Hot body
While bolting on every available product for your car is a good way to draw attention to your car, it also tells the judge that you couldn't think of anything original to do so you bought someone else's idea. Again we see the originality factor come into play. This is not to say that in order to win you need to mold the front end of a Skyline GT-R onto your CRX. What it does say is that a well-done paint and shave job can go further than the latest body kit from Wings West on your teal-green Integra GS-R.
What's new?
The saying "here today, gone tomorrow" should always be kept in mind when it comes to staying ahead of the competition. With the sport compact scene evolving at such a rapid pace, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends. Being one of the first to catch on to a trend What was considered one of the nicest additions eventually became one of the "ricest." Constantly adding or updating one's ride can result in your car being "the shit" one year, to just plain shit the next. For those of us who work on our cars without the benefit of a blank chequebook, a relatively cost-effective way of keeping your car original is to update the paint. For example, one competitor had his interior done, engine chromed and boosted to go with a full sound system. Points-wise, that car was looking very goodbefore it explodes is a great way of scoring major points. My favorite example of a once "original" part that went mainstream is the Altezza light.