Modifications U (Don't) Like

[Moikey Fortune]

Oh yeah I know that.. I was agreeing with PatH ..but another post got in the way

[Lax Power]

ARH said:

Breadvan73 said:

One correction: black numberplates are legal on a car registered before April 1973. I agree that theya re deplorable on any car registered more recently than that, and particularly on modern cars.

Just because they are legal does not make them period.

Have a look at this chaps! Don't choke on your weak lemon drink but my Alfa Romeo is not only 'deplorable' for having black and white number plates on a 1975 car but look how small the front one is!

(Don't look now but its parked on double yellows!)

Disgraceful!

[geeman237]

OK, these are just a few of the mods I personally I don't like.

1) Mota-Lita steering wheels with the large black plastic bosses and small centre badges on TR's, MG's etc
2) Modern wind-deflectors behind the seats.
3) Car Show badges/plaques stuck to the dasboard
4) Modern small blue tinted spotlights etc fitted to the front
5) Modern metallic pearl paint, eg TVR colours on classics
6) Homemade centre consoles for phones and cupholders etc.
7) Blue silicone hoses
8) Excessive engine bay chroming

Again, just my personal opinion, which counts for zip......

[Ferg]

Pat H said:

Chrome wire wheels instead of painted ones.

Absolutely!

Pat H said:

Plastic wheelarch extensions on Minis.

Hmmm...harsh. I actually had ally spats on mine, but plastic would have been OK. I just needed to keep the wheels legal.

[anonymous-user]

Lax, you can rely on the "yeah but it looks well cool innit" exemption, so that's all right then.

[Pat H]

Ferg said:

Pat H said:

Plastic wheelarch extensions on Minis.

Hmmm...harsh. I actually had ally spats on mine, but plastic would have been OK. I just needed to keep the wheels legal.

Back in 1987, the first thing I did with my 1275GT was to stuff Mini Special arches on and some Cosmic alloys.



When I was reliving my mispent youth I sacrificed fat wheels for looks with my South African built 1275 Clubman.

I desperately wish I hadn't sold it.

Edited by Pat H on Thursday 10th February 20:06

[tonys]

Breadvan73 said:

Opinions, please; which colour plate looks better? (One car is tattier than the other, but try to disregard that when opining.)

My vote goes with black and silver, by a long way. Especially with that colour Europa.

[52classic]

Definately the black/silver plates...... Especially since they are the in period 'luxury' ones with reverse engraved characters.

[mgtony]

geeman237 said:

OK, these are just a few of the mods I personally I don't like.

1) Mota-Lita steering wheels with the large black plastic bosses and small centre badges on TR's, MG's etc
2) Modern wind-deflectors behind the seats.
3) Car Show badges/plaques stuck to the dasboard
4) Modern small blue tinted spotlights etc fitted to the front
5) Modern metallic pearl paint, eg TVR colours on classics
6) Homemade centre consoles for phones and cupholders etc.
7) Blue silicone hoses
8) Excessive engine bay chroming

Again, just my personal opinion, which counts for zip......

I have most of those.

Any steering wheel would be an improvement on the MGB original one.
Don't do badges, plaques or silly coloured lights.
Have a modern coloured paint, not quite pearl'
Got a phone holder to stop it sliding around the console,was white so painted it black.
Would put on blue hoses if I could find them!
Not into pointless unseen chroming.

And I have Minilite style wheels.

[Markh]

Proper minilites or JA Pearce wheels look great, look-like Minilites are just low rent and look wrong

[a8hex]

geeman237 said:

...
8) Excessive engine bay chroming

Again, just my personal opinion, which counts for zip......

Or anything that looks like a concours queen. Cars are for driving damn it, if you spend too long cleaning it you've got the wrong idea

Pristine new leather in classic cars. I like my classic cars to look their age.

Again, just my personal opinion, which counts for zip......

[IroningMan]

Black-and silver numberplates
Minilite-alikes
50-profile tyres
Shiny replacement dash
Non-period replacement steering wheel





No danger of any chrome under the bonnet, mind you.

Having said which, I'm not keen on rubber-bumper MGs which have been make to look like Vicarage Mk2s inside...

[rogerhudson]

the best number plates are the flexible black ones on old cars bonnets,wings etc. quite legal on any car before Jan.1973 and speed cameras love them(NOT!)

[mark387mw]

tonys said:

Breadvan73 said:

Opinions, please; which colour plate looks better? (One car is tattier than the other, but try to disregard that when opining.)

My vote goes with black and silver, by a long way. Especially with that colour Europa.

When I had my Europa, I wanted white number plate letters in the front grille instead of a full number plate but I never got round to it.

[Bull1t]

I dislike any external modifications that make it obvious they wern't done when the car was new. The two most obvious ones to me are modern metallic/pearl/etc paints and tacky modern alloys.

Numberplates is a different concept here as we had black with silver letters until 1986 so I prefer seeing old cars with them rather than modern white with black letter ones.

[rovermorris999]

a8hex said:

Or anything that looks like a concours queen. Cars are for driving damn it, if you spend too long cleaning it you've got the wrong idea

Pristine new leather in classic cars. I like my classic cars to look their age.

Again, just my personal opinion, which counts for zip......

Absolutely agree with this. Trailer tarts indicate a too-large cheque book and OCD. But each to their own. But I'm right

[barefoot]

Walnut dash on a TR6? They came out of the factory with a wooden dash as did every Lotus at that time how can a walnut dash be a bad modification!

Edited by barefoot on Friday 11th February 08:35

[macar]

barefoot said:

Walnut dash on a TR6? They came out of the factory with a wooden dash as did every Lotus at that time how can a walnut dash be a bad modification!

Edited by barefoot on Friday 11th February 08:35

The dask looks good, not sure about the contrasting green leather though, Sorry.

[barefoot]

Fair point but have always loved walnut dashes last 3 cars I restored had them





The newer MG's had a plastic dash so wood was far better when restoring but i went for this on a crackled dash as they do not restore that well

[braddo]

ARH said:

I couldn't agree more, followed by Black and White number plates on cars built after 1970. even her indoors insists on this. no car sold after 1969 had black and white number plates

I think it can depend on whether the car was sold in the 60s - cars like the Europa and Alfa Super above were around in the 60s, so a B&W plate looks appropriate (even if not strictly legal for post-'72 cars).

My '72 Alfa is due new plates and they're certainly going to be the B&W of the period (acrylic and are they semi-reflective? Like the ones on the Europa anyway).