View Poll Results: What will you do regarding your modded car or future modded car?
Voters: 125. You may not vote on this poll
Driving a stock car vs modded car. I think I'm keeping my next car stock.
12-28-08, 10:43 AM
#31
For me, modding is just a hobby. I do it because I enjoy doing it. The end product is of little concern for me. I like the process. Most of the time I never have the car long enough to finish all that I would have wanted to do to it anyway and I have to start all over again on the next car. My modding has actually increased now that my son is getting a little older (He is 5 now) because I try and work on the car with him and teach him a little. It is sort of like father/son bonding time. Takes me back to when I was a teenager modding my car and my dad complaining to me what a waste of money it was all the while helping me do the mod and teaching me how to use the various tools
In the future, as cars are getting harder and harder to mod, I'd probably just change rims, and add some sort of OEM interface to hook up some aftermarket A/V or whatever multimedia is out there in the future. Maybe I may not lower the car and just stick to cars that are naturally lower or have sports suspension packages like BMW, but I don't think any of my cars will stay 100% stock. There is always something that I think I'd want to change or modify since I think all cars are compromises and there is no perfect car.
In the future, as cars are getting harder and harder to mod, I'd probably just change rims, and add some sort of OEM interface to hook up some aftermarket A/V or whatever multimedia is out there in the future. Maybe I may not lower the car and just stick to cars that are naturally lower or have sports suspension packages like BMW, but I don't think any of my cars will stay 100% stock. There is always something that I think I'd want to change or modify since I think all cars are compromises and there is no perfect car.
12-28-08, 10:58 AM
#32
As one of my car buddy's relayed to me well over a decade ago, "buy the purpose built car and have fun." As in don't buy a Civic and drop another $30K into it. Instead go buy a pre-owned Porsche, BMW...that is engineered for such driving.
All priorities and it changes for many with age and life circumstances.
All priorities and it changes for many with age and life circumstances.
12-28-08, 06:40 PM
#33
Dysfunctional Veteran
I mod everything from my lawn mower to my civic. doesnt matter.
Most of the time I dont do serious mods to Daily Drivers, as I am not interested in lowering a car and putting an expensive set of wheels on, when i can only be lowered 3 months and have to set it back to factory height and risk plowing snow. Same with the rims, salt and slush means no aftermarket wheels for me.
as for putting a turbo on my 43mpg car equipped with an automatic...i think ill not do that. instead, appearance mods, such as tint, HID's and stereo mods when needed are a better route here.
Most of the time I dont do serious mods to Daily Drivers, as I am not interested in lowering a car and putting an expensive set of wheels on, when i can only be lowered 3 months and have to set it back to factory height and risk plowing snow. Same with the rims, salt and slush means no aftermarket wheels for me.
as for putting a turbo on my 43mpg car equipped with an automatic...i think ill not do that. instead, appearance mods, such as tint, HID's and stereo mods when needed are a better route here.
12-28-08, 10:38 PM
#34
Lexus Fanatic
my next car will probably have fewer mods. I am thinking to just roll the next stock if I get the GTR, or just a set of 22's if I do the LS in the future. I have noticed that I am not fiendishly trying to mod my lexus like I did my G35.
12-29-08, 09:07 AM
#35
Never really did the whole car modding thing. I did some minor stuff to my IS intake, caliper painter stuff like that. But then i bought a turbo IS and am modding the heck out of it lol haveing never really been into modding i'm finding its alot of fun. But its all functional and needed with all the extra hp the car already has. I'm cheap so i wont be blowing $3k on rims most of what i get will be "gently used" lol. The overall cost isnt that bad and i can always get a pretty good portion of what i put into it if i were to sell the aftermarket parts...
12-29-08, 09:56 AM
#36
I have learned to not go overboard. For example, I can NEVER go full out slammed, cambered, stretched tires on super aggressive offsets. Another example is the drop. I am all about fender gap reduction but don't need the car to drive 2 inches off the ground. Although nothing wrong with it for the guys that enjoy it, I want to mod the car enough for it to be unique but not at the expense of the car's usefulness.
For cars that I drive, I will continue to mod them, but only for daily driving use.
For cars that I drive, I will continue to mod them, but only for daily driving use.
Regarding lowering, thank goodness the LS has factory air suspension where the cost of lowering the car is $0
Modding cars is a fun hobby. Some headaches-yes, but stressful-no.
I see that it's mostly the hardcore people are the one who mostly attend shows or are more involved in the car scene.
As a daily driver and just loving the smooth ride, I haven't bought any rims yet and have been proscrastinating
As for students having to choose between wheels or tuition, that's another concern.
As for the others who have to meet clients to somewhat maintain their professionalism, we can't pull up to the office and having people asking "What in the world is this guy driving???"
12-29-08, 11:14 AM
#38
Lexus Test Driver
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You are not the only one. I think I'm getting old. My first car was modded, but with my IS, other then Tint I haven't done anything to it. I might get rims, but the stock gunmetal 18s don't look too bad.
