Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Awesome post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew62 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now I love a beautiful car and enjoy driving them but why is it so many car "enthusiasts" end up completely destroying their cars (in terms of aesthetics) and making them look like toys? I get the want to improve appearance/performance, but where does the "modified car" style come from when it always looks so shit. The rolled out wheels where cars look like their collapsing under their own weight having just shat themselves...why? I say all this with the attached photo pretty much being my definition of a perfectly beautiful car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Rainbird Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamR28 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now I love a beautiful car and enjoy driving them but why is it so many car "enthusiasts" end up completely destroying their cars (in terms of aesthetics) and making them look like toys? I get the want to improve appearance/performance, but where does the "modified car" style come from when it always looks so shit. The rolled out wheels where cars look like their collapsing under their own weight having just shat themselves...why? It's cool innit. Nah, I agree, they look totally shit! That MX-5 is so ruined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManMike Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 The green Porsche and the Audi are both winning. I'd love to smash that Porsche around for a bit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now I love a beautiful car and enjoy driving them but why is it so many car "enthusiasts" end up completely destroying their cars (in terms of aesthetics) and making them look like toys? I get the want to improve appearance/performance, but where does the "modified car" style come from when it always looks so shit. The rolled out wheels where cars look like their collapsing under their own weight having just shat themselves...why? In your opinion. If you don't get it then you don't get it. It can't be explained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 In your opinion. Oh, oh the irony. It's sickening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Gibson Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 (edited) Looks over function is some peoples thing! Function over looks is also some peoples thing. just personal preference really! I loved scraping round in my decked Astra Estate. Just to see peoples face. Plus Iv never had the money to have a fast car!! Edited November 28, 2012 by Matthew_Gibson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Oh, oh the irony. It's sickening. What happened to you in the years that I was off the forum? You've turned into a right sanctimonious little moaner. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now I love a beautiful car and enjoy driving them but why is it so many car "enthusiasts" end up completely destroying their cars (in terms of aesthetics) and making them look like toys? I get the want to improve appearance/performance, but where does the "modified car" style come from when it always looks so shit. The rolled out wheels where cars look like their collapsing under their own weight having just shat themselves...why? I see it from a different angle... Although the aesthetics aren't for me, I think making your car look like an RC could be kinda cool but what makes me think they're destroying their cars is the fact that they've effectively ruined the handling and usability making them completed pointless as a car. What's the point in owning a vehicle that you can't get onto your driveway or take down some roads that have small speed bumps or whatever. If they were track cars only that'd be something but these twats actually try and drive them on the road... all that 'if it ain't rubbin' shit. If it is rubbin' it shouldn't be on the bloody road!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncy H Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Bumper stuff Is the bumper cracked or is itchy he paint that has cracked? If its the paint that's cracked it's a simple job. Get some 600 wet and dry on it to flat out the damage. Prime that bit. Flat that with some 1000. Scotch the rest of the panel or area to be painted. Now either paint it amd laquer it yourself or take it to a body shop and you'll have saved a fair wodge of dollar doing that lot. If the bumper has cracked it will either want plastic welding or bonding together. Then filling and then as above. Can save yourself a lot of coin doing it. (I should know I work in a car body shop) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Yea it's the bumper, it's a bit dark to picture it now, but ill get one up tomorrow for suggestions. If I can do it without taking the bumper off and get it ok ill have a go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew62 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 In your opinion. If you don't get it then you don't get it. It can't be explained. Of course it's my opinion. But it can't be explained? That's helpful. So there's no reason for cars to look squashed? You can't tell me why the wheels stick out and they have those funny rims where it looks like the tyre actually sits quite a bit inside the lip? Is there no reason for it then? I said I clearly have no idea why they do it and you say it can't be explained.... I'm not going to go and hunt down people who have ugly cars but i'd love to understand when they look at the car what's going on - in a non-piss taking sense. This is now going to show my ignorance but I've always thought this.... if you take a basic-ish car and spend a shit-tonne on those types of body work kits and then a bit on improving performance etc....by the time you've spent all that couldn't you have just bought a better car? I've posted up my idea of a fairly ideal aesthetic and to be honest if that car did 0-60 in 20 seconds, did 5 miles to the gallon and so on but was offered to me i'd have it in a heartbeat for how immense it'd feel to own. That's sort of my point, can't you work on a high performing car that also looks good? As much as I don't like Jay-Z he said in some song: "I'm young enough to know what cars to buy, but old enough to know to not put rims on them".