GTA V — Car Save Mod: Write-up

Overview

A "car save" mod for Grand Theft Auto V (single-player) lets players store, recall, and manage custom vehicles outside the game’s default behavior (so vehicles persist between sessions, are spawned on demand, or kept in personal garages). Typical features: save vehicle to a slot, rename, export/import vehicle data, spawn saved vehicles anywhere, and protect saved vehicles from despawning.

• Replace Method: This deletes a standard car (like a Ford van) and replaces it with a modded Ferrari. The modded car will spawn naturally in traffic where the old car used to be. (Old Method, less stable).
• Add-On Method (Recommended): This adds the car as a brand new vehicle without deleting anything. You spawn it using a trainer and a specific name (e.g., ferrari_f40). (Modern Method, highly recommended).

Distribution & support

• Package with README, changelog, and uninstall instructions.
• Provide sample saves and troubleshooting tips (missing model, model load failures).
• Offer a simple settings file to toggle features (auto-save, max slots, file path).

: The basic library that allows the game to run custom scripts. ScriptHookV.net : Required for mods written in .NET languages. Scripts Folder : You must create a folder named

3. Persistent Vehicles Mod (by CP)

• Lightweight – only saves the last 5 vehicles you exit.
• Automatically restores them on game load.

• Download ScriptHookV.zip.
• Extract ScriptHookV.dll and dinput8.dll into your main GTA V folder (where GTA5.exe lives).

Issue 2: "The game crashes when I press F9."

• Cause: Native plate saving is buggy in Script Hook V.
• Fix: Use a dedicated "Personal Plate Creator" mod first to create a global plate texture, then save the car.