Stainless Nerf Bars / Side Step Bars

Looking for a set of new chrome or stainless steel nerf bars for your truck can be daunting. What are the real differences? The first thing to look at is the length of nerf bar. There are two types types – ‘cab mount’ and ‘wheel to wheel’ bars and are also referred to as ‘truck side bars’ or ‘truck side steps’.

First, a standard set of nerf bars fit under the cab of the vehicle only, and are referred to as ‘cab mount’. These truck step bars are meant to help you in and out of the vehicle only and although may look nice, will provide you with something to step on when you get in and out of the vehicle.

Each step bar has a pad at each door opening to help prevent you from slipping, and to provide a flat surface for you to step up on. These cab mount side bars usually bolt right up to factory holes that already exist, so the installation does not require drilling, and they are relatively easy install.

The other style on the market are called wheel to wheel nerf bars, and they fit exactly that way – wheel-to-wheel. This means that the nerf bars will now fit underneath of the truck bed itself as well as under the cab of the truck. The advantage of this is that you now have a step to get up into the bed of the truck, usually beneficial for someone working out of the back of their truck on a regular basis.

If your truck is a dually pickup, you would want to get a dually style nerf bar that flares out in the rear where they meet up with the dually flare. This gives a much better appearance as well as being more practical for the user. The wheel to wheel nerf bars still mount only under the cab itself. One would think that these would mount under the truck bed as well, but they do not. If they mounted underneath of the truck bed they would eventually get twisted and bent due to the nature of the truck bed itself twisting and turning along with the suspension when going over curbs, etc.

Last, if you want your bars to last buy only stainless steel nerf bars. These have all of the appearance of shiny chrome, but they are solid and highly polished and will not rust or peel. These will probably last as long as your truck.

Chrome nerf bars and black side steps are plated or powder coated over regular steel and if chipped or even scratched, they can eventually rust on you. If they start to rust they would most likely start peeling the chrome plating.

Lambo Door Automated Upgrade Package

Lots of people are converting the doors on their cars or trucks to a style similar to those found on a Lamborghini. They like the way the Lamborghini doors open, and they are able to lift them up in the air like a scissor hinge, also sometimes referred to as gullwing doors. These lambo hinges are commonly referred to in the industry as a Lambo Hinge Kits.

Most lambo hinge kits are manually operated, meaning that to operate the door you will need to pull the door handle yourself, pulling towards you and then lifting the door up yourself. The door does open easily if the hinges are installed properly because there are gas assisted struts installed with the lambo kit that will assist in the raising and lowering of the doors.

However, some people want a fully automated Lambo Kit, whereas you are able to just push a button and have your doors automatically open and raise or lower all by themselves.

Usually it takes a custom shop or restoration shop to install this type of installation because it sometimes requires welding. But if you want your lambo doors to be fully automatic, then this is what you will most likely need to get the job done right:

1. Two Linear Actuators – These are the motors that will raise and lower your door.
2. Shaved Door Handle Kit - This is the device that will operate your handles for you.
3. Two Door Poppers - These are spring loaded devices that will push your door out from the door jam once opened.
4. Keyless Entry System - This must have a minimum of 6 channels available.
5. Miscellaneous brackets and hardware.

Once installed the automated lambo door kit should work like this:
By pushing a pre-programmed button on your remote, you will activate the shaved door handle kit, thus releasing the door from the latch. At the same time the door popper pushes the door out of the jam. Then, pushing another button will activate the linear actuator and raise the door for you.

If the door is now up, you can push a button on the remote and fully lower the door. The only manual part in this operation is that you will need to push or pull the doors back into the closed and latched position. There are no automated lambo door kits available on the market as of today that will reach out and pull the door in for you.

Many companies sell parts separately, but you will find a much better deal on the internet if you can just buy the automated lambo kits in a package. Customautotrim.com provides packages like this for you. Buying a lambo hinge conversion package will no doubt save you money, as well as saving you from a headache in trying to locate all of these parts yourself.

There are lots of parts required to make these lambo kits operational, and I really again advise that only a professional shop do this installation for you as they are complicated to install. This is not a job that you want to do yourself at home in your driveway. This job is for a professional only.

Custom Auto Trim specializes in body kits and Lambo Door Kits, and is based in San Diego CA. Find more information on auto accessories

370z Body Kits | N-1 Body Kit 5 Pcs

Custom Auto Trim releases the new N-1 Body kit for the 2010 Nissan 370Z in 4 piece and 5 piece versions. The 5 piece version includes a rear wing.

