The joy of owning and driving a classic car comes in the pride, comfort, and convenience down the road. Every classic car owner always wants a strong bond with their vintage ride. With classic car projects, collectors can personalize their rides by adding new classic car accessories to improve their driving experience.
Having gotten that, there are some must-have vintage car accessories that every enthusiast should know. However, navigating online websites and forums for guidance and knowing which old car accessories are perfect for your precious ride is quite stressful and time-consuming.
So, in this blog, we will explore the list of must-have classic car accessories and restoration to make the most of your cherished old muscle car and take your retro drive to the next level.
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10 Must-Have Classic Car Accessories
Classic car accessories help vintage users enjoy all the modern automotive features that make driving comfortable and convenient. So, let’s explore some of the aftermarket upgrades and restorations you can execute to inject new life into your old beloved vehicle.
1. Dash cam recorder
These latest classic car interior accessories are used to capture scenic drives, car shows, and parade appearances. With compact dash cams, you can get affordable insurance against mishaps at the parking lot when your car gets unknowingly scraped by another driver who ran away.
An addition of GPS telemetry can help document exact routes, distances, and speeds. Dash cams are among the most beneficial electronic safety tools, and prices can range from $50 for 1080P resolution to over $300 for 4k HDR clarity.
2. Bluetooth tire pressure monitoring system (BTPMS)
To promote safety on the road, properly inflated tires are needed, which can help improve the fuel efficiency of your vintage car and prevent tires from blowing out.
The BTPMS has Bluetooth sensors, usually inside each tire’s valve stem, which automatically measure and show the pressure level for each tire on your phone screen. This costs about $200 – $300 and helps to wave goodbye to the era of fumbling with complicated analog gauges or trying to read the tiny hash marks on the valve stems.
3. Curb feelers
Curb feelers are often a great addition to any vintage car. These slender rods easily touch the curb during parking, thus providing a haptic signal to the driver.
Second, during a tight parking situation, curb feelers help avoid scratches or damage to the beautiful appeal and the exteriors that are hard to replace. Curb feelers elicit a sense of craving, dating back to the mid-20th century when they were popular.
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4. Antenna topper
In the 1950s and 1960s, the antenna toppers were iconic symbols of cherished vehicles’ radio receivers. You can enhance your classic car with museum-quality metal cast or molded polymer antenna balls from restoration experts.
5. Wooden steering wheel
To promote modern safety and preserve your vintage style, replace worn or damaged plastic steering wheels with new wood steering wheels resembling old designs.
Many wooden wheels are made of sustainably harvested exotic and local hardwoods, which can fit into any factory size. The wooden wheel adds a touch of classic while not going against government sanctions for altering the airbag modules. So you need to call a specialist who can attend specifically to your car year and model.
6. Key fob protection
Protecting your rare car key is important because losing it can attract expensive replacement costs. It also possesses reprogramming issues. Simply outfit your original dealer key fobs and their logos with rugged leather holders. A customer leather key fob holder
7. Bluetooth FM transmitter
Installing the Bluetooth FM transmitter brings the 21st-century feel into your iconic classic without tampering with its vintage appeal. Simply fit this pocket-friendly adapter plug into the accessory port, or you can connect it directly to the fuse box or battery.
Once installed, synchronize your smartphone through Bluetooth. This will revive your old AM radio and allow it to play digital content through the original speakers. These Bluetooth transmitters usually cost about $40.
8. Custom horn
You can swap out your car’s standard factory horn for a custom horn to live up to that antique car personality. A horn kit also provides a range of cheeky sounds to delight passersby instead of sticking to the general “beep beep” sound.
You can leverage a programmable electronic horn that offers numerous sound snippets and songs via Bluetooth connectivity.
9. Jump starter
Whether classic cars are well-maintained or poorly maintained, they can leave you helpless with a dead battery. Instead of relying on the kindness of people you don’t know or roadside assistance, keep a compact portable jump starter inserted.
With the lithium-ion jump starter, you can easily jump-start classic 6—and 12-volt systems without needing another vehicle. These portable jump starters also function as power banks for phone charging, cementing them as must-have accessories.
10. Fire extinguisher
This is one of the top must-have classic car accessories. We never hope for a car fire outbreak, but it can happen, destroying your highly-rated rare collector car.
With a fire extinguisher, you can quench any fire outbreak before major damage occurs to your adorned classic. You can purchase a compact, cheap extinguisher mounted within the driver’s reach. Get a fire extinguisher, and preserve your timeless historic car’s beautiful design.
Top Classic Car Restorations You Should Know
Adding classic car accessories may not affect the originality of the frame, paints, and design. However, classic car restoration can do more harm than good if it’s not done properly or by a professional.
One beautiful thing about a successful classic car restoration is that it can help enhance your classic car investment, increasing its resale value. Here is a list of the top old car restorations you can invest in to make huge profits from your vintage ride sale in the future.
- Cosmetic restoration: This doesn’t involve mechanical repairs or affect the performance of your car. It includes a paint job, fixing dents, rust, and a broken windshield.
- Mechanical restoration: Helps to improve performance and drivability.
- Partial vehicle restoration: This includes paint and bodywork, system upgrade, brake restoration, engine restoration, and suspension restoration.
- Full custom car restoration: This involves complete disassembly to restore each of the parts, systems, and components, including trim replacement and driving system upgrade.
Final Thoughts
We all love new things or making old things new. From time to time, classic car enthusiasts usually have the nostalgia to add the latest classic car accessories to enhance safety, promote convenience, and enhance their driving experience. Based on your preference, you can always choose from any of these accessories in no particular order. Furthermore, if you want to carry out a classic car restoration project, ensure you verify the vehicle specs by VIN to purchase the correct replacement parts.
