I Love the Smell of Nitrous in the Morning

by Amanda Virtanen

This weekend I attended one of North America’s largest hot rod displays, the 2002 CANATS Canadian Rod and Custom Nationals in Trenton, Ontario. I have to say – it was incredible. The show featured nothing but decked-out pre-1979 rods that set my mind racing and my mouth drooling.

My boyfriend and I set out early in the day to tour the show and dream about what we will “someday own”. We saw everything from wicked looking 1955 Chevys to 1967 Mustangs to 1934 Fords. Chopped roofs, flaming door panels, giant hood scoops and flared out running boards were among the sites to take in.

I could continue to go on about what I saw at the show and babble on about all the incredible restoration and care that has gone into these vehicles… but you know what? I’ve decided, why tempt you? Why make you listen to all the stories of every one else’s awesome car? I won’t put you through the same torture that I had to endure – haha.

Instead, I’m going to talk about what you can do to your car NOW… the one you have in your possession this moment. That’s right – you can make your 90’s car wicked too! As I left the show and hopped back into Ellie (my ’99 Acura that I wrote about in my last piece), I thought, “Well, Ellie – let’s do you up in style!”

So, below are some ideas for esthetic changes that you can make to your vehicle and at the very least, “feel” a little closer to the dream of owning your own custom rod.

Paint job - One of the best ways to update your vehicle is with a new paint job. Go for something exotic, a crazy colour or maybe even some metallic blow-ins to your current paint job. If you are feeling even less adventurous, why not put a clear-coat with the touch of another colour over your current paint job?

Lowering – Unless this is done properly, it can damage your car and possible endanger your safety. So make sure you do your research or visit a pro-shop before doing this to your car. My advice to you is, rather than drop your car to its maximum (and throw off your speedometer and suspension completely), just lower the front end of your car ONE inch. This doesn’t sound like much – but it actually makes a REAL visible difference and adds to the uniqueness of your vehicle without damaging anything. If you do lower your car, I recommend that you add a sway bar to your suspension – this is inexpensive and ensures the handling capability of your car.

Lights – There are countless imports that feature clear-back chrome lights in the rear. I recommend that you get yourself some carbon-fibre clear-backs, as these are not as common and depending on the colour of you car, can make it look really sharp. As for the front, I suggest adding some blue-toned fog lights to add your new light system.

Tints – I haven’t been a very big fan of the tinted windows. However, if done well, they too can really add to the look of your vehicle. PLEASE I beg of you, don’t add that cheesy rainbow tint that is becoming popular. Stick to the basics – a nice light tint that you can still see through at night. Remember, safety is always first – and a dark tint may not even be legal in your area. Tint does restrict night vision immensely. Too add to the look of your windows, think about emblems and decals – done correctly, they can look great – and you can remove them when you are sick of them.

Sometimes it’s the little things…

Of course, if you are on a tight budget – there are some nice little touches you can add to your car that will make it more “custom”. Change the front grill. To me, nothing looks nicer in a Honda then that mesh in the front grill. It makes it look cleaner and meaner! One of the first things I added to Ellie was her shiny new chrome exhaust tip. A nice looking tip really adds to the rear end of your car.

Let’s not forget about the interior! The stick shift - buy a new knob for it (a nice poly-crab one - fancy for plastic - that looks really unique). How about seat covers? Buy yourself some nice name-brand racing covers. While you’re at it, buy a couple of shoulder-protectors for the seat –belts. The old’ “Honda Racing” ones are always a classic.

The main thing to keep in mind is, you paid for your car – so do what you like and make it your own. Until I get my purple 1953 Mercury with a chopped roof and deep orange flames, Ellie will have to put up with me changing her monthly.

Amanda Virtanen is a 23 year old Web Producer and an automotive enthusiast. She owns a jazzed-up 1999 Acura EL named Ellie.