See the new 370Z body kits

Camaro OEM Trunk Lid by Carbon Creations

“Some say that you can’t improve an eye catcher like the new 2010 Chevy Camaro, but install a new OEM style Carbon Fiber Trunk Lid on it you’ll find that you can’t take your eyes off of this baby”, said Mike Briglia, president and head of the company’s online store CustomAutoTrim.Com.

“The 2010 Camaro is hot, and we are happy to be making it one of our primary focus vehicles for the year 2010.”
Briglia said “This OEM style Camaro carbon fiber trunk lid is absolutely stunning.”

More information is available by clicking the link below:

Camaro Carbon Fiber Trunk Lid

More news for Camaro Carbon Fiber Body Kits

F150 Body Kits

Just Released! Platinum Body Kits for the 1997 – 2004 Ford F150 Extended Cab Stepside Shortbed.

More information on this F150 Body Kit located here:
 F150 Body Kits
“Its always been hard to find a full body kit for an F150 Stepside, and up until this point customers were only able to find one or two parts. Now they can buy a complete body kit which will no doubt make some folks happy.”

 ”This kit is made of Duraflex fiberglass. It comes with front and rear bumpers, and two side skirts. There’s not many companies offering any body kits like this for the Ford F150 Stepside.”

Can’t find or afford a carbon fiber part for your vehicle? Or, maybe no one makes a carbon fiber part for your car or truck? Then try using our new Di-Noc Dry Carbon Fiber Vinyl Flexible Wrap. Wrap your hood, mirror covers, trunk, fenders or any smooth surface that you can think of.
3M Di-Noc Dry Carbon Fiber Vinyl Film Sheets – Looks and Feels like Real Carbon Fiber Material! Easily streached to fit most contoured surfaces.

Carbon Fiber Vinyl Roll  - An affordable option to Real Carbon Fiber! Flex Wrap Dry Carbon Fiber Vinyl Film Installation This film IS NOT a cheap, carbon fiber image printed on a decal! 3M DiNoc material has a woven carbon fiber fabric look, and is a 3-D textured vinyl material. You can actually feel the texture.: Flexible Wrap Reflects Light just like real carbon fiber fabric Motorcycle Carbon Fiber Vinyl Wrap Video Flexible and durable carbon fiber vinyl - bonds to flat or curved surfaces like roofs, hoods, bumpers, fenders, mirror covers, dashboards, etc. Re-positionable carbon fiber vinyl for trouble-free install. Strong self adhesive, cross hatch design to eliminate bubbles, peel and stick application. Just trim off excess with Exacto knife. 8.5 mil, 3-4 yr outdoor / 12 yr indoor grade vinyl. Wrap your hood, bumper or any other non-porous surface & challenge your friends to tell the difference! Carbon Fiber Vinyl Sold in Sheets – - buy a Sample today!

SCP-1 Sport Trac Hood Scoop

These days most of us are fuel conscious. With the gas prices so high there are some that just can’t justify buying a big car or SUV any more, let alone getting the big V8 engine in it. But then there are lots of us that still want to look like we have a monster motor under the hood.

An easy way to accomplish this is to install a universal hood scoop to the existing hood of your car. There are no parts to remove. You will not need to get a new hood. However, once a hood scoop is installed it will appear like you changed the entire hood to accommodate this huge motor that you are hiding under your hood.

So you may have a few questions at this point, so let’s address some of them:

Will I get any better gas mileage with a hood scoop?
- No you won’t!

Will my car go any faster than it did before?
- No it won’t.

So then what will I get?
No doubt, you are sure to get some looks. You will turn a few heads, and you will make them wonder what it is that makes your car or truck so tough looking. Even the people that have the same type of vehicle that you do will wonder what motor it is that came with your car or truck.
In the end, it will surely get you attention.

Hood scoops are not expensive. Good fiberglass hood scoops generally run between $110 and $125 dollars unpainted, and a little bit higher if you want to have one prepainted and sent to you.

Installation is not hard. It’s just like installing a car spoiler. Usually hood scoops come with instructions and all necessary mounting hardware, which includes stainless steel screws, drill guides, 3M two way mounting tape, front inserts, and vinyl trim so your front inserts will not scratch your hood..

Before you purchase one, check the sizing of the scoop that you are looking at, and see if those measurements will work out on your hood. It’s better to find out if the hood scoop will fit before you purchase one rather than after, especially if you are having one prepainted.

