9 Best Ways to Maintain Your Car's Value

To add on the "Avoid excessive customization" part.  Not all cars should be customized.  However, if you have a muscle car or sports car; or a car that could be considered a future collector, adding or modifying to it can help in the future for resale.  If you add a spoiler, keep it OEM (of at least stock looking).  Not everyone has your taste in wheels either.  One of the most noticeable upgrades are wheels.  SO, take care in matching wheels to your car.  Also, don't go to autozone or walmart and buy stick on "anything" like those fender accents! 

  If you disagree think about this...Take for example a: 1965 Ford Fairlane bone stock with nothing fancy.  Price would be pretty cheap.  It wasn't a popular year for them.  That price could double by finding one with factory air and the optional FM "stereo".  Or even better yet, find one with an automobile turntable!  If it sagging in the back, adding better shocks and lifting the back end changes that car into something people like and won't take away from it's stock form.   Those may seem standard today, but back then they were aftermarket or options not readily avail. 

  I have a GN (ok, it's a WE-4 but most don't know what the difference is) and in it's stock form is worth the same as when it was new.  It held up it's value better than most cars from the 80's.  But by adding GNX flares and louvers, having the optional spoiler on the rear, GNX wheels, and finding an 80's style cd player (they didn't have cd's in cars yet) has upped its resale value by a lot more than the cost of those upgrades. 

  Bottom line is just be careful and think about your plans for you car when deciding on upgrades or mods.  If you plan on making this car "yours" by adding what you like, then be prepared to keep it forever.  If you want to mod it to a certain look, think about what it can do to the resale value like the article says.  If you do it right though (and on the right car), you CAN add to the value. 

The first 5 should all be DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO SMOKE IN THE CAR! And this coming from a smoker. I do follow my own advice though and NEVER smoke in cars.

@Wexy21..... I have to disagree that modifying  "...  a car that could be considered a future collector,..." is a good idea. People pay a lot more for collectable cars that are as original as possible.

1.  Never buy new.  Buy a low-mileage used car that is in good shape and let someone else take the new-car depreciation hit.

2.  Keep the car clean inside and out as much as possible.

3.  If you do nothing else maintenance wise, at least change the oil regularly.

4.  Keep minor chips and scratches touched up with the factory color of touch-up paint.

5.  Fix small problems as soon as they occur to avoid a buildup of multiple problems.

6.  When you go to sell the car, spend $150 for a complete detail job, including cleaning the engine, exterior, and interior.  You may get more for it than it blue books for if it is exceptionally clean.

7.  Repeat.