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12,590 Posts
Worth it:
Anything you really want and would like to include in your car note
Not worth it:
Anything you don't like, or would rather do yourself.
Here's why:
If the TRD GT3000 widebody kit for the Supra could have been part of my car payment, I would have a widebody Supra right now despite its $12k kit + $6k install cost. Why don't I have it today? I don't have $18k for the original or even $10.5k for a decent knockoff and install. I will sometime soon, but right now, no.
Why did most of us finance the car anyway? We don't have the cash to buy it outright.
Why is it foolish to spend a bunch of money on accessorizing a car that isn't paid for? Because that money would be better spent on the loan. Why? Because if you wreck the car, you will get screwed by your insurance for any mods you have done. It is highly unlikely you will get your money out UNLESS those options were purchased with the car from the dealer and their value is easily quantified.
Now, I know you can get insurance to cover your mods. I also know collecting on that insurance is no simple affair. Sure, some people believe they can strip their mods before the car goes to the wrecking yard, but the bad news on that is your insurance company can be real dicks about what they consider insurance fraud. Stripping off your mods before they get the car can be considered fraud unless you restore all the original pieces.
So, to avoid all these hassles, you order everything as part of the original purchase.
Oh, yeah, while the alarm upgrade may not appear to be "worth it" to some, check what happens to your insurance rates if you upgrade. It may pay for itself before the car note is paid, and you don't have somebody hacking up your OEM wiring harness to install some aftermarket piece. Some of the worst wiring harness abortions I have seen are the result of "professional" aftermarket alarm installs.
Anything you really want and would like to include in your car note
Not worth it:
Anything you don't like, or would rather do yourself.
Here's why:
If the TRD GT3000 widebody kit for the Supra could have been part of my car payment, I would have a widebody Supra right now despite its $12k kit + $6k install cost. Why don't I have it today? I don't have $18k for the original or even $10.5k for a decent knockoff and install. I will sometime soon, but right now, no.
Why did most of us finance the car anyway? We don't have the cash to buy it outright.
Why is it foolish to spend a bunch of money on accessorizing a car that isn't paid for? Because that money would be better spent on the loan. Why? Because if you wreck the car, you will get screwed by your insurance for any mods you have done. It is highly unlikely you will get your money out UNLESS those options were purchased with the car from the dealer and their value is easily quantified.
Now, I know you can get insurance to cover your mods. I also know collecting on that insurance is no simple affair. Sure, some people believe they can strip their mods before the car goes to the wrecking yard, but the bad news on that is your insurance company can be real dicks about what they consider insurance fraud. Stripping off your mods before they get the car can be considered fraud unless you restore all the original pieces.
So, to avoid all these hassles, you order everything as part of the original purchase.
Oh, yeah, while the alarm upgrade may not appear to be "worth it" to some, check what happens to your insurance rates if you upgrade. It may pay for itself before the car note is paid, and you don't have somebody hacking up your OEM wiring harness to install some aftermarket piece. Some of the worst wiring harness abortions I have seen are the result of "professional" aftermarket alarm installs.
