Modifications U (Don't) Like
Discussion
Oh, and my pet hate is the trend in the US and Australia for putting huge modern wheels on old cars - stuff like 17 inch wheels on old Escorts and 20 inch ones on Camaros etc with 35 profile tyres. 
Larger-than-period wheels can still look great in my eyes - 1-2 inches above standard can look great (Hotchkiss Challenger
, or the wider spoked wheels offered for Eagle E-Types).
Larger-than-period wheels can still look great in my eyes - 1-2 inches above standard can look great (Hotchkiss Challenger
, or the wider spoked wheels offered for Eagle E-Types).As a wheel fetishist,certain rims on specific colours of individual cars just look wrong. Minilites on red MGC's not so good but on beige or green -stunning. Fuchs on campers ok ,Beetles not so much. DBS Astons on cww wrong but on painted slightly bigger wires, purposeful
Don't evn start me on dodgy size/offset/profile BMW wheel cross breeding.
Don't evn start me on dodgy size/offset/profile BMW wheel cross breeding.
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
Erm, you guys would hate my Spitfire then. It has both of those things. I know the no plates are bad but the wheels look great and I think they are a reasonable replacement/upgrade! With regard to the Europa wasn't it always the mantra of Lotus to never have a part that served less than two purposes hence why the numbers were stuck to the grill? Screams Colin Chapman to me and so therefore a Europa surely 'must' have black and white despite the change in rules!
barefoot said:
Fair point but have always loved walnut dashes last 3 cars I restored had them
I need to retrim my TR6 – who did that for you? (I won't go forthe coloured inserst but probably will have contrasting piping, and walnut, just as Triumph should have done in the first place.braddo said:
Oh, and my pet hate is the trend in the US and Australia for putting huge modern wheels on old cars - stuff like 17 inch wheels on old Escorts and 20 inch ones on Camaros etc with 35 profile tyres.
That's one of my biggest bugbears about American programmes like "rags to riches" where they painstakingly restore a basket case of a 60s Mustang or Camaro, finish of with a beautiful looking car, and then stick massive 22'' drug dealer 'rims' on it. Yertis said:
barefoot said:
Fair point but have always loved walnut dashes last 3 cars I restored had them
It's almost like putting carbon fibre in a car that had turned aluminium.
The pet hate has got to be glass sunroofs in anything.
Jimski said:
i dont like too modern seats in classics - buckets excluded, but seeing early escorts with rs turbo or escort cosworth seats just seems odd
I agree about the minilites and I really don't like the look of modern head units in cars
Even worse to see classic 1950's/1960's saloons with modern rally seats - hideous.I agree about the minilites and I really don't like the look of modern head units in cars
IROC-Z said:
braddo said:
Oh, and my pet hate is the trend in the US and Australia for putting huge modern wheels on old cars - stuff like 17 inch wheels on old Escorts and 20 inch ones on Camaros etc with 35 profile tyres.
That's one of my biggest bugbears about American programmes like "rags to riches" where they painstakingly restore a basket case of a 60s Mustang or Camaro, finish of with a beautiful looking car, and then stick massive 22'' drug dealer 'rims' on it. Go 50" or go home brah.
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Pistom said:
The reason most find walnut dashes in TR6s so offensive is that we rememebr them with the original finish which was not walnut.
It's almost like putting carbon fibre in a car that had turned aluminium.
The pet hate has got to be glass sunroofs in anything.
The difference is that turned aluminium looks lovely, whereas the plank of old wardrobe that Triumph (and that I retain for the time being in my 6) used looks crap. I don't know why Triumph bothered.It's almost like putting carbon fibre in a car that had turned aluminium.
The pet hate has got to be glass sunroofs in anything.
This whole argument to me boils down to why you have the car. If you want it as some sort of heritage artifact time capsule thing, then keep it original (only using original parts for repair and maintenance of course).
On the hand, if you intend to use the car in the manner intended, then I can see no reason whatsoever for not upgrading components as necessary, just like everyone else in the real world does to equipment they actually use.
Well, that's an interesting angle isn't it. The well restored cars are to all intents and purposes craftsman built. The standard of bodywork on mine is (or rather was, it's getting a bit knocked about now to be honest) was right up there with a well restored Aston or something like that, and and it really needs a decent interior to do the rest of the car justice.
If you're taking a car which was originally thrown together, and putting it together again properly, why not do it properly.
I honestly don't know the answer, can't make up my mind which I prefer if I'm honest. My TR6 is pretty far from original and all the better because of it IMO, but I'm restoring my Quattro to be as original as possible. Probably because it was originally brilliant anyway.
If you're taking a car which was originally thrown together, and putting it together again properly, why not do it properly.
I honestly don't know the answer, can't make up my mind which I prefer if I'm honest. My TR6 is pretty far from original and all the better because of it IMO, but I'm restoring my Quattro to be as original as possible. Probably because it was originally brilliant anyway.
- graphics (anything from racing stripes etc on anything other than classic race cars or actual race cars)
- stickers, of any form
- 5' exhausts on Subaru and the like (if they worked prodrive would have used them on the rally cars
) insted you look like a t
t-mackerel
- excessive wheel gap, some cars are ment to be lower
- slammed 'stance' theres lowering for handling and then theres going to far
- 'show' roll cages, get a real one or dont bother
- most aftermarket wheels, think dotz and the like, chavvy end of
- blue silicone, no no no no no no
- stickers, of any form
- 5' exhausts on Subaru and the like (if they worked prodrive would have used them on the rally cars
) insted you look like a tt-mackerel - excessive wheel gap, some cars are ment to be lower
- slammed 'stance' theres lowering for handling and then theres going to far
- 'show' roll cages, get a real one or dont bother
- most aftermarket wheels, think dotz and the like, chavvy end of
- blue silicone, no no no no no no
mark387mw said:
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.
Here you are:-
The Lotus has asked me to point out that the oil stains belong to some other jalopy, a Rustoceptor which is engaged in an anti-rust self help policy by chucking oil all over its undersides.
Thinking over the Colin Chapman "everything does two jobs" formula, I am trying to figure out what job the front numbers/letters attached to the grille are doing. Making the car a few grammes lighter, I suppose. Maybe I can kid someone that the rear numberplate is a vital structural member.
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