How to modify a car but yet not look like a plonker?

[Daniel]

Things that I think are "ok"
Proper wheels like OZ Racing or Speedline or BBS with proper rubber.
A stack dash :D
A Momo or Sparco steering wheel

Things that make you look like an idiot
Shiny chrome wheels and alloy wheels with big gaps so everyone can see your drum brakes
Putting on a set of wheels that is more than 1 inch bigger than the original set. It spoils the handling of the car and looks silly.
Modifying a 1.1 when the most powerful version of your car comes with a 1.6 or 2l engine.
Any bodykit :) Unless you're putting a Group 4 Abarth kit on a Fiat 131 Abarth Replica or something similarly cool.
Lowering the suspension too much. 10-20mm is ok though if you must.
Lowering the car and fitting a bodykit and not actually fitting anything that makes your car handle any better or go faster.
Painting your car in a show colour and trying to be fancy with the paintwork with stickers and flames and so on.
Coloured windscreen wipers or those touring car style single wipers.
Dual headlight conversions!


Feel free to add your own :D

[Brown, Jon Brow]

A ridiculously over sized rear wing that only adds weight and drag to the car :rolleyes:

[TangoR34]

chunky stereos that you cant even put your shoppings onto

[LotusElise]

Avoid fishtank lights underneath the body or those horrid bluish halogen headlamps that blind the person in front of you.

Some headlamp conversions can be quite classy if they fit in with the rest of the bodywork though.

[Caroline]

Avoid big big exhausts.

Peel and stick 'tinted windows' are pretty bad too.

[Captain VXR]

Things that I think are "ok"
Proper wheels like OZ Racing or Speedline or BBS with proper rubber.
A stack dash :D
A Momo or Sparco steering wheel
Feel free to add your own :D

Engine tuning, aerokits (like body kits but designed for air flow, aerodynamics and track use), roll cage, buckets and harness for track use, wing for stability not looks. Alloys like minilights, volk te37s etc, flocked dash, straight through exhaust for airflow, sponsor decals, carbon and fiberglass parts to save weight, better brakes, sports suspension

Crap List:
Tints
Neons
Meccano halfords wing
bodykit for looks
ice
bean can on standard exhaust system
crap alloys with no dish and/or not light weight
****ty paintjobs
shopping list with no products from the makes advertised fitted
badboy bonnets with fake vents and/or carbon
seat covers
powahdrumz (painted drum bakes - nobody's fooled)
airbrushed stuff
making a car look like a track weapon but only posing in it - people on driftworks call those sort of cars 'lifestylers' - essentially people who think looking the part makes them the part
viper stripes
clear rear lights (with exception of silvia s15 because the standard orange lights are sh1t but a red light conversion is better)
angel eye lights
morrette lights
dehandling, debadging, delocking, smoothing
fake carbon
random stickers/stick on tat
chrome
fake d1 sunstrips
fwds and 4wds trying to drift
sunstrips purely for looks
tribal pinstripes
lambo doors
fake veilside or 'jap style' kits
etc

[Drew]

A friend of mine is guilty of most of the things danny boy has said :p :

I'd also like to add:

Putting stickers on your car for products you don't own. I.e - Alpine.

[GridGirl]

I'm gonna post a few pictures of my brother's old car. Personally I dont think its too over the top, but I can't see why he wasted his money on changing a car that he was lucky enough to buy brand new when he was 18.

[GridGirl]

He actually managed to get over £5k for it when it was only a 1.4 and had done almost 40,000 miles.

[trumperZ06]

;) A BIG... FART CAN... Exhaust on a ricer !!!

[schmenke]

Low profile tyres on SUVs :s

[jim mcglinchey]

chrome wheels and alloy wheels with big gaps so everyone can see your drum brakes
!

:D [/QUOTE]


then paint your drums red with an ordinary spray can so the paint falls off in a week or two and they look even worse.

