Honda Jazz Stock vs. Customized

[ram_dlsu]

Hey Guys,

I just got my first car last Aug. She's a Honda Jazz GE MMC. And I have an itch to dress her up. I get conflicting views on whether to keep it stock or customize it. So the question here is:

Which has higher resale value in the future, Stock or Customized?

Which offers more satisfaction over time.

So far I've only added Modulo Spoiler Wings and leatherette seat covers.

[SiRbossR]

16" ROTA wheels.

[kompressor]

Believe it or not, a bone stock one commands a better resale value, especially with its factory original paint intact.

Take it from a 2nd hand car junkie like me.

[jaymd]

stock=higher resale

palit ka na lang mags tapos tago mo yun stock mags mo

[kompressor]

To add:

As per my experience: More mods=more maintenance headaches.

[vinj]

Believe it or not, a bone stock one commands a better resale value, especially with its factory original paint intact.

Take it from a 2nd hand car junkie like me.

I agree here.

If ever there are any aftermarket accessories that would entice me to a car (but not necessarily pay more), it would be if its a rare OEM parts or accessories from a foreign market or limited run model (i.e. EUDM parts).

[mda]

Bone stock or original OEM accessories would be better.

Ayoko rin kasi sobrang magara. After a while baka magsawa ako haha

[ram_dlsu]

Thanks guys! I appreciate your opinions. Sometimes nakatempt talaga kc when you see other Jazz na pimped up talaga. but I guess tama nga c MDA baka magsawa tapos palit na naman haha

I guess keeping it stock is a practical and simple way. I still think maganda na sya overall already.

Questions, how bout interior add-ons? Kc like the Shift Knob is just plastic as well as the arm side rests. parang cheapo tingnan actually unlike the new Honda City na with gun metal accents ung loob nya kaya maganda and class yung feeling. I drive everyday and parang nalulungkot ako wen I see the plastics =S kuripot talaga to c honda.

You think enhancing a bit the interior would add more value on resale? I just kinda don't want to spend so much and not get anything back in the far future.

[mda]

Thanks guys! I appreciate your opinions. Sometimes nakatempt talaga kc when you see other Jazz na pimped up talaga. but I guess tama nga c MDA baka magsawa tapos palit na naman haha

I guess keeping it stock is a practical and simple way. I still think maganda na sya overall already.

Actually I was in your exact same position before, when we got our 09 FD.

Nung una, gusto ko - the works. Bodykit, aftermarket rims, lowered, you name it.

Pero nakita ko, ang dami palang downsides.

Magpa body kit ka? Baka hindi matched yung kulay.
Pag-tanggal, gasgas na yung bumpers. Repaint. Minsan panget pa pagkagawa. And nothing beats original paint-not even the Casa nor the best painters can replicate factory paint quality. Butas na rin bumpers mo dahil sa screws sa front chin etc.

Wing/Spoiler? Kung magsawa ka, aanhin mo yung butas sa trunk? Nakakita na rin ako ng trunk na natanggalan ng wing, panay kalawang around the drill holes kasi panget yung pagkagawa.

New rims? New tires din. Gastos. Harsher ride to boot if you opt for lower profile tires.

Lowering springs? Good luck sa lubak, lalo sa baha.

Engine mods? Intake/Headers? Don't really think I'm itching for more power.

HID? Kawawa ka kapag magloko electricals mo 10 years down the line lalo kapag bulok yung installer.

I had a ducktail dati. Panget yung pagkakabit. Ended up with uneven paint sa trunk between where the ducktail used to be and the rest of the trunk, and a deep dot in the paint na eventually kinalawang (maliit lang and ako lang nakakapansin, pero OC ako sa kotse eh).

Eventually all my current mods are now either very simple and easily removable, or OEM.

a) Leatherette seat covers c/o Seatmate
b) OEM Interior / door scuff plates
c) OEM chrome tail pipe finisher
d) OEM front chin rubber lip (like what you have sa GE nyo as stock)
e) OEM "i-vtec" emblem sa ilalim ng 1.8S emblem
f) LED plate lights na maputi instead of the traditional yellowish color.