There is no doubt that adding a hood scoop to your car, truck or SUV will help increase the resale value of your vehicle. Usually it is just by the fact that the buyer likes your vehicle better than any other that they have seen. Your car is different, and it is understandable to most that others that are looking at the same vehicle will think in this same manner.

This is what drives up the sale price. The fear alone of losing this vehicle to another buyer will make someone commit even earlier at a higher price just to they ensure that they get the vehicle that they want.

About the Author

Mike Briglia is the owner of Custom Auto Trim, a auto accessories company based out of San Diego CA. Find more information on hood scoops at http://www.customautotrim.com/

Color Keyed Body Side Molding on a Toyota Camry

The best way to protect your car or truck from dents and door dings is by installing a professional grade body side molding. You can also protect other areas of the vehicle in the same way with wheel well molding and door edge guards.

Body side moldings are usually strips of rubber or vinyl that attach horizontally to the side of your vehicle. By installing them down the center of the door this rubber strip usually protects you from another door hitting yours. Usually the moulding will stick out farther than the body of the vehicle itself, so if someone swings their door into the side of your car it will hit the body side molding first. They usually come in black, chrome and there are some colors available as well.

Body side molding installs easily. Almost all car molding attaches with 3M automotive grade attachment tape, which is the same way that the car manufacturers use to attach factory body side molding. If installed properly the molding should never come loose. There are other areas of your car that should also be protected. These areas are the wheel well area and the door edge areas.

Wheel well molding attaches in the same manner with a 3M tape. These mouldings will trim the area of the wheel well with a thin vinyl bead that will protect this exposed area. You can also use this molding to cover up an existing dent in this area. Once applied over the dent or scratch you will never know the damage was there. This trick is used at the car dealers all of the time. Sometimes it used to just dress up the vehicle with a chrome or black trim.

Door edge guards protect just that – the edge of your car door. They also protect whatever you are hitting with your door. Because of the soft vinyl edge, if you were to open your car door into another car the likelihood of you damaging either car is minimal. The door edge guards will act as a shock absorber and help prevent any damage that would otherwise happened.

For most of us, buying a new car or truck is one of the largest investments that we will ever make in our lives. We take pride in what we drive. It doesn’t matter if we drive a Hyundai or a Porsche (okay maybe it does, but follow me here for a second). We like to drive in clean, shiny, dent free cars. Spending a few dollars on molding protection now will no doubt save you potentially hundreds of dollars in the future repairing and repainting your new car or truck.

Case and point, in the Ohio Valley and the northeastern states like Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey, one of the most popular truck accessories on the market would be the truck tonneau cover. This is truck accessory purchase is totally weather related because people in the northeast have to put up with a lot of cold, wet and snowy weather in the winter and want to try to keep their truck beds dry if they can, and keep the snow out as well. Yes, a tonneau cover looks nice, and yes it might help you save a few gallons of gas on a nice long trip, but the main reason that customers ask for the tonneau cover would be to keep out the weather.

In the southern states like Florida, Texas or Arizona they have different problems to deal with. The sun! Can you imagine having too much sun? I know its hard to do, but when thinking about what auto accessories you want to add to your car or truck it has a lot to do with it. The sun can really beat / burn things up if left outside every day.

In the southern states the most popular accessories that people add to their trucks are the stainless steel accessories including nerf bars, rocker panel moldings, billet grilles and truck bed rails. Why? Stainless steel wont burn, deteriorate, shrink, crack, fade or anything else like that. Thats one of the reasons that the southern folks like to dress up their trucks with chrome accessories.

Most of the time the influence starts at the dealer level, being maybe your local Chevy, Dodge or Ford dealerships in your area. They seem to be the guys that would initially test aftermarket accessories like these on your truck, and after they dress up and sell a lot of them in town, the potential new customers see these vehicles driving down the road and actually start calling the dealers asking for the parts they see.

Sometimes customers dont know what to ask for, for example a stainless steel nerf bar is sometimes referred to as a chrome nerf bar, a chrome tube rail, side bars or side steps, but many suppliers of aftermarket truck accessories such as those at Custom Auto Trim are well versed in synonyms in the business. They will know what you are looking for.

About the Author

Mike Briglia is the owner of Custom Auto Trim, a car accessories company based out of San Diego CA. Find more information on nerf bars at http://www.customautotrim.com/