Doing 'mods' to your car?

[NXcoupe]

Well said steven and 2slow. I agree, it's the guys that can't or don't want to modify their cars performance wise that want to 'fit in' with the heavy hitters by having mods too. I guess it's splitting hairs, but I don't want to say my car is heavily modified, and some people thinking, wow, he must have some trick floor matts and HID set up. or whatever. I do mods to my car, some things I do make it look better to me. My paint job on my race car is sick, it's not a mod tho, the car went the same times with or without the paint job, lol. actually, with the weight of all that paint and clear, etc, it probably slowed it down, lol.

 

[Steven]

lol. I figure the looks and feel of the car is enough to speak for itself. People walk up to my car and don't think, just another old mustang. It's, you see the victor Jrs poking out under the hood, you see the tires, and you see the roll cage. It's all business, and real cars don't need owners pointing shiat out

 

[MustangMoser]

I knew a guy in high school who thought that painting his honda's hood white would give him 20 horsepower...he had lots of mods done to his car

 

[Steven]

Oh lord. Those people kill me.

 

[NXcoupe]

LOL!

 

[duh09]

I knew a guy in high school who thought that painting his honda's hood white would give him 20 horsepower...he had lots of mods done to his car

I'm so glad the people like that around here can't afford cars.

 

[NXcoupe]

LOL!!! Very funny! I am still chuckling as I am reading this! They can afford them, you just choose to ignore, lol.

 

[MustangMoser]

His reasoning behind it was that white dissapates heat, his last sentence in explaining it was "think about it" yeeeeeeea.

 

[DropTopPony]

lol, well I mean come on.. "Check out my sweet mods, look at my chrome cobra shifter knob, and fake chrome cobra floor mats, pretty sweet. Install only took me the whole afternoon"

They are the last people to build power, let alone a real performance car. Stylizing your car is great, but running around trying to make yourself the ultimate "modder" because you installed floor mats and a shift knob tells me your not a very talented mechanic.

Granted this is not aimed at anyone in particular. lol.

I don't think being a talented mechanic should have anything to do with how people are looked at when "modding" a car. I also don't consider just power adding modifications as the one true mod.
What about suspension and brakes etc? I would bet a heavily modified road course car with minimum power mods would destroy most of the cars you guys are describing on a track but yet under the guidelines I am reading those cars aren't considered "modded".

Ragging on kids for doing basic beginner modifications is kind of pointless since we all started out there.

 

[MustangMoser]

Modding, in its slang, is performance oriented. Anyone who thinks that suspension/brake mods dont improve performance is not a gear head

 

[JonBeast]

I take the term modification for its literal meaning...you are changing something from how it originally was. You "modify" the suspension of the car by adding springs...you modify the appearance of the car by changing wheels. I think its all in the terminology. Personally, I use the term modding in every sense..."customization", IMO, relates back to the old hot rods, where they would literally cut and chop apart pieces of the cars and make them custom looking. I think adding wheels to a car is not a customization, its a modification.

 

[NXcoupe]

lol, well I mean come on.. "Check out my sweet mods, look at my chrome cobra shifter knob, and fake chrome cobra floor mats, pretty sweet. Install only took me the whole afternoon"

They are the last people to build power, let alone a real performance car. Stylizing your car is great, but running around trying to make yourself the ultimate "modder" because you installed floor mats and a shift knob tells me your not a very talented mechanic.

Granted this is not aimed at anyone in particular. lol.

I don't think being a talented mechanic should have anything to do with how people are looked at when "modding" a car. I also don't consider just power adding modifications as the one true mod.
What about suspension and brakes etc? I would bet a heavily modified road course car with minimum power mods would destroy most of the cars you guys are describing on a track but yet under the guidelines I am reading those cars aren't considered "modded".

Ragging on kids for doing basic beginner modifications is kind of pointless since we all started out there.

In one of my posts, either the first or second, I mention that suspension and handling are mods to a car.
Customizing and modifying are the same basic meaning if you are using them as the word was originally intended hundreds of years ago. In one sentence int he previous post, mod is used in its slang term and customizing is used in it's proper term. I tried explaining earlier, the two slang terms used to mean this: mod was something that made the car perform better, not look better, and customizing was altering the appearance of the vehicle through paint, bolt ons, chrome, wheels, detail oriented bling. That's the two slang terms, but saying something's custom has lost it's meaning, now 'mod' has become an all encompassing word because everyone wants to be considered modding their car. But say what you want, in my hp car circles, you show up claiming your stock car with chrome this and that and big wheels is modded, you're not going to gain any credit with them. That's the point I was making earlier. I like how we are discussing this, because I see guys trying to toss these terms around with heavy hitter guys and they just don't come off well. I know everyone has to start out, I did, and I had to work up to where I am now. Just sayin, this is good to get some input for me to keep up with what's goin on out there now as well as others I think.

 

[DropTopPony]

I get what you are saying NX, but what you mentioned about guys showing up to meets where most of the guys have heavily modified cars and those that don't are looked down on (gain any credit) is what is wrong with this hobby.
Those that are mechanics and or do their own work tend to look down on those that aren't and may pay to have work done. This arrogance has always baffled me because I personally could do most of my own work but choose to pay someone because I can afford to and I will make 2 or 3 times more money at work that day over what I am paying a tech to work on my car.

Domestic car guys need to embrace the young kids who show up with rims and CAI's because if we don't they will just be shunned and grow up to be ricers.

 

[ProKiller]

modding is modifications to otherwise replace stock. modding is both visual or performance to me. Its too hard to draw a line in the sand between visual and performance so why bother. HIDs can be both, they look cooler than standard halogen but also have a better light output for improved visual performance.

