Timothy J. Hands

Billet grilles and aftermarket grilles in general, are a dominant fixture in the automotive accessory community. This is no coincidence. While wheels, LED lighting, and performance tuners can sometimes be too much of an acquired taste for the older generation, drivers of all age groups and backgrounds can relate to the importance they place on the front of their vehicles. After all, who could blame them?

Let's pretend for a second that you are standing by the curb when you witness this breezy, stylish ride pull up in front. It's dusk, so the vehicle's headlights and tail lights are on full-bore. You take a glance at the center of the trunk to get a closer look at the make and model name. You're having trouble seeing it though, despite the fact it is not completely dark out yet. Before the driver turns the lights off and shuts down the engine, it quickly dawns on you: tail lights are positive.

HID. Although an acronym, HID is not thought of as some kind of clinical, scientific phrase that explains something. Instead, HID is breathed from the mouths of millions when it comes to describing the type of lighting that has become the pinnacle in automotive luminance. While HID kits are certainly not "new", they are however starting to build more momentum than ever before. Some automobile manufacturers have even begun to include them as a standard feature on some models.

With all of the fuss being made about the bigger customizing projects on the docket, drivers need to be reminded about the "little things" every once in a while to get them back on track. Not every aftermarket addition has to be bank-breaking, especially during this unsteady economic climate. Chrome accessories are an absolute treasure for those who are wishing to explore their ride's flashier side without swiping their plastic down to a nub.

We live in an era where technological marvels are what the public so effortlessly becomes enamored with. Have you ever seen the lines at Best Buy on a Saturday afternoon? People love gadgetry and special effects - they always have, always will. But when it comes to automobiles, fancy wiring and aftermarket performance chips can only go so far. Most drivers, if not all, go after looks. And for an image makeover that truly lasts, there is no better place to start than the front.

For those of you whom feel that your interior doesn't require additional refinement, I applaud you. Congratulations on having the resolve to stand tight with factory complacency. For the rest of us who are always on the search for extra luxury wherever we can find it, wood dash kits offer a glorious escape from the boring and monotonous "style-free zone" that most dash consoles come off the line with (or without, rather).

If you haven't noticed them more and more, then you must not be paying attention. Vertical doors (or Lambo doors) are starting to creep out of the realm of exclusivity and find their way to the mainstream. No longer are just the spoiled little rich kids the ones having all the fun on the block.