Boy racer fads I don't understand

[WillM82]

I appreciate that modifications are all subjective, that they come in fads, and that I've made minor modifications to cars I've owned myself in the past that others would see as tacky - big mudflaps, debadging, those cheap ebay flimsy plastic "M3" spoilers etc.

 

I've lived through the Max Power era and seen all sorts of weird and wacky bodykits, but I don't understand some of the current fads:

 

- No front numberplate / numberplate in the windscreen. I appreciate that in publicity shots, cars won't have a front plate. I even get Alfa Romeo or Evo-style side mounting, to allow air in to an intercooler. But I don't get the trend of ripping the front numberplate off and placing it in the windscreen. It just looks like it has fallen off and needs to be put on again.

 

- Words all over the windscreen. I once read about a car dealer who got done for taking a test drive with the price and feature list stickers on the windscreen of a car they were selling. Now people are doing it to their own cars. I appreciate that this is probably an evolution from the old fashioned "Rothmans Rally" sun strips, but how do people see the road for all the stickers? And what do they do at MOT time - peel them off and put them back on again?

 

- Wheels that foul the arches and the "camber" look. Popular in the dub scene. I can appreciate lowering a car a little to get a better stance, but when tyres start rubbing bodywork you've gone too far. When you can't negotiate speed humps, and drive along country roads at a crawl in case of potholes you've taken it too far. The "camber" thing too just looks like your car has been dropped and axle snapped.

 

- Diesel smoke, usually from a Peugeot 306 diesel, open up the fuel lines such that when they accelerate they put out a huge cloud of black smoke. Not particularly sporty.

[KenONeill]

Putting "Kenwood" across the back window. I see that and think "What's wrong with a Moulinex?"

Wish/shopping lists down the front wing/door leading edge/sills.

 

I agree about cambered suspensions, but you missed "stretch", like putting a 215 width tyre on a 10" rim!

 

Oh and a PSA XUDT with a mechanical pump doesn't need opening up to make it smoke if you floor it off turbo!

[Coops]

I had a Kenwood sticker across the back screen of my Mk2 Fiesta! At least said vehicle was kitted out with Kenwood equipment, worth more than the car.

 

 

[octyal]

36 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Wish/shopping lists down the front wing/door leading edge/sills.

 

[tubbytommy]

we all get old.........ten years ago i drove this.

 

 

 

now i have a lovely slow comfortable diesel

 

 

 

would i want a noisy,fast car that does 16mpg and everyone looks at now? ...Hell no!

 

but when i was 25 would i have wanted an octavia diesel that fits the dog,kids,mrs and shopping in?............Hell no!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 5 May, 2017 by tubbytommy

[WillM82]

Quote

 

 

That is a pretty sweet Subaru, and the VRS is nice too, @tubbytommy

 

My original rant though was at inexplicable mods that made no sense, your cars are tasteful and look the business.

 

Kenwood stickers across the back - that's fair enough, doesn't impair front visibility, not that different from tinting the rear window.

And the "shopping list", well when I fitted a K&N filter to the Saab I put the small sticker on the lower rear window, surely the is just the same as that taken to the next level, displaying the equipment fitted to the car? Not a dangerous nor inexplicable mod.

 

And yes I'm a grumpy old man

 

9 years ago I was driving this...

 

[tubbytommy]

Just now, WillM82 said:

 

That is a pretty sweet Subaru, and the VRS is nice too, @tubbytommy

 

My original rant though was at inexplicable mods that made no sense, your cars are tasteful and look the business.

 

Kenwood stickers across the back - that's fair enough, doesn't impair front visibility, not that different from tinting the rear window.

And the "shopping list", well when I fitted a K&N filter to the Saab I put the small sticker on the lower rear window, surely the is just the same as that taken to the next level, displaying the equipment fitted to the car? Not a dangerous nor inexplicable mod.

 

And yes I'm a grumpy old man

 

9 years ago I was driving this...

 

 

i guess its just kids modifying cars.

if your budget only stretches to a kenwood sticker thats what you have.

im with you i dont understand the point of some stuff like the silly windscreen stickers but its what kids do.

 

yes im old too, but not quite as grumpy, i guess kids would say why drive a boring diesel octavia? they may have a point too.

[octyal]

I can see exactly where you are coming from though, especially with the ridiculous look of cambering the rear wheels and stretching tyres - bet they are fun to drive in the wet......

Another one that springs to mind is the craze (if you can call it that) of dangling half a hanging basket from the rear view mirror, what's that all about?

I remember the Max Power era well, I was late teens/early 20's and everything was about wide body kits, spoilers and crazy paint jobs, none of which I really liked. All of my previous cars have had some tinkering to improve suspension/engine, externally they all looked standard. My personal favourite was a 1988 Astra van (the estate derived one) that I dropped a cavalier sri engine, box and brakes into, totally standard looking from the outside, but would seriously embarrass the Escort driving yoofs that were about back in the mid 90's

[tubbytommy]

10 minutes ago, octyal said:

I can see exactly where you are coming from though, especially with the ridiculous look of cambering the rear wheels and stretching tyres - bet they are fun to drive in the wet......

Another one that springs to mind is the craze (if you can call it that) of dangling half a hanging basket from the rear view mirror, what's that all about?

