Seven Mustang Mods That Never Age Well

By John Coyle - March 3, 2023

It’s your car, so forget the haters, and customize it however you want. But there are Mustang mods that age well, and ones that don’t.

For many Mustang owners, modding their machines is a huge part of the experience, and the car that rolls off the assembly line is essentially a blank canvas. Fortunately, the aftermarket available for the Blue Oval’s prized pony is massive, so it’s easy — not to mention borderline addictive — to order bits to make your Mustang unique. Time and money are the only things stopping you from building the Mustang of your dreams.

That said, the age of the internet means that while boatloads of killer kit is available, so is the opinion of every keyboard warrior around the globe. So it’s more important than ever to remember to build the car of your dreams, regardless of what some dude cowering in his mom’s basement might think about your choices. That said, there are some mods that — let me stress, subjectively — don’t age well, and will likely also help kill your resale value. This is a list of those.

Plasti Dip Anything

Now, Plasti Dip’s inclusion makes for a bit of a double entendre. Because while the concept of using an aerosol can to spray a rubberized coating onto bits of your ride won’t sound good in a couple of years, the actual treatment itself won’t likely last very long either. Just think about how great wheels look with tired rubber flaking off!

Fake Vents

Fake vents are bad enough when manufacturers — Toyota, I’m looking at you here — do it, and fortunately, the Mustang doesn’t have any. Since even professional car designers can’t make them work, it’s unlikely that sticking non-functional “holes” onto the bodywork of your car is going to improve anything, other than the bottom line of a factory overseas.

Cheap Wheels

Not only does swapping wheels radically change the look of your Mustang, they can also change the handling, comfort, and available tire selection. So if you’re going to swap them? Save your pennies and buy quality units from a proven company. And remember: when it comes time to sell, a car with stock wheels will generally fetch more money.

Straight Pipe Exhausts

For the record, there are plenty of places where straight pipes are perfectly appropriate. They’re called race tracks. So if your car isn’t a weapons-grade monster designed to destroy a closed course? Installing straight pipes is just an easy way to make everyone who encounters you and your car hate you. Plus, straight pipes are illegal.

Race Car Seats

Like straight pipes and unlike stick-on vents, there is a perfect place for race car seats. And as the name suggests? That’s the cockpit of a race car. Putting these in your daily driver will just make it harder to get in, less comfortable, and less attractive to buyers. Seriously, if you’ve driven a race car, you know you don’t want a “race car for the street.”

Sketchy Tunes

As we all know, power is good. What’s even better? More power! Now, manufacturers often leave power on the table, in the name of driveability, longevity, and emissions. And a good tune can often provide more power without too many compromises. A bad tune can void your warranty and blow your engine. So if you decide to get one? Remember that you get what you pay for.

Cheap Steering Wheels

The steering wheel is something you touch whenever you’re driving. So it would make sense that you wouldn’t want to downgrade just to be different. Plus, given how many functions, like cruise control, radio volume, and cluster settings are controlled by the factory tiller, swapping it for something from Pep Boys isn’t going to go well. Plus, there’s the whole airbag thing to consider.

Is there a mod that you think doesn’t age well which isn’t on this list? Hit me up and let me know!

Photos: Red Mist Mustang, Amazon