Is modding cars even cool anymore?

[Internal Combustion]

I feel like F&F brought a whole level of car modding to the public. Obviously a lot of it was fart cans and short ram intakes for automatic civics, but I remember seeing a lot of cars modded back from 2000-2005 or so. Now it doesn't seem so. Recession? Trucks will always be modded, but besides that, you don't see too much.

[B3passatBMX]

I can't leave my cars alone. I will always mod them, I like them to stand out even if it's something very subtle.

[cruizer34]

^^yep what he said and no its not fart cans and filter on a stick. Quality original parts or quality rep parts.

[NoLongerLow]

I think that you are seeing the OEM+ (and variations on that theme) remain strong, while the people who were in it b/c it was the "thing" to do have faded away. People learned that a fiberglass body kit on your lowered Civic was a huge waste of money.

I modify my cars...but only in ways that I deem to be improvements on the initial design. I've never purchased a body kit in my life. I aim to make mild changes.

[Fritz27]

I think people still mod their cars, I just think it's a lot more subtle than it was 10-15 years ago. Back when I was in high school, it was all about the biggest wing, tackiest kits, and ridiculous sound systems that rattled the trunk. Nowadays, most everyone seems to want an OEM+ look. Not to mention that OEM cars are a lot cooler and take more chances (even if they stopped offering colors). It's crazy to think that nowadays you can get a Mustang with HIDs, LEDs, Brembo BBK, with red wheels and spoiler, and a pretty aggressive front splitter.

[HaterSlayer]

People still throw gigantic rims on everything around by me

[Fritz27]

Donks, bubbles, and boxes being the exception.

[seroki]

RICE is dumb, but lightweight wheels/BBK/Coilovers all worthy candidates of mod. Anything that adds performance or comfort or both, are always worthy mods in my eyes.

COTS Fiberglass body kits... negative, something custom... depends on how gawdy it is, something subtle and tasteful sure, but you better have the performance to back up that diffuser, spoiler or rear wing.

[izzo]

Wait... it was/is cool to mod a car?

[roadtripper]

it's more focused into more affluent regions and makes. for example, porsche people are spending more than ever. every m3 i see is modded. same for corvettes.

lots of middle class people losing their houses and jobs means less poseurs dinking their cars out. one of the things you are noticing is not the lack of modified cars, it's the lack of visibility. the days of the cheapie civic you can rat out has passed. those "classics" are either in junkyards, on their way, or bringing high dollars as unmodded survivors, and the newer models that are now coming into that part of the lifecycle haven't caught on like the previous generations. combine that with higher used car prices and more people living at home, and conspicuous douchebaggery isn't as socially feasible for some as it used to be.

it's the beverly hillbillies thing. the type of modding people do on cheap cars is highly visible, tacky, and ostentatious. the type of modding people do on quality rides is subtle, functional, and not for you.

[bificus99]

Tastefully modded, for instance rear sway bars for better tactile feel when driving roads with right and left curves. Intakes/headers, when they make sense. No stickers for me, however I did put 17s on my 280 as 14 and 15 inch performance tires are hard to find.

http://www.thezstore.com/store/graph...arge251051.jpg

[200HP4dr]

I mod my Volvos with things like working ETMs, non cracked timing belts and head gaskets that keep the fluids separated. I prefer subtle.

Chris

[sjparker]

facebook, twitter...all social media is to blame. Up until about 3 years ago, you could go out to the local "strip" on friday and saturday night and see wall to wall cars cruising up and back endlessly. Yes most of the cars were junk and poorly done, but it made for great entertainment. I enjoyed watching or driving through the parking lots as the differnt makes/genres/high schools would park together and do whatever it is that they do. Now, you stay at home and text, tweet...or whatever.

cars do not seem to be important with the up and coming generation.

[RENOG]

No I don't see it as much myself anymore either. Personally I out grew all that (although referbing a classic would be nice). After having a few cars stolen I finally came to my senses and stop spending all my hard earned money making my car attractive for thieves to take once I was done. That gets old very quickly.

[Obin Robinson]

cars do not seem to be important with the up and coming generation.

They upcoming generation can't afford a car because they don't have jobs. It's hard to mod a car when you are unemployed.

obin

[Aonarch]

I feel like the modding scene is stronger than ever. Look at the VW scene for example, over the past few years the modding scene has grown exponentially. Companies like APR are obviously doing well.

[Slipstream]

They upcoming generation can't afford a car because they don't have jobs. It's hard to mod a car when you are unemployed.

obin

They also don't have a need for a car when they can play video games with their friends without ever leaving the house, or video/voice chat with them over Google+ / Facebook / Skype / whatever. Why do you need to drive to the store when you can just order everything online? Hell, even exercise is taken care of (Wii, Xbox Kinect, etc). Mom has a car if they HAVE to go somewhere.

I'm not saying the economy has nothing to do with it but the "online" society doesn't exactly encourage the youngin's to drive places.

