Last week he came around driving his new dream machine - a Frankenstein creation which came bouncing up and down the street like something out of a rap video.



Like a true friend, I tried to hold in my laughter long enough to take a closer look. I started at the rear and walked all around the vehicle, trying to take it all in. Some of the accessories included a gold hood ornament ("to match my gold tooth, man" says JT), a sparkling grill, and of course those oh so tasteful spinning rims.

I could keep a straight face no longer.

"Those rims are so 2002," I laughed.

But he kept his cool.

"Don't be a hater-- the ladies love them."

Somehow I thought he was stretching the truth, but I admitted the car was definitely original, and I agreed to go with him for a spin around the block. I slid inside and we started cruising to some booming bass. The initial drive felt good, and I have to admit, we did get a few curious stares.

But, I quickly noticed a few things. Inside, the car was anything but comfortable. The plastic on the dashboard was smashed in, the frayed seats looked like someone had been chewing on them, and the backseat was piled high with fast food wrappers.

"Why don't you pimp out the inside?" I asked.

"I'm totally broke," he answered, "Plus, most people aren't gonna see the inside."

Later when I was looking at my own car, his words came back to me.

Now I'm kind of a low-key kind of guy, but when I looked at my grey Honda, I started thinking "why shouldn’t I pimp this baby out a little?" And if I was going to, why not pick something I myself could enjoy? After all, I’m the one who’ll be spending the most time in it and I’m not too concerned with what other people might think.

After browsing several popular car sites, my eyes were quickly opened to an enormous world of accessories that can turn a standard drive into a luxurious one in the blink of an eye.

What really caught my attention was the dizzying selection of custom seat covers that are available. Dozens of colors, textures and materials were available, in a wide range of prices. I was tempted to go for the Wet Okole Covers, which are waterproof--great for when I go surfing and am too lazy to change out of my wetsuit. My next choice was a so-called ‘canine cover’, which would protect the seats against the claw marks and hair from my two Dobermans. (Mercifully, these covers are also billed as waterproof.)

But then I saw these tailor-made sheepskin covers and I was instantly sold. They were fluffy to the touch, and amazingly, could stay warm in the winter months and cool in the summer. For the price of a few of showy external accessories, I could sink into a luxurious sheepskin cover every time I took a ride.

My next buy: a cargo liner for my trunk!