You bought your Chevy SS, Toyota Camry, or Ford Fusion after watching NASCAR drivers race-modified versions of these models on Sunday. It’s Monday and you want to modify your car to match the NASCAR versions. Recent approval of 2013 Sprint Car designs for NASCAR races should make your dream all the more attainable. (1)

BY: Chuck Cunningham

Car makers want NASCARs that look like yours

“Race Sunday, sell cars Monday,” car dealers will tell you. But only if the racing cars look like the showroom versions. After two years of negotiation between car makers and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the governing body that sanctions related racing events, gave in to automobile manufacturer desires for race vehicles that look more like what they’re selling.

Car lovers also wanted greater identification:

“The fans have clamored for the return of cars that look like cars in their driveways and NASCAR, alongside us as manufacturers, have listened to that request.” – Jamie Allison, director Ford Racing

Now that NASCAR has listened, and the requested changes have been agreed, let’s look at what you can do to make your car look, perform, and sound more NASCAR.

Creative Commons image by qJake

Looking more NASCAR

Modifying the appearance of your car for NASCAR looks means considering decals, paint, or wrap. Painting your car starts with some pictures. Take it around to a couple custom paint places and see what they say. Or just order a couple decals you want and stick ’em on your car as is.

NASCAR itself has been using vinyl wraps for years. Painting the cars used to take three or four days, but wrapping them is quick. Take a page from NASCAR’s book, order a custom vinyl wrap, and apply it with your buddies. It’s the easiest way to customize a vehicle to your specs.

A racing interior for your car

Racing seats, gear shift, dashboard pieces, and even a roll-cage and fire extinguisher can be ordered from aftermarket makers. These will help make your car look — or at least feel — like the weekend warriors that capture your excitement on Sundays. Check to make sure you’re not breaking any safety regulations, though.

NASCAR performance and sound

Performance mods can mean serious financial outlays. And this is where you really need to watch the dollars — and your insurance costs if you can’t control yourself. Imitating Jimmie Johnson or Matt Kenseth is not for city streets. Focus on things like racing tires, brakes, and suspension modifications. These are available through aftermarket specialists at a range of prices, and most you can install yourself.

Drop a factory-modified crate engine under the hood, or tweak everything in between. Apple metric o-rings might come in handy during engine upgrades. Manual transmissions are always more cool than automatics, when it comes to imitating NASCAR, especially when matched with racing-spec clutches and pedals.

The biggest bang for the buck when it comes to impressing neighbors and innocent bystanders is in the exhaust system. Combining performance mufflers with exhaust headers and tips that look super-cool and make those NASCAR-like motor sounds makes for some cheap racing-like thrills.

Chuck Cunningham

Chuck’s a retired mechanic from Queens, NY who spends most of his days tinkering with his ’67 Mustang and freelance writing for various auto blogs.