Why Modify your car?

Hello Automotive forums user,

I am a student at the University of central Florida. I am writing a resaerch paper on why people feel the need to modify their cars and I need people to respond to the question: Why do you modify your car? as in does it give you some sort of personal accomplishment? Do you do it to show your personal attributes? Do you enhance the performance of your car to compete and win events? do you just have nothing better to do with all that money? reasons like that. and how did you get into modifying your car? All responses will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mack

Because its fun!
its competative! why do people play sports? is it to sign a contract with a major leauge? no its because you enjoy it. and if you enjoy it do you wanna get good at it and be even more competative? of course you do. no one goes to a basketball game in the park on sunday afternoon because they enjoy loosing to the other team! you do it cause its fun and you continue to do it to be competative and as people we have a competative nature.

I started in highschool, I used to race and work on motorcycles untill I had an accident.
a few months later a buddy of mine who had a really fast supra gave me a ride. I liked it, I liked it enough to think "I should have a fun car too" and so I've been trying ever since.

Because I can.



Reasons:
1. Competition ~ I want more than what the factory gave me for racing purposes

2. Appeal ~ Some cosmetics changes were made for my individual style and preferences

3. General improvements ~ Cars from the factory are not designed for optimal performance. Upgrading certain OEM parts can improve the overall running condition of the car.

Maintenance Costs ~ Quite frequently it is cheaper to modify/upgrade to aftermarket parts than to use the OEM pieces.

I dunno...I guess after helping my grandfather build an old MG, I've always been into cars. For me, I don't think what I have is enough (and never will). I want a car thats fun to drive and fast. However, I dont think that I'll ever be satisfied with the power my car has, and will always be out for more. That, and I've always enjoyed the whole culture behind modifying cars. I'll admit, I got into it after seeing The Fast and The Furious (I was younger when it came out, so I was impresionable), and after seeing it, decided to elarn everything I could about car modifications.

For me, I think a good mix of go and show is required.

the reason why i modify my car is becasue i bought this car for the sole purpose of modifying it. this car has soo much untapped potential. leaving it stock would be a waste.

this car was really slow from the factory ( slow to the point where a 89 4 cylinder 4 door accord beat me )

however i didn't buy this car to keep it stock. the car puts down 130whp stock, with what i've done, i've already added close to another 120whp over it, and by next week when the injectors come in, i'll add another 40whp on which will give me around 330 crank hp. i haven't even touched the inside of the engine yet.

the difference between this soon to be 280whp-400whp car from a 280whp honda is that, my car can actually put that power down becsaue its RWD has good balance, tons of upgrades found in the junkyard from the 300ZX that bolts right in. most hondas with only 220whp will spin its tires like hteres no tomorrow becsaue they're FWD.

that is why i modify it. in a very crude sentence

"my car has soo much untapped pussy left in it, even now" :)

God told me too.

I modify my car because I simply desire more power. Sorry, but 116hp in a 4 cylinder FWD engine just won't cut it for me. I want something bigger and better, like a VR6 engine with a turbo setup (drool). I could live with 200+ horsepower in a FWD daily driver. :)

Don't you think it's kind of stupid to have a great looking car that can't make it up a hill?

God told me too.
I was gonna say the voices in my head made me do it :iceslolan

I think we're all of a similar mind. What we got from the factory just wasn't enough, for a lot of us I'm not sure if even the mods that we do will ever be enough! LOL I never had any intentions of taking my truck this far when I first bought it, but here I am, and I'm not done yet! Racing is very addictive, like any competitive sport. And it's a very quantifiable sport, you can see in black and white any improvements you've made. My goal for this season is mid-low 11's (have to have a rollbar to go under 11.49 legally, so I just want to get yelled at a few times, then I'll keep it above 11.50). Then next year I plan on having a new engine built, along with a rollbar and will be running in the 10's. And that is definitely as far as I'm going, cause I'm not even gonna mess with the whole licensing thing and crazy amount of tech you have to do to run faster than 10's.