It's just too much of a hassle right now with everything else going on. Maybe my next car...
It's just too much of a hassle right now with everything else going on. Maybe my next car...
12-29-08, 11:23 AM
#39
Lexus Champion
i can't drive anything stock. i hate stock vehicles if there are performance upgrades available. why drive a car that's just like every other one off the showroom floor. i can't stand to be like everyone else. besides, the compromises that the factory has to make **** me off. i want my car to do exactly what i want it to better than every other one like it out there. that means mods. so no, i will never drive a stock vehicle.
cars/trucks/bikes are just toys to me. if i wanted to simply get from A to B i'd buy a civic or some other crapbox. no offense to civic owners.
cars/trucks/bikes are just toys to me. if i wanted to simply get from A to B i'd buy a civic or some other crapbox. no offense to civic owners.
Last edited by 19psi; 12-29-08 at 11:30 AM.
12-29-08, 03:38 PM
#40
Lexus Champion
I can definitely relate to this.. my last car, the LS400, was recently totaled after draining plenty of blood, sweat, tears, and cash.
I try to justify the money spent to myself by thinking of the experience as a journey, and not placing all the value in the end result. When I look at it that way, it hurts a lot less. Through modding I learned a lot more about the way cars work and even about driving. I improved my general DIY skills and I feel more confident tackling bigger jobs..
That being said though, there are a lot of things I would and wouldn't do again.
Things I would not do again:
- Custom paint job (I spent 5K on this, and for what? The car got totaled and it was a waste)
- Wheels (I didn't do this, but I don't think I ever will, no matter how much I desire some of those JDM wheels. I just can't justify an extra 4K on wheels/tires when they're mostly aesthetic).
- Fixing every little blemish and scratch
- Clear bra
Things I would do again:
- Mild suspension upgrade to get rid of some of the "float"
- Audio upgrades
- Leather interior.. the car was a 94, so it was worth it. Made it feel brand new again
- Remote Start / Aftermarket Alarm
- Having a seperate set of wheels for snow tires
Like many people said.. my priorities have changed. I think I will continue to mod moderately and really look closely at the dollar-to-value-and-enjoyment ratio..
I try to justify the money spent to myself by thinking of the experience as a journey, and not placing all the value in the end result. When I look at it that way, it hurts a lot less. Through modding I learned a lot more about the way cars work and even about driving. I improved my general DIY skills and I feel more confident tackling bigger jobs..
That being said though, there are a lot of things I would and wouldn't do again.
Things I would not do again:
- Custom paint job (I spent 5K on this, and for what? The car got totaled and it was a waste)
- Wheels (I didn't do this, but I don't think I ever will, no matter how much I desire some of those JDM wheels. I just can't justify an extra 4K on wheels/tires when they're mostly aesthetic).
- Fixing every little blemish and scratch
- Clear bra
Things I would do again:
- Mild suspension upgrade to get rid of some of the "float"
- Audio upgrades
- Leather interior.. the car was a 94, so it was worth it. Made it feel brand new again
- Remote Start / Aftermarket Alarm
- Having a seperate set of wheels for snow tires
Like many people said.. my priorities have changed. I think I will continue to mod moderately and really look closely at the dollar-to-value-and-enjoyment ratio..
12-29-08, 04:56 PM
#41
Lexus Test Driver
Great thread, I can relate to what others have said. I think some cars are modded way to much, and these cars get runied. I prefer lightly modded cars, just having a small drop, nice wheels, exhaust etc., looking nice, but still able to be driven every day with no worries. To me it is all about being unique, but tasteful at the same time, I never want to see a car that looks exactly like mine, I need to change it to be unique. So if I had money for a Ferrari, I would get a dark blue one, there are to many bright red ones! I only plan to fully mod one car in my lifetime and the only reason is it will be more a race car, for open track use, drag racing etc.. A exampe of crazy modding is in the import scene, with lambo doors crazy widebodies, heavy wheels, glaring paint etc.., some of these mods ruin great cars. I prefer seeing a NSX and a RX-7 in stock body form with a small drop and nice wheels instead of these tricked out looks.
12-29-08, 05:50 PM
#42
After years of modding and returning cars to stock the extensive job I just finished will be my last, it has gotten old and I'm glad to see others feel the same way (thought it was just me) the more you mod the less you drive so you end up with an expensive show/meet car, over the endless tinkering also, always something to mess with or adjust and don't even mention a boosted car.
Automakers have also stepped up, things we used to add after the purchase are now available from the factory with a warranty, the economy is playing into this as well, modding has gotten out of control over the last few years when you look at the amount of work and money that is required to even be noticed at a show or meet, had to end somewhere.
A nice set of wheels, audio upgrades and mild drop if necessary are always in play but that's about it for me in the future.
Automakers have also stepped up, things we used to add after the purchase are now available from the factory with a warranty, the economy is playing into this as well, modding has gotten out of control over the last few years when you look at the amount of work and money that is required to even be noticed at a show or meet, had to end somewhere.
