The Car Thread

[TROYston]

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.

100% agreed thats why i have decided on a mk4 and shall be purchasing some 3DSM 0.01's!

(On 3dsm's)

[RobinJI]

Yeah, in general most modified cars aren't classy.

Martin Reynolds, that amount of camber is still very much in the 'functional' range for a car that's used properly hard. You're right about camber in a lot of cases (there are exceptions) but those tyre's aren't really that low profile, and the suspension design those cars use mean that you need quite a large amount of static camber to get the best out of it. At a guess I'd say there's ~4deg of camber on there, which is a fairly sensible amount, you'd never run it on the road but for a track car it'd be about right assuming the suspension's not set up detrimentally hard. It's an amount I bet you've seen loads of times on similar cars, the difference here is that it's not matched out back, making the front particularly noticeable, it's not matched out back because the rear suspension design on those cars can't be adjusted to add camber.

TROYston, that's much less classy than the mk2. Seriously, to anyone not 'into' cars, a mk4 golf is something you buy because you can't afford a new one, a mk2 is something you buy because you want an old car. You've deliberately bought something that's cheaper than the newest generation because it's what you desire, rather than because you've been forced to by your current financial situation. Think about it, taking quick Audis for example, you'd never see someone turn up to a premier (or other silly moneyed event) in a 2002 S4 would you? They'd turn up in a brand new RS4 or an 80's Quattro, nothing inbetween. The instant something goes past its lowest value and starts increasing in value, it looses this image that you would have bought something newer if you could have, because clearly, you could have. Modifying a mk4 just further cements this idea that it's all you could get, as it shows you care about your car and what it looks like. A standard mk4 could give the impression you just don't care about cars, making it kind of neutral, modified you loose that escape route. I don't mean any of this in a bad way at all, I've got sod all against mk4s, they're good cars, and I couldn't care less about how much money people have, but in terms of what the general population perceive as 'classy' a mk4 on big wheels is very low on the scale. (The mk2 would also be classier if it wasn't as obviously modified, just because modified cars in general have a bad image.) Sucks for the people who genuinely want a newish (but not new) car because they like it, but as everyone else can only judge you on face value, they'll assume you're part of the majority.

Edited November 28, 2012 by RobinJI

[TROYston]

TROYston, that's much less classy than the mk2. Seriously, to anyone not 'into' cars, a mk4 golf is something you buy because you can't afford a new one, a mk2 is something you buy because you want and old car. In otherwords it gives the impression that you've deliberately bought something that's cheap because it's what you desire, rather than you've been forced to by your current situation. Think about it, taking quick Audis for example, you'd never see someone turn up to a premier (or other silly moneyed event) in a 2002 S4 would you? They'd turn up in a brand new RS4 or an 80's Quattro, nothing inbetween.

Each to there own, im just not overly keen on the MK5/6.

Money is holding me back you're right there! out of choice I'd much rather go for a EJ9 or merc/audi estate.

But for now ill get started on a MK4 and slap a R32 bodykit on it i think, Not entirely too sure yet.

[RobinJI]

Yeah, like I edited it to say, I wouldn't judge anyone by that personally, but if we're talking about how classy a car is, the generation of car that the mk4's part of is pretty damn low in the scale. Old cars can be classy, because they're bought as a result of choice, not lack of choice. Personally I couldn't care less what people drive as long as they're having a laugh, but it doesn't change other peoples perception.

Edited November 28, 2012 by RobinJI

[Greetings]

Just noticed my D2 suspension is completely shit. Pretty much every corner looks like this with the inner right wheel bouncing up and down:

Tried increasing the damping but it doesn't help. Not sure why the inner left wheel doesn't bounce.

Can't wait to get my hands on an AST kit and proper slicks for that matter. Front ones rolling like crazy, and rear 595's are no match for proper tyres in terms of grip. Car ready for another sprint event, going to be wet this time. Should be fun, my best results so far have been in the wet, prefably at night too.

[TROYston]

Yeah, like I edited it to say, I wouldn't judge anyone by that personally, but if we're talking about how classy a car is, the generation of car that the mk4's part of is pretty damn low in the scale. Old cars can be classy, because they're bought as a result of choice, not lack of choice. Personally I couldn't care less what people drive as long as they're having a laugh, but it doesn't change other peoples perception.

Just re-read. I understand where your coming from there chief. But in all honesty; i couldn't careless what i drive as long as I like it, sort of like the terrible(to me) era of French cars with a big body kit, i believe that looks awful but to them its a charm. Just like thats your opinion and you also like Shirroco's(?) I hate them.

Every car is Marmite.

Edited November 29, 2012 by TROYston

[Martin Reynolds]

Just re-read. I understand where your coming from there chief. But in all honesty; i couldn't careless what i drive as long as I like it, sort of like the terrible(to me) era of French cars with a big body kit, i believe that looks awful but to them its a charm. Just like thats your opinion and you also like Shirroco's(?) I hate them.

Every car is Marmite.

James may says something like this, that its fun to drive a shit car 100% everywhere, with skinny tyres that might kill you at any moment.