Hobby.

Don't you think it's kind of stupid to have a great looking car that can't make it up a hill?


Thats why you shoulda bought a Bimmer instead of a V Dub....





Just playin.

Hobby.

Agreed. And to me, its just no fun going to a track with a street car, when all the focus is on the "track only cars".

And there are rules (sometimes very strict) that you have to meet in order to compete.

So for me, its a very fun hobby. Now I've modified my truck (both looks and performance) for the same reasons: changed the looks to make it look newer then it really is; added performance to increase gas mileage and to make be able to tow that racecar better this upcoming season.

There are people who can drive a car stock , and be happy with it. Then there are people who modify their cars because they figure why live with stock when you can turn it into something even more desirable. So they modify their cars to fit their tastes wether it be exterior, interior, or performance.

Must... go... faster... always... faster... faster is funner!

I modify my car to make it go faster. People always ask me "whats the point in making your car go extremely fast?" And well..it's something you could never understand unless you've drove a fast car. This kid at schools dad has a pretty fast 69 charger..and he's drove it before and still hates fast cars/drag racing. Ya' know why? Because it scares him.

Must... go... faster... always... faster... faster is funner!

word.

i have nothing else to spend my money on.

Drugs? Prostitutes? Guns?

for the pussy

not really, to honestly do your report to your best ability, ride in a fast car. you know a fast car by the owner.
if you ask them if its fast and they say yes its fast.........its not fast.
if you ask them if its fast and they look at you and smile and dont say a word........thats the guy you want to ride with.

for the love of speed

Because I don't have a woman to spend the money on :crying: ...I'm so lonely *sniff*. L8...

Small penis - I need to compensate with more horsepower.

Just kidding, I do it because I like driving. I enjoy the sensation of being pushed into your seat when you mash the pedal, and sticking a 1g turn at 80 mph - lots of adrenaline. I ski and ride a mountainbike for the same reason... "speed thrills" (I'll leave out the "..but speed kills").

I also mod my car so other knowledgable enthusiasts don't know exactly what I got under the hood.

In high school, during the time of my learners permit, I saw the sneak preview for the Fast and the Furious. THATS RIGHT I SAID IT!

I had saved up a couple grand and got my 1st car (Acura Integra LS, Auto - See sig link -) Thats right, I was that guy with the Injen SRI and Greddy Exhaust on an auto w/ clear corners and rims.

Never did the whole body kit thing or altezzas or decals because I never really thought they looked good. But when I started drag racing and autox'ing it before college, I knew i wanted a more competitive car.

I sold the teg and got my MR2 Turbo. After even the most mild modifications the car changed completely. I got addicted, and its the 2nd major expense on my income now. (1st would be partying costs, Im a college student...)

So I can think my car is as fast as more expensive ones...Key word...THINK!

Why do you modify your car?


Why not?

well i just cant wait 2 fix up my mustang umm i cant wait.

I modify my car becasue "grandma says you can't beat this regal" LOL


sorry I just bought that liscense plate frame.

Cause, I like hearing my mom yell at me when I launch the car under 15psi of boost when she's holding lunch in her lap with drinks... then carrying a burnout all the way through first and second gear...

And all she says after that is, "I'm suprised that you have any tires left... oooo you can smell it... pheww... stinky."

BECAUSE MY CAR IS SLOOOOWW!!!


















well its not horribly slow (hey it beats v6 stangs and 80hp hondas well enough). but i have a vision and i work towards seeing that in reality.

To impress the ladies! Nothing hotter than rolling up to their door in a chiclipse.

But seriously, I always want more than I got, especially knowing the car's got more to give (along the same lines as what Tat said)

There's a feeling of accomplishment too when it comes to working on cars. The car could frustrate the hell out of you when you are working on it but when you turn the key and feel the difference driving (even if imagined), it was worth every bit of it. Some people lease cars so they can have a different one every 3 years. I say perform some mods and I get the same high.

