Consider adding bucket seats, tinted windows, 3D licence plate, or a new exhaust to your car. Our guidelines for the legal modifications that can be made to a vehicle in the UK will assist you in remaining above the law. There are many regulations governing auto customization, and modified cars are much more likely to be pulled over by the authorities. To prevent fines and penalties, all work must be legitimate and ethical.
How Do Car Modifications Work?
Any alterations to a car’s original state are considered alterations. The majority of automotive modifications are made for cosmetic purposes, although some are also made to enhance handling and efficiency. You must be careful that perhaps the modifications you perform are legal because there are many grey areas when it pertains to vehicle customization. Additionally, it may be challenging to identify some alterations if you’re buying a used automobile, therefore you should find out as much as you could about the car’s past. Some modifications may void your insurance or cause future technical problems.
What Auto Modifications Are Permitted?
It’s important to be aware of the laws that apply to the modifications you can lawfully make to an automobile before you start working on it. Here, we provide a list of typical auto alterations and address the issue of their legality.
Suspension Drop
You won’t be violating the law if you lower the suspension correctly because it’s lawful to do so. Before lowering your vehicle, though, there are a few things to think about:
- Reduced ground clearance – If you lower the suspension, speed bumps, potholes, and other road humps will become a problem; if you frequently encounter these in your area, consider twice.
- MOT safety – Your automobile may fail its MOT if modifications to the suspension aren’t made by a qualified mechanic.
- Always ensure that the work is completed by an expert, or at the very least, have them look it over.
- Increased police attention – Any alteration to an automobile, including reducing the suspension, will draw their attention.
- Because of this, every adjustment must be carried out legally and ethically.
- Changes to steering and handling-The vehicle’s handling will change when the suspension is lowered, so you may have to modify your driving technique to maintain safety.
Windows with Tint
Undoubtedly, among the most common auto alterations is adding tinted windows, which is entirely legal. Given that many high-end vehicles already come with them, they could be a wonderful asset if they aren’t too dark or placed on the wrong windows. The kind of tints you may lawfully add to the front windows and windscreen are limited, however, there are no limitations on tinting the back windows and back windscreen. According to the regulations, the front windows must allow for a minimum of 70% light transmission, with the windscreen requiring a minimum of 75%. This keeps everything completely visible and makes sure your field of vision is unobstructed. Ensure that the window tint you purchase for your automobile is appropriate for the kind of window and ensure that it comes from a trustworthy source.
Sports Chairs
If you want to seem like a racer or are simply a novice, seat enhancements are common car alterations. Sport seats have a great look, and if you pick the proper ones, they may be considerably more cosy and comfortable than the factory seats in your vehicle. Sport seats also might assist you in driving more comfortably. Since race car seats are made to be used with race harnesses, which are illegal to use as a substitute for a car’s factory seatbelt, most producers of real racing seats warn customers that they are not suited for street cars. Nevertheless, certain producers, including Recaro, produce sports seats that can be used on public transportation. Just make sure that installation won’t shut down any of your vehicle’s airbags and that you can use your manufacturer’s seatbelt.
A Painting
Although an offensive paint job may constitute a crime against taste, it is not a crime in and of itself. Broadly speaking, you are free to paint your automobile any colour you like or use a vinyl wrap to achieve the same result as long that it doesn’t appear that you are attempting to masquerade as a police or emergency car. Nevertheless, there are some considerations to make before repainting your vehicle. A professional automotive paint job costs money and doing it yourself takes a lot of time.
Final Words
For those of us that customise our vehicles, having something a little unique from what everybody else has is practically necessary if we want to differentiate ourselves from others concerning performance or appearance. An automobile is considerably more fun to drive if you take the time & expense to modify it.