[LeonBrooke]

I've never seen a modified car that looked good. They all have the modifications people have put on the bad list.

My rule is: don't modify your own car - get it done professionally, like an Alpina BMW or a Roush Mustang.

[KILOHMUNNS]

There is a guy around my way that has conveted an old 3 series beemer to look like an converted M3. He has put everything on the list including flame decals that go all along the side. I have to laugh evertime I see it as he has lowered too much and can't get over most speed humps and when cold it stalls if he has to stop and he can't get it started again for at least 5 minutes. He look a right plank just sitting there in the middle of the road. :p

[GridGirl]

I think my brother used proper paint to paint his brake, but then again I don't see the point of his spending money on a new car which was perfectly fine.

When my brother declared all his modifications his to his insurer his insurance only decreased slightly instead of a more rapid decrease as he gained more years in his no claims bonus. At least he's not a complete and utter moron like some of his mates who didn't declare their modifications and then had huge car accidents.

[Mark]

To my mind the best cars are the ones which are mega fast, but don't look like they are. The likes of the Fiesta ST but without the stripes :p

[GridGirl]

All my modifications are manufacturer options Mark. Factory fitted infact. :p

[Captain VXR]

then paint your drums red with an ordinary spray can so the paint falls off in a week or two and they look even worse.
REPOST I mentioned that. A letter bomb is winging its way to your door :evil:

[Zico]

Thanks for posting this thread, Thanks to the local "Cruise" brigade I was in dire need of a reminder that there are other people out there besides me, who prefer substance over style...

Im thinking about this http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8avOiTUcD4Y for my next security upgrade.. :D

[Daniel]

Thanks for posting this thread, Thanks to the local "Cruise" brigade I was in dire need of a reminder that there are other people out there besides me, who prefer substance over style...

Im thinking about this http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8avOiTUcD4Y for my next security upgrade.. :D
Purpose over style :) Good way of putting it :up:

Gridgirl I think that C2 is hideous :erm:

[Robinho]

theres a Sierra Sapphire that runs about round our way. i couldn't possibly describe in enough detail how hideous and poorly done this car is, i do wonder if its done tongue in cheek (i hope so) but feel its probably not, i will try to snap a photo next time i see it and post it here, until then

Its white/black, probably hand painted from a tin with a stencil (A team) style. Purple neon lights underneath. enormous plastic rear wing. body kit parts presumably mader from cereal packets, but without the clean edges!. fairly ordinary looking wheels. a fake bonnet air intake/engine block - not unlike a drag race funny car or oldsmobile style hot rod, but less convincing than Buzz Lightyear's helmet and so large it has to be a serious impairment to viewing the road, also lowered suspension.

i think it has a pretty normal exhaust, and from the sound of it, it is probably a 1.6 - 2.0l bog standard old sierra underneath. truly hideous, i hope its been done for a bet and i hope i can get a photo

[GridGirl]

I didn't think it looked that bad Daniel, it could of been a whole lot worse. Thankfully I dont need to look at it anymore as some 18 year old girl's parents bought it for her as a present for passing her test. With any luck, she might have totalled it by now. :p

I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that he's now driving a standard car untill he can afford a Type R. :rolleyes:

[Daniel]

I didn't think it looked that bad Daniel, it could of been a whole lot worse. Thankfully I dont need to look at it anymore as some 18 year old girl's parents bought it for her as a present for passing her test. With any luck, she might have totalled it by now. :p

I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that he's now driving a standard car untill he can afford a Type R. :rolleyes:
That's like saying "Oooh I've only had a mild heart attack! Could be worse. I could have had a major one" Either way it's still not a good thing :p

[GridGirl]

Have to disagree with you there Daniel because there was no actual change to the body work or paint and all the original parts were kept. Someone could of easily changed the car back to make it look like how it came out of the showroom if they really wanted. Hell, they could of even put the steel wheels complete with wheel trims back on it if they wanted to. :p