Based on those questions I do not think you are trying hard enough to be objective but whatever. Do you feel the need to justify you lack of an urge to modify your car? Or do you just not have the money to do it? :lol2:

its the trill of goin faster and flyin by everyone... when u do something u do to be the best well atleast thats wat i think... i never wanna come out on the bottom i like it on the top...lol but yeah thats why when i race i race to win and when i build my car i build it to be the best...thats just who we do...

You drive a fast car once, hell you can ride in a fast car once, and you're addicted. It's sick really. I started out with one car, now I own three, each are being built for different things. I like the sense of accomplishment you get from modifying something that was stock and creating a completely different beast. Beating a car that cost 5x as much as yours, being the underdog. It's a good feeling.

In fact, now that you ask, I ask myself the same question. And I dont really have a logical reason for modifying my car, lol. I guess its nice to just do something with it, becuase building something and making it better than before is very satisfying. Since I dont streetrace anymore or anything b/c of the risks and such, so its pretty much all for myself. I still frequent these forums tho just to see whats goin on. Since this is a FWD car of course, I will probably stop at 325-350whp...at least while keeping it *looking* as stock as possible(except for FMIC), then add an LSD eventually, becuase choosing a good platform to mod on is very important of course, especially the drivetrain. I doubt I will ever take this to the track either, so its the daily drivable car thats fun enough for me. But still, I dont think that any of my reasons are good enough to justify the modification of it...*sigh*...cars are fun to work on...

A modified car, is just an extension of ones personality. It's away to show yourself to the world.

Much like how Peacocks have vibrantly colored fan tails, or how some cultures used to or still do those fancy tribal headdresses. Each one is different and serves a different purpose.

Just like our cars.



Plus, it gets the chicks.

I think it's just another way to show our masculinity. Nothing wakes you up better than a beefed up motor with a loud exhaust in the morning. :)

Drugs? Prostitutes? Guns?
sorry, not much into drugs, prostitutes are a waste of money and im afraid of guns. to top it off, i don't even have a girl and live with my parents.

the car is the only thing i have going for myself. thank you kristen and your damn probe for making me have a love in life, even if it isn't you (big h.s. crush).... :grinno:

Yeah, I was just kidding.

ride in a fast car.

i'm going with that answer, first...drive your car on the street or at the track, then get a friend to take you in a car (pref. a modified version of yours or an actual sports car) now compare and tell me which car you would rather be in.

therein lies the answer, its just that some people can never be fast enough

i'm going with that answer, first...drive your car on the street or at the track, then get a friend to take you in a car (pref. a modified version of yours or an actual sports car) now compare and tell me which car you would rather be in.

therein lies the answer, its just that some people can never be fast enough

That is a good way to give some people the "sickness", lol (better way is to let them drive, lol). It's also a good way to enlighten someone on what a "real fast car" is, and not what they think is fast, lol.

I believe it's our commitment for excellence. Most of us own a car here, and love our car. We want to get the most out of it so that we can enjoy it more the next day. Even for cars like mine where there's not alot out for it to do, we still want to do whatever we can to just make it origional. You see way too many cars out there that their owner's abuse, and it hurts me personally. Whether you customise exterially (visual/audio) or internally (performance/engine) you are doing something that is different from another person's. Once you ride in a very fast car, or a very heavy bass car, (i've done both) you want to have it for yourself.. You want that thrill you got that one moment to last forever and to be reinacted every day when you crank your own car up.

I didn't know people street raced until i saw fnf... though i hate admitting that, i just thought the cars weeving through traffic were idiots. I didn't realize they were attempting to street race but failling miserably.