For me, malinis and it's subtly different without being so outlandish. Malaki rin ginastos ko diyan. That's easily 15k already. Not as if pwede mong ibenta yung car 15k higher because of those mods.

Questions, how bout interior add-ons? Kc like the Shift Knob is just plastic as well as the arm side rests. parang cheapo tingnan actually unlike the new Honda City na with gun metal accents ung loob nya kaya maganda and class yung feeling. I drive everyday and parang nalulungkot ako wen I see the plastics =S kuripot talaga to c honda.

You think enhancing a bit the interior would add more value on resale? I just kinda don't want to spend so much and not get anything back in the far future.

You can have the shift knob changed, my friend has had it done. Just keep the stock; madali lang yan ibalik (just watch them how they do it).

With regards to the other interior mods you are planning, medyo mahal yata yan. I've seen leatherette sidings done by some shops, ok naman yung quality.

Just don't expect your mods to add resale to your car.

Unless OEM mods yan, baka bumaba pa nga.

Bottom line is - once you spend on mods, consider the value as 0 na. Bonus nalang if you can get something out of it when you sell your car.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I'm not against the modification of cars. I just don't find it so appealing na after figuring out some of the drawbacks. If you you're happier with the car modified, then I can't fault anyone. Maganda nga naman e.

[ram_dlsu]

Thanks MDA very insightful sinabi mo. Dami palang draw backs and iisipin pagdami mods.

[mda]

It's not to say na walang advantages siya. It's just that most people don't see the drawbacks when they get into this sort of thing.

[vinj]

Another thing about mods: I really hate removing panels and disassembling dashboards. Nagiging source of kalampag later on. Even installing things like a new horn, fog lamps, alarm, i buy the parts and go to a electrician or electrical shop na katiwala ko because i don't like what the accessory shops do (CASA installers included) of just splicing and adding wires with electrical tape. Sometimes you even lose or break some clips/screws in the process.

The bottomline: Don't go overboard on mods and don't expect it to be added value to the car. Keep it clean and simple, plan it out well and get parts that are easy to be replaced/returned or can be easily sold separately later on without damaging your car.

In my case, with my daily driver Altis:
- rubber ducktail
- OEM 15" Toyota mags (from the higher variant of that particular Altis model)
- OEM front fog lamps
- OEM rear courtesy lamp (rear fog lamp)
- leather wrapped OEM shift knob
- K&N air intake
- Front STB and KYB Gas shocks

[ram_dlsu]

Really appreciate the feedback. Bottom line pala mods does not equate to higher resale value and could potentially add damage to the car if not properly installed.

I have a cousin who asked if i'm interested in having my stock rims painted into Gun Metal color. Have any of you guys tried this? Is this okay lang or pangit din tingnan ? i haven't seen stock wheels being painted yet.

[mda]

Really appreciate the feedback. Bottom line pala mods does not equate to higher resale value and could potentially add damage to the car if not properly installed.

I have a cousin who asked if i'm interested in having my stock rims painted into Gun Metal color. Have any of you guys tried this? Is this okay lang or pangit din tingnan ? i haven't seen stock wheels being painted yet.

Generally I'm not a fan of painting stock wheels. Lalo sa mga people who KNOW those are stock wheels (myself included), magmumukhang baduy. Lalo kung hindi naman sporty yung rim design to begin with. Ever seen a set of painted Civic 1.8V stock rims? Yung 15" na mukhang flower? Ugly :/

Wanna give it a shot and still be on the safe side? Buy a set of OEM wheels & tires for more or less 10K on the secondhand market. Mura lang usually mga yan. Yan yung ipapintura mo for <5k.

If it sucks, resell for somewhere in between.

[OTEP]

I like working on cars but don't go overboard with the mods.

And as with any mod, always consider the consequences. And always think how it will affect servicing or repairing the vehicle.

EXAMPLE:
Nagpalagay ako ng rear backing sensors. But I made sure that there is enough slack in the wire so the bumper can be put on the ground (e.g. during repairs) without detaching the sensors. The wire is zip tied at the back of the bumper out of sight but can easily be released.

