What happened to Modified cars?
Discussion
I'd love to modify my car, but there's nothing I can do without spending s
t loads of money!!
If the weather isn't perfectly dry the car can barely handle stock power, so any serious engine mod is a little pointless!
Also, the golf r in the same shape as mine (mark 6) is slipping into price range, so may as well just upgrade!
But like others said before it's far too tempting to just finance a car as a youngster I stead of buying old!
t loads of money!!If the weather isn't perfectly dry the car can barely handle stock power, so any serious engine mod is a little pointless!
Also, the golf r in the same shape as mine (mark 6) is slipping into price range, so may as well just upgrade!
But like others said before it's far too tempting to just finance a car as a youngster I stead of buying old!
twoblacklines said:
Why did they die out? The recession or the police?
It looks like everyone who owned them went to work herehttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
JD said:
It looks like everyone who owned them went to work here
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Great to see so many ended up in one of the largest, most successful, respected automotive firms in the world.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Been thinking the same myself recently.
Moved from Edinburgh to London 4 years ago and thought perhaps it might have just become a bit passé with these ahead-of-the-curve Londoners. Regular visits back north of the border however seem to confirm that bodykitted Clios, Puntos etc are infact a dying breed.
No bad thing, as 99.9% of 'Max Power' type modified stuff was utterly hateful.
I do feel it's a shame that well (read: performance) modified Jap stuff seems to have similarly dwindled.
Also much less 'JDM' stuff rolling about.
Hate to say it, but I never liked 'Dub'/ VW scene stuff, even in my youth. Was only ever drawn to modded stuff where the base car had some real performance kudos.
I suspect there are several reasons for the decline in 'modded' stuff (insurance, newer cars attainable due to attractive finance packages, better specs/ equipment straight from the manufacturer) but I reckon that the youth of today just don't see modified cars as 'cool' anymore.
Is there still a wide range of naff bodykits available for modern hatches, for example? If there is, does anyone want to invalidate the warranty/ sacrifice the parking sensors just to have a phat kit? Also wonder if aftermarket stuff would stick out like a sore thumb on modern cars given the higher quality of fit and finish generally these days.
Moved from Edinburgh to London 4 years ago and thought perhaps it might have just become a bit passé with these ahead-of-the-curve Londoners. Regular visits back north of the border however seem to confirm that bodykitted Clios, Puntos etc are infact a dying breed.
No bad thing, as 99.9% of 'Max Power' type modified stuff was utterly hateful.
I do feel it's a shame that well (read: performance) modified Jap stuff seems to have similarly dwindled.
Also much less 'JDM' stuff rolling about.
Hate to say it, but I never liked 'Dub'/ VW scene stuff, even in my youth. Was only ever drawn to modded stuff where the base car had some real performance kudos.
I suspect there are several reasons for the decline in 'modded' stuff (insurance, newer cars attainable due to attractive finance packages, better specs/ equipment straight from the manufacturer) but I reckon that the youth of today just don't see modified cars as 'cool' anymore.
Is there still a wide range of naff bodykits available for modern hatches, for example? If there is, does anyone want to invalidate the warranty/ sacrifice the parking sensors just to have a phat kit? Also wonder if aftermarket stuff would stick out like a sore thumb on modern cars given the higher quality of fit and finish generally these days.
MG CHRIS said:
Open your eyes modifying cars is still a massive scene in the uk its changed a lot gone from stupid body kits to stance and mental engine changes etc.
All you need to go is vist events like trax/japfest to see modifying is still huge.
Indeed. I haven't noticed it dying out whatsoever, although I can only speak in my local area. I don't often go to cruises, but when I've popped down there has been 150+ cars each time, reaching 400+ on some occasions when the group organising it have some sort of special event on. Inevitably a fair few bellends attend, but they raise a fair bit of money for charity at these events and have made it clear street racing isn't welcome. Good way to keep up a good relationship with the police & community I think.All you need to go is vist events like trax/japfest to see modifying is still huge.
getawayturtle said:
Indeed. I haven't noticed it dying out whatsoever, although I can only speak in my local area. I don't often go to cruises, but when I've popped down there has been 150+ cars each time, reaching 400+ on some occasions when the group organising it have some sort of special event on. Inevitably a fair few bellends attend, but they raise a fair bit of money for charity at these events and have made it clear street racing isn't welcome. Good way to keep up a good relationship with the police & community I think.
I very rarely see a 'modded' car 'in the wild' these days. I'm sure the scene still exists, but it's most definitely a shadow of what it once was.
No surprise that cruising is still a thing, we're not talking about ancient history after all. I could count on one hand the number of gopping, tatty, over-wheeled eg. 206s that I've seen on the road over the last year though.
Around my way the only common modified vehicles seem to be either Imprezas or EP3 Type Rs.
MattN44 said:
twoblacklines said:
Why did they die out?
Still a pretty big scene about if you know where to look. I've got 3 cars of various stages of modification myself.
The modified car scene is different today to how it was when I was part of it back in my early 20's. The car's are different, people are different, costs are different.
Parking up at a car park in Hull results in you being given a Section 59 if seen by the Police. There was and still is a massive crack down on it.
http://www.humberside.police.uk/traveling-safely/c...
I am off to look at a modified Mazda6 MPS tomorrow. The modifications are all power related.
Depends on the owner. I see plenty of stance scene cars knocking about, there was a Ford Ka around the corner from me dropped on its arse with a "low and slow" sticker in the back window.
