5 Cheap Accessories That Will Bring An Old Car To The Modern Age

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The rules of surviving in the rough and tumble world of automobiles are the same as the rules of surviving anywhere else: adapt or die. Each year, car manufacturers tinker with their designs, incorporating the latest technologies and aesthetics. Then they unveil those designs at various automotive shows around the world.

Many of our favorite four-wheel creations will only ever exist as concept cars and concept trucks, but some of their features will eventually make their way into the cars and trucks of tomorrow. Slowly but surely, through incremental change, a new normal emerges while older automotive features quietly disappear.

There can be a considerable difference in the driving experience between a new car and an older one. Modern rides include all sorts of cool features from heated seats to touchscreen dashboard displays, and more. The bottom line is that even if you take perfect care of your classic car, every once in a while you might need an upgrade to keep up with the times. Fortunately, you don't have to buy a new vehicle to get new features. Instead, you can upgrade your car's functionality with a few affordable accessories.

The car stereo was one of the earliest automotive accessories, first introduced in 1930. Over the course of nearly 100 years, other accessories have come and gone, but the car stereo remains. It's not all that surprising. While entertainment options have evolved considerably since the 1930s, audio has the benefit of being engaging without taking your attention off the road.

As a result, the car stereo is one of the most obvious ways to see how cars have changed from one generation to the next. Once upon a time, you could get a portable record player built right into your car's dashboard. Later, the car stereo featured 8-tracks, cassette tapes, and CDs. These days, music is largely enjoyed digitally. Modern cars usually feature built-in Bluetooth connections.

If you're driving an older car with an outdated car stereo, a Bluetooth FM transmitter bridges the gap by converting audio from your phone into a radio signal you can pick up with your car's receiver. This FM transmitter from Lihan plugs into your car's 12V socket, then connects to your phone or audio device via Bluetooth. From there, you set the frequency on your transmitter and tune the radio to the same station. It also features a couple of USB-A ports, which you can use to charge your devices or to play music from a flash drive. There's also a TF port if that's your preferred storage medium.

Whether you're stranded far from home or just helping a neighbor out of a bind, a portable jump starter lets you juice up a dead car battery without awkwardly stringing jumper cables between vehicles. All you have to do is charge it up in advance and toss it in your trunk to make sure you've got power no matter where you are.

The Duralast DL-800 portable jump starter features an LED work light and a switch for toggling between jump starting mode and USB power. When toggled to USB power, you can use the jump starter as a portable power station to charge up your phone and other devices. You'll want to charge the jump starter right out of the box, after each use, and at least once every 30 days (more often in warm weather) to ensure it's charged up when and if you need it.

To use the portable jump starter, turn the vehicle ignition off, connect the red clamp to the positive battery post, connect the black clamp to the negative post or the vehicle chassis, and turn the switch to the on position. If you happen to misapply the clamps, the jump starter features an alarm which will let you know. Turn the car ignition for up to 8 seconds, until the engine turns over. Once the car is running, turn the jump starter to the off position and remove the clamps in reverse order.

Getting a flat while you're on the road can really ruin your plans, and even a consistent slow leak can be a pain if you don't have access to a reliable air compressor. You can always use the ones at gas stations, but they can be hit-and-miss, and many of them charge a fee.

Of course, many modern cars take a lot of the guesswork and inconvenience out of keeping your tired inflated. They often feature sensors which keep track of your tires' internal air pressure and alert you if one or more of your tires get a little low. Many cars also feature built-in or included air compressors so that if you do run flat, you can pull over and top off your tires wherever you are.

A portable air compressor won't alert you when your tires are low (you'll still need to do that the old-fashioned way, with your eyes or a pocket air pressure gauge), but it can save you from a headache if you end up with an unexpected flat. The Slime 12 Volt Digital Inflator features an LED light for working in the dark and plugs into your car's 12V socket, pulling air from the environment to refill your tires. Just plug it in, set the psi you want, and press a button. A few minutes later, your tires will be filled, and you'll be back on the road.

Climate control is one of the best things in modern life, especially when you're hitting the road on cold winter mornings. It can be difficult to drive safely when you're shivering. That's why cars both old and new feature air conditioning and heating systems to maintain your desired temperature inside, no matter what the weather is like outside. In addition to the aforementioned systems, many modern cars come with built-in seat heaters to keep you nice and toasty.

While heated seats are increasingly more common in new cars, many older cars don't have them. Worse, time is likely to have taken its toll in the form of aging seals or a lackluster heating system. If your vehicle is more than a decade or two old, you might be more likely to feel the cold as you're driving down the highway, making heated seats that much more important.

Fortunately, adding heated seats is a relatively simple and affordable upgrade. These heated seat covers from Srigm plug into your car's 12V socket to bridge the temperature gap in an older car. Straps hold the covers down and coils warm the seat back and seat bottom simultaneously. Just plug it in, turn it on, and wait for the heated seat covers to warm your tush on the turnpike.

Most modern cars come with a digital touchscreen dashboard display. In addition to providing information, like how fast you're driving, they allow you to control your audio interface, search for directions, make and receive calls or messages, and more. Old cars, however, usually lack any sort of built-in "smart" capabilities. If you want to bring your old car into the modern age, some form of internet connectivity is practically a must.

While you could spring for an in-dashboard upgrade or a dashboard-mounted unit equipped with Android Auto or CarPlay, you can get pretty much the same functionality by mounting your smartphone in a visible location.

The smartphone mount from Vanmass lets you attach your smartphone to your dashboard or (this writer's personal favorite) the windshield. It features several points of articulation, allowing you to orient your phone however you want, and you can change up the orientation on the fly. A mounted smartphone gives you access to voice activated commands, Google Maps and its alternatives, music and other audio applications, and more. You can search for parking spots, find someplace to eat, and avoid traffic jams, courtesy of your smartphone screen. Of course, it's important to follow legal and safety guidelines when taking advantage of your smartphone while driving.

The newest car I have ever owned was five years old when it came into my possession, and it was an outlier. Over more than two decades on the road, I've owned a fair few cars. Some of them were purchased from a dealership with all of the headaches and guarantees that entails, while others were purchased for a couple of thousand dollars from a friend or from the internet. No matter their origin, all of them were second hand. I've driven my fair share of beaters over the years.

Most people on the road have a similar relationship with their vehicles. About three-quarters of all vehicle sales are second hand. When you're getting a well-worn car for a steal, inheriting an old family vehicle, or even getting a "new" used car from a dealer, you have to accept that some things may not work they way they're supposed to and your new (old) ride won't have all the bells and whistles of a more modern car.

Each of the items on this list are things I'm either using in my car right now or have used in previous vehicles. More importantly, they are all things that I would buy again if I were getting a new used car today.