I never knew what he meant till i drove my citroen on 155's

[RobinJI]

Yeah, good on you for not caring, definitely the right way to think about it. But the thing is I'm not talking about my or your opinion. How classy something is is down to the public's perception of it, not mine, yours or any other single persons.

Greetings, have you tried playing with the rear suspension? I'd check your back left shock isn't set too soft, and that your rear ARB doesn't have anything up with it. The problem's quite likely to be in the rear end.

Edited November 29, 2012 by RobinJI

[Tomy P]

Daily;

Not daily;

^ spent best part of a year building this from shell up

[dann2707]

I jizzed then I jizzed again.

[Simon]

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!!

Wahey, a subject i can comment on.

"stance" has been dividing opinion for a long time, it's nothing new, and will never fade out. Let's just get that out there.

The ONLY reason it's come into the lime light is because of people making money of it and seeing a market for products related to it.

For example, i've had lowered cars pretty much all my life.

Can tell you know, i enjoyed that car. Corners, speeding, the whole lot. Once you lower a car to the point that you smash 2 gearboxes from hitting the floor, you realise that you are genuinely low, and i for one didn't worry about any roads. Country roads with weekend bags for staying at my dads house, dragging my chassis rails along the lane for 10 miles, just suck it up.

If you do it properly and actually enjoy it, you don't care where you can, or can't go.

That's me on the way to a car meet 2 hours away. This is static, so that wheel really is that close to the arch. Yeah it did a little damage to the wheel paint, but what stone chip, sea air or car park ding doesn't.

Honestly, i could talk about this for hours, but my point is, the cars are not un-drivable if you man enough, and we aren't some alien group of people, if you into "stance" then i can 100% guarantee we are also into pretty much everything else car related.

[george_seamons]

People either "get" modifying cars, or they don't.

I find the first lot FAR more interesting to talk to...

[Tom Booth]

I dunno about anyone else, but I love driving a car I know I've built. I fit into both parts of the argument here, silly low cars with big wheels and cars with bucket loads spent on them to make them faster.

My daily car is a passat estate, lowered 120mm front an 110mm back, on 8.5/9.5 wide wheels, an I love it. I love the way it looks, handles and drives. I love the scene, turn upto a meet with 10 cars or 100 cars, the atmospheres always the same. There's tremendous respect for.everyones cars as people know how much work an effort it is to keep their cars looking good. 100% of time, any trouble at meets is by some scroat in a standard m3 too who think he's a drift hero, that's what gives meets a bad name.

Then I have my mini, I must be 5 figures into that car now an have no regrets at all. I get in it, start it up, harness myself in an gingerly drive the first 3-4 miles for it to warm, then I give it hell. I know that car inside an out, I love the fact I know every bolt on that car. For the money I could have bought an m3/Audi s3/probably a bottom end boxster, But I know I wouldn't get the same buzz I do driving that.

I completely understand people don't have the space, time, knowledge, interest or patience to modify cars and want bang for buck in there Porsche dealer. But I'd much rather destroy them for 30seconds before my headgasket fails .

[Pashley26]

I dunno about anyone else, but I love driving a car I know I've built.

Boom, and there it is in a nutshell for me.

I've had more cars than anybody on here (I think?) and always chop and change; but the only cars that have stayed, or I've not wanted to sell but had to are ones I have worked on myself.

Recently it has been the BMW, if the clutch wasn't slipping and Lou didn't want a new car I would have kept that. I felt so proud and had such a sense of achievement for saving it and turning it round to being quite awesome.

Wind back to my last A3, I felt no real emotion for that car. I always said I was going to buy it (for years previously) and loved Prawns one which was exactly the same and thought it would be perfect. But then the more I scratched the surface the more I realised it was shit, it was all there but I could have done everything so much better if I was given the opportunity. So I sold that and bought the Clio, which I loved much more than the A3 because I did a load of little bits to it and understood how it worked.

Now with the new A3 we've owned that thing forever, Prawn and I have done every single bit of work to it and I have effectively built it from a standard car to what it is today. I get the same sort of feeling I did driving the new A3 as I used to get driving Prawns one; because I KNOW everything under it and I have done it I am not worried about taking it anywhere or doing anything with it.

It's a good feeling and it makes you proud. Modifying cars is for winners

[george_seamons]

Yeah, I'd agree with all of that. I like doing things that not many people have done too (such as the widemouth grille, and projector lense retrofit). Everytime I look at my car (when its not covered in winter road shit, haha), I think "that looks f**king good...and I did it ALL myself", and that makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

I have NEVER had a standard car. I hate blending into the crowd in "just a car". There's nothing I enjoy more than taking a standard car and putting my own personal touches to it. As Jardo said, there is (for me), no sense of pride when somebody else has done all the hard work.

[Skoze]

I dunno about anyone else, but I love driving a car I know I've built.

Then I have my mini, I must be 5 figures into that car now an have no regrets at all. I get in it, start it up, harness myself in an gingerly drive the first 3-4 miles for it to warm, then I give it hell. I know that car inside an out, I love the fact I know every bolt on that car. For the money I could have bought an m3/Audi s3/probably a bottom end boxster, But I know I wouldn't get the same buzz I do driving that.

