Modifications to cars.Whats acceptable ?.

[kavanagh]

As the title says really.
What mods are worth while/reccomended ?.
Bigger alloys/exhausts/air filters/induction kits/bodykits and so on.
I expect the replys would be it is upto the owner but as we see and redicule some badly modified barryboy shopping trolleys i was wondering whats the pistonhead unwritten rules are.
Sorry if its a repost.
Thanks in advance.

[JonRB]

Depends on your personal tastes, but I adhere to the mantra "if it doesn't make you accelerate faster, stop quicker, or go round corners better, then it's a waste of money"

[chriis]

Depends on the car imo .
Some cars should be left standard however others suit a little bit of personalisation.

[JonRB]

chriis said:

others suit a little bit of personalisation.

Personalisation?!? I think you and I have a very different definition of "modifications".

[Rothgo Wooft]

Any performance enhancement is OK in my book. Body kits, bangin'ICE etc reduce performance so would be big NO.

I do find some body kits do make certain cars a little more interesting to look at. I did spend my pre-teen years living in Essex though, so don't trust me on that.

[marcosgt]

Personally I don't see many cars that are really 'improved' by modifications if you're talking about road use.

The manufacturers strike a pretty good balance (usually) when setting up the ride, performance, noise, design, handling of a car and most 'improvements' have a significant impact upon some other aspect of the car.

I can appreciate the skill in a well modified 'custom' car (you know the sort of thing, lambo doors, ICE out of the kazoo or something like a shortened Mini), but I wouldn't want such a car personally.

I suppose remapping turbo cars for more power/torque (to a limited degree) is the closest to a compromise free mod, but of course (if you're honest about it), it'll cost you a packet in increased insurance premiums.

If you're going to use a car extensively for track days or some other motorsport, it's a different matter obviously.

Acceptable though is totally in the eye of the beholder...

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 2nd April 12:22

[carmadgaz]

I quite like the subtle mods myself. Sometimes a nice set of alloys or lexus lights improve the look of a vehicle. Massive bodykits on the otherhand usually look a bit cheap and nasty along with things that make it look / sound (or supposed to make it look / sound) faster (eg 6 exhausts and a dump valve on a 1.1 N/A saxo)

[tangent police]

As PPC say. No speakers, no bodykits, no bullst.

[Scott330ci]

carmadgaz said:

Sometimes a nice set of lexus lights improve the look of a vehicle.

WHAT THE fk?

Are you serious?

[mrmr96]

kavanagh said:

i was wondering whats the pistonhead unwritten rules are.

There are none.

There's several thousand PH Memebers, each with their own idea of what's good and what isn't. There is no 'concensus'.

[Speedracer329]

It's your car, anything you do to it is acceptable as long as it is what YOU want. I love these people who think they have a right to tell people what to do with their own property.

[shalmaneser]

chriis said:

Depends on the car imo .
Some cars should be left standard however others suit a little bit of personalisation.

That's true to an extent, but it ultimately comes down to what level of compromise the owner is happy to live with.

My 205 is stiffer and lower, with bigger brakes etc etc because I'm happy to compromise on a certain amount of motorway or town comfort for increased fun on A and B roads.

I've also put new speakers and headunit in the car - the old ones were blown and sounded utterly terrible, so new upgraded models under the existing speaker grills mean the car looks standard but sounds 300% better.

[Rothgo Wooft]

Speedracer329 said:

It's your car, anything you do to it is acceptable as long as it is what YOU want. I love these people who think they have a right to tell people what to do with their own property.

I agree completely, but that wasn't the question.

[carmadgaz]

Scott330ci said:

carmadgaz said:

Sometimes a nice set of lexus lights improve the look of a vehicle.

WHAT THE fk?

Are you serious?

Had a white 106 and was offered a set for £20. I think they suited the white car better than th standard ones (though I wouldnt of had them if the car was blue / red etc). Sold them for £15 when the car was scrapped so a cheap mod too.

[otolith]

marcosgt said:

Personally I don't see many cars that are really 'improved' by modifications if you're talking about road use.

The manufacturers strike a pretty good balance (usually) when setting up the ride, performance, noise, design, handling of a car and most 'improvements' have a significant impact upon some other aspect of the car.

Hmm. I fitted a Racing Beat stainless steel exhaust system to my RX-8, after hearing them on other member's cars at an owner's club run. I previously had a pretty prejudiced opinion of aftermarket exhausts and the people who fit them, but had to admit that the cars sounded better with it and were not antisocially loud. The RB was no louder than the standard exhaust on our 350Z, I'd say. The Borla option sounded nicer still, but for me that was antisocially loud.

I think fitting an exhaust with a fruitier note is fine - the noise a car makes is a significant part of the experience of driving it. Just fitting something to make it LOUD is silly. I would fit something to the Elise if I thought I could get a less anodyne exhaust note, but you can't make a saxophone out of a kazoo.

[Ritchie335is]

A couple of weeks ago I cut out the rear exhaust boxes on my M5. It does sound good but its pretty loud and I cant help feeling a bit of a chav in it.
I might swap them back pretty soon.

[B3njamin]

I've always thought that if you can look at your car and in your heart-of-hearts not feel at all embarrassed, then it's probably ok since at least you like it.

There have been previous cars when I have ended up owning something that deep-down I wasn't really happy with but kept due to the amount of money I had, in my retrospective opinion, wasted on them.

For a weekend fun car or a track car I don't think anything is too whacky or loud to be unacceptable. For a daily driver or a family car I'd tend to favour a car as standard looking as possible, but I may be getting old...

Is this a repeat question about fitting a dump-valve to a Rover 620ti?

[lescombes]

Ritchie335is said:

A couple of weeks ago I cut out the rear exhaust boxes on my M5. It does sound good but its pretty loud and I cant help feeling a bit of a chav in it.
I might swap them back pretty soon.

Well no wonder your feeling a chav.... that was where they start.... you want to see the Chavs... 3 series mods around here.....if you want to destroy a brand...here is the place to do it.... mostly found parked up outside of Argos

[nickphuket]

Go with the people who say ' if you like it, do it, it's your car! Love the sound of my cars loudish exhaust and dump valve, so does moy 3 year old, thats all that matters

[Robert060379]

Anything more than a pair of after market side repeaters will require an I.V.A test (£400 modifyers tax) and you car will be worthless when you want to sell it on. Don't bother just buy something quicker.

Edited by Robert060379 on Friday 2nd April 13:50