Custom Cars

ANCHOR LEAD
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR CAR? A NEW DASH... NEW INTERIOR LIGHTS... FANCY WHEELS. ALL THAT USED TO MEAN A TRIP TO A SPECIALTY SHOP. NOT ANYMORE. IN FACT... THE NEXT TIME YOU GO TO A DEALERSHIP... YOU MAY BE ASKED IF YOU WANT TO TRICK OUT YOUR RIDE. HERE'S______________ WITH OUR HEADS UP REPORT.

TRACK ONE Length: 05
WHEN CAR SALESMAN RYAN GUPTILL ("GUP-til") SHOWS A CAR THESE DAYS... HE TALKS ABOUT CHANGES.

NAT SOT Length: 05
"You can change out and put in customized lights, four different colors."

TRACK TWO Length: 04
FROM FLASHY WHEELS, TO POSH PEDALS, TO THE DASH ...THE CHOICES ROLL ON.

NAT SOT Length:03
"You've got a gray leather-wrapped steering wheel."

TRACK THREE Length: 05
YES... THIS IS A LARGE DEALERSHIP... SO WHY IS THERE A CUSTOM SHOP RIGHT OFF THE SHOWROOM?

SOT
KEY@ :23 Dan Kahn, Road Test Editor, Edmunds.com
"The automotive after-market is worth 29-billion dollars. And everyone wants a piece of that pie."

TRACK FOUR Length: 15
DAN KAHN OF EDMUNDS- DOT-COM SAYS CUSTOMIZATION IS A GROWING TREND WITH MANY TOP CAR MAKERS. BUT IS IT A GOOD DEAL?
KAHN SAYS CUSTOM WHEELS LIKE THESE MIGHT COST HUNDREDS MORE AT THE DEALERSHIP THAN THEY WOULD AT A CUSTOM SHOP. BUT AT THE DEALERSHIP... YOU ROLL THE EXTRAS INTO YOUR LOAN.

SOT
KEY@ :45 Dan Kahn, Road Test Editor, Edmunds.com
"So for an extra ten, twenty, thirty bucks a month, you can throw a new set of wheels or a cool pin striping job on your car, and it really won't affect your monthly payment that much."

TRACK FIVE Length: 02
PLUS... THERE MAY BE BETTER WARRANTY COVERAGE.

SOT
KEY@ :57 Ryan Guptill, Car Salesperson
"Purchasing an accessory at the time of the vehicle purchase, you're going to come under the factory warranty of 3 years, 36-thousand miles."

TRACK SIX Length: 06
BUT A WORD OF WARNING. CUSTOM OPTIONS MAY LOOK NICE... BUT THEY DO NOTHING TO INCREASE THE CAR'S RESALE VALUE.

SOT
KEY@ 1:11 Dan Kahn, Road Test Editor, Edmunds.com
"If you think that adding a set of cool wheels to your car is going to make it worth more when you go to sell it, you'll be sadly mistaken."

TRACK SEVEN Length:11
IF YOU OPT FOR SOME CUSTOMIZATION... DON'T EXPECT TO DRIVE OFF THE LOT IMMEDIATELY WITH THE CAR OF YOUR DREAMS. IT CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM A DAY TO A WEEK OR MORE TO HAVE THE CUSTOM PARTS INSTALLED. THAT'S A HEADS UP!

ANCHOR TAG
IF YOU DO DECIDE TO GO TO A CUSTOM SHOP TO HAVE SOME NEW GIZMO ADDED TO YOUR RIDE...KEEP IN MIND IT MAY VOID THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY ON YOUR VEHICLE. THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE OF ELECTRICAL PARTS, AND PARTS THAT AFFECT PERFORMANCE.

SOURCE LIST

Dan Kahn
Edmunds.com
Santa Monica, CA
Contact:
Kirsten Holguin
310-309-6459

Dan Kahn is the road-test editor for Edmunds.com. He's had a life long interest in cars. He holds a bachelor's degree from California State University Northridge. In his spare time, he builds and customizes hot rod automobiles.