The pastime of car modifying
Discussion
Its a bloody hobby! I was well into modifying my cars when i was younger, and it was a hell of a lot of fun, the cars got features in magazines such as max power and fast ford and i went to many modified car shows and met a lot of new friends!
Okay some people take this to the extreme and in some cases can ruin a half decent car but when done properly not with half of halfords stuck to it i think a modified car is a huge improvement on the standard in many cases.
Ive changed a lot since then with age and become a purist, i now own a totally standard ford racing puma and will not let anything other than genuine ford parts near it and wouldnt dream of modifying it in any way.
Heres my fiesta i had back in 2004 which was max power (3 pages) and fast ford (7! Yes 7 pages!) featured!
Okay some people take this to the extreme and in some cases can ruin a half decent car but when done properly not with half of halfords stuck to it i think a modified car is a huge improvement on the standard in many cases.
Ive changed a lot since then with age and become a purist, i now own a totally standard ford racing puma and will not let anything other than genuine ford parts near it and wouldnt dream of modifying it in any way.
Heres my fiesta i had back in 2004 which was max power (3 pages) and fast ford (7! Yes 7 pages!) featured!
Is there actually such a concept as "a waste of money"? Only if what you would do with the money isn't the same as what I would do with it!
If we assume that the "modifers" haven't actually robbed a bank to get the cash to mod their cars, well, lets let them continue. After all, they could spend the money on a million other things, from going out, the cinema, staying in expensive hotels, eating in expensive restaurants, going on holiday, doing an expensive sport. All of which someone would consider to be a "waste of money". However, if that money is spent to make the spender happier, well good on them, and even if they get "happy" by buring money, well, that's fine by me ;-)
What i can't abide by however is poor modification that look like they were done by a blind person, no, in fact, blind people would occasionally make something that looks good......... ;-)
If we assume that the "modifers" haven't actually robbed a bank to get the cash to mod their cars, well, lets let them continue. After all, they could spend the money on a million other things, from going out, the cinema, staying in expensive hotels, eating in expensive restaurants, going on holiday, doing an expensive sport. All of which someone would consider to be a "waste of money". However, if that money is spent to make the spender happier, well good on them, and even if they get "happy" by buring money, well, that's fine by me ;-)
What i can't abide by however is poor modification that look like they were done by a blind person, no, in fact, blind people would occasionally make something that looks good......... ;-)
Max_Torque said:
What i can't abide by however is poor modification that look like they were done by a blind person, no, in fact, blind people would occasionally make something that looks good......... ;-)
Generally that is due to not actually spending any money, therefore none wasted!The Black Flash said:
I don't really understand why people spend their time posting rants like this, but each to his own.
Rant? Seems like a perfectly decent question.My take is that there are some cars that seem very geared up for modding - maybe it's the community around them, the reputation, the availability of parts etc. Bit of a chicken and egg situation - which came first, the non-OE parts or the market for them! Impreza's, evos etc. leap to mind. ANything with a turbo is easier to get more power out of, admittedly at a potential cost of engine longevity.
Far less you see modded M3s or 911s - perhaps the 'high end' owner doesn't think they can improve on the manufacturer?
Willeh85 said:
If you had a car that you could spend an extra £2000 on and make it considerably faster than it is stock and rival acceleration speeds of many much more expensive performance cars or spend £30 000 + on a Porsche I know what many people would choose.
I would amend your numbers to 'Spent an extra 12K' and 'not as fast as a 10K 911 996 model'.
But I get for some people it's about making it 'theirs' and a unique thing - seems perfectly reasonable.
ACtually, I do it with my Land rover (big lights, lift kit etc.) , but would never dream of blinging up my main shiny/sporty car, 'cos I think I would ruin it.
Monsterlime said:
BarbaricAvatar said:
The only bit i do have a problem with is f
king loud exhausts. They're just for narcissists and tts. And i'd love to see government legislation brought in that effectively bans all after-market exhausts.
Villages will be much happier places without Corsa's fitted with farty-pipes.
So for those cars where official parts are no longer made/very hard to get hold of, what is a person supposed to do then if their exhaust dies/needs replacing? Scrap the car?king loud exhausts. They're just for narcissists and tts. And i'd love to see government legislation brought in that effectively bans all after-market exhausts.Villages will be much happier places without Corsa's fitted with farty-pipes.
I have modified all of my private cars in some form or other. Some items are actually upgrades rather than restyled parts, bulbs or whole light units, some with springs, dampers or anti roll bars, some just air filter or intake changes, some with exhausts. I have never changed wheels or gone for big bolt on body kits.
RtdRacer said:
Adam205 said:
Anyone who cannot think of a single way to improve their car doesn't have enough of an interest in driving to be allowed a driving license.
I drove a V10 R8 the other day. Not quite sure how I would improve it. Discuss.
4key said:
RtdRacer said:
Adam205 said:
Anyone who cannot think of a single way to improve their car doesn't have enough of an interest in driving to be allowed a driving license.