It's personal choice whether or not you want to upgrade your car. everyone has a certain personality they want to exibit when people walk past their car. mine, i want them to go "isn't that the car that was all busted up? damn he did a good job" (another person) "yea, he did it all himself"

my next project will be a speed one.... because honestly i want a fast car. one that will just blow the pants off of any of the top of the line cars here. (dad's hinted at a foxbody with 400hp...)

to answer your question, why do i customise? because it's what i like. it's my personal hobby to keep me sane while my girlfriend bitches over stupid stuff. I just can go outside to my car, pop the hood and fiddle fart around with it. It's my exit from reality i guess... for those 16 seconds or less i'm free :-d

Why? okay,here it goes
Uniqueness...I want a car that isn't gonna look like some maxima off the showroom floor.
Speed...making a car faster by your own means gives you a great feeling of accomplishment.
Pride...my car is the only thing of value I own, so I want to take pride in what I drive.
That about sums it up.

I took my wifes cousin for a ride in the Drag Car one time, she screamed from launch to the finish line, we got back to the pits and she jumped out of the car, looked at her boyfriend and said "Holy shit! That's better than sex!" You need to do that my dear.

But for an answer, I call it the "Tim Taylor Syndrome" Car people want MORE POWER! Only their cravings are not satisfied at the hardware store. Our "Power Tools" come in the form of Low Restriction Intakes, Ported Heads With bigger Valves, Hotter Camshafts, Tube Headers, Larger Free Flowing Exhaust Systems, Turbochargers or Superchargers, Nitrous, etc.

Sure sex is a thrill too, but your modified car will never tell you "Sorry honey, I just don't feel like it tonight" it will always be in the garage silently waiting for you to hop in so it can thrill you some more, that is unless you break it. At least they're easier to repair and get the thrill back than a pissed off girlfriend.

I took my wifes cousin for a ride in the Drag Car one time, she screamed from launch to the finish line, we got back to the pits and she jumped out of the car, looked at her boyfriend and said "Holy shit! That's better than sex!" You need to do that my dear.

But for an answer, I call it the "Tim Taylor Syndrome" Car people want MORE POWER! Only their cravings are not satisfied at the hardware store. Our "Power Tools" come in the form of Low Restriction Intakes, Ported Heads With bigger Valves, Hotter Camshafts, Tube Headers, Larger Free Flowing Exhaust Systems, Turbochargers or Superchargers, Nitrous, etc.

Sure sex is a thrill too, but your modified car will never tell you "Sorry honey, I just don't feel like it tonight" it will always be in the garage silently waiting for you to hop in so it can thrill you some more, that is unless you break it. At least they're easier to repair and get the thrill back than a pissed off girlfriend.
that has got to be the BEST analogy ever. "at least they are easier to repair and get the thrill back than a pissed off girlfriend" pure gold

going through each car individually and the mods I have done:
STi: Safety, convenience, and product development. I have an extra set of wheels, a set of good snow tires, and a prototype Bilstein coilover kit on my car. A car that reacts more quickly to inputs and has a higher threshold for handling gives a better chance at avoiding or getting out of a bad situation.

Miata: Safety and performance (roll cage, seat, muffler, tires, brake pads, mild suspension upgrade, hardtop with convertible top removed). This is a car built to run in SCCA's SSB class, and is not street registered. This is all about maximizing the performance of this car to the rules of the class it runs in.

1985 Porsche 944: Safety and Performance. This is an SCCA ITS car. See above, plus mild engine work has been done.

1987 Porsche 944: no mods, being rebuilt to be streetable.

Note: 4 cars, no bodywork mods, no car seteros.

.....thank you kristen and your damn probe for making me have a love in life.....
What kinda probe are you talkin about? :lol:

it really wasn't the probe, but the sexy driver ;)

..and he's drove it before and still hates fast cars/drag racing. Ya' know why? Because it scares him.

If you arent scared of your car you either

A.) Dont have enough power to be scared of

B.) Are too Experenced for your own good

C.) Have no respect for the lethal weapon you are in controll of

d.) B + C

But i know what you mean, some people are too pussy to get into a race for a parking spot or lane change. Defensive driving is good but not to the point you say "ill just turn off on the next drive way and turn around." There are some people who freak out when you go 15 over in open traffic...i know chicks with more balls than some guys at my school. :rofl:

Well, asking why people modify cars is like asking why people collect things. For some it is a profession but for most it is a hobby. I have many hobbies but cars are by far my favorite. It is one of the few things that keeps me sane.

