The Max Power Generation... Whatever Happened?
Discussion
This popped up earlier as i was perusing youtube... thought some of you might enjoy it in a nostalgic way 
The Max Power Generation or…Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads?
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTGGd2r0iw0
Feature:
http://www.influx.co.uk/features/the-max-power-gen...
Strange to remember how big this scene was at the time!
The Max Power Generation or…Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads?
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTGGd2r0iw0
Feature:
http://www.influx.co.uk/features/the-max-power-gen...
Strange to remember how big this scene was at the time!
People dont own their own car any more, everything is leased so they cant modify it. The modifying scene used to be accessible to any lad with a job and a saxo, now its all chrome wrapped BMWs, supercars of london and instagram. Back in the day, you'd be counting the days till your 17th so you could start lessons immediately. Now a lot of them dont bother even taking their test.
I feel a small amount of joy whenever I hear a loud baked bean can exhaust and some chavs in a barried out car. Takes me back
I feel a small amount of joy whenever I hear a loud baked bean can exhaust and some chavs in a barried out car. Takes me back
AH33 said:
I feel a small amount of joy whenever I hear a loud baked bean can exhaust and some chavs in a barried out car. Takes me back
Ah, happy times.I pulled up behind a Fiesta with loads of stickers and a big exhaust the other day. The driver was revving it up at the lights, he was alongside a reasonably mature woman driving a diesel Mercedes. The lights went green and I heard the all too rare sound of a Fiesta with a big exhaust being given death away from the traffic lights. The only sad part was that the diesel Mercedes driver joined in and pulled away faster than the poor Fiesta could manage.
The day that your chav-mobile gets it's arse handed to it by a middle manager on her way home from a day in the office in her company diesel rep mobile is the day you should move on from 'the scene'.
ts and stopped.Haha, those were the days!
I always had a PECO Big Bore 4 hanging off the back of my Fiesta back in the mid-nineties! (most of them were LITERALLY hanging off they were so rust-prone!). Even went to Max Power Live back in '97 (I think)... Then I grew up!
Still see a lot of barry-esq cars around Keighley & Bradford... I guess some things never change!
I always had a PECO Big Bore 4 hanging off the back of my Fiesta back in the mid-nineties! (most of them were LITERALLY hanging off they were so rust-prone!). Even went to Max Power Live back in '97 (I think)... Then I grew up!
Still see a lot of barry-esq cars around Keighley & Bradford... I guess some things never change!
There is a full scale Barry 90's Saxo in my street owned by a very respectable mid-late 30's accountant and it's his second Car and he's owned it since new when he was 17 ... The Barry elements have been redone now that he has a decent disposable and it's been professionally resprayed and a full retrim inside ... Even has an old-Sokol cherry bomb zorst ... Makes me smile every time I see it and makes me pine for my mk1 Ford Ka with Ka2k body kit and MoMo Arrow alloys and neons haha
It has moved on now to OEM+ etc...
It has moved on now to OEM+ etc...
AH33 said:
...now its all chrome wrapped BMWs, supercars of london and instagram...
I suspect this is it. In this age of social media many youngsters would rather post a 'selfie' (dreadful term) in front of some Arabian playboy's supercar than go to the effort of creating something of their own to show off.A bit of nostalgia:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BK_9ANmOS5c
The Saxo is SORN apparently so the chav has probably become a chavvy family man and moved on to a leased Golf R
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BK_9ANmOS5c
The Saxo is SORN apparently so the chav has probably become a chavvy family man and moved on to a leased Golf R
I absolutely loved the Max Power days. I grew up in this generation and I have to say, I miss it. Yes the modifications could be ridiculous. But, I think that car manufacturers now use the old Max Power days to style their current cars:
Massive wheels on a Corsa - in 2003 it was Max Power, now you can buy it standard.
Bad boy bonnets - Again a Max Power creation. Now all new cars have an aggressive, angry look about them.
way too large and way too many exhausts on shopping cars - Max Power. OEM today. The list goes on.
Max Power set some of the trends we are following today. Some of which were ahead of their time. Manufacturers spotted the popularity, hence the number of changes you can make to customise your brand new car from the production line today.
I made so many friends and have so many memories from the Max Power era. I've lost contact with them all and do wonder where they are now.
A couple of photo's of my 'Max Power' Corsa. Sorry, I know these cars are very unPH but I do like a good nostalgic tripIn was 17 when I owned this.
Massive wheels on a Corsa - in 2003 it was Max Power, now you can buy it standard.
Bad boy bonnets - Again a Max Power creation. Now all new cars have an aggressive, angry look about them.
way too large and way too many exhausts on shopping cars - Max Power. OEM today. The list goes on.
Max Power set some of the trends we are following today. Some of which were ahead of their time. Manufacturers spotted the popularity, hence the number of changes you can make to customise your brand new car from the production line today.
