At one time, the humble mud flap or splash guard were nothing more than truck and auto accessories of thick black rubber, meant to protect your truck from stones, dirt and other debris thrown up from the road. Over time, mud flaps have gone from functional truck and car accessories to a pop culture form of self-expression.

The most iconic of these truck and car accessories characters is simply known as “The Mud Flap Girl”. We’ve all seen her before: She’s the buxom silver silhouette of a long-legged beauty lounging with one leg provocatively crossed over the other, hair blowing in the wind. Bill Zinda of Wiz Enterprises in Long Beach, California, created this famous character to promote his line of truck and auto accessories and based the character upon a famous model named Leta Laroe.

Another famous character to make an appearance on these truck and car accessories is Yosemite Sam pointing his two cartoon pistols with a caption beneath declaring, “Back Off!” or, “All Fired Up”. Other Warner Brother characters have also made appearances, such as a frightened Daffy Duck and an overly upset Tweety Bird.

These mud flap characters are so engrained in our psych that they have gone beyond truck and car accessories and began appearing in commercials together. One famous commercial created for the Superbowl in 2006 had the Mud Flap Girl and Yosemite Sam driving away in a Honda Ridgeway.

Sadly, it appears that both of these figures have been targeted by legislation, when officials in Arizona tried to pass a ban on the two icons on the grounds of political correctness (one promoting sex and the other promoting gun violence). For the time being, the legislation on these truck and auto accessories has been struck down.

As long as that law doesn’t pass, you can find quality auto accessories and mud flaps that can have anything on them from your favorite sports team logo to the picture of your dog.

Self-expression isn’t a reason to sacrifice quality auto accessories anymore. You can find many manufacturers who can produce a mud flap to your vehicle and personality type. Whether you want a skull and crossbones or the Ghost busters logo, mud flaps can be created with top-of-the-line materials to let you “keep on truckin’”.

The most popular use of custom mud flaps nowadays are for company vehicles. If you’ve ever been caught behind a large semi on the highway, or maybe stuck in traffic behind a moving van, you may have noticed that mud flaps are an effective advertising tool. Most companies spend a little extra in this truck and auto accessory to manipulate their vehicles to carry the company name and phone number on mud flaps.

There is a lot to be said about these protective rubber truck and car accessories hanging off the back of someone’s truck or car. Truck and auto accessories have never been so versatile, useful, and smart as mud flaps. Choose your design, spruce up your truck, and head on out to show off your style!

Shopping for a gift for your boyfriend, husband or any special man in your life can be rough. What do you get that will tell him how much you care? If he has a truck or SUV, chrome truck accessories are the perfect gift! Every guy loves to baby his vehicle. You know he spends hours washing and waxing his truck and lavishing time on its upkeep. Show him you understand his hobby by getting him something he’s been longing for to dress up his truck that he hasn’t bought for himself.
Chrome truck accessories run the gamut from inexpensive headlight trim to complete kits to deck out a truck or SUV from the grill to the tailgate. You’ll find something special to fit any budget and surprise him with a truly unique gift. He’ll think of you every time he drives his truck. Just imagine how he’ll brag when his buddies ask where he got those awesome new chrome rims.
Getting top quality chrome truck accessories for your man’s truck means you’ll have to do some research. You may be a truck lover yourself, in which case you already know the make, year and model of your guy’s vehicle. If you don’t, either find a way to ask him or do some quick checking the next time you’re in his truck. The owner’s manual will tell you everything you need to know, along with the insurance card. You need to find out the year, make and model (for instance, 2007 Chevy Silverado) of the vehicle. No two years, makes or models have the exact same fit for accessories.
Next you’ll want to keep an eye on what he likes. Start paying attention to what he admires on his friends’ trucks. Does he like the bold pieces with a lot of flash or is he into chrome that’s a bit more subdued? What is he most interested in, wheel trim or rocker panels? If you can trust his best friend to keep a secret, talk to him about what he thinks your guy would most appreciate.
Buying chrome truck accessories from a reputable supplier is very important when you’re giving a gift. You want top quality at a price you can afford. There are some excellent online retailers that carry vehicle accessories that stock chrome that are very good and offer a much wider selection than you can find at traditional bricks and mortar locations, so be sure to check these out.
Some things to look for when shopping online for these accessories include a toll free number you can call with any questions you might have. Look for several different brand names to choose from rather than just one brand. Also watch for detailed product descriptions indicating how the product installs. The site should have clear shipping information and tracking options. Ideally, the company should not ship to P.O. boxes in order to protect your shipment. You’ll want reasonable or no shipping charges. Some sites have lower prices but gouge you on the shipping, so compare shipping costs. Finally, compare shipping times. If it’s going to take weeks for your order to be delivered, the company doesn’t actually keep their chrome in stock at their own warehouse. It shouldn’t take more than a week for most items to be delivered to you.
The next time your boyfriend or husband’s birthday or a holiday rolls around and he’s expecting another DVD or shirt, imagine his surprise and delight when he gets to dress up his truck with some great chrome truck accessories that you give him. It will be a gift he’ll treasure for years and will never forget.