Aug

Accessorizing the New Car

It’s time to add more stuff into my new car. I don’t go overboard with the customization and accessories. No fancy racing stripe. No F-1 spoiler. No engine modification. Instead, I thought about some modest additions like:

Window Tinting
Southern California weather is 90% sunny. In the summer, heat is a major problem inside a car. Window tinting will help cool off the cabin. Also, it cuts down on glare, especially on the driver’s side. The caveat in California, I’m not able to fully darken the front side windows, or else the cops will give me a “Fix It” ticket. Otherwise, it’s a must have and worth the $160 to get it professionally installed.
GPS
Honda’s in-dash Navi is $1750 extra. Quite pricey. Personally, I’m ok with the on-dash ones, such as a Garmin portable with anti-slip pad. I can get one of those for less than $200.
Bluetooth Speaker Phone
Honda dealers has the Blueconnect Bluetooh Hands-Free as a $700 option. Why bother when I can get one from Costco for $70? Ok, so maybe it’s not as fancy and cool. At least it works!
Electrical Socket Expander
With more and more portable gadget inside the car, I’ll need to expand that single electrical outlet (formerly cigarette lighter socket) into many. There’s a variety from dual to multiple. Too bad my Civic doesn’t have an outlet inside the armrest compartment. Otherwise it would make organizing the cables pretty easy and out of sight.
Trunk Organizer
I need a sturdy trunk organizer that will hold a lot of groceries and stuff. The best ones are designed for the SUV and mini vans. I also need a golf accessories organizer because I always carry my golf stuff in the trunk.
Velcro
This one is kinda ghetto. It’s an all purpose use to strap my portable MP3 player down so it won’t slide around during turns. Also good for temporarily plastering things on the windshield, although it might be illegal according to California law.
Ultraman Dolls
All Asian guys should have at least one Plush Ultraman doll in their cars. If only I can find one…