A nice set of wheels, audio upgrades and mild drop if necessary are always in play but that's about it for me in the future.
12-29-08, 09:43 PM
#43
i will continue to mod cars, it's a hobby, and i have my limit. i wouldn't do anything to jeopardize myself from driving the car, otherwise i think that's silly. and at the same time, i don't think it's a burden neither, otherwise i shouldn't mod at all
12-29-08, 10:20 PM
#44
Interesting question. I've done the extreme with vehicles I've owned - I modded my FJ1100 way back in 1985 to no end - all the way down to lightening the crank, overbore to 1200cc, Keihin CRs, shimmed the gearbox, decked the cylinder block, put 40+ hours into the head alone doing port work, etc, etc. When I was done the bike was ridiculously fast for its time - with my fat 220 lbs on it and geared for top speed not 1/4 mile, it still ran a best of 11.04 @ 126 mph. In 1990, that was pretty impressive for a street legal bike, not to mention I added 12 mph to the top speed (144 - 156).
The only problem was, now it would wheelie at will in three gears. I had to short shift 1st because it would only loop if I stayed in it. Worst of all, the mountain roads I used to ride that I enjoyed were not fun anymore. It took a LOT more concentration and focus just to keep the bike moving, and the places where I'd get a moment to catch my breath (straight sections) disappeared so fast that I couldn't even catch my breath before I was tossing it back in the other direction for the next turn.
Ever since then, I've been a LOT more selective with the mods I've chosen for the machines I've owned. I still like to mod, but now it's with a focus and purpose, not simply "more power" or "better handling" because the vast majority of the time, you can't exploit more power or better handling without being on a closed course.
I have no interest in the latest automotive fashion trends (slamming cars, VIP style tires and wheels, lighting mods, etc.) because they're just fashion statements and fashion is fleeting at best. Fashion has never been a big appeal.
So, in the end, I'll still mod my cars, but I'll be doing it with some consideration for what I really want and without the foolish expectations I had in my 20's and early 30's.
The only problem was, now it would wheelie at will in three gears. I had to short shift 1st because it would only loop if I stayed in it. Worst of all, the mountain roads I used to ride that I enjoyed were not fun anymore. It took a LOT more concentration and focus just to keep the bike moving, and the places where I'd get a moment to catch my breath (straight sections) disappeared so fast that I couldn't even catch my breath before I was tossing it back in the other direction for the next turn.
Ever since then, I've been a LOT more selective with the mods I've chosen for the machines I've owned. I still like to mod, but now it's with a focus and purpose, not simply "more power" or "better handling" because the vast majority of the time, you can't exploit more power or better handling without being on a closed course.
I have no interest in the latest automotive fashion trends (slamming cars, VIP style tires and wheels, lighting mods, etc.) because they're just fashion statements and fashion is fleeting at best. Fashion has never been a big appeal.
So, in the end, I'll still mod my cars, but I'll be doing it with some consideration for what I really want and without the foolish expectations I had in my 20's and early 30's.
12-29-08, 11:59 PM
#45
For me, modding is just a hobby. I do it because I enjoy doing it. The end product is of little concern for me. I like the process. Most of the time I never have the car long enough to finish all that I would have wanted to do to it anyway and I have to start all over again on the next car. My modding has actually increased now that my son is getting a little older (He is 5 now) because I try and work on the car with him and teach him a little. It is sort of like father/son bonding time. Takes me back to when I was a teenager modding my car and my dad complaining to me what a waste of money it was all the while helping me do the mod and teaching me how to use the various tools
In the future, as cars are getting harder and harder to mod, I'd probably just change rims, and add some sort of OEM interface to hook up some aftermarket A/V or whatever multimedia is out there in the future. Maybe I may not lower the car and just stick to cars that are naturally lower or have sports suspension packages like BMW, but I don't think any of my cars will stay 100% stock. There is always something that I think I'd want to change or modify since I think all cars are compromises and there is no perfect car.
In the future, as cars are getting harder and harder to mod, I'd probably just change rims, and add some sort of OEM interface to hook up some aftermarket A/V or whatever multimedia is out there in the future. Maybe I may not lower the car and just stick to cars that are naturally lower or have sports suspension packages like BMW, but I don't think any of my cars will stay 100% stock. There is always something that I think I'd want to change or modify since I think all cars are compromises and there is no perfect car.
i can't drive anything stock. i hate stock vehicles if there are performance upgrades available. why drive a car that's just like every other one off the showroom floor. i can't stand to be like everyone else. besides, the compromises that the factory has to make **** me off. i want my car to do exactly what i want it to better than every other one like it out there. that means mods. so no, i will never drive a stock vehicle.
cars/trucks/bikes are just toys to me. if i wanted to simply get from A to B i'd buy a civic or some other crapbox. no offense to civic owners.
cars/trucks/bikes are just toys to me. if i wanted to simply get from A to B i'd buy a civic or some other crapbox. no offense to civic owners.
like i always say, if you like what you do you should always do it. maybe you cut back and do less or something less extreme.