I remember the Max Power era well, I was late teens/early 20's and everything was about wide body kits, spoilers and crazy paint jobs, none of which I really liked. All of my previous cars have had some tinkering to improve suspension/engine, externally they all looked standard. My personal favourite was a 1988 Astra van (the estate derived one) that I dropped a cavalier sri engine, box and brakes into, totally standard looking from the outside, but would seriously embarrass the Escort driving yoofs that were about back in the mid 90's

i put a calibra red top 2.0 16v engine and box in a nova.

it was great until i put it up a tree.

milk bottle top front disc brakes and rear drums arent a set up suited to 150 bhp.

i guess its all part of growing up....but i wouldnt change it

[Gobsheene]

8 hours ago, WillM82 said:

- Diesel smoke, usually from a Peugeot 306 diesel, open up the fuel lines such that when they accelerate they put out a huge cloud of black smoke. Not particularly sporty.

 

I see we live on the same side of the Irish Sea, the "felt spec" fad we have here really does go beyond belief. Cars lowered at the back, springs not in the front or ones from the wrong car and plumes of smoke the likes you'd see from a frigging power plant and the car going nowhere.

 

Gagh.

[WillM82]

1 minute ago, Gobsheene said:

 

I see we live on the same side of the Irish Sea, the "felt spec" fad we have here really does go beyond belief. Cars lowered at the back, springs not in the front or ones from the wrong car and plumes of smoke the likes you'd see from a frigging power plant and the car going nowhere.

 

Gagh.

 

Ha, you know what I was getting at! If I'd put "Felt Spec", someone from Croydon or Slough or Auchtermuchty wouldn't have a clue!

 

There are sporting diesels, the VRS models and GT TDi models prove that, but a knackered 306 XUD with the suspension springs clamped down with a G clamp isn't.

[Coops]

I grew up reading "Max Power" too - used to love these:

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

I bought one or two issues of Max Power, not because I had any real desire to own a modded car like that, but I could appreciate the quality of the engineering work and dedication of the owners. There's still plenty of tastefully done modified vehicles today, but there are quite a few that just look broken or like they are having a ****.

[mac11irl]

I meant to ask before what the definition of "felt spec" is.

Have plenty "agri spec" buckets of scrap down our way too.. lowered, rattly, base spec, old mk4 golfs generally...

The whole "No shmoke, no poke" stickered thing, with the exhaust tip bent to send all the soot onto the back of the car... wt unholy f is that about?? Its not "rat scene", rest of car tends to be well cleaned etc just the back dirtier than my coal fire chimney.. i get the idea being my car is filthy from the power, but its just stupid

 

[mac11irl]

There was another thing here a few years back where every badly modded red corolla and civic also had a black bonnet with fake quick releases glued on.

 

I got the max power idea too. Many of them looked quite good. Problem i had was the number of half arsed no budget wannabe copycats we'd see around our way here. Terrible mods on generally generally terrible cars..

[Titanium_Man]

I also looked at Max Power, although never bought one  

 

Back in them days I couldn't afford to drive, let alone put stupid 18" wheels on a Nova

 

I'm 36 and own a couple of modified cars, nothing like in the magazine or scene cars. Subtly changed to make improvements (imo) Less is more, OEM+ all the way.  

[gadgetman]

2 hours ago, Dr Zoidberg said:

I bought one or two issues of Max Power, not because I had any real desire to own a modded car like that, but I could appreciate the quality of the engineering work and dedication of the owners. There's still plenty of tastefully done modified vehicles today, but there are quite a few that just look broken or like they are having a ****.

Admit it. You bought it for Katie Price (pre Jordan/implant days) the same as the rest of us. 

 

And if you liked your mods and cover girls a little more down market, you bought Fast car instead

[Dr Zoidberg]

12 minutes ago, gadgetman said:

Admit it. You bought it for Katie Price (pre Jordan/implant days) the same as the rest of us. 

 

And if you liked your mods and cover girls a little more down market, you bought Fast car instead

 I actually bought issue 1 as I needed a baseball cap to help tie my hair back to work in the engineering workshop at university. 

[Bignij]

6 hours ago, octyal said:

 

Where's the penis icon and an arrow to the driver?

Joking aside, as long as they're safe and legal.......ish, what does it matter? The world would be a very boring place if we were all the same. Aaaaaand, we wouldn't have owt to moan about if kids didn't do daft things. 

Edited 5 May, 2017 by Bignij

[P6bJOHN]

I still have this Escort, I'm 61 next month

[gadgetman]

Round here recently the ladz are going high tech putting action cameras in their bumpers to video their antics with F1 wing style view points. 

[Jonny5ive]

I've seen a number of cars in this neck of the forest with the brand name of the tyre painted on in white a la BF Goodrich. 

[ahenners]

Seems to be a current fad of tinting everything - tail lights, head lights, number plates. Don't understand this at all, looks terrible.

[VWD]

9 hours ago, Coops said:

I had a Kenwood sticker across the back screen of my Mk2 Fiesta! At least said vehicle was kitted out with Kenwood equipment, worth more than the car.

 

 

Mixer/ blender ,and oh- does the mixing bowl leak on hard cornering ?

[Aspman]

Barry Boys website still on the go.

 

http://www.barryboys.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=39244