For me modifying has to have a purpose, either improve some aspect or develop the car into something else. I have done a bit of both on my Mustang, here is the build thread.
I like to keep things tidy and neat, I'm not a big fan of body kits and massive wheels unless they have a purpose.
For me modifying has to have a purpose, either improve some aspect or develop the car into something else. I have done a bit of both on my Mustang, here is the build thread.
I like to keep things tidy and neat, I'm not a big fan of body kits and massive wheels unless they have a purpose.
Even in the owners clubs / communities the modifications are a lot more subtle - plus the associated costs of doing any modifications are significant at any level nowadays with insurance premiums etc.
I have modified all of my cars - with the exception of one - but usually not aesthetically.
My current car is modified, too, but only with performance in mind (pah - from a diesel!)
However, my next job is likely to include a company car and there won't be enough 'rainy day' money to justify having a second car to treat as a toy - so the little hatchback will go and so will any thoughts of modifying.
I have modified all of my cars - with the exception of one - but usually not aesthetically.
My current car is modified, too, but only with performance in mind (pah - from a diesel!)
However, my next job is likely to include a company car and there won't be enough 'rainy day' money to justify having a second car to treat as a toy - so the little hatchback will go and so will any thoughts of modifying.
FussyFez said:
I still see plenty of modified cars about. I think most are more subtle than the body kits of the 90's.
I agree. I have a BMW F31 330d M Sport and although modified it's so subtle it’s hard to tell anything is untoward. I have fitted AC Schnitzer springs to help with the floaty drive, they work really well, and also the springs have lowered the car around 10 mm
Other fitted items include:
An M Performance rear diffuser
12mm Wheel spacers to fill the arches
M Performance Kit, puts the power to around 305 bhp and 650 NM torque (it’s not supposed to but testing has shown BMW have, for whatever reason, dumbed down the engine performance in their literature)
Modifying hasn't died, it has just become more subtle.
In the MaxPower days you could spot a modified car a mile off because of their ostentatious bodykits. However now a modified car may just consist of a decent set of wheels and coilovers to lower it, so no where near as noticeable.
In the MaxPower days you could spot a modified car a mile off because of their ostentatious bodykits. However now a modified car may just consist of a decent set of wheels and coilovers to lower it, so no where near as noticeable.
Crafty_ said:
Also in the old days engine swaps were common, 16v in to a Nova ? bit of welding, 5 different wires and the thing ran. Engine swaps are pretty much dead in modern cars, its too complicated and anyway you may as well mod the engine thats in it.
Of the three cars I own, two of them are modified, one which has had an engine conversion. It may be more complex now but it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I have many friends whom have done engine conversions too - I'm not alone with this.The stuff that was cheap to buy/insure/mod was killed off by the scrappage scheme.
Stance has become popular because it takes minimal cost (£500 for 2nd coilovers and wheels) and doesn't significantly effect insurance. Most of the mods can be reversed when kit comes to handing back/trading in the car.
Stance has become popular because it takes minimal cost (£500 for 2nd coilovers and wheels) and doesn't significantly effect insurance. Most of the mods can be reversed when kit comes to handing back/trading in the car.
Many years ago when I was in my late teens I had a weekend job at a local car accessory place. Pretty much at the peak of the modified car scene. There were 2 other places in the town and guaranteed on a Saturday afternoon all 3 would be heaving with customers. Each shop specialized in something different. Our place stocked loads of audio kit, another did alloys and bodykits and the 3rd shop was mostly alloys, re-trims and exhausts.
Saturday afternoons were crazy busy and selling maybe 5 or 6K of stuff in a few hours wasn't uncommon - non too shabby for a small independent place. Alot of guys made big money from it. Certainly my employer led a very comfortable lifestyle at that time - big holidays and lots of golfing.
I remember one kid coming in with a very heavily modified Corsa, a 1.0 no less. I think he was regretting dropping over 30K into it - probably still paying it off now.
The shops are all much quieter now and the heavy Police presence stopped the nightly cruises. Still plenty of modified motors about but it's nothing like as prolific as it once was.
In the interests of transparency, I'll admit I did dabble. I had a 1.4 Clio with OZ Ultraleggera 16" rims, H&R lowered springs with PI dampers, a Peco back box, lexus lights and an excessively large Alpine and Polk Momo audio setup. Quite a lot of money but small fry compared to what was about. I still own the Alpine headunit and have been completely unsuccessful in selling the 12" Polk subs - no one wants them.
Saturday afternoons were crazy busy and selling maybe 5 or 6K of stuff in a few hours wasn't uncommon - non too shabby for a small independent place. Alot of guys made big money from it. Certainly my employer led a very comfortable lifestyle at that time - big holidays and lots of golfing.
I remember one kid coming in with a very heavily modified Corsa, a 1.0 no less. I think he was regretting dropping over 30K into it - probably still paying it off now.
The shops are all much quieter now and the heavy Police presence stopped the nightly cruises. Still plenty of modified motors about but it's nothing like as prolific as it once was.
In the interests of transparency, I'll admit I did dabble. I had a 1.4 Clio with OZ Ultraleggera 16" rims, H&R lowered springs with PI dampers, a Peco back box, lexus lights and an excessively large Alpine and Polk Momo audio setup. Quite a lot of money but small fry compared to what was about. I still own the Alpine headunit and have been completely unsuccessful in selling the 12" Polk subs - no one wants them.
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