I don’t know if it was ever properly documented, but it is my bet that car accessories have been around since the very first car was in the hands of the first private car owner. The clichés of rearview mirror dice, license plate frames, radio antenna balls or other car exterior accessories were likely not in use (mainly due to the lack of those items on the first cars), but I guarantee something was added to that first car. Maybe a seat cover, or leather wrap on the steering wheel. Any way you look at it, your car will not remain truly stock if you’re anything like all the other car owners in the world. Let’s look at the various modern options there are out there for making your car, your car.
For anyone who lives in areas of the world where it gets cold, and there are winters almost everywhere, a remote car starter is a great luxury that borders on being a necessity when the thermometer drops well below freezing. I live in Vancouver now so it is not quite as needed as when I lived in Toronto, but it can still be useful on those frigid winter mornings. When buying your remote car starter from a car accessories shop, look into practical things like how far a distance you will be away from your car when you start it (driveway/garage to doorway you’ll be standing in), who will install it, do you want a one way or two way starter (a 2 way requires a confirmation signal be sent), how will you deal with possible factory security features, and can you get replacement parts. After looking into all this, and researching the options, you’ll be ready to get yourself the right car starter, and you’ll be able to start your day in a warm car with that mug of coffee in your cup holder not going cold.
Bluetooth hands free communication devices can be great for those on the go. They can be integrated into your factory equipment over your speakers, and can even have features such as caller ID, a backup camera picture displayed on the screen, and a number of other audio and video input features. With more and more police departments enforcing laws about people talking while on cell phones, occupying their hands and driving ability, those on the go can’t really afford not to buy a Bluetooth hands free communication tool of some sort.
Another safety feature is upgrading your lighting. The usual lighting options for your next drive include fog lights, which produce a broad and close in light, to normal which are narrower but further out, to driving beam patterns which are as broad as normal headlights but extend twice as far in front of you. You can also look into High Intensity Discharge (HID) upgrades. This feature is in all the new high end cars and gives you substantially better lighting at less power consumption. Auxiliary lighting manufacturers include: Hella, PIAA, Pilot, KC Lights, and Optilux. When it comes to car accessories, upgraded lighting can be one of your best investments.