Another vote for this. My Landy really isn't your usual show n' shine car, but it's epically different to all the rest, is f**king quick for what it is and gets as much if not more attention than a lot of other cars out there. I'm probably sat at about £8k in that car after the latest episode, but would i change it? Like f**k.

I know all the nuts and bolts, i know how everything went together, i know what's good, i know what i need to keep an eye on, i know where every little rattle i need to sort out is coming from, i know how to drive it to stop it jumping out of first gear because the big engine's killed the 50 year old gearbox already, i know to check the fuel by sticking my head in the tank because the gauge is broken, i know every little detail of that car like the back of my hand and even without the sentimental aspects i have with it, i'd never think of selling it. If i look at all of my material assets when i get skint and need some cash, Bernard doesn't even register.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Skoze

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

Once you lower a car to the point that you smash 2 gearboxes from hitting the floor, you realise that you are genuinely too low

Do you not throw sump guards onto cars so low to at least try and protect things?

Then I have my mini, I must be 5 figures into that car now an have no regrets at all. I get in it, start it up, harness myself in an gingerly drive the first 3-4 miles for it to warm, then I give it hell. I know that car inside an out, I love the fact I know every bolt on that car. For the money I could have bought an m3/Audi s3/probably a bottom end boxster, But I know I wouldn't get the same buzz I do driving that.

Yeah, I've just never got into the car scene. Turning up at a car park/field or whatever and walking round looking at what other people have spent/wasted their money on offers no interest to me at all. Mini's however are different and come into a different bracket. Looking at lowered/stanced/bodykitted chavmobiles is one thing but with Mini's there's a far greater character to the cars and more of a community atmosphere I guess. Your generic Vdub/Honda or whatever stanced can't hold a candle to a real enthusiast in a Mini. I miss my Minivan .

[Pashley26]

Yeah, I've just never got into the car scene. Turning up at a car park/field or whatever and walking round looking at what other people have spent/wasted their money on offers no interest to me at all. Mini's however are different and come into a different bracket. Looking at lowered/stanced/bodykitted chavmobiles is one thing but with Mini's there's a far greater character to the cars and more of a community atmosphere I guess. Your generic Vdub/Honda or whatever stanced can't hold a candle to a real enthusiast in a Mini. I miss my Minivan .

Did you really just say that?

I've met some of the best people I know through VAG forums and car meets, real friends that I have known for years.

Last week the clutch went on my A3, I had a new clutch in the post within 50 minutes of it going for absolutely free off a bloke I've met once and another bloke who I've never met offered to take a day off work and fitted it for me.

Mini enthusiasts are better than other car enthusiast, more of a community atmosphere?...With an attitude like that you'll go real far!

Edited November 29, 2012 by Pashley26

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

With an attitude like that you'll go real far!

In the car enthusiast circle. Couldn't care less. Go and do some debadgering!

[Danny]

Then I have my mini, I must be 5 figures into that car now an have no regrets at all. I get in it, start it up, harness myself in an gingerly drive the first 3-4 miles for it to warm, then I give it hell. I know that car inside an out, I love the fact I know every bolt on that car. For the money I could have bought an m3/Audi s3/probably a bottom end boxster, But I know I wouldn't get the same buzz I do driving that.

And when did the mini last turn a wheel?

[Prawny Baby]

mine last turned a wheel under it's own steam on december 12th last year

Simon: allowing your car to continue along a road with the chassis rails grinding out and the gearbox getting smashed to f**k isn't manning up in any sense of the word.

It's being a fukwhit with no mechanical sympathy.

By all means, I LOVE low cars, but you have to drive them a certain way, just playing ignorant to the untold damage you're doing and bashfully carrying on regardless is retarded.

[Pashley26]

I had a pretty cool cay in the end, I got up this morning and the sun was beautiful. So I took the car up on to the moors for a good thrash which was nice.

It was cooooooolld though.

Got one or two pictures but nothing great.

I wet sanded the boot back down, the bumper will need repainting but for now the boot is perfect so I am happy.

What with winter well and truly upon us I took potentially the last opportunity before the frost comes and waxed the shit out of the car, like 4 layers. Should last a couple of weeks.

Still parking a foot away from the nasty stones.

I really need to find a new boot plinth that isn't bubbly

And because I'm a f**k tarded mental person with serious issues I waxed my wheels with Dodo Supernatural...Looking back it is really really retarded, but at the time it felt quite decadent.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Pashley26

[Dan6061]

I got some new centre cap stickers...

[that NBR dude]

Haven't posted in here in a while... few cars since I was last on here:

Bought a cheap S14 drift shed to bomb around in, wasn't the prettiest but was just abused so didn't need to be. Was an awesome toy and slid very easily.

Then needed something sensible and practical so the obvious choice was a GC8 Impreza Wagon turbo 2000.

However, increased mileage and ridiculous fuel prices meant the 20mpg turbo tank had to go, replaced with a boring and very sensible Grande Punto 1.9tdi Sporting in ASBO orange.

However all is not lost as I still have my weekend throw about as well...

[Tom Booth]

I dunno why, I've always thought s14s were disgusting rice rockets, but I'd love a go in one.