I drove a V10 R8 the other day. Not quite sure how I would improve it. Discuss.
from the steering wheel to Ceramic brakes etcIt's always going to be a question of taste really, and its as much a hobby as making model railways, painting or photography.
As a kid I used to build loads of model kits, I like keeping my hands and mind busy. Once I'd passed my driving test, I got into driving and slowly entered the modding scene.
What started off with the classic stuff like big back-boxes, cone air-filters and brand stickers on the front wings, has slowly moved to OEM styling, performance mods and upgrades over the course of ten years.
In my previous job I had a lot of disposable cash, and I spent a lot of it on cars. Whether it be fuel, go faster parts or sound systems, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty, and learned a lot about cars in the process.
Nowadays I don't have that kind of cash anymore, so I have my W202 C-Class that has a couple of OEM styling bits on it, but other than that its standard.
Given the money, I'd be right back into modding cars again, I miss toiling away under the bonnet in my garage, scratching my head trying to figure out whats wrong when things stop working.
As a kid I used to build loads of model kits, I like keeping my hands and mind busy. Once I'd passed my driving test, I got into driving and slowly entered the modding scene.
What started off with the classic stuff like big back-boxes, cone air-filters and brand stickers on the front wings, has slowly moved to OEM styling, performance mods and upgrades over the course of ten years.
In my previous job I had a lot of disposable cash, and I spent a lot of it on cars. Whether it be fuel, go faster parts or sound systems, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty, and learned a lot about cars in the process.
Nowadays I don't have that kind of cash anymore, so I have my W202 C-Class that has a couple of OEM styling bits on it, but other than that its standard.
Given the money, I'd be right back into modding cars again, I miss toiling away under the bonnet in my garage, scratching my head trying to figure out whats wrong when things stop working.
BarbaricAvatar said:
Monsterlime said:
BarbaricAvatar said:
The only bit i do have a problem with is fking loud exhausts. They're just for narcissists and tts. And i'd love to see government legislation brought in that effectively bans all after-market exhausts.
Villages will be much happier places without Corsa's fitted with farty-pipes.
So for those cars where official parts are no longer made/very hard to get hold of, what is a person supposed to do then if their exhaust dies/needs replacing? Scrap the car?king loud exhausts. They're just for narcissists and tts. And i'd love to see government legislation brought in that effectively bans all after-market exhausts.Villages will be much happier places without Corsa's fitted with farty-pipes.
There's loud exhausts that sound crap, ie most 4 pots and builders' Transits.
There's loud exhausts that sound bloody superb, for example, cross-plane crank V8s, wailing straight sixes, roaring V10s and so on.
Have you heard a Monaro on it's factory exhaust? You'll not get the chance now because 90% have been changed for those aftermarket ones that you detest. They were whisper quiet as standard, extra silencers were fitted for a nanny-state UK market, as the Aussie ones and the Pontiac GTO were much better from a sound perspective.
You have no petrol in your veins sir, no soul.
RtdRacer said:
I drove a V10 R8 the other day. Not quite sure how I would improve it.
Discuss.
Discuss.
Custom paint? Custom interior? Different wheels? Carbon parts?
An audi r8 v10 is just as improveable as any other car! You just need a lot more money!
Why be like every other r8 on the roads?
Edited by AdamC1983 on Saturday 18th August 20:29
The trick is to where possible keep the standard parts that you replace, if you choose wisely you rarely 'loose' much money and sometimes make a bit. I mainly buy second hand stuff and referb it, when it finally becomes time to move on, mint condition discontinued items command a fairly hefty price tag. It's not uncommon to have people asking to be first in line if you ever decide to sell that part off of your car. Obviously this doesnt happen with Halfords spoilers and neons
How about a Mclaren F1? There's an owner on here who spent a lot of money modifying his F1 and I never saw a single bad word spoken about it.
Was that a waste of money? Possibly, in that it's not guaranteed they'll get a return on their investment, and it's probably have been more sensible to restore their car rather than change it.
Perhaps people have a problem with car modifications when people spend the kind of money that could buy cars they aspire to? i.e. a 10k Corsa with 10k worth of mods could buy a second hand 911 Turbo and that's potentially attainable for your average PH'er who finds fault with the Corsa modifier.
However, since the F1 is out of reach for most people, there's less reason to be critical?
Was that a waste of money? Possibly, in that it's not guaranteed they'll get a return on their investment, and it's probably have been more sensible to restore their car rather than change it.
Perhaps people have a problem with car modifications when people spend the kind of money that could buy cars they aspire to? i.e. a 10k Corsa with 10k worth of mods could buy a second hand 911 Turbo and that's potentially attainable for your average PH'er who finds fault with the Corsa modifier.
However, since the F1 is out of reach for most people, there's less reason to be critical?
AdamC1983 said:
RtdRacer said:
I drove a V10 R8 the other day. Not quite sure how I would improve it.
Discuss.
Discuss.
Custom paint? Custom interior? Different wheels? Carbon parts?
An audi r8 v10 is just as improveable as any other car! You just need a lot more money!
Why be like every other r8 on the roads?
Edited by AdamC1983 on Saturday 18th August 20:29
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