Other shops will hide the wire up inside the trunk or rear quarter panel and zip tie it there. Should the bumper need to be removed, its either you cut the wire or you open up the quarter panel to release the ties. Which can easily double your working time when working on the vehicle.

You get my point. Whatever mod you put, don't make life harder for your mechanic or electrician who will do work on the vehicle in the future.

Gun Metal? It's a purely cosmetic mod. And when you hit the curb or sidewalk, lalabas an original na color ng alloy wheel mo. Unlike the OEM alloy wheel, when you strike a curb, minsan nagagasgas ang face pero hindi halata kasi same color pa din.

[renzo_d10]

I really like working on cars and modifying them, but there's a certain scope that I'd limit myself to.

Whenever I deal with something electrical, I make sure that I have it done at a shop that's reputable. Though sometimes costly, at least I get to have a peace of mind.

Whenever I deal with aesthetics, I make sure that the installer knows what he is doing. Oftentimes, nanghuhula yung mga installer kung paano nila ibabalik yung ganito or ganyan. Halata naman eh, for an instance yung headlight ko hindi ma-figure out nung installer kung paano ibabalik. Result? Nababadtrip ako sakanila. Why? Pinipilit nila eh. What if may masirang clip duon.

I have seen several stock mags painted to a color that's other than its stock shade. And I promise, ALL OF THEM ARE FUGLY. So don't bother messing up with your wheels. Just buy an aftermarket set when you can.

Dressing up your vehicle is a fun "adventure" trust me. You just need patience, and a lot of moolah of course because the itch to do this and that will be inevitable.

Forbid yourself from stepping on the "ricey" stage though. Maganda na ang Jazz in its stock form, when dressed up cleanly mas gaganda. Pero minsan, maraming mas binaboy lang kotse nila.

[OTEP]

Mas maganda ang stock looking kapag nagka-edad na ang sasakyan. Kapag super modded minsan bumabaduy.

Some people even spend cash trying to bring Land Cruisers (the 80 and 100 series) back to stock look after previous owners have gone overboard with mods. Usually, nag-iiwan na lang ng mild lift and other subtle mods.

I guess its the same for the Jazz. Just look at the 10 to 15 year old Hondas on the road today. The stock looking ones are usually the better looking of the bunch. Para kasing kakalabas lang ng casa.

[renzo_d10]

Mas maganda ang stock looking kapag nagka-edad na ang sasakyan. Kapag super modded minsan bumabaduy.

Some people even spend cash trying to bring Land Cruisers (the 80 and 100 series) back to stock look after previous owners have gone overboard with mods. Usually, nag-iiwan na lang ng mild lift and other subtle mods.

I guess its the same for the Jazz. Just look at the 10 to 15 year old Hondas on the road today. The stock looking ones are usually the better looking of the bunch. Para kasing kakalabas lang ng casa.

Ganun naman eh. But the stock version of my Corolla doesn't look appealing at all, so I keep it the way it is right now -- aftermarket rims, a subtle drop etc. So I guess it depends on the car.

But then, I would have to agree. Some old cars were obviously overdone. And it's fugly. People just need to know how to make a car look neat. You wouldn't spend money doing those as much as spending it on fugly ass spoilers, oversized rims and lame bodykits.

I really like the stock look of the LC80 landcruiser - just like what you have doc. :-) especially your LED tails. Well, maybe not entirely stock. At least close to it.

No offense but, with how bumpers of the current Jazz stand right now. It's begging for a new set of good-looking aftermarket rims. Unlike the pre-MMC units, the 1.5V is just pure perfection. ***y lines matching its stock rims.

[poorprince]

how about if we customize/modify the stock head unit and sound system? like setting up an expensive sound system, LCD, etc. does help with the resale value of the car?

[jut703]

Again, as the others have stated before, you don't pimp out your car hoping to increase its resale value. Even if you put purely tasteful mods, it still won't rack up the price of your car (if it even will) to the point that it offsets the cost of the mod.