I made so many friends and have so many memories from the Max Power era. I've lost contact with them all and do wonder where they are now.
A couple of photo's of my 'Max Power' Corsa. Sorry, I know these cars are very unPH but I do like a good nostalgic trip
In was 17 when I owned this.
Finance probably has a lot to do with it. I'll never forget a conversation I had with a friend of mine, he'd just bought himself a brand spanking new, absolutely basic 1.2 three-banger polo. In silver. It had nothing in it. Not a scrap of leather. The sticker price was about £13-14k I think, he was paying through the nose for it every month. I'd just bought a BMW 645, fully loaded, awesome V8 and all... he wondered how I could afford mine! It cost all of £7,250 - cash.
I get a bit frustrated with some car dealers, particularly the BMWs etc... of the world - they're just interested in monthly payments. Getting a "price" for a car out of them is like blood from a stone. I recall BMW had a "£299 a month" offer, and they had it slapped on the side of a fully loaded 4 or 6 series, I asked what the hell you needed to do in order to make that car £299 a month.... answer was a £30k deposit, plus a huge balloon payment at the end if you fancied keeping it!
I get a bit frustrated with some car dealers, particularly the BMWs etc... of the world - they're just interested in monthly payments. Getting a "price" for a car out of them is like blood from a stone. I recall BMW had a "£299 a month" offer, and they had it slapped on the side of a fully loaded 4 or 6 series, I asked what the hell you needed to do in order to make that car £299 a month.... answer was a £30k deposit, plus a huge balloon payment at the end if you fancied keeping it!
To be honest I always did like the car modding scene, but couldn't afford that AND going out. I would much rather be in the pubs than driving endless circuits of the town as loudly as possible. At that age it was all about getting women and I think that cruising around loudly wouldn't get the desired result as opposed to actually talking to girls in the pub.
Saying that, I remember staggering home one night and getting offered a lift in an escort RS turbo by two robust looking ladies which I obviously accepted. I can't (don't want to) remember what happened later.
Saying that, I remember staggering home one night and getting offered a lift in an escort RS turbo by two robust looking ladies which I obviously accepted. I can't (don't want to) remember what happened later.
Bodykitted Novas and Saxos blasting up and down the high street. Drum and bass echoing in their wake… ah, it seems like yesterday.
The Max Power/Barryboys came in for a lot of criticism back in the day, and to be fair a lot of it was well deserved. But as I said then, and I'll say now: at least they were willing to get stuck in. People used to mock the dodgy installs and crap bodykits but at least they were passionate about their cars, and at least they had a good 'can do' attitude.
The body kit scene was never my thing (always preferred to smoke around in dodgy old Capris) but if you are passionate about your car - I don't care whether it's to my taste or not - then I'll happily chat to you.
Warning. 'kids-these-days' moan follows:
It seems like the availability of leases, social media (why hang around in cold Maccy-d car parks when you can 'meet' people online?) and a general belief that getting your hands dirty somehow makes you inferior has affected a lot of lads. My neighbour's son turned 18 recently. His ideal first car? Brand new MINI. When I suggested something a bit cheaper to insure (and not new as you WILL scrape/thrash/knacker your first car, he looked horrified. Peer pressure dictates that everything has to be new… because, hey, you're worth it.
When it was further suggested that he got an old shed to learn spannering on (his old man is a decent home mechanic) the kid looked truly horrified at the thought of being the only one of his mates who didn't have a brand new car.
The modding scene is still out there. Not as big as it was, true. But there are still people who like tinkering with their cars to the bemusement of people who don't get it... just look divisive the 'stance' thing is.
The Max Power/Barryboys came in for a lot of criticism back in the day, and to be fair a lot of it was well deserved. But as I said then, and I'll say now: at least they were willing to get stuck in. People used to mock the dodgy installs and crap bodykits but at least they were passionate about their cars, and at least they had a good 'can do' attitude.
The body kit scene was never my thing (always preferred to smoke around in dodgy old Capris) but if you are passionate about your car - I don't care whether it's to my taste or not - then I'll happily chat to you.
Warning. 'kids-these-days' moan follows:
It seems like the availability of leases, social media (why hang around in cold Maccy-d car parks when you can 'meet' people online?) and a general belief that getting your hands dirty somehow makes you inferior has affected a lot of lads. My neighbour's son turned 18 recently. His ideal first car? Brand new MINI. When I suggested something a bit cheaper to insure (and not new as you WILL scrape/thrash/knacker your first car, he looked horrified. Peer pressure dictates that everything has to be new… because, hey, you're worth it.
When it was further suggested that he got an old shed to learn spannering on (his old man is a decent home mechanic) the kid looked truly horrified at the thought of being the only one of his mates who didn't have a brand new car.
The modding scene is still out there. Not as big as it was, true. But there are still people who like tinkering with their cars to the bemusement of people who don't get it... just look divisive the 'stance' thing is.
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