Somewhere along the line, providing no one writes it off or sell's the original parts I'm pretty sure it will go back to looking like any other normal C2. :)

[Daniel]

Have to disagree with you there Daniel because there was no actual change to the body work or paint and all the original parts were kept. Someone could of easily changed the car back to make it look like how it came out of the showroom if they really wanted. Hell, they could of even put the steel wheels complete with wheel trims back on it if they wanted to. :p

Somewhere along the line, providing no one writes it off or sell's the original parts I'm pretty sure it will go back to looking like any other normal C2. :)
Yes but it still looks horrible ;)

[LotusElise]

I saw a lovely C2 at Goodwood in June, complete with plastic body kit, too many lights and a huge, handle-like spoiler. You'd have loved it, Daniel.

(My C2 has a tasteful, factory-fitted rally bodykit and normal headlamps.)

[oily oaf]

Many moons ago a mate and myself bought an old Morris 1000 from a breaker and stuck a Rover 3 litre lump and transmission in it.
We kept the bodywork in it's original condition including rust and used to delight in drawing up to the lights alongside the odd Triumph Dolomite Sprint etc and leaving 'em coughing and spluttering in our fumes.
Ah happy days :D

[Daniel]

You should have a TV show :p

Oily Oaf's Pimp my Ride :D

[oily oaf]

You should have a TV show :p

Oily Oaf's Pimp my Ride :D

I see myself more in the "Bangla Bangers" mould mate. I've certainly got the haircut for it :(
Bethnal Bangers anyone? ;)

[Daniel]

I see myself more in the "Bangla Bangers" mould mate. I've certainly got the haircut for it :(
Bethnal Bangers anyone? ;)
I've always wondered if you were Bernie ;) Funny show that :D

[jim mcglinchey]

REPOST I mentioned that. A letter bomb is winging its way to your door :evil:

..sorry Cap'n, I missed that little item in your comprehensive list.

[Drew]

You should have a TV show :p

Oily Oaf's Pimp my Ride :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbWlYQNSTDo&mode=related&search=

I'm told skanger is the Irish word for chav :p :

[oily oaf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbWlYQNSTDo&mode=related&search=

I'm told skanger is the Irish word for chav :p :

Ag ag ag ag ag ag ag Top drawer mate. Top drawer.
'Ere that wasn't our own Jim Mcglinchey tokin' on the giant spliff was it? :eek:

[harvick#1]

A ridiculously over sized rear wing that only adds weight and drag to the car :rolleyes:

even better, putting the wing up-side down :p :

yes I've seen idiots do that, its just too funny lookin :laugh:

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Did the car happen to take off into the air?

[luvracin]

even better, putting the wing up-side down :p :

yes I've seen idiots do that, its just too funny lookin :laugh:

It's...like...DUDE!!.. It makes the car FLLLYYYYY DUUUDE!!

I said to my buddy " DUUUDE!!" and then he looked and was umm like "WHOOAAA!!" and then we were both..like... "DUUUDE!!". It was AWESOME!

[harvick#1]

Did the car happen to take off into the air?

no I've only seen them grounded in the parking lot

[harvick#1]

I like my car though :D

its in Silver though

http://carad.ebayimg.com/i8/02/a/000/77/a5/6061_4.JPG
http://i5.ebayimg.com/07/a/000/77/a5/6067_4.JPG

[Captain VXR]

theres a Sierra Sapphire that runs about round our way. i couldn't possibly describe in enough detail how hideous and poorly done this car is, i do wonder if its done tongue in cheek (i hope so) but feel its probably not, i will try to snap a photo next time i see it and post it here, until then

Its white/black, probably hand painted from a tin with a stencil (A team) style. Purple neon lights underneath. enormous plastic rear wing. body kit parts presumably mader from cereal packets, but without the clean edges!. fairly ordinary looking wheels. a fake bonnet air intake/engine block - not unlike a drag race funny car or oldsmobile style hot rod, but less convincing than Buzz Lightyear's helmet and so large it has to be a serious impairment to viewing the road, also lowered suspension.

i think it has a pretty normal exhaust, and from the sound of it, it is probably a 1.6 - 2.0l bog standard old sierra underneath. truly hideous, i hope its been done for a bet and i hope i can get a photo

Get loads and post on barryboys :) painted drums are well recieved for comedy factor :)

[Hazell B]

Things that make you look like an idiot

Putting on a set of wheels that is more than 1 inch bigger than the original set. It spoils the handling of the car and looks silly.