My interest in cars began when I very young, probably four or five. My parents said as long as it had wheels I wanted to play with it. When I got older I fetched tools for my dad when he worked on cars. When I got my first car I had the desire to make it faster. It was a 1984 TBI Dodge Daytona. Sadly I didn't have the money and the car had little potential so the most I could do to it was the usual maintenance. I always tried to learn anything I could for when I had a car worth doing something to. My next car didn't fare any better, it was worse, a 1985 AMC Jeep Wagoneer with a Chevy 2.8L V6. After that thing decided to die it came time for my parents to buy a new car as well. The car they had was a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron GTC that they bought when I was eleven. I fell in love with that car as soon as I saw it and after a test drive I begged my parents to buy it. I knew I wanted one of those when I could drive. Well, since my Jeep threw a rod they decided to buy a new car and sell me the GTC for $3,000. Suddenly I had a car worth putting money into. My enthusiasm for cars grew even more. Sadly the car was totaled before I could afford to start my plans. Now I have another GTC that is just my project car. I have another car that I drive daily.

The fact is that once you have some fun in a car, unless you're a wuss, you'll never get rid of the bug. Let's just say that the speedometer in my head always reads "not fast enough."

If you arent scared of your car you either

A.) Dont have enough power to be scared of

B.) Are too Experenced for your own good

C.) Have no respect for the lethal weapon you are in controll of

d.) B + C

But i know what you mean, some people are too pussy to get into a race for a parking spot or lane change. Defensive driving is good but not to the point you say "ill just turn off on the next drive way and turn around." There are some people who freak out when you go 15 over in open traffic...i know chicks with more balls than some guys at my school. :rofl:

You can't be scared and race man. Your answer (C) is the key. You do have to respect the car, but you still can't be afraid of what happens. You can't even be thinking about what could happen to you when you're on the track. All you should be thinking about is getting a good reaction time, and making a good pass, not the "what if" stuff.

Now you do have to realize what could happen, but you never even think about that when you're on the track, and if you ever do, then its going to happen. If you break your concentration even slightly, then one of two thigns will happen: 1) you just lost the race and 2) you just hit the guard rail or worse.

I got into modifying cars when I was about 12. My dad had a camaro that he drove/raced. I rode in it a couple times and when he gave it a little gas, I though it was the coolest thing ever. I also owned a go-kart from the time I was like 5-15. I constantly looked through this go-kart modifying catalog my dad got for me circling high CR pistons, smaller CC heads, cams, headers, ect. I guess all that just transferred over when I got my car. But I saw the FATF and liked the supra so much. So I started researching imports online, found this site and have learned sooo much about cars since then, its not funny. I think the biggest thing is once you learn something, that leaves about 5 other things you have to learn. Same goes for each modification you perform on your car.

Basically, speed is an addiction, just like drugs, adrenaline, euphoria, ect and eventually your fix becomes insufficient so you desire more. The sad thing is each of these final fixes that are enough usually result in death.

I was bored with my trucks performance and I sold my quad and didn't have anything else to do, so I decided to make the truck fast.( Actually, the main reason was because I couldn't afford a Corvette, so I went with what I had.) I went to the track the first time(with simple boltons) and got hassled by the stock mustang/camaro/other muscle car guys, as well as the import tuners, so I took a year off from the track, saved up the money, bought the parts, went back to the track and threw their pride in the back of the bed and slammed the tailgate shut. :biggrin:

The B.S stops when the tailgate drops.... :biggrin:

If you arent scared of your car you either

A.) Dont have enough power to be scared of

B.) Are too Experenced for your own good

C.) Have no respect for the lethal weapon you are in controll of

d.) B + C


If you ARE scared of your car, you shouldn't be driving it. There's a big difference between respecting the capabilities fo the car you're driving and being scared of it. There is no way I could push a car that I was scared of to its limits, and I don't drive a car to its limits unless I can afford to replace it. There is also a BIG difference between driving a car at 95% of what it will do and 100% of what it will do, and knowing what the difference is.

