RNM GS3,
Wow! That really surprise me.

 

Yes and no, depending on the circumstances. Often (but not always), suspension-lowering goes with aftermarket tires/wheels. You can have one without the other.....but it is generally not the norm.

 

Agree. Perfect fitment on that GT3, very similar to the 1 in drop from the RSR springs I got on my RC F. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

 

While it is true that there are some older people, here and there, who do mods, MedicalDoc is basically correct....car modifying is generally a pastime of younger folks. With bikes, though, it seems to be the opposite.....most of the mods seem to be old guys (often Vietnam veterans) riding Harleys.

 

MM, do you think however this is related to the type of vehicle the older buyer purchases?

 

Partly, but not entirely. I think it's more a matter of how older people drive, and less of a tendency to try and impress others (or their girlfriends) with "cool" looking vehicles. Of course, I never have believed in the traditional stereotypes myself...when I was young, I liked big, luxury, so-called old-person cars, and, conversely, when I was almost 50, I bought a new, bright yellow IS300....something that was more typical of kids half my age. Now that the quality is finally back into GM after decades of building crap, I'm back to driving a big Buick again, like I did in college.

 

The RC F looks so much better with that subtle drop.

 

as you describe yourself, you're not exactly typical. so respectfully i disagree with you and will say the overall market is not much like you. if there weren't a giant market for mid-life and older drivers who were performance and mod enthusiasts, a) there'd be few corvette and miata sales and b) there wouldn't be the THOUSANDS of 'classic car' and other shows all over this land. and as you can understand, a lot of these older enthusiasts have way more money than the young (who will spend their last dime on mods), so they can go wild. heck, near where i live, "the villages" giant community has THOUSANDS of highly customized and modified GOLF CARTS that people get around in!

look here JUST for corvette shows!

https://vette-vues.com/current-issue...lendar-events/

or run this search for classic car shows near you:
https://www.google.com/search?q=classic+car+shows

and we haven't mentioned the vast harley and other custom bike market, generally bought by older buyers.

 

While I certainly respect your opinion, there's probably no such thing as a truly "typical" driver or car owner. Each one is different. Corvette and Miata owners generally come in all shapes, sizes, genders, races, etc......although with the Miata, of course, its diminutive size may rule out some of the largest or tallest people.


For the most part, they grew up with Harleys, and were never seriously attracted to the European or Japanese bikes.

Here's one of my favorite all-time Harley ads, BTW...IMO an absolute gem. Whoever came up with it should have been given an award.

 

 

Just because you see some old guys at Mustang or Corvette meets, or with some exotic Italian machines, does not necessarily make me (or you) wrong. The world is a little bigger than what either you or I may happen to notice each day. Although the D.C. suburbs in VA have just about every kind of car or truck owner you could imagine (except for vehicles in Appalachia up on blocks LOL), I'll be the first to admit that we, as individuals, don't see everything.

 

 

Some folks will always want something a little different. When the missionaries brought clothes to naked tribes in Africa, the women immediately coiled them up and used them as headwear.

Many years ago I had a Honda 500 Four (motorcycle) and offered it as a test vehicle for a new turbo pressurization package under development in a SoCal facility. The guys fabricated new intake and exhaust manifolds and added styling touches with paint and milling. I lived with it for a month, then had the parts sandblasted to match the appearance of the engine castings. I thought it looked far better (like it came from the factory that way) but the designers nearly had heart attacks. Oh, well, at least the bike performed brilliantly once we got the carburetion dialed in correctly.

By the way, I find as I get older that I like vehicles that have been restored to factory stock. To me they become a snapshot in time and also usually a chance to recall my memories. Show me a '65 Lincoln Continental with gigantic chrome wheels and a 6" drop and I will probably cringe. Show me a pristine '65 Lincoln Continental in factory trim and I will remember what it was like as a teen with a fresh license driving such a boat. And how it floated over speed bumps and ditches. And how shocked I was when a car accidentally ripped off the driver's door when my mom opened it without looking for traffic first.

 

 

Totally agree with you on the 60s vintage Contis......in stock trim, they were an absolute joy to drive if you liked comfort (as I did). My dad, when he tired from the Army in January of '69, went to work for Philco-Ford, and he would bring home big full-size company Mercurys and Lincolns every right after work, and let me take a brief spin in them. He knew I could be trusted, as, though not perfect, I was significantly more cautious and careful behind the wheel than the average teen-age boy. I'd give them a quick wipe- down, put a couple of gallons of 100-octane premium leaded gas in them (which, in cars like those, didn't go very far), take them out (rush hour traffic was much lighter in those days) and just enjoy the soft quiet ride

(My Dad, BTW, personally didn't care two cents for those cars...they just represented work and income to him. He always liked (and usually owned) pre-emission Chrysler products, particularly with the reliable and economical Slant-Six engine which was bulletproof).