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| For each vehicle, I've worked hard to personalize it over the years. I often get asked "why did you get this car or that car?" So in this post, I'm going to tell some of the stories behind my cars. |
In this post, I’m going to highlight many, if not all, of
the various upgrades I’ve made to each car I’ve had in my possession so far.
I’ll go in chronological order of each car that was purchased. I’ll also talk
some about what I have planned moving forward for each ride.
Note that I no longer have the 2018 Jeep Compass or 2013
Buick Regal Turbo. Both cars were let go of at virtually the same time for the
2022 Kia K5 I now have (the Compass was a 3-year lease I finished and turned
back in, and I helped my mother pick out and make the deal on the Regal Turbo
back when it was new - it was actually traded in the day I got the K5).
2008 Saturn Aura Upgrades & Improvements:
 |
  | | Custom chrome grille trim I installed, along with chrome door handles and exterior mirror covers. |
I had to bang out some bends in my rim with a hammer after hitting a Michigan pothole! It literally tore my hubcap cover to pieces! But it was in the late fall/early winter timeframe, so I had to heat up water and pour it on the rim underneath, allowing it to heat up and be bent back into shape some. |
-Tinted windows
-Rear spoiler
-Remote start
-Winter floor mats
-Full Pioneer sound system (speakers + subwoofer)
-Chrome door handles and mirror covers
-Chrome grill inserts - these have to be replaced every
couple years or so due to natural wear and tear
-Amber-colored interior mood lighting for the flooring
(matches the factory mood and dashboard lights)
-K&N performance air filter
-Front LED “fog lights” installed in the lower grille (twice
- recently replaced)
-Sylvania ZXE headlights - meant to match the color of the
LEDs in the lower grille
-Tan all-weather/half carpet winter floor mats - the “Aura”
branded mats came with the car
-New tires recently
-New battery recently
-Upgraded alternator
-Repaired steel rim and chrome hub caps with chrome paint
after Michigan pothole encounters
I might be forgetting some work I’ve done to this one, but
the Saturn is the car I’ve had the longest (11 years and counting since high
school), so it’s the one I’ve been able to give the most love to. I picked this
car out with my grandfather back in high school (may he Rest In Peace…) and my
mom and grandmother were there too. I originally wanted a 2011 Kia Optima Turbo
or a Pontiac G6. The Aura is essentially the same car as the G6, sharing many
of the same mechanicals and it’s platform.
I installed the chrome door handles, grille and mirror
covers myself. I also have touched up some of the paint, installed a K&N
air filter, and fixed my washer nozzles on the Saturn myself too among other
tweaks, such as buying new chrome hubcaps and refurbishing them myself too. The
video of me completing this work can be found on my YouTube page. I've also pasted a link below to a demo of my Pioneer sound system I had installed.
Link to wheel repair: https://youtu.be/9gyaHIaHJJ0
Link to Saturn Aura sound system: https://youtu.be/aOjmEoRRIEc
As for what I have planned next for the Aura: I intend to
keep it another 11 years if possible lol! But also, I have never taken the Aura
on a big road trip next, so that’s the plan for this summer as well as maybe a
hot lap at a track in the future. Also, I want to install a K&N cold air
intake, K&N performance oil filter, a Dynomax Race Bullet Exhaust Resonator
for a slightly more aggressive sound, get another alignment/steering check,
change the brakes soon (it’s about time…), and have the paint touched up
professionally on the front and rear bumpers. So here’s to the roads ahead in
the Saturn!
2013 Buick Regal Turbo
This vehicle was actually my mother’s car, but I helped her
pick it out new and helped make the deal on it as well. I do try to give my
family and friends a hand with car advice. We traded in a 2007 Buick Lucerne V8
on this Buick. I didn’t really have a chance to do any upgrades to it, as my
mom said she didn’t want me to. But I did keep up with all the maintenance on
it for her, detail the interior (as I do to every car myself), and touched up
the paint at times and removed scratches among other routine upkeep. It was a
blast to drive - way more than you’d expect for a Buick! And again, this car
was traded in on the 2022 Kia K5.