The number of times I'd've been stuck up to my doors in mud if I hadn't bought a Landie with big wheels and raised body ..... but I know what you mean. Huge wheels, ugly alloys that look like they'd slice cucumbers better than hold tyres and bits of rubber wrapped around them that make scabs look thick. All on the credit cards, all pointless with their car/driving ability and they're mainly still single boys living at home with mummy :p :


Although there is a place near here that mods cars and I have to say they are gorgous to look at on the whole. Can't go over speed bumps, mind :mark:

[Iain]

Has anyone mentioned carbon/chrome effect fuel cap covers yet? :erm: I confess to having one on my Corsa, but it took attention away from the bubbling paintwork on the door pillars and bonnet and the back bumper which had flaky paint. :p :

[Daniel]

Has anyone mentioned carbon/chrome effect fuel cap covers yet? :erm: I confess to having one on my Corsa, but it took attention away from the bubbling paintwork on the door pillars and bonnet and the back bumper which had flaky paint. :p :
Forgot that. That and Irmscher grilles. They instantly identify to me that the person driving the car is a twonk.

[Iain]

Never judge a book by it's cover. :p :

[Daniel]

No I think it's usally fine to do that ;) I can forgive someone for a fuel flap cover but the grilles just look silly.

[Captain VXR]

D'oh knew I forgot something. Worse is crappy diy shop mesh bodged to fit and 'chrome' fuel cap stickers

[schmenke]

Has anyone ever seen those decals that are meant to resemble bullet holes? :dozey:

[Captain VXR]

yep. Sh1t as Fcuk

[Drew]

Has anyone ever seen those decals that are meant to resemble bullet holes? :dozey:

In a joke shop, yes.

[schmenke]

I've seen them on cars, even motorcycles here :dozey: . Perhaps they're driven by clowns :mark:

[oily oaf]

Has anyone ever seen those decals that are meant to resemble bullet holes? :dozey:

Decals? Most people round 'ere have got real ones mate ;)

[LeonBrooke]

Has anyone ever seen those decals that are meant to resemble bullet holes? :dozey:

Yes, unfortunately.

[Malbec]

One mod I can't stand are those white flags with red crosses on them that people put on their cars to inform the rest of us that they're handicapped in the driving skills department. They seem to come and go on a two year cycle....

[Captain VXR]

One mod I can't stand are those white flags with red crosses on them that people put on their cars to inform the rest of us that they're handicapped in the driving skills department. They seem to come and go on a two year cycle....

It also shows they support ego massaging...........

[Iain]

What about this tastefully modified Renault Clio? :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/will5584/DSCF1677.jpg

[LeonBrooke]

That's just... that would have taken a lot of time and effort!

[BDunnell]

One mod I can't stand are those white flags with red crosses on them that people put on their cars to inform the rest of us that they're handicapped in the driving skills department. They seem to come and go on a two year cycle....

I think they also serve as an aide memoire, rather like George Bush's little lapel badge.

[Donney]

I think that Clio is unbeatable.

[Dave B]

I can well imagine the steering on that Clio being light if there's a load in the back :s

[Daniel]

I can well imagine the steering on that Clio being light if there's a load in the back :s
You mean even lighter than normal :p

The Micra I drove in Finland and in Switzerland had apallingly light steering. The scariest experience I've ever had in a car was driving that Micra on a flowing Finnish gravel road. Absolutely no steering feel and no idea if the car was just going to fall of the road or make it around a corner. I list that as a scarier experience than spinning my dads car on a greasy road at night or my car swallowing water and stopping on a busy road at night when it was pouring down with rain and there was no visibility :mark: Micra bad!

