By Pat McGonigle
St. Louis (KSDK) -- Let's start with the obvious. No one will ever mistake your minivan for a muscle car. The minivan has long been associated with "soccer moms" and dads who have given up high-performance machinery in favor of carpools and dance recitals.
So, is it really possible to have it both ways?
Can a domesticated dad retain some of his machismo while piloting a Honda Odyssey or Dodge Caravan?
Scott Cohles believes it's possible.
"You can do some things," he says with a smile.
Cohles, a new dad himself, runs Fantasy Coachworks on South Lindbergh. He says the key to making your minivan a bit more manly is to keep a few simple rules in mind.
"A little goes a long way," he explains.
"Little things like window tinting makes it look a lot better. You know, changing out the wheels, changing the factory wheels, or just painting them a different color."
A canvas or leather cover for the front grill and a subtle spoiler on the back can give your Caravan just a touch of testosterone.
Cohles says some dads have even installed custom racing pedals on their van and installed ground effects; the neon lights that attach to the undercarriage of the van.
"You can make it look personal, you can make it stand out, you can make it cool."
Adding racing stripes and dual exhaust pipes are some other add-ons that could help prevent dads from forfeiting their man-card.
KSDK