While some may argue that there’s nothing better than stock cabin design—the prefabricated factory-designed interior your cabin is fitted with—we beg to disagree. Yes, today’s modern automobile almost always comes with an equally modern, streamlined cabin that’s good enough for its purposes. But there’s a lot more you can do to improve that interior, and not just for vanity’s sake either.

A lot of today’s interior cabin accessories are made for more than just good looks. Take the simple floor mat; its purpose is to protect the floor of your cabin from any dirt that might’ve stuck on your shoes before getting in the car—making clean-up easier.

There’s also the steering wheel and shift-stick cover. Usually made from either plastic, rubber, or a combination of both, these accessories are designed to increase the surface friction of the components. The idea is to give you a much better grip on the steering wheel and shift-stick, leading to improved driving. Also, if you choose covers with bright, distinct colors, it’ll be easier to spot them during the night or in low-light conditions.

Now let’s talk about aftermarket seats and seat covers. First thing to consider is the material you want for the covers. Leather will be easy to clean as it is water-proof and quite resistant to minor scratches and damages; but in the summer, it’s a material that can get quite hot. Cotton on the other hand, lets your seats breathe for a cooler ride; but being made from soft, absorbent materials, it can be a hassle to clean up. Or you can go all out and replace your driver’s seat with one that’s specially made for comfort, making those long drives a lot easier by letting you sit in the best possible posture for optimum driving.

See, if you’re thinking about accenting the inside of your cabin, you have to go beyond looks and think about function. Think about the accessories’ effects on your car in the long run. How will it affect you? How will it affect your driving? Is the accessory really necessary? Remember that aftermarket accents, even if they’re just for the interior of your cabin, do cost money—money you might need for other more important car maintenance issues. Plus, whatever you put in your car can and will affect its resell-value. So before you go all out and ‘pimp-your-ride’, sit down. Take a minute to decide what you need and want for a better driving experience.

sample engine cleaner

• Remove the air cleanser or filter and waterproof the distributor and air intake with plastic bags to prevent water from seeping in.
• When using an engine cleanser to get rid of the grease and dirt, make sure you read the instructions of the cleanser properly.
• Keep the cleanser out of the car finish. These can damage the paint and ruin the finish.
• Rinse or hose off the cleanser immediately after it had time to take effect.
• Start the engine and let it idle to dry the parts under the hood.

Info from:

Auto Repair for Dummies by Deanna Sclar

Image from:

http://www.chemical-cleaners.com/catalog/images/engine_cleaner.gif