Never understood why steering needs to be silly light. My 406 decent steering yet manages to be light enough for a biddy to drive around I'm sure.

[LotusElise]

Has anyone ever seen those decals that are meant to resemble bullet holes? :dozey:

I remember those being popular near me in the late 80s. Those and go-faster stripes.

[Drew]

What's up with that clio, couldn't they afford a Kangoo?

[Captain VXR]

What about this tastefully modified Renault Clio? :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/will5584/DSCF1677.jpg

Wheres my sick bag?

[GridGirl]

I want to upgrade to one of these...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/208409/st_transit_unveiled.html

[Mark]

You could put your Fiesta in the back :p

[J4MIE]

The Micra I drove in Finland and in Switzerland had apallingly light steering. The scariest experience I've ever had in a car was driving that Micra on a flowing Finnish gravel road. Absolutely no steering feel and no idea if the car was just going to fall of the road or make it around a corner.

But that Micra didn't go fast enough to have any sort of accident at all :D

[Daniel]

It may have done 170kph on a downhill stretch from Turku to Helsinki on the Tuesday :uhoh:

[J4MIE]

It may have done 170kph on a downhill stretch from Turku to Helsinki on the Tuesday :uhoh:

Nah, I don't believe it :D

I may have got a video of my knees whilst screaming at my brother to keep his foot down so we wouldn't actually get stuck in the ditch
http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v116/125/80/529115611/n529115611_1081463_5479.jpg
:cheese:

[Daniel]

Did you get a bill for the scratches on the bottom of that car? :p

The top speed of a 1.2l Micra is 104mph which is 164kph and speedos usually overead so 170 or therabouts is possible :p

[luvracin]

A Konigsegg modified with "The Top Gear Wing" didn't look bad and was functional!!

[dyfi1]

One mod I can't stand are those white flags with red crosses on them that people put on their cars to inform the rest of us that they're handicapped in the driving skills department. They seem to come and go on a two year cycle....

Hmmm, and there was me thinking it was a way to show that the vehicle carried a first aid kit.

[Captain VXR]

I think anti lag is stupid because it creates a hell of a lot of noise and only a bit more power delivery - only really suitable for drag cars when you need every last nanosecond shaved off

[Daniel]

I think anti lag is stupid because it creates a hell of a lot of noise and only a bit more power delivery - only really suitable for drag cars when you need every last nanosecond shaved off
Well you'll get pulled up in 5 seconds on the road with anti-lag switched on. Plus your exhaust will be gone fairly soon too ;)

[BrentJackson]

Good

- tasteful body modifications
- decent exhaust systems (no noise bombs or fart cans)
- extra gauges that are actually useful and not mounted all over the place
- decent-size wheels made by a major manufacturer and good tires
- new seats, especially if made by Sparco, Cobra or another such reputable company
- Good paint jobs
- some ride height change
- subtle graphics executed well in paint or vinyl
- Real window tint
- stereo improvements that don't involve giant pieces
- Momo or Sparco steering wheels
-

Bad:
- Mile high or ground scraper cars
- DUBs
- multi-colored paint jobs
- outrageous body kits (though some of Veilside's stuff is an exception :) )
- stereos that weigh more than the car itself
- ridiculous rear wings
- fake carbon fiber
- Lamborghini doors
- modifying a car with a small engine when you can get a bigger one
- ridiculous rear wings/overfenders/front splitters
- stick-on body mods
- sponsor vinyls on the top of the windshield (safety hazard too)
- fart can exhaust tips
- Neon
- graphics made with crappy vinyl, house paint, et cetera
- ridiculous bodywork changes/new lights