The first thing you should be doing before you buy any car part is planning. This might sound complicated, but it is really the easiest part.

The first thing you need to decide is what kind of car part are you getting. Are you looking at aftermarket rims? Body kits? Performance upgrades?

Once you decide on an area of upgrade, you can go from there. The next thing to do is decide how much you have to spend. You don't need to waste your time looking at that $7,500 turbocharger upgrade kit when you only have $1,000 to spend.

What follows from that is choosing the item with the most bang for your buck. If you are buying bigger rims, buy them in a wheel/tire combo package if you can to save some money.

If you are buying a body kit, be aware that it will have to be painted and installed. (See Buying a Body Kit )

If you are going with a performance part, find out which parts for your car get the highest horsepower/torque gains for the lowest amount of money and do those first. Then you can move on to the bigger stuff once you feel comfortable doing low end upgrades.

On the other hand, if you are ready to get things moving and want that big HP gain from a turbo kit or a stunning look from a body kit, then get started planning the parts you will need! Get information from local shops on their installation skills before you go buy the parts.

Next Step: Avoiding Returns