[Vision33r]

People still mod their cars and will always. You don't see much exterior mods because they are police magnets and many towns and counties are increasing Police traffic stops to ramp up their tax collections.

[Si Trav]

i think its pretty impossible to not mod your car. every aftermarket company is making something better than the manufacture even if its something small such a motor mount

[srgtlord]

Yeah I mod my car.....with bondo so i dont have to pay lots of $$$ money for the original part lol


But yeah, prices can be ridiculous when you are a poor college student. Im not looking for anything flashy im looking to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible. If that means slapping on some bondo and paint to pass inspection another year, thats another year I have to drive a vehicle I own and not the bank.


But yeah i think the recession has a lot to do with the modding scene. I see many people driving pre-1995 vehicles so that they are emmission exempt AKA if like the car is running like crap it will still get a valid sticker.

[wh1te09gti]

oem+ for me. getting parts from same manufacture (vw/audi group, amg for Mercedes or European spec etc.) but higher end model. subtle, that only enthusiast will recognize the difference. Same with exhaust quiet, but with extra flavor little louder at wot, slightly larger tips. Nothing crazy.
Less is More philosophy.

i put in drop in filter the very first day that i picked up my cc from dealership (not a crazy mod but still can't leave it alone)
euro spec turn signals 2 weeks after.
scheduling stg 1 ecu reflash and awe exhaust next week.
car has only 2k miles...

next in line oem vw 19" saggitta wheels and vw sport springs.
list goes on..

[l88m22vette]

I will ALWAYS mod my cars, nothing stock is as good as it can be, but I'm all about smooth/subtle/non-ghetto, if you're going to do it, do it right

[Obin Robinson]

They also don't have a need for a car when they can play video games with their friends without ever leaving the house, or video/voice chat with them over Google+ / Facebook / Skype / whatever. Why do you need to drive to the store when you can just order everything online? Hell, even exercise is taken care of (Wii, Xbox Kinect, etc). Mom has a car if they HAVE to go somewhere.

I'm not saying the economy has nothing to do with it but the "online" society doesn't exactly encourage the youngin's to drive places.

I'll back you up on that one.

I can remember when my friends and I wanted to do something a car was involved along with a mall. No cell phones, no Skype, no xBox. Meeting someone involved driving a distance. The better the drive the more fun it was to meet someone. Back then it was all about huge stereos and not huge wings. If you were going to be in the car for two hours to meet friends then you might as well have good music while you were on your way.

obin

[Fritz27]

Difference is that gas now costs $4/gallon and if a kid has a job he might make $75/week. Two hours worth of cruising pretty much swallows up that paycheck.

[capn]

It's all relative. As long as people wish to personalize their possessions, they will still believe it's cool.

Modding my cars is for my enjoyment, not anyone else.

[Blonde Guy]

With the change in the economy, I'm seeing way more modded bicycles now.

[Obin Robinson]

Difference is that gas now costs $4/gallon and if a kid has a job he might make $75/week. Two hours worth of cruising pretty much swallows up that paycheck.

Gas was $.99 a gallon when I was "cruising" but it still ate up a paycheck. You know what didn't eat your paycheck? Cell phone bill, xBox account, Netflix account, iTunes account, etc. Money is slim for young adults no matter the generation. The only thing different about the current one is that they have a lot more expensive distractions. Money on iTunes to download the latest rap videos means no money for stereo upgrade or new paint on Mitsubishi subcompact.

obin

[teutonicgoodness]

I have never modded a car other than to put a snowboard rack on the roof of my old Audi.

My opinion: If your car needs mods, get a better car. I will take my "stock" 330xi over a modded VW, Honda, etc. any day.

Like Clarkson said to a guy with a modded Elise after the guy rattled off all the mods,"so what your saying is you've ruined it."

[roadtripper]

modding to personal taste/enjoying your 330 in nyc

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
two sides of the coin

[spoonie]

seems one of the cheapest cars in canada allows the modding from the 'factory'.

http://www.scion.ca/scion/en/build-p...ild-your-scion

[RENOG]

yeah its a combination of all that crap...Technology / economy / Gas / rising cost of Insurance /Broke cities needing money i.e. aggressive cops / lack of jobs etc. / thieves.

[Dr. Woo]

Only "mods" I have planned for the Focus are 17" lightweight Jaguar wheels and a set of sticky summer rubber.

Only thing stopping me is getting the barrel of one of those wheels sanded and re-painted. Whatever car they came on obviously belonged to an oblivious owner who never cleaned them. Shocking that only one wheel has this kind of degradation, and that it's so limited.

[Time for a GTI]

yes

[evosky]

i will always mod my cars to some extent. like everyone else, i'm all for OEM+ for a DD.

[Mike!]

I think "cool" and "popular" are two distinct words.

Modding certainly isn't as commonplace as it was, but that's for a number of reasons (F&F trend ending, economy, better performing new cars that reduce the incentive to buy used and make performance mods, etc.)