The prime example of a car that scares me is a Porsche 930. The car has some VERY evil handling characteristics and if you're not 100% aware of what's going on at all times, it's very easy to find yourself going very fast towards something very solid.

im the type that can drive a bone stock car for x period of time (untill i feel that im riding slow) then come that parts but then again i've olny had quick cars

for me its about passion, i have been watching my dad build cars and race cars all my life and as i got older the more and more interested i became in cars, speed is also addicting i love to get on an open road on a sunny day with the t tops off and just rip through the corners, also where i live there are alot of 2 lane roads where you have to go over the yellow line to pass someone, my record right now is 8 cars at one time. As for fast enough, i dont think i will find a limit bc the faster i make my car, the faster i get used to driving it so i want to make it even faster to get that thrill back of it scaring me when i hit it. I think fast enough is when i can hit in in third at 70 and pick the front tires up off the ground, but thats alotta money and time away

The reason i want to modify my car is because it just isnt fast enough. And i enjoy mechanical work. I like to improve the performace of things and get the most out of what is there.

have you ever seen the show "Home Improvement", its the same way.

My parents weedwacker broke, and they wanted a new one anyways, i got it figured out the carb needed rebuilded, got a bigger and better carburator and put it on, then ported and smoothed the ports to make it more powerful. I even plan on making an exhaust system for it(coffe can sound). and maybe put it in an rc car...

Why wouldnt you want to modify your car / drive a fast car... people i know think im crazy because of the way i am, but i think their crazy because they dont like cars at all...

about what lickem said, that would be great... i could picture that, driving down the interstate, pull beside some rice, and just punch it and front end lifts a foot. instantly their jaws drop and then they run into the wall...

I'm not scared of my car. I don't do anything to be afraid of. Yes, I go really fast in a straight line when theres like..hardly any other traffic on the road. I respect my car and it's power and I know what can happen if I mess up. But I've accepted all of that. You'll never see me flying around turns, cutting people off, changing lanes without signalling, or anything like that. Some people say I am too cautious. And then I bring up the fact "Well..you drive an automatic FWD 110hp nissan sentra..." When I first got this car I was making a u-turn and I had to merge into the traffic..and it had just rained so I was kind of in a puddle..I came around the u-turn..and a guy came up on me speeding..so I floored it..forgetting about the water..so then I slid all over the road down my lane fishtailing. When something like that happens..you can't panic..you just gotta hold on and do the best you can do. It's like..once you commit yourself to something like that..you can't turn back. That's why I think alot of stupid accidents happen. People do something stupid..and when they're sliding/whatever..they get scared and just don't even want to be in the situation anymore. So they end up fucking up even more. I know I kind of rambled on here. But anyway..just to sum things up. I'm not scared of my car..I know what to expect from it. But, I do respect it.

Well I've got to say I have no idea why I do anything to any car I get. I guess it's because I was raised working on cars and now it's second nature and without doing something to one just doesn't feel right.
I've questioned myself when buying a part or doing something when I could have used the money on something else other then a part for my car but I still dump more and more money into them for what? Getting up to speed faster? Taking turns at twice the posted safe speed? I don't know considering I don't really street race and try to obay the traffic laws, I guess it's just in my blood and I've got to keep my addiction fed somehow.

The reason i want to modify my car is because it just isnt fast enough. And i enjoy mechanical work. I like to improve the performace of things and get the most out of what is there.

have you ever seen the show "Home Improvement", its the same way.

My parents weedwacker broke, and they wanted a new one anyways, i got it figured out the carb needed rebuilded, got a bigger and better carburator and put it on, then ported and smoothed the ports to make it more powerful
So, what does your weedwhacker run in the 1/4? :icon16: