You dont have to be a custom car affecianoda to appreciate the hot cars in movies such as 2Fast 2 Furious. who wouldnt want to be behind the wheel of a suped up car, dragging that quarter mile of road? The adreneline rush is addictive. Shows like MTV's Pimp My Ride have enjoyed a solid fan base and its not surprising. Who doesnt enjoy checking out a car transformed into a monster ride that is the envy of all? Before you rush out and get your 1984 Chevy Chevette pimped out, you should consider a few things first: Insurance Your new ride is going to attract a lot of eyes. Unfortunately, not all of them will be the eyes you want on your car. Car theft, accidents and old fashioned jealousy resulting in scratches to your paint job all increase when you pimp your ride. Make sure that you check with your insurance company, and phone around for rates. No sense spending $10 000, only to find out that you cant afford to drive your car off the driveway. Who's Touching Your Body Just because they have a slick looking site with pictures of several hot cars, doesnt mean they did the work, or that you wont have to worry about your Lambo Doors falling off 6 months from now. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising for legit companies. If you find that people are talking about a certain local body shop, its worth your while to go and check them out. There is a reason why people are talking about them. Price isnt everything. Like with most things, you get what you pay for. Just because a certain custom shop can do the job for half of what everyone else is quoting, doesnt mean you should go there. Do they have a good reputation? How long have they been in business? How long have they been installing body kits or vertical doors for? Think Before You Buy Before you go ahead with that change to the body of your car, consider what impacts that may have on the overall performance of your vehicle. Will it impact fuel effeciency? Its A Gas If you're complaining about the cost of gas right now, wait til you replace your engine with a more fuel efficient model that doenst take kindly to you filling up with the cheapest grade of fuel. Expect to pay a lot more for gas, and its not going to get any better until fuel cell technology finally becomes the norm. Consider a hybrid engine if it is available for your car. Remember, the cost of gas will continue to move higher, not lower. Consider these tips before you go ahead to your local shop and have them complete an extreme makeover of your car. They will help you save money over the long haul. Now you are ready to live life a quarter mile at a time.