Top 5 Most Common Jeep Customizations
So you have crossed all the barriers and the spoil of your combat rests comfortably in your driveway. You finally have your Jeep! Now what? Especially as a first time Jeep owner, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which customizations you should have installed. There are several very popular modifications you can begin with.
Lift Kits
Extreme Terrain writes that a lift kit is often the most common first item Jeep enthusiasts get, and rightly so. Adding a lift kit to your Jeep increases clearance, break over angle, approach angle, and departure angle. The benefits are plentiful. A lift kit provides the ability to drive over bigger things without getting stuck, etc. In some cases it also helps driving through water without getting wet.
Soft Top
According to Auto Anything, installing a soft top on your Jeep helps to protect from heavy abuse and penetrating muck. These covers give you protection from the elements without feeling like you’re trapped indoors.
LED Lights
LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are currently one of the most popular modifications around. This is mostly because their light output at both low and high beam is nearly double the factory headlight output.
Floor Liners
Many people consider their Jeep’s interior as a second home. And a great way to easily keep that second home ‘mess free’, especially in this on-the-go age, is a set of floor liners. Designed to fit over the factory or aftermarket carpet, floor liners are that glove which protects your interior from just about anything you drag into the Jeep – water, mud, snow, gum, grease, whatever.There are a few different types of liners available. You can choose carpeted mats, rubberized slush mats, or all-weather heavy-duty liners.
Grab Handles
Grab handles are especially helpful in Jeeps, due to their height off of the ground. These grab bars are installed as a front mounted piece bolted to the A-pilar. “Most of us need a little help jumping in to a stock Jeep Wrangler, let alone a lifted one,” according to Welcome Distributing President Ken Welke. “You don’t need to tear up your seat and steering wheel when you climb in. Instead, use GraBars which are incredibly convenient and compliment your Jeep so well that (new Jeepers) will wonder why these grab handles weren’t included from the factory.”
Now that you are a proud Jeep owner, it is time to start customizing! Whether you choose LED headlights as your first improvement or a five inch lift kit, customizing your Jeep will make it feel more like your own.
Most Common Car Customizations
Car customization is gaining popularity every year. It is a cheap and easy way to give your car an updated look. What are some of the most common car customizations? Wheels, window tinting, adding a shift knob and custom upholstery are easy ways to make your car feel brand new!
Wheels
According to Wheels.ca, one of the most dramatic ways to make an improvement on the look of a vehicle is to upgrade the factory wheels. When customizing, most car owners choose to add larger, bolder, shinier aftermarket “rims.” The rim is technically the outer lip part of the wheel but it is also slang for aftermarket wheels. There are a multitude of rim choices. Rims come in different colors, styles and offset options.
Window Tinting
Many drivers choose to have their windows tinted. Tinted windows provide more privacy to you and your passengers, as well as safety when your car is parked. Passersby are unable to see any valuables you may have inside. Window tint is practical is more than one way. It is designed to keep glass from shattering if an object hits it. In the event of a car accident, you and your passengers are protected from glass shards and from being ejected through windows. Window tinting is both aesthetically pleasing and provides practical implications as well.
Shift Knob
Just like adding new knobs to doors or cabinets around the house helps give a home a personal feel, so can a unique shift knob to your car. Shift knobs are one of the best ways to customize the interior of your vehicle and, with so many options available at reasonable prices; Autos.com explains thats you can change your shift knob as quickly as you change your clothes. Bring a little style to your daily commute by updating your shift knob!
Custom Upholstery
Sometimes your vehicle’s upholstery starts to look faded, or it may have holes in it from years of wear and tear. There is a quick and easy remedy to this; install custom upholstery. From custom embroidery to exotic leathers, a customer auto upholsterer or interior specialist can add uniqueness and individuality to any vehicle.
Whether you are looking to replace your car’s wheels or shift knob, car customizations make a huge difference. You will be excited to drive your newly customized car and maybe that hour long commute to work won’t feel so bad anymore!
Skills Needed for a Job in Car Customization
Perhaps you are interested in going into the car customization field. Maybe you simply want to dabble or maybe you want to make a career out of it. It is important to know exactly what goes into making a successful car customization technician.
Education
Study.com writes that the majority of automotive companies hire car designers with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in product design or automotive design. Since car design is a very competitive field, a high level of academic achievement is critical. Courses such as industrial design, electrical engineering, mathematics, environmental science, and computer-aided drafting are required for car designers.
Artistic Skills
One of the most commonly requested car customizations is a custom paint job. Career Trend writes that a career in car customizing requires an individual who has an aesthetic sense of color and design to create custom paint designs in accordance with to customer consultations. In order to do a paint job, you must have manual skills to strip the paint, and then artistic skills to apply whatever paint, decal or tattoo the customer wants. It is a fine balance between the two but a good car customizer balances the two traits well!
Mechanical Skills
Not only do you need an eye for the artistic side of things, Career Trend explains that professionals who perform car customization work must be skilled at welding, soldering and other automotive repair. This is similar to the work performed by a traditional auto technician or mechanic. So what type of customizations call for mechanical skills? Often times customers are looking for the replacement and installation of very high performance parts. Vehicle customization technicians must also be able to perform any necessary repairs that come up throughout the customization.
Electronic Skills
Many car enthusiasts want to have speakers, subwoofers and the like installed. Therefore, a vehicle customization tech must also have electronic skills. Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, and maintenance is an essential component to this field.
A successful car designer is well-rounded. They must have a solid educational foundation, and artistic eye, and mechanical and electronic skills. All of these skills come together to help create beautifully customized cars.
About Alexis Khazzam
Alexis Khazzam is a dedicated entrepreneur based in Peoria, IL. He is the owner of Junction Ventures, AppsCo and Alpha Jeep & Motorsports.
Recognized both nationally and internationally a leading customization shop, Alexis Khazzam and the Alpha Jeep team provide unparalleled services. Their work has been featured at the 2015 F1 Grand Prix showcase in Montreal, Canada, as well as at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Some of their work has also been featured on the cover of Forza Magazine and the subject of a full article in Truckin’s annual “Ultimate Parts Guide” issue.
Alexis Khazzam passion for customizing his own vehicles was what initiated his car customization business. Over time, his weekend passion grew into a budding small business, and now Khazzam and the Alpha Jeep team are customizing Jeep vehicles, high-performance and luxury cars throughout central Illinois and the Midwest.
Alpha Jeep and Motorsports officially opened its doors in 2013. As a licensed Quadratec- and ARIES-sponsored dealer, the Alpha Jeep team performs many different Jeep customizations. Whether it’s upgrading your engine or installing bull bars or modular bumpers for your Wrangler, they are the best place to do the job. They also customize domestic and import vehicles of all makes and models. As a licensed dealer of APR products, they promise the highest quality products will be used to upgrade your vehicle’s ECU, motor, suspension, exterior lighting or interior style.
Today, Alexis Khazzam prides his business on their exclusive and interpersonal nature of customer service. The Alpha Jeep team goes above and beyond for every client, meeting with you personally and working with you on every step on the customization process. Their small size allows them to truly focus on your vehicle.
Apart from Alpha Jeep and Motorsports, Alexis Khazzam is also the owner of Junction City Shopping Center and AppsCo. Junction City Shopping Center opened in 1956 and is still based in Peoria, IL today. Junction City offers shoppers a collection of locally owned, premier retail boutiques in one beautiful and convenient setting. Another one of Alexis Khazzam’s business ventures is AppsCo, a not-for-profit organization providing a fully integrated business learning experience for public school students. AppsCo is a software application doubling as a learning tool to give students hands-on business experience and, potentially, a paycheck.
