Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
When Customizing Your Car, It’s Important to Know What Can or Cannot Be Changed and Which Customizations Add More Value to the Vehicle
There’s nothing better than making a personal object reflect our style, right? When it comes to vehicles, it’s no different. Customizing cars is an expensive and sometimes risky hobby, but equally enjoyable. Many who wish to explore more of this automotive customization side often have questions about how it can affect the vehicle’s value or to what extent Brazilian legislation allows modifications. These are relevant issues that need to be considered beforehand.
It’s not prohibited to customize your car, but CONTRAN (National Traffic Council) imposes some limitations in this regard, and failing to comply can result in fines and points on your driver’s license (CNH). Depending on the modification, Detran (State Traffic Department) may also require the removal of the altered part, risking vehicle seizure. Therefore, pay attention to the rules!
Are There Limitations When Customizing the Vehicle?
There are no restrictions on internal modifications, so you can customize as much as you want. This includes changing the seats, steering wheel, gear shift knob, and anything else inside the vehicle. In this regard, installing sound systems in the trunk also fits, but there is a rule for this accessory: the sound cannot exceed 104 decibels at a distance of half a meter from the car.
-
A giant golden ball in the middle of gardens in India was assembled with 1,415 discs, took decades to be completed, and transforms sunlight into controlled central lighting.
-
Thailand abandoned plans to cut through the country with a canal and chose a $28 billion mega-project on land: the Southern Landbridge will have 90 km, two giant ports, a railway, a highway, and pipelines to connect two seas and challenge the Strait of Malacca without handing over the strategic route to China.
-
Mali wants to open a path to the ocean by digging a 900 km waterway through the Senegal River: an $800 million project promises to reduce logistics costs by up to 60%, create a direct route to the Atlantic, and transform gold exports from one of Africa’s most isolated countries without relying on roads or railways.
-
How much does plastering cost per square meter? Professionals quote an average between R$ 25 and R$ 30.
The rules start with external customizations. In general, any aesthetic modification is allowed; what is not permitted is making radical changes to the vehicle that interfere with its operation and, above all, its safety. Adding aerodynamic kits or changing the color, headlights, wheels, windows, and the side trim falls under aesthetic alterations, so it’s permitted.
Color and Power Modifications of the Vehicle: Additional Care
Anyone looking to enhance their vehicle’s performance can also tune the engine, but a maximum of 10% above its original power (those wanting more than that need to change cars). The brakes are one of the components that should not be altered under any circumstances, as well as any other directly related to the vehicle’s operation.
Even for aesthetic changes, there are still some rules: to change the color of more than 50% of the vehicle, you must request authorization from Detran; it is prohibited to install xenon headlights (only allowed when factory original); windows can only receive tints with an intensity of a maximum of 75%, depending on their transparency.
It’s worth remembering that every aesthetic change depreciates the value of the vehicle, especially the more radical ones, like lowering the suspension, changing the wheels, installing sound systems, etc. To add value, it’s necessary to invest more in features that add resources, like alarms, air conditioning systems, power locks, leather seats, and others.
To Complement the Article, Watch an Interesting Piece from the Auto Esporte Channel About Vehicle Customization
Be the first to react!