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 This is now going to show my ignorance but I've always thought this.... if you take a basic-ish car and spend a shit-tonne on those types of body work kits and then a bit on improving performance etc....by the time you've spent all that couldn't you have just bought a better car? What about you with trials bikes? Have you ever bought a basic-ish trials bike and upgraded parts on it and by the time you've spent all that couldn't you have just bought a better bike? I find it weird that you can't really understand the logic behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Let me just take a second to dissect that post, hang fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew62 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 I've not that done, but I see your point. It's more the sort of guys who'll buy a Corsa say an Sri or VXR even then chip away at making it that bit faster with certain tyres, better brakes, suspension and so on when it'll always be a little Corsa and if you've spent thousands couldn't you have just added that to the original price of the car to buy something quicker and better in every aspect? I'm not sure that really happens with trials bikes as they all perform a very similar function where cars are more varied. I don't think people buy a certain genre of bike to spend lots of money on it to try and make it in to another if you get me? Just a wondering is all...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_seamons Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 A lot of it comes down to money. Most people wouldn't have £10k to buy a "decent" car straight up, but would be able to put a bit aside each month to modify it, hence spending what seems like a large amount on mods...but that amount is spread out over a long period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 What happened to you in the years that I was off the forum? You've turned into a right sanctimonious little moaner. x I got older, settled down and became genuinely happy with my life. Mhmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinJI Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 My take on it is: Modifying cars is a hobby, it's a pretty crap hobby if you just wait until you've got enough to buy something that doesn't need anything doing to it, buy it and sit back. No car manufacturer knows any one persons taste, or knows what their ideal car would be, or what priorities they'd put on certain features. Production cars are genuinely a bit shit, even 'nice' ones are from an engineering point of view made with massively cut corners and to a seriously low standard when you compare it to what it's possible to achieve. As for people modifying cars in a way that makes them harder or worse to drive, they've sacrificed the driving performance for the pleasure of driving something they like the look of. Nothing new about that, plenty of people buy cars knowing they're a bit crap, but still buy them because they look nice. It's also hard to understand just how low you can go with a car and it still be usable. I daily drove a car with 60mm under the chassis rails for around a year, and it was genuinely fine, you just learn to be careful with your road positioning and speed when the surface is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 (edited) Of course it's my opinion. But it can't be explained? That's helpful. It is difficult to explain because it is fairly obvious why people do this to their cars, because they like it and they want to. So there's no reason for cars to look squashed? How do you mean "squashed"? Lowered? It's awesome, that's why. There isn't a car on the planet that wouldn't look better lowered. Lowering does a lot for a cars performance as well (to a certain limit), lowering the car lowers the roll center as well as the polar moment, the weight transfer becomes less aggressive and usually it is combined with uprated/stiffer suspension to reduce pitch and roll along the cars axis. You can't tell me why the wheels stick out and they have those funny rims where it looks like the tyre actually sits quite a bit inside the lip? Is there no reason for it then? The wheels stick out to make them look more visable, and that has evolved into having massive "poke" and being at the extreme you see today. That said I don't think I posted anything extreme in that post, unless it was an unconnected rant and I'm getting all post hov ergo propter hoc on you? Poking the wheels out fills up the arches more, and makes the car look much more balanced. No point having nice shiny wheels if they're tucked in behind a set of arches. I said I clearly have no idea why they do it and you say it can't be explained.... Yup, because it is a bit obvious. But we'll try and explain it to you. I'm not going to go and hunt down people who have ugly cars but i'd love to understand when they look at the car what's going on - in a non-piss taking sense. Ugly is subjective; most people ask you why your bike has no seat. Same logic. I personally see a lot more sense and reason in stanced cars than I do bikes without seats and hopping up and down. Have you ever seen something done properly like that, in person? It is impressive to say the least, for the true petrol head their car has to stand out This is now going to show my ignorance but I've always thought this.... if you take a basic-ish car and spend a shit-tonne on those types of body work kits and then a bit on improving performance etc....by the time you've spent all that couldn't you have just bought a better car? Where's the fun in that? People modify their cars for exactly that reason, fun. Owning a totally standard vehicle means nothing to me, I would rather my 12 year old Audi than a brand spanking new A3...Because they're dull and lifeless. "Better" is such an undefinable word, it should be banned within a personal opinion context. If you have a look at Prawns A3 for instance, it can lap the ring in 8:20 with him at the wheel. Which is quicker than M3's, Porsche Boxsters, Lotus Exige S's, Jaguar XKR's, Audi RS4's etc all driven by pro drivers on closed laps without traffic. His car owes him much less than all of those vehicles would new, and he's got years of enjoyment and knowledge out of doing the work himself. I've posted up my idea of a fairly ideal aesthetic and to be honest if that car did 0-60 in 20 seconds, did 5 miles to the gallon and so on but was offered to me i'd have it in a heartbeat for how immense it'd feel to own. That's sort of my point, can't you work on a high performing car that also looks good? I think you've missed the huge point here, the fact that you don't think a car looks good should bare no relevance to anybody else. People choose to modify these cars visually as an expression of themselves; I know that sounds super gay but people put a lot of time, effort and money into these cars and for you to say they look shit is just outright disrespectful. If you went to a car meet with that sort of attitude you'd get decked. Performance cars take many forms; a lot of people accept that they cannot drive fast on the road so have a