2018 Jeep Compass
Upgrades & Improvements:
-Tinted windows
-Installed chrome door handles
-Installed chrome trim on lower fog light housing
-K&N performance air filter
-Black wood interior door handle trim
-Aluminum cup holder trim
-Black carpet floor mats - Jeep branded all weather floor
mats came on the car as a part of the Cold Weather Package
This Jeep was a 3-year lease and I ultimately finished the
lease and returned the car in favor of getting my 2022 Kia K5. When a car is
leased, it’s a little more difficult to do any sort of major upgrades because
the car has to be returned later if you don’t keep it, and you have to undo any
major modifications you add. Therefore, I kept most of the modifications I did
to this car light. I did want to black out the wheels on it, but it didn’t make
sense doing this after some time. The reason I got the Jeep in the first place
was to have a year-round driver that could handle Michigan’s potholes and snow.
This Compass was nice to have and great in bad weather, but
it definitely needed more power for day-to-day driving. However, swapping the
stock air filter out for a K&N unit did seem to improve performance very
slightly and to improve my fuel economy - I was getting 28 MPG overall when I
turned it back in.
2004 Oldsmobile Bravada
Upgrades & Improvements:
-Tinted windows
-Installed chrome door handles and mirror covers
-Spectre performance air filter
-New battery recently
-The engine light was on and I had this corrected - turns
out it was a bad thermostat
-Grey winter all-weather floor mats
-Rustproofing and sealing for the underbody (Using Rustoleum
& Flex Seal)
I got this Oldsmobile Bravada and the Kia Telluride at
almost the same time a few years ago. It had 88,000 miles on it when I got it
and now it has just over 95,000 miles - it was a one owner car so I’m just the
2nd owner in almost 20 years! Oldsmobile is my favorite car brand, I remember doing
many book reports about them in school, writing business plans about their cars and even writing a letter to GM when I was 7 years old in an attempt to save the brand. So, I had been looking ever since I was very young to
have one of the “final Oldsmobiles from 2004.” It’s quite hard to find a Final 500 Edition Oldsmobile with the Dark Cherry paint (especially one in good shape almost 20 years later...), but I’m more than happy with what I’ve got here because green Oldsmobiles are so nostalgic for me. At the time I bought it, this was the only Oldsmobile Bravada (and I believe Oldsmobile vehicle, PERIOD) within 500+ miles of my house that had less than 100,000 miles on it with one owner. It was a no brainer for me to go snatch it up fast.
Between the Bravada and my Kia K5, I noticed I actually have a hard time deciding which one I like driving more some days! I guess the nostalgia of the Olds wins me over, because my mother had a green Oldsmobile Silhouette back when I was a kid in grade school that I helped her pick out. It was one of the first cars I ever helped someone pick, besides the red Olds Achieva she had a little while before it that I went with my grandfather to pick out (I do recall we test drove a green Achieva at one point too). In fact, I was so determined for her to get that Silhouette until I drew pictures of her driving the van I recall! Fast forward to today and I can now say I have my own green Oldsmobile to have good times in.
As for the upgrades, besides what I’ve listed above, I
thought I was going to have to add remote start to the car, but it already had
it on there to my surprise - big thanks to the previous owner! I have to now
get the driver’s heated seat fixed (only the backrest heats up), and change the
alternator belt drive in it - I’m thinking this will help stop a rattle I hear at
idle sometimes on the road. I also want to install a K&N performance oil
filter, replace the headlights and restore the headlight housing (slight discoloration due to age), and find some
more “off-road ready” tires and take it to an off-road park for a little fun. I also need to fix the driver-side rear door speaker, so I’ll likely install the
powered sub from the K5 in the Bravada and get a new powered sub for the K5.
Overall, for a car that's pushing 20 years old, this Olds is "old but gold" - I don't think you can ask for a better older SUV to drive with AWD on it. If you can find a 2000's Trailblazer/Envoy/Bravada/Rainier/9-7X/Ascender with low miles that just needs mild or moderate TLC, I say consider getting one. I have no regrets.
2020 Kia Telluride
Upgrades & Improvements:
-Swapped the old Kia logo to the “new school” Kia logo on
the front, rear and steering wheel
-Added black wheel vinyl inserts (creates a blacked out look
for the rims)
-Black vinyl door handle covers
-“Telluride” center caps for each rim
-Black all weather floor mats
-Cargo net (dealer accessory)
-Wheel locks (dealer accessory)
This is another vehicle that’s a lease, so I’ve been keeping
the upgrades light. But my plan is to keep the Telluride at the end of the
lease, because residuals for these SUVs are insane. And it’s going to be hard
to get another good deal on another new Telluride - you can still hardly even
find them anywhere! If you custom order one, the waitlist is 6+ months long at
times. Keeping this car beyond the lease will allow me to do more intended
upgrades, such as tinting the front windows, interior mood lights, an
auto-dimming rear view mirror, adding a K&N performance air filter and cold
air intake, and painting the brake calipers (likely yellow). That said, I'm keeping my options open.
