A blonde, 20-something woman walked in front of the car and pulled out her camera phone.

Click.

Strangers taking photos of her car is nothing new to Maggie Peña, a theater senior. Her "whip," or ride, draws that type of attention.

Peña yells, "You like my car?"

"It's very nice," the woman responds.

It's getting easier for college students to customize their cars — an extravagance that ultimately can cost them thousands of dollars.

The State News stepped into the lives of four MSU students to see why they enjoy showstopping in their rides.

Be unique

"I get looks — I don't know if they're good looks or bad looks," Peña said. "You get mixed responses with this car."

Originality is why Peña gave her car a makeover. She wanted to set herself apart from the other Ford Focuses she has seen around campus.

"I needed to do something different, and it's because I don't like being the same," Peña said. "So, I thought, I gotta buy a body kit. I gotta paint it, I gotta do something."

Peña and her family designed the car themselves. Her father and brother, a professional, painted the car, and she helped sand it. She spent a total of $4,000 improving her $7,000 Focus.

The car is arguably worth much more now.

"I saved a lot of money just because we did it ourselves," she said.

It makes sense for students to want to pimp their rides, said Chris Fogal, assistant manager at Belle Tire in Lansing. He said drivers are looking for individuality.

"Most students live in dorms and apartments, so their cars are their main space," he said. "So, they tend to put money into that and take pride and joy in that."

A lot of customers' inspiration comes from celebrities and professional athletes, he said.

"The most popular stuff is a lot of black painted wheels, anything big and chrome," he said.

Do it yourself

John Russo likes to ride big. Parked in Parking Lot 41, the 22-inch chrome rims stood out from the body of the 2005 white Denali. Russo, a finance freshman, said he bought the truck in July and put the wheels on himself. He spent nearly $2,500 for the rims and tires alone.

And that's not the only pimped-out feature. Under the hood is a turbo charger.

Inside the cab? Cream leather interior and a TV and DVD player.

"My friends will sit in the back and watch a movie," he said.

Unfortunately, all the gear can add up, but doing the work yourself can save you the extra dollars.

"I know a lot of people know it's expensive, so they try to do it themselves and try to have one of their friends do it," said Jolene Summers, manager of Benedict Auto Body in Mason.

Ask for favors

Kyle Anderson saved money because he had the hookup.

"I know some people that own a discount tire place," said Anderson, a biosystems engineering sophomore. "They gave me a deal, but it still cost me a lot."

Anderson worked in high school and during his freshman year at MSU to get his 2001 Dodge Neon to look like his dream car. He put nearly $2,000 into getting his car accessorized.

"I've just always been into cars my whole life," he said. "I like having cars that set me apart from a normal one, like this."

The white Neon has a black streak across the doors, with tinted windows that cost $170. It was the first accessory he invested in to improve his car's attitude.

His Motegi Racing FF6 rims and tires cost $1,000 altogether.

His friends call it "the clean car" in his neighborhood, said Anderson, who also is a member of the MSU Racing Club.

So why did he choose a Neon?

"It's a Neon, and Neons have bad reps, so they call it a piece of crap," he said. "It's what I could afford at the time because I bought the car myself."

It's proof that almost any car can look good with time, effort and an eye for design.

Vince Kwan worked for his parents to earn some cash for his 2004 silver Audi. He spent a total of $6,000 on his car, including the tinted windows, rims and under-the-hood work.

When asked if he pulls in more ladies with his ride, Kwan laughs.

"I don't really think it brings girls," he said. "It's just something I do for fun. I get compliments."

Peña didn't know if her car attracted guys' attention, but she said some people are surprised to see her behind the wheel.

"A lot of guys may look, but I don't know," she said. "Girls (look) too. They'll think it's a guy driving and they'll come up and when they see me, they're like, 'Oh.'"

But Peña likes the attention the car brings. Completely satisfied while driving her car, she says, "Why rush?"

"You know, going to class and when I have to go do stuff, I'll take the longer way," Peña said smiling. "Just cruising."

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WHILE A COLLEGE BUDGET

SOMETIMES, there are little things in life we forget how to do, or things that everyone else knows except us. That's what we're here for. E-mail suggestions to msandu@statenews.com.

How to pimp your ride

2. STEERING WHEEL COVERS Matching steering wheel covers run for about $15 at AutoZone, and floor mats are about $15 per set. Floor mats also come in neutral colors like clear, beige and black.

3. LICENSE PLATE FRAME Jazz up your license plate with a frame and fastener set. JCWhitney.com sells frames with skulls and lights, among others, starting at $7.99. It also carries skull- and bullet-shaped fastener sets starting at $4.99.

4. FUZZY DICE What would a car be without fuzzy dice bobbling from the review mirror? AutoZone carries light-up dice in green, red and blue, along with black and white fuzzy dice for $3.99. If youre into sports, Dicks Sporting Goods sells teamthemed dice for $5.99. Novelty stores, such as Spencers Gifts, also have unique fuzzy dice. If these items arent enough to complete your car makeover, check out other stores and online Web sites.

Elizabeth Swanson