Cars are getting so expensive these days that it seems more cost effective to keep what you’ve got. But if what you’ve got is looking a little raggedy stylewise and you don’t have a trust fund to blow, let the Funkmaster give you some tips.
He’s the host of “Ride with Funkmaster Flex” (6:30 p.m. Saturdays on Spike TV), where he uncovers hip-hop car culture, flashes his custom car skills and has buddies such as Eminem, Nelly, Lil’ Kim and Queen Latifah show off their rides, which Flex dolled up for them.
“There’s a way to . . . inexpensively put your car together,” said Flex, 36, a rap artist since 1990 who has been customizing cars for the last five years out of his own shop in New York.
Flex’s ideas for turning your dud into a “dude!”:
Tires–Flex calls getting new tires a “quick face-lift . . . always a dressy thing.” He says you can get some “decent” tires for around $2,000 (yikes!); it will run you more if you accessorize with chrome rims and oversized tires.
Window tint–It will only run you an average of around $120 to darken your glass, but the results will be sleek and hip. “They’ve definitely got to be dark,” Flex said, “but legal.”
Interior dressing–Work done inside the car, including piping, stitching and other dressings, “gives it a nice look,” Flex said. He added that it could cost you $200, but Flex guaranteed that “when you open the door, the interior looks better.”
Chrome exhaust tips–Fit these, which Flex said can average around $60, at the end of your exhaust pipes, and they “always make a car look good.” If you sprung for chrome rims, they “become more noticeable because of the tips,” Flex said.
Sound system–If you can’t make your car look good, at least you can make it sound good. Flex said starter kits can set you back $2,000, but it’s a good investment because it will “set you up” for upgrades.
Color-coding–Look at specific parts of your car, like the rear-view mirror or the spoiler. Are their colors different from the exterior? For about $400, you can make it look as if you’ve painted the entire thing just by getting certain accessories the same color.
“When you get things like the grille, the spoiler or mirrors and make it the color of the car, it gives it like a race car effect,” Flex said.
A car wash–Flex said it’s an easy way to give a car that showroom look. Be honest: When was the last time you washed that bad boy?