Mark Walter, parts manager at Troy-Alan Chevrolet in Slippery Rock, shows off a couple vehicles that have been outfitted with aftermarket products. Walter says younger owners are generally attracted to flashy items, whereas older ones want functionality.

Mark Walter has decked out his 1999 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with flashy aftermarket products, including a light bar and a special third brake light cover.

But Walter, who recently became a father, now is shopping for a new truck with an entirely different mindset.

"I'm looking for functionality," Walter, 27, said.

Walter, who has been parts manager at Troy-Alan Chevrolet in Slippery Rock since July, acknowledges his own truck accessories follow the trend he sees in aftermarket product sales: Vehicle owners ages 18 to 30 buy for style, and older shoppers look for convenience items, such as assist steps, running boards and bug deflectors.

Walter said he sees vehicle owners of all types — truck owners, car lovers, SUV drivers and so on — dipping into the aftermarket product lines. But the greatest dividing line seems to be age, he said.

Younger folks are looking for what Walter calls "flash."

Think fast and furious.

Think mean and loud.

Think low and rare.

"Manufacturers spend a lot of time designing vehicles. ... People in this age group don't want that original look. They want to rip it apart, make it their own style and say, 'I did this,'" Walter said.

For example, vehicle owners are willing to shell out an average of $4,000 to $5,000, but sometimes up to $20,000, for a wheel kit that adds nothing more to their ride than the "cool" factor.

Also on the style-for-sale list are car parts such as headers, fender flares, spoilers and grill covers.

"It's the look," said Rob Grinnik, owner of Meridian Off Road. "Younger guys are going for a look, and one of the things they almost always start with is wheels."

On the other hand, more mature drivers are looking for "more bang for their buck," Walter said, such as undercoating or interiors designed to protect from pet damage.

Grinnik said mud flaps, floor mats and tonneau covers are some of his biggest sellers right now.

Also, women are just as likely to buy aftermarket products that are both flashy and convenient, Walter said.

"It's like a bracelet or earings. It's an accessory," Walter said of women's shopping habits.

Walter said it has been his experience that the younger car owners are more likely to have a giant wish list of aftermarket products, but generally speaking, it's the more mature drivers who do most of the buying.

"In today's economy, that is who can afford more," he said.