track or race car reserved for the weekend and a tidy daily driver to knock about it. But the daily driver then gets lowered, and a set of wheels and then a set of big brakes, then an exhaust and the odd badge removing and it's a down hill slope. But all the time you justify that it's cheaper than driving your toy car every day haha. As much as I don't like Jay-Z he said in some song: "I'm young enough to know what cars to buy, but old enough to know to not put rims on them".... Jay-Z, explains it all... A lot of people are used to seing the Halfords carpark special shit. As apposed to well thought out and properly done modifications that serve a purpose. If you go down the visual or the performance route it doesn't matter, I appreciate all of it. But there is a right and a wrong way, and with the greatest respect most younger people do it the wrong way and as such miss out on doing it the right way when they've got the money, time and talent to do it the right way. Edited November 28, 2012 by Pashley26 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew62 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Cool - cheers for the write up. That was my main wondering if it was all from a hobby point of view and a drivers opinion of what looked good or if there was some serious gains to be had by taking a not ideally suited car to the extremes to improve it's performance - and from what you've said it seems there can be. I suppose from my point of view I just see the extremes and you can't help but wonder why (such as the squashed cars - not lowered but when the wheels are angled - did know the correct arm for it once). But that is no different I suppose to how I look at people who take drills to their frames, cranks etc - just seems mad. Again from my very specific point of view there seems to be a lack of style to it. Like the days where bootleggers would modify their cars to out run the cops was cool as hell, but now brightly coloured plastic parts seem a bit tacky. Like I wonder how do the guys who have spent loads improving their cars and get them to a level such as Prawns feel when say a seriously fast/modern/decent but pretty much standard card drives past? I always imagine you'd feel a bit embarrassed but from what you said it's quite the opposite and you'd think that towards them for having a standard (albeit quick as hell and very nice) car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pashley26 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 It's a different mindset; new car drivers just think modified car owners are silly and most people with modified cars wouldn't want a standard new car if it was given to them. And as such it never enters your mind to be honest. Removing the extremes from it, a lot of what I have posted there has a large element of visual. I like "race stance" which seems to be pretty popular at the moment, for instance this car - Which is decked on a set of coilovers worth more than my car, on super stick race tires and everything. There is an element of a touring car to the style. And for this one - The camber on the front is totally practical and for performance purposes, the rivet on arches are to make the huge wheels legal, and the huge wheels are to facilitate bigger tires for better grip. With this one, it's lowered but would still out handle a standard car ten fold due to the stiffer ride, lower body roll etc. It's got super wide wheels and much more contact area with the tarmac for better grip - Something like this is totally for asthetics, but personally I can't see what you couldn't like. It looks very classy and is totally timeless. Not to mention it's probably had the best part of 15/20K spent on it. - Everything I posted was pretty sensible, nothing really stupid like this - Which is so low it would be very difficult to drive, and doesn't go round corners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TROYston Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 It's a different mindset; new car drivers just think modified car owners are silly and most people with modified cars wouldn't want a standard new car if it was given to them. And as such it never enters your mind to be honest. Removing the extremes from it, a lot of what I have posted there has a large element of visual. I like "race stance" which seems to be pretty popular at the moment, for instance this car - Which is decked on a set of coilovers worth more than my car, on super stick race tires and everything. There is an element of a touring car to the style. And for this one - The camber on the front is totally practical and for performance purposes, the rivet on arches are to make the huge wheels legal, and the huge wheels are to facilitate bigger tires for better grip. With this one, it's lowered but would still out handle a standard car ten fold due to the stiffer ride, lower body roll etc. It's got super wide wheels and much more contact area with the tarmac for better grip - Something like this is totally for asthetics, but personally I can't see what you couldn't like. It looks very classy and is totally timeless. Not to mention it's probably had the best part of 15/20K spent on it. - Everything I posted was pretty sensible, nothing really stupid like this - Which is so low it would be very difficult to drive, and doesn't go round corners. <3 <3 <3 <3 Cannot wait to own a Civic hatch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Reynolds Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 The camber on the front is totally practical and for performance purposes, the rivet on arches are to make the huge wheels legal, and the huge wheels are to facilitate bigger tires for better grip. With this one, it's lowered but would still out handle a standard car ten fold due to the stiffer ride, lower body roll etc. It's got super wide wheels and much more contact area with the tarmac for better grip - I'm quite happy to agree with anyone who proves me wrong apart from you but.... Surely you dont need that much camber? As far as i've learnt, the lower profile the tyre, and the stiffer the suspension, the less negative camber you need due to less body and tyre roll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 <Re: Mk2 Golf> It looks very classy and is totally timeless. It's not a classy car. It's just not. If you saw that in the street, you'd think it was alright, fairly clean and obviously owned by a (male) enthusiast. Nothing wrong with that. But if you were, say, a lawyer, you wouldn't turn up to a meeting in that, and you wouldn't imagine it ever being owned and driven by Kate Middleton. Ergo it's not classy / elegant - a boggo new Golf is classier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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