with tall-sided pickup trucks such as the 4x4 Ford F150, you’ll be lucky if you can even see over the box sides into the bed.

Wheel weights

GH (as in Good Health) Wheels has a unique dual-purpose rim that caters to the fitness guru. It looks like a weight that you would put on the end of barbell and, in fact, it is. “Our patented design takes the gym to the streets.”

Dominating fuel injection

Each new aftermarket part designed for fuel-injection use gives buyers one less reason to stay with a carburetor, which is saying alot since many forms of motorsports still use carburetors (NASCAR, for example).

Seal leaks while driving

Chasing down a cooling-system leak could mean plenty of down time and expense. Even if money and time are in short supply — aren’t they always these days? — you don’t have to allow a known leak to go unchecked.

In case there's an opening

One of the easiest and quickest ways to make your ride stand out from the pack is with a shiny new aluminum grille insert, but where do you begin your and search and what types of features should you be looking for?

Can you have too much lip?

We could quite literally fill this entire newspaper with photos and descriptions of every wheel design available for sale right now on the planet, but the goal here is to present you with leadingedge stuff and not some company’s cookie-cutter wheel that you’ve seen a thousand times before somewhere else.

Monday, May 12, 2008| 12:05 am