I think what bothers me the most is the term "custom" being thrown around. "custom" to me is that you or someone you paid made this part because no one else does. You don't have custom wheels unless you melted down the aluminum and forged them yourself. I have custom catback because no one makes a side exhuast like i wanted.

 

[Steven]

I'm sorry but anyone who walks up to me and tells me they just put a set of floor mats in their car, and thats the most recent mod that they've done. Then they proceed to ask my whats my most recent mod on my car, I will just walk away from. It's great to have people interested in modifying cars. Thats wonderful. Then buy a set of lowering springs, shocks, sway bars, a hood, brakes, intake, camshaft. Thats great. But something simply meaningless to the value, performance, and visual aspect of the car shouldn't be consider anything of the sort. You can think otherwise bob, thats fine. But I just shake my head when I get asked a question like that. If you want to CUSTOMIZE a car, thats great. I think that would fall under stickers, tint, basic wheels and tires, and interior trim. Thats all fine. But a modification to a car should really be used when speaking about improving the car, not just making it shiny.

 

[NXcoupe]

I get what you are saying NX, but what you mentioned about guys showing up to meets where most of the guys have heavily modified cars and those that don't are looked down on (gain any credit) is what is wrong with this hobby.
Those that are mechanics and or do their own work tend to look down on those that aren't and may pay to have work done. This arrogance has always baffled me because I personally could do most of my own work but choose to pay someone because I can afford to and I will make 2 or 3 times more money at work that day over what I am paying a tech to work on my car.

Domestic car guys need to embrace the young kids who show up with rims and CAI's because if we don't they will just be shunned and grow up to be ricers.

No no no! That's exactly what I am saying! It's the guys that show up that want to fit in the wrong way. that's what I meant. Show up say my car has NO mods, but I've customized the appearance to fit my taste, would like to do some power mods what do you suggest? That is in the lingo that the older more experienced guys will respond positively too. Some guys will still be dickheads, that's just how they are. Hell I've got guys that are dickheads to me, and they don't even have a car that runs! But they feel they are cool because their project(when and if it ever gets done) supposedly will be faster than my car. Well great! it's not here now! lol. But that gives you an idea. This hobby is fun and with the right group of people can be the most fun you can have and make for some great memories/experiences. But some guys have to make it a competitive deal, and that ruins it, or you can have fun with them. lol.

 

[NXcoupe]

modding is modifications to otherwise replace stock. modding is both visual or performance to me. Its too hard to draw a line in the sand between visual and performance so why bother. HIDs can be both, they look cooler than standard halogen but also have a better light output for improved visual performance.

I think what bothers me the most is the term "custom" being thrown around. "custom" to me is that you or someone you paid made this part because no one else does. You don't have custom wheels unless you melted down the aluminum and forged them yourself. I have custom catback because no one makes a side exhuast like i wanted.

See, once again, I am speaking on the SLANG use of the term in regards to our hobby, you are using the slang meaning for one term and the dictionary meaning for the other, that's not what is being discussed here. My point is, back in the day, before the F&F, before the ricer phase, mods were things for performance and customizing was detail, appearance changes. The slang term for your exhaust would have been 'one off'. That's how we would describe having something 'fabbed' up. If it was 'fabbed' or 'one off' that described the traditional meaning of customizing. Customizing to your taste, was the phrase most of the rod magaizines used to use. I guess what's happened is like all things, people become lazy want one word or phrase to describe all things and the 'art' of talking the hobby is gone. All I'm saying.
I have a lot of respect for a car that is customized to someone's taste, and yes it is customized, because probably no one else out there has the exact same list of customized features, like floor matts, shifter knobs, billet interior trim, exterior paint, interior color/design, that their car has. There is nothing wrong with saying you customized your car to your taste. Everyone will get it that you didn't 'soup' it up as it was called back in the day.

 

[Gregsn95]

I'm sorry but anyone who walks up to me and tells me they just put a set of floor mats in their car, and thats the most recent mod that they've done. Then they proceed to ask my whats my most recent mod on my car, I will just walk away from. It's great to have people interested in modifying cars. Thats wonderful. Then buy a set of lowering springs, shocks, sway bars, a hood, brakes, intake, camshaft. Thats great. But something simply meaningless to the value, performance, and visual aspect of the car shouldn't be consider anything of the sort. You can think otherwise bob, thats fine. But I just shake my head when I get asked a question like that. If you want to CUSTOMIZE a car, thats great. I think that would fall under stickers, tint, basic wheels and tires, and interior trim. Thats all fine. But a modification to a car should really be used when speaking about improving the car, not just making it shiny.

I agree with that too. A floor mat is just something you threw into your car not a mod, just something. I think a "mod" should have a price limit lol. It should start at about 100 haha that'll keep away a sticker or floor mat being called a mod

 

[MustangMoser]

I agree with that too. A floor mat is just something you threw into your car not a mod, just something. I think a "mod" should have a price limit lol. It should start at about 100 haha that'll keep away a sticker or floor mat being called a mod

have you bought floor mats lately? Some from Ford and the "custom" pieces that can be sewn to your likings with logos and what not are right in that 100 dollar rang. lol

 

[NXcoupe]

I agree with that too. A floor mat is just something you threw into your car not a mod, just something. I think a "mod" should have a price limit lol. It should start at about 100 haha that'll keep away a sticker or floor mat being called a mod

have you bought floor mats lately? Some from Ford and the "custom" pieces that can be sewn to your likings with logos and what not are right in that 100 dollar rang. lol

Exactly what I was thinking. I think the main topic being discussed here is how the word's slang mean has changed over the years. Not it encompasses everything you buy for your car, so if I fill up my tank with premium, that's a mod too? I mean I paid for it, it increases the performance of the car, etc? I just think the meaning has been lost over the years.