Every Car Guy’s First Mod—And Why It’s Almost Always Trash

Matthew Forde
Apr 21
3 min read

Let me paint you a picture.I was 17. Broke. Hungry for attention.And standing in a Walmart parking lot with a can of black plastidip like it was a can of spray-on dreams.

The car? A 2005 Volvo S40 2.4i. My first. My baby.I plastidipped the wheels and the grille black—because in my head, that was aggressive. That was clean. That was budget performance.

And the cherry on top?I gave it an intentional exhaust leak at the muffler.Why? Because I couldn’t afford a proper muffler delete, but I could afford a ratchet and a rebellious spirit. It was an inline-5, so it sounded decent… but yeah, it could’ve sounded better.

But you couldn’t tell me anything.

Let’s Be Honest—Most First Mods Are Straight-Up Embarrassing

If you’ve been into cars for more than 10 minutes, you’ve probably done one (or all) of these:

Plastidip everything like it’s the cure to mediocrity
Stick-on vents because “aerodynamics”
LEDs in the footwells, grill, trunk, and cupholders
eBay intakes that suck in more heat than air
Fake badges (M3 on a 320i, I’m looking at you)
Sticker bomb gas caps because… vibes?

These are rites of passage. They’re dumb. But they matter.

Why We Mod Like This

Because no one tells you how to start modding a car properly. You watch a couple YouTubers, get hyped off some cinematic rollers and engine bay montages, and the next thing you know, you're spending your last $40 on carbon fiber wrap that starts peeling before you even finish applying it.

You mod like this because you want to feel something.

You want to say, this car is mine.Even if “mine” means four different colors of trim and a fart can that makes dogs cry.

The Psychology of the First Mod

This isn’t about performance. It’s about ownership. Identity. Expression. It’s the moment you stop seeing your car as just a tool and start seeing it as a canvas.

We don’t always get it right. In fact—we almost never do.But every plastidipped emblem and overdone underglow kit is a stepping stone to learning how to actually build something meaningful.

You learn to stop chasing noise and start chasing feel. You learn that a louder car isn’t always a faster one. You learn that mods without purpose are just… clutter.

The Turning Point

At some point, if you stick with it long enough, you get tired of the cringe. You realize your car doesn’t need 17 decals and 400 Amazon parts to stand out. You learn the value of subtlety, of intentionality.

You realize that sometimes the best mod is learning how to actually drive.Sometimes it's just... maintenance. (Yeah, I said it.)

And sometimes the most important mod isn’t even on the car—it’s in your mindset.

What I’d Tell My Younger Self

I’d tell him the exhaust leak was funny—but maybe not the flex he thought it was.I’d tell him to save up for a proper intake instead of buying three cheap ones.I’d tell him that wheel fitment matters more than rim size, and that +45 offset on a 9.5” rim isn’t “flush”—it’s tucked.

But mostly, I’d tell him this:

It’s okay to start trash. Just don’t stay there.

🔧 Want to Mod Smarter, Not Louder?

If you’re reading this and just starting out, I made Learning About Cars for Beginners and The Car Bible for exactly you.

No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just straight-up knowledge with jokes included.

So your next mod? Let it be informed.Not just something that lights up with your music.

Now It’s Your Turn

🛠️ Drop your first mod in the comments. Be real. No judgment… okay, maybe a little.Did you LED the hell out of your Corolla? Did you slap a Type R badge on your LX? We need the tea.