Little mods/upgrades/additions that make a big difference

[AFBronco235]

I was wondering what little things the rest of us on EP do to our vehicles to improve them. The rules are simple. Nothing that costs over $25 cash (or your national equivalent) and improves your ride for whatever you use it for.

My own little addition, for example, is applying RainX to all the windows of my ride. Really helps keep the fog and mist from condensing on the windows, which can be a real pain when it comes to visibility, and, obviously, helps the windows slough off water easier. It even keeps mud and dirt from sticking. Took me about an hour to clean and polish all my windows with it, but it was more than worth it.

So what have you done?

 

[ssapach]

Reflex wiper blades and those clip on springs that add more pressure to the wiper arms. Now the wipers on my Toyota actually do something when I'm driving!

 

[southpier]

Tacoma runs better after vacuum & dusting dashboard.

 

[v_man]

I added a voltmeter , it's about 10 bucks on Amazon , add a few wires and switch and I'm right at $25 on this one ...

 

[amo292]

Great idea for a thread!

The best little thing I did was was invest in the right washer fluid for the season.

 

[peneumbra]

$25 worth of fuel always helps...

 

[east_tn_81]

A real voltmeter and 0 gauge wire for my charging system on my f150

 

[v_man]

more cheapies for those with rock sliders...

Grip tape on the metal sliders . The round sliders were so slick when they were wet , so I got some grip tape
like the skateboarders use on their skateboard decks ... maybe $10 here.

 

[RedF]

The seats in my truck (Ford Ranger) are not especially comfortable, particularly for my boney rear-end, so I bought a couple of pieces of 1" medium density foam from the upholstery shop and trimmed them to fit under my seat covers. Made a huge change in the overall comfort while driving. Especially paid off for our trip down the west coast into California.

So this cost me a little more than $25, but not much, it was $18 per side. Honestly I'm sure I overpaid. Had I shopped around, I could have found it significantly cheaper, but I benefit from it every time I get in my truck.

 

[Weekender41]

A Couple Here


Made four of these, that is just 1/8th" x 1" aluminum flat strap and some bolts Total cost around 9 bucks for all 4.
The feet slide into the roof rails much like the factory ones do. I tapped threads into the holes of the bottom aluminum
piece as well.

This is what a roof basket looks like if attached to factory cross rails... Way too high for my tastes. Using those
4 'feet' (the bolt sticking up is bolted through thule load bars which I already had on hand) I am able to mount my roof
basket with a lower profile. With the welder I have now I could just make feet that weld to the basket and lower it even
more but this works quite well. The feet are tightened by the 4 bolts and are plenty sturdy.

It may not seem like much but it lowered the overall height of the basket by 1.7". That helped with the garage and the look.
`
As for other inexpensive additions:
The reflective tape on my rear bumper is in the same places as the factory bumper.
Grip tape/ safety tape was added to the top of my rear bumper and sliders.
As you can see on my rear bumper, the recovery points are about 6 dollars a piece at
Murdochs ranch and home store. You see them on Bradford flat beds in the rear, no one can steal them like they can with the
bow clevis, about a 4th the price and they have been tested numerous times.
`
I don't know how many of those make a big difference to the populous, but they did for me.
Cheers!

 

[east_tn_81]

I was wondering what little things the rest of us on EP do to our vehicles to improve them. The rules are simple. Nothing that costs over $25 cash (or your national equivalent) and improves your ride for whatever you use it for.

My own little addition, for example, is applying RainX to all the windows of my ride. Really helps keep the fog and mist from condensing on the windows, which can be a real pain when it comes to visibility, and, obviously, helps the windows slough off water easier. It even keeps mud and dirt from sticking. Took me about an hour to clean and polish all my windows with it, but it was more than worth it.

So what have you done?

I just bought the interior and extrior RainX. I really hope it works well.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

I just bought the interior and extrior RainX. I really hope it works well.

I found the interior "anti-fog" to be a major PITA! I applied it like it said but it kept hazing back over. Buff it out and the next mooning it was back! Went on and on. Took a couple of weeks to go away.

To continue the thread; one of my best cheap mods was to add a quick drain valve to the oil pan.
http://www.fumotousa.com/
With a short piece of tubing I can drain my oil without removing the heavy BudBuilt skid plate.

 

[Stumpalump]

The seats in my truck (Ford Ranger) are not especially comfortable, particularly for my boney rear-end, so I bought a couple of pieces of 1" medium density foam from the upholstery shop and trimmed them to fit under my seat covers. Made a huge change in the overall comfort while driving. Especially paid off for our trip down the west coast into California.

So this cost me a little more than $25, but not much, it was $18 per side. Honestly I'm sure I overpaid. Had I shopped around, I could have found it significantly cheaper, but I benefit from it every time I get in my truck.

I drive at least 40k plus a year and learned to modify my seats in a similar way. If you pull the back apart you can add foam, rags or even card board to customize the lumbar. Usually I put it between the spring and the foam for a custom fit. Old truck bench seats are always sagged out so if you shove anything on top of the spring it pushes the seat back in shape.

 

[fourstringfletch]

Get a roll of this stuff and stick it anywhere you need light. Already 12v and infinitely dimmable. Stick some velcro to it and it will stick to upholstery carpet on the ceiling of a camper shell, cab interior, etc.
Find warm white, 3528 - plenty bright.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

Get a roll of this stuff and stick it anywhere you need light. Already 12v and infinitely dimmable. Stick some velcro to it and it will stick to upholstery carpet on the ceiling of a camper shell, cab interior, etc.
Find warm white, 3528 - plenty bright.

View attachment 225029

View attachment 225030

Have a link to where you get it?