I got the Telluride as a gift to my mother. I promised her
back in the 2nd grade I would get her a vehicle some day (it was supposed to be
an Oldsmobile Silhouette, which we already had one way back in the day, or a
Saturn Outlook - of course, both of those brands are long gone now). She saw
this Sangria color sitting on a lot, and I knew then, being employed at
Hyundai/Kia, it was time to make it happen. It’s been a great road trip
vehicle, and I’m looking forward to more trips in the Telluride and maybe even
some off-road excursions.
2022 Kia K5
Upgrades & Improvements:
-Interior multi-color mood lighting kit (dealer accessory)
-Mudguards (dealer accessory)
-Auto-dimming rear view interior mirror (dealer accessory)
-K5 branded trunk mat and floor mats (dealer accessories)
-Cargo net (Dealer accessory)
-Wheel locks (dealer accessory)
-Tinted windows
-Installed an Ignite Powered Subwoofer in the trunk
-Added chrome rear trunk trim and door handles
-“T-GDI”, “Special Edition”, and “AWD” badges added to the
trunk and side fenders; I also added a “GT-Line” and “Special Edition badge” to
the interior
-Custom black/red ClimArt all-season floor mats to match the
red SynTex leather seats
-Red center rim rings for each wheel
-Red painted brake calipers
-K&N performance air filter
-Interior black wood trim installed on doors and dashboard
I haven’t had the K5 for very long, but it’s definitely the
car that I’ve invested the 2nd most in already. I called Summit Place Kia in
Auburn Hills and told them the exact K5 I wanted with accessories and they made
it happen (and they also worked with me getting the Telluride too a few years
back). Back in high school, if you recall, I said I wanted a Kia Optima. Well,
I said back then that if they ever made an Optima that had red leather seats, a
panoramic sunroof, AWD, and unique paint colors, I would get one. This
combination wasn’t even available when I got my Jeep in 2018. Fast forward to
2021, following my time doing market and consumer research at Hyundai/Kia, the
EXACT car I wanted comes to reality following my research and product
suggestions I contributed at the company. I was able to go out and get a car I
helped bring to reality that I envisioned back in high school! So naturally, I
had to go all out with the upgrades on it.
I put “special edition” badges on my K5 (formerly called the
‘Optima’, if you didn’t know) because for 2021 when the car was first
redesigned, a special package came out that included AWD, red leather, Wolf
Grey paint, and the panoramic sunroof in one bundle - essentially the exact car
I envisioned and suggested in my product proposals. Thus, for 2022 I added the
badges to note that this was essentially that combination I purchased. I also
love having a woofer in the trunk and my K&N products under the hood, so
naturally those I got as well.
As for what’s next with the K5, I actually plan to keep it
long-term too along with the Telluride. I’ve already taken it on some trips,
such as to the Chicago Auto Show. Other upgrades I’m considering will likely
have to wait until after my lease is finished, but they include adding a
performance exhaust to the K5 as well as a K&N cold air intake, a JB4 tune
and a Rockville subwoofer to the trunk to replace the Ignite woofer that’s
there now. I’d then move the Ignite woofer to the Bravada - I’ll likely do this
one sooner than later. Beyond that, I’d love to take this car to a track day as
well, since it does have some solid driving dynamics.
Future Plans
I do have plans to add an electrified vehicle to my
collection in the (HOPEFULLY not too distant) future! The cars I’ve narrowed it
down to are the Chevrolet Volt and the Ford Fusion
Hybrid or Energi, however I'm keeping an open mind here for a couple other vehicles, just in case. The used car market is a little wild right now, but so are gas prices
and this new ride would help offset some of the fuel guzzled down by the
Telluride and Bravada.
Do you have any stories behind the cars you drive? Or do you
plan to modify them in any significant ways? This is a fun hobby for me - I